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
“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”
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)!
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
Bluto gets top grades for being condescending.
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.
Wow the Braves lost Acuna for the season with a torn left ACL. Last time he tore the right one.
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.
Did anyone else see Freddie Freeman’s post game interview? No doubt what he said is true but from a frustrated fan’s perspective, it’s not what I want to hear from a star player making millions of dollars. Am I overreacting?
Yamamoto is not the “ace pitcher” he was advertised to be. And he’ll never become one until he develops movement on his flat, no-extension, straight-as-an-arrow fastball. And it will take an off-season of work for him to remedy this, so he is who he is now ..(at best) maybe a #3 SP.
Ohtani’s hammy issue is definitely now bothering his swing.
Since we all see the flawed approach at the plate that too many of the Dodgers batters are taking with their AB’s, ..does RVS and his coaches see it too? Are they doing anything about it? Are they ACCOUNTABLE for this?
Well, Taylor and Vargas were both blameless in the latest debacle. Neither got into the game.
This time, the bottom five of the Dodgers order was hitless, going 0 for 16 in a bullpen game for the Reds. Five Ks and zero walk from Pages, Lux, Heyward, Kike and Barnes. And the Dodgers avoided the shutout only by Freddie knocking in Shohei in the 9th.
The Dodgers really put the lack in lackluster in their fifth straight loss.
What to do, what to do….
Sure, why not bring up Lipcius until Max gets back. If he succeeds, that could lead to other moves.
Is Taylor tradeable? Only if the Dodgers eat maybe 90% of his salary. Is there a creative salary dump that might be possible to minimize the loss?
Been critical about Doc in the past and would not be against him being replaced but that was a classy, classy move.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Game resumes.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!1
No shame in getting swept by the mighty Reds.
You Tube? Another waste of time. I would rather watch a casket warp than the junk they have on there. I could watch re-runs of NCIS. Actually, I am going to go do some shopping I need to do, and shave off my beard. Maybe that will change their luck. Game is official, call it and head to New York.
Very ugly stretch of baseball for sure. Losing Muncy leaves a huge hole in our lineup. Today’s lineup doesn’t win many games.
Be nice when they do use this line up and when they are struggling to score runs to play more small ball but they hardly ever change there slug first approach.
Maddening for sure, go to NY Mets next and they are struggling too so hopefully things start to turn around.
You know your team is playing kinda stinky when you have to pray for rain. Went from “lookin’ good” a week or so ago, to watching You Tube videos instead.
rain please!!!
What we are seeing now is what we have seen during many postseasons with this team. As soon as too many of our big hitters go threw a slump their is nobody to pick up the slack. Nobody. Way too many dead bats on the roster.
And no energy on this team the last few games. Going threw the motions it looks like.
As EK just said: Has the feeling of a spring training game.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
This is simply unwatchable baseball. No one working the count. They got the first two outs in the fifth on 3 pitches. Team will eventually begin to hit, but when your two and three hitters are both slumping, runs with this bunch are going to be few and far between. Plus, your third best hitter is sitting on the bench. Pitiful. I love the Dodgers, but I have got better things to do than watch this shit show.
This is just a bump in the road! I love the Dodgers and will always. But this series has been hard to watch. Even Karros getting frustrated with these hitters!! Bragging on the Reds hitters and questioning our approach!
4-0 Reds already. Yamamoto not sharp today. Dodgers won´t make up that deficit.
5 game losing streak looming.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!
Busch is hitting .236 with 7 bombs. if not mistaken , dodger bench has 3. is it possible the dodgers have no position players in the minors that could bring back a good hitter? pitchers ? probably but not that much as far as hitters go!
aren’t all his lineups strange? Hey Barnes made contact!! oh well there’s always next time! lol
Strange lineup for Roberts to put out there unless the Reds starting pitcher is an opener.
Mb another option
No chance of trading Taylor
Trade kike and bring up Lipcius
Trade lux, Barnes, miller for Bichette and Jansen plus cash