It's Time For a Change… or Two!
Yesterday was the first game of the year that I did not watch an inning, but I did go back and watch the condensed debacle. It was about as bad as the Pacers-Celtics game I went to last night. My son-in-law is a a Celtics fan, so it made things even worse. He is also a Red Sox…
Yesterday was the first game of the year that I did not watch an inning, but I did go back and watch the condensed debacle. It was about as bad as the Pacers-Celtics game I went to last night. My son-in-law is a a Celtics fan, so it made things even worse. He is also a Red Sox fan and is envious of the fact that the Dodgers are good every year while the Red Sox are not, but win an occasional World Series. It is his opinion that winning every year is better than winning a World Series every eight or ten years. His exact words are, “It sucks to be a Red Sox fan.” But, I digress.
The Dodgers had five hits yesterday. Each of the top 5 batters had one, and the bottom four had zero, zilch, nada. It’s too early to see if Heyward is going to repeat what he did last year, but Chris Taylor, Kike Hernandez, and Gavin Lux are pathetic! Some fans blame it on Robert Van Scoyoc and Aaron Bates, the hitting coaches. RVS is reputed to be a hitting guru, and for some hitters, he is all of that… and more. JDM signed with the Dodgers last year for less money than he was offered elsewhere in order to be reunited with RVS. Shohei Ohtani has hit better than ever under RVS, as has Max Muncy, Freddie Freeman, and even Teoscar. But, sometimes, what works for one player does not work for another.
If RVS is the problem, then get rid of him! I’m just not convinced that he is the issue. If the Dodgers fired him, he would be employed within 10 minutes anyway. The problem, as I see it, is that too many of the Dodger hitters “sell out” on every pitch. CT3 and Kike are swinging out of their shoes on every swing. The same is true with Max Muncy, but Freddie, Mookie, and Shohei don’t do that! They pick their situations. The answer, I believe, is to start by getting rid of Chris Taylor. He has been a great Dodger and a great teammate, but that ship has sailed. Who do you get then? What should the Dodgers do?
Play Miguel Vargas, You Morons!
Maybe there is a good reason why Miguel Vargas is not playing. I am not privy to everything about the Dodgers, but Miguel Vargas has excellent bat-to-ball skills and, in my opinion, has the makings of a professional hitter. The only way we can find out is to let him play. Even Ray Charles can see that! I will guarantee one thing: He won’t hit, if you don’t play him! Well, Duhhh… The Dodgers already have one player who can’t hit, and they will keep Austin Barnes because of what he brings to the pitching staff. Lux and Kike are hitting over .200, so they will get some time to fix their swings, but Chris Taylor is totally lost… and I don’t think I will live long enough to see him come back.
The Dodgers do not need three Swiss-Army Knives. CT3, Kike, and Rojas have similar skills; although Rojas doesn’t play the outfield, however, I bet he could in an emergency. The best thing the Dodgers can do for the team and Chris Taylor is to cut him loose. He evidently has not volunteered to go to the Minors to work on his swing, so, bye-bye, Chris! Who takes his place?
Call up Andre Lipcuis!
I do not know if he is a suspect or a prospect, but there is only one way to find out: Call him up and let him play while Max Muncy is on the IL. He’s 26. Can play 3B and is a RH hitter. After going 0-4 last night, he is still hitting .328 with a .394 OB%, and a 1.006 OPS. He has 13 HR (his career high in just 183 ABs) and has nine doubles and two triples. He has struck out 25% of the time. With all of the offensive struggles from the bottom of the lineup, he needs to have a chance. Don’t be a moron, Andrew – Call him up!
What’s wrong with this lineup?
- Betts SS
- Ohtani DH
- Freeman 1B
- Smith C
- Teoscar RF
- Pages/Heyward CF
- Lux/Rojas 2B
- Vargas LF
- Lipcuis 3B
It’s worth a try, before the trade deadline approaches.
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Discussion (54)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Has anybody watched the Kansas City Royals this year now that’s entertainment 1 to 9 all the hitters can hit. When they get runners on base 1st and 2nd and they bunt the runners over and then oh my god the next guy hits a base hit and two runners score. They don’t swing out of there shoes they look for a hole in the field and hit it there. Now yesterday Dodgers VS reds. Freddie gets on base with a double. Next guy Smith walks. First and second does the next guy try to bunt runners over no. He swings as hard as he can Heyward and the ball hits off the top of the bat right to the second base man for a double play inning over they didnt score. Why on earth was Heyward swing as hard as he can then just hit in a gap. Next inning lux strikeout then keke strikeout then Taylor strikeout 1,2,3, inning done. My point the Royal guys get up there and think the dodger guys get up there swinging for the fences. By the way Royal are 32 and 18 name a player other then Perez or Witt but they play baseball the right way put the ball on play make something happen. And there 7,8,9, battle dnt all strikeout in a row but the Dodgers do and you all say oh they will start hitting really how with that hitting coach and Robert’s as manager there philosophy is swing for the fences hit a homer. And you tell me they can’t find better 7,8,9, batter Rojas is better then lux pages and Vargas and taylor he should be the second baseman or shortstop.
Wow the Braves lost Acuna for the season with a torn left ACL. Last time he tore the right one.
Tough break for the Braves. Or tough tear, I guess.
Huge loss. Much bigger than the Pads losing Bogaerts.
This could affect the Dodgers’ search for OF help, assuming that they are indeed searching. The Braves have to be in the market as well.
One intriguing name that has popped up is the Marlins’ Bryan De La Cruz, because the Marlins will be sellers.
How about a package for De La Cruz to play LF and Tanner Scott to upgrade the bullpen?
Any offer should include Miguel Vargas, whose family now lives in Miami. A few pitchers and position prospects could be considered.
Bluto gets top grades for being condescending.
You gotta be kidding me, they started a Fire Dave Roberts thread. As a lifetime Dodger fan from back in the early 70’s , for the first time in all my years I am truly embarassed by parts of our fan base. Bunch of front running bandwagon idiots. I posted a couple of months ago that back in the late 70’s when Lasorda kept losing to the Yankees in 77 and 78 , the same idiots were calling for his job, just blown away with the toxic and negative comments I see, I am thankful that on this site we at least for the most part try and dissect what is going on with the team instead of defaulting to firing the manager, front office, and ownership,So over our spoiled fan base, they have no clue at all how lucky they are that the Dodgers are in the conversation every year as contenders
Billion dollar top of the order, 99 cent store bottom of the lineup, and that’s Robert’s fault? Seems like every year we go through a stretch like this in the first half of season and everyone is going crazy. Then comes August! Besides we can’t seem to win it as the best team, so let’s try another way. I’m with Freddie (and Bluto)!
“Bobby Miller pitches 3 innings in first minor league rehab start
Dodgers right-hander sees first game action in 46 days, currently on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Miller allowed three runs in three innings for Rancho Cucamonga, throwing 55 pitches”