In 2004, Frank McCourt became the owner of the Dodgers. He hired Paul DePodesta as his GM in February of 2004. One of his first trades sent Jason Frasor to the Jays for Jason Werth. In April, DePodesta traded Franklin Gutierrez to the Indians for Milton Bradley.
At the deadline, he traded Paul lo Duca, Juan Encarnacion and Guillermo Mota to the Marlins for Brad Penny, Bill Murphy and He Seop Choi. The next day he traded Murphy, Reggie Abercrombe and C Koyie Hill to Arizona for Brent Mayne and Steve Finley. Neither Choi nor Penny were much help, Choi hit just .161 with no homers. Penny was 1-2. Mayne, one of three catchers used to replace Lo Duca, who was hitting .301 when he was traded, hit under .200 as did David Ross and Tom Wilson. Finley on the other hand hit .263 with 13 homers and 46 driven in in his 58-game stint. His most important homer was a grand slam the beat the Giants in game 161 helping LA win the West. The lost 3-1 in the first round to St. Louis.
De Podesta’s first big move that winter was signing free agent 2nd baseman, Jeff Kent. He then signed RF, J.D. Drew. He signed pitchers Odalis Perez and Derek Lowe as free agents. The same day he signed Lowe, he traded Shawn Green to the D-Backs for four players, the most notable being catcher, Dioner Navarro.
That was the gist of his big moves that year. It did not help. LA finished 71-91, fourth in the West. McCourt fired De Podesta on October 29th. 17 days later, he hired Ned Colletti, who had been working for the Giants, as the new Dodger GM. Colletti’s first trade was on December 13th. He traded Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez to the Athletics for Andre Ethier. Getting rid of the mercurial Bradley was a given. He signed Bill Mueller, Rafael Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra as free agents in rapid order.
He then signed Kenny Lofton, thus changing the face of the franchise pretty swiftly. One of his better free agent signings was closer, Takashi Saito in February of 06. That June LA drafter one Clayton Kershaw with their first pick. Colletti traded guys like Navarro, Sandy Alomar, Odalis Perez, Willy Aybar and Dennys Baez to tweak the roster with players like Toby Hall, Mark Hendrickson, Elmer Dessens, and Wilson Betemit coming back to LA. On July 31st, he sent SS Cesar Izturis to the Cubs for Greg Maddux. The team made the wild card but lost 3-0 to the Mets.
Most of us know now that Colletti had to improvise a lot due to the fact that McCourt did not have deep pockets. His free agent signings and his trades show that. After 2 years of Grady Litle managing, they hire Joe Torre in 2008. The winter of 07-08, Colletti’s hands were pretty much tied financially, but he signed Japanese import, Hiroki Kuroda as a free agent. They were pretty inactive on the trade front until the deadline approached in July.
On July 26th, Colletti sent two prospects, Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana to the Indians for 3rd baseman Casey Blake. Then on July 31st, as part of a three-team trade, LA sent Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris to the Pirates. The Pirates sent Jason Bay to the Red Sox, the Sox sent Craig Hanson and Brandon Moss to the Pirates, and then they sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers.
Manny was an instant sensation in LA. Manny dreadlocks were a huge seller. Left field became Mannywood. Ramirez went on a 53-game tear, hitting .396 with 17 homers and 53 runs batted in. He hit over .500 in the two-playoff series with the Cubs and Phillies homering 4 times and driving in 10 runs. The big question that winter was could LA resign him. Eventually they did, but his stay in LA was marred by a suspension for PED use.
Although they would win the division again in 2009, 10-11 and 12 were not so successful. he did sign two huge free agent disappointments in Jason Schmidt and Andruw Jones, but the cracks in McCourt’s ownership were getting larger and MLB finally stepped in when the team had to declare bankruptcy in 2011. They basically forced McCourt to sell the team, which he did to the Guggenheim Group in 2012.
As most of us know, this allowed Ned to make more aggressive moves to improve the team. The first really big move was signing Yasiel Puig in July. He then traded two players to Miami for Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate. He made a couple of trades in late July and early August brining Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton to LA then he dropped the big trade on August 25th sending Ivan DeJesus, James Loney, Allan Webster and eventually, Jerry Sands and Rubby De La Rosa, to the Red Sox for Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto and cash. Although none of these moves helped them make the playoffs, they did show how new ownership was ready to commit to building a winner. The fans would respond accordingly.
2013 saw the Dodgers return to the playoff and win the West. They would beat the Braves in a 4-game LDS winning game 4 when Juan Uribe hit a dramatic 2-run homer off of David Carpenter in the 8th inning to give LA a 4-3 lead. Jansen then locked down the save and the series. What few remember is that Carl Crawford hit 2 homers in that game for LA’s first two runs. They would lose the LCS 4 games to 2. They basically lost Hanley for the series as he was hit in the ribs by Joe Kelly and had them broken. LA’s hottest hitter coming in, he tried to play through the pain but went 2-15.
Going into the winter, LA let players like Punto, Michael Young, Juan Uribe, Jerry Hairston declare free agency. They made no trades at the winter meetings. Uribe resigned in December. On February 6th. Colletti signed a journeyman infielder who had just been let go by the Mets to a 1-year deal with an invite to spring training. That player was Justin Turner. Turner hit .389 in spring and made the team as a utility player.
Turner would play in 109 games for LA, playing all four infield positions and batting .340 with 7 homers. Andrew Freidman replaced Colletti as the GM with Farhan Zaidi after he became President of Baseball Operations in November, and Ned became a Vice President and advisor. In February of 2015, they resigned Turner for 2 years.
That was far from the team’s first move. Freidman had begun retooling the team’s roster from almost his first day on the job. He made several free agent signings and a couple of blockbuster trades in December. Sending Matt Kemp, Dan Haren, Miguel Rojas, Dee Gordon and Tim Federowitz to the Padres and Marlins. He got Grandal, Barnes, Kike, Chris Hatcher, he traded Elfin and a minor leaguer to the Phillies for Jimmy Rollins and flipped Andrew Heaney to the Angels for Howie Kendrick. In a flash, LA had a huge number of middle infielders.
Turner was pretty much guaranteed a utility role on the team. Kendrick, Rollins, Gonzalez and Uribe would most likely be the starting infield. In his second year in LA, JT hit .294 with 16 homers and 60 driven in while playing 126 games. He played a majority of his games, 100, at third base. Uribe was traded to the Braves in July. He also played 2nd, 1st and some SS. Even though the Dodgers lost the LDS to the Mets in 5 games, Turner hit .525, going 10-19 with 6 doubles and 4 driven in.
In 2016, he was the team’s starting 3rd baseman. Playing 151 games, he hit .275 with 27 homers and 90 RBIs. He was 6-15 with a homer and 5 RBIs against DC in the LDS. He was 4-20 against the Cubs in the LCS loss with a homer and 4 RBIs. After the season, LA signed him to a 4-year-64-million-dollar deal. Not bad for someone who had been cut loose by the Mets just 3 years earlier.
Turner came out of the blocks red-hot in 2017, he was hitting .379 before going on the IL with a tight hammy on May 18th. That kept him out of action until June 9th. On the 6th of July, he won the All-Star final vote winning a spot on the 2017 NL All-Star team with 20.8 million votes. A final vote record. He finished the year with a .322 BA, .415 OBP, 21 homers, and 71 RBIs. He and Chris Taylor were Co-MVPs of the LCS when he had 2 homers and 7 driven in against the Cubs. That included a game wining homer in game 2. He was only 4-26 in the World Series loss to the Astros. He did break Dusty Bakers franchise record for RBIs in a single post season when he drove in #14 in game 1 of the Series.
2018 did not start off well for JT. He was hit in the wrist in a spring training game and suffered a no-displaced fracture which put him on the IL to start the season. He returned to the lineup on May 15th. He also missed some time after the All-Star break. He rebounded in August and September and was name the NL Player of the Month in August when he hit .402/6/20 in 25 games. He finished the year with a .312 BA, 14 homers and 52 RBIs. He continued his excellent post season hitting going 5-14 against Atlanta, he was 7-29 against the Brewers in the LCS, with a homer and 3 driven in, then he was 8-24 in the World Series loss to Boston. JT, who was becoming a fan favorite in LA, was nominated for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for his work in the community.
The 2019 Dodgers would win 106 games, breaking by one the franchise record for wins set by the 1953 team. Justin played in 135 games hitting .290 with 27 homers but just 67 RBIs. He was 13th in the league with -3 defensive runs saved. He hit 2 homers and drove in 5 in the five-game loss in the LDS to the Nationals.
The Dodgers still had not won a World Series since 1988. In February of 2020, Freidman made a franchise altering trade with the Red Sox sending Jeter Downs, Alex Verdugo and Connor Wong to the Sox for David Price and Mookie Betts. LA went into spring training with a totally different look.
In March, major league baseball and pretty much the nation shut down due to the Covid pandemic. Behind the scenes, AF negotiated a 12-year deal with Betts to keep him in LA. MLB finally approved a 60-game season to start in July. JT was the starting 3rd baseman. He was hit on opening day, tying the record for the most HBP in Dodger history. He would break the record when hit on August 5th in San Diego for #74. JT was hampered by a hamstring strain that caused him to miss two weeks of the shortened season. He played in 42 games, batting .307 with 4 homers and 23 driven in. He was named the winner of the Roy Campanella Award for the 3rd time by his teammates. The first 3-time winner in team history.
Turner was 0-8 in the two games against the Brewers. In game 3 of the series against the Padres, he passed Steve Garvey for the most playoff hits in team history with his 64th. He was 2-10 with 2 RBIs. He was 7-25 with a homer and 1 driven in during the LCS with Atlanta. In the 2020 World Series, JT was 8-25 with 2 homers and 2 driven in. LA won in 6 games. They finally had a title. There was some controversy because JT was pulled from game 6 after testing positive for Covid, and he still joined his teammates on the field to celebrate the win.
Turner was 36-years old when the 2021 season began. It would be his last season as the starting 3rd baseman. He signed a 2-year 34-million-dollar deal with an option year before the season started. He would play in 151 games, the most in 4 years. He batted .278 with 27 homers and 87 RBIs. He hit a homer in the wild card game against the Cardinals that Taylor won with his 9th inning walk off. But JT went just 4-38 in the playoffs. He strained his hamstring running to 1st in game 4 of the LCS and was ruled out of the rest of the playoffs. LA would lose in 6 games to the Braves. He made the All-Star team for the 3rd time.
The 2022 LA Dodgers were a powerhouse. They had signed Freddie Freeman as a free agent. So, the infield was Freeman at 1st, Lux at 2nd, Trea Turner at SS, and Muncy at 3rd. The primary DH was Turner. JT played in 138 games. He hit .278 again but had just 13 homers and 81 RBIs. The team won a franchise record 111 games. Then came the shocker, they were beaten 3 straight by the Padres after winning game 1 of the LDS. 2022 would be the offseason of change.
The Dodgers chose not to pick up the option on the 37-year-olds contract and instead paid him a 2-million-dollar buyout. Other players of note leaving in free agency were Bellinger, Trea Turner, David Price, who retired. Turner eventually signed a one-year with an option deal with the Red Sox. Many fans had campaigned for his return, but the Dodgers opted to get a little younger. Rookies James Outman and Miguel Vargas earned spots on the opening day roster, and JD Martiez took over as the DH.
Turner’s time in LA had produced very good numbers and a very good post-season player. His Dodger line was .296/.375/.490 with a .865 OPS and 133OPS+. He had 156 homers, 15th on the all-time list, 574 RBIs, 22nd on the all-time list. He played 1 year for the Sox, then played for the Jays and Mariners in 24. He played 80 games for the Cubs in 25. This year, he is playing for Tijuana in the Mexican League.
Many believe he will sign a one-day contract at some point to retire as a Dodger. While he does not have Hall of Fame numbers, it is my belief he is a lock to be placed as one of the Legends of Dodger Baseball sometime in the near future. It is even believed that at some point he will return to the organization in some capacity. He was truly one of Ned Colletti’s best free agent signings.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston) 4 – OKC Comets 3
This was supposed to be a Charlie Barnes start for OKC, but he found himself in Sacramento with the Dodgers. OKC had their own bullpen game. RHRP Nick Frasso started for OKC and walked the first batter who went to 2nd on a WP. Frasso struck out the next two batters, but gave up the RBI single.
Frasso struck out the side, and struck out the first two batters he faced in the 2nd. LHRP Ronan Kopp relieved Frasso and struck out the one batter he faced.
In the 2nd, CF Alex Thomas led off with a BB. That was followed by two singles by LF Jack Suwinski and C Griffin Lockwood-Powell with GLP driving in the game tying run.
In the 3rd, Kopp allowed a double and single for the go-ahead run.
RHRP José Rodríguez on the mound for the 4th, he gave up a one out triple and RBI single.
OKC tied the score in the 5th. SS Noah Miller led off with his 8th triple of the year. The 3 straight singles from1B Matt Gorski, DH Ryan Ward, and 3B Ryan Fitzpatrick plated Miller and Gorski for a 3-3 tie.
RHRP Carlos Duran walked the first batter in the 6th. The runner stole 2nd, and with 2 outs, Duran gave up a run-scoring single. That would eventually be the winning run.
One encouraging note was RHRP Evan Phillips pitching a clean 9th and striking out the side. He is ready to rejoin LAD.
- Jack Suwinski – 3-4, double (19)
- Noah Miller 1-4, 1 run, triple (8)
Tulsa Drillers 10 – Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota) 3
Tulsa jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st. RF Josue De Paula opened with his 24th double. CF Mike Sirota reached base for the 65th consecutive game with a BB. With one out, LF Zyhir Hope doubled home JDP and Sirota moved to 3rd. Sirota scored on a 3B Jake Gelof ground out.
Tulsa kept up the run scoring in the 2nd. With the 1st two batters retired, 2B Sean McLain singled and stole 2nd. He scored on JDP’s 14th HR. Sirota followed with a solo HR (6) and a 5-0 lead.
In the 4th, DH Taylor Young doubled (3). McLain had an infield single with Young staying at 2nd. JDP hit a RBI single scoring Young. Sirota followed with a run scoring single of his own. Gelof doubled (9) to score JDP and an 8-0 lead. This gave Gelof his 39 straight game of reaching base safely.
RHSP Christian Zazueta continued his mastery over AA hitters with three scoreless innings to start the game. He gave up a solo HR for the 1st run he allowed after 8.0 scoreless IP.
LHRP Wyatt Crowell was the piggy back pitcher. He did not start out so well with hitting the 1st batter he faced and then a triple and SF scored 2.
In the 7th, Gelof doubled (10) for the 2nd time in the game and scored on Young’s single.
In the 8th, JDP hit his 2nd HR (15) of the game.
After Crowell’s inauspicious start for the night, he settled down and pitched very well in his 4.0 IP. He gave up a one out single in the 6th and then retired the next 8 batters in order.
RHRP Cam Day pitched a scoreless 9th, but did allow a single and BB to go with his 2 K.
- Josue De Paula – 4-5, 4 runs, 4 RBI, double (24), 2 HR (15)
- Mike Sirota – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 2 RBI, HR (6)
- Jake Gelof – 3-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, 3 doubles (11)
- Taylor Young – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (3)
- Sean McLain – 2-4, 2 runs
- Zyhir Hope – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 RBI double (13)
Great Lakes Loons 8 – Ft. Wayne TinCaps 7
RHSP Aidan Foeller was outstanding for the month of June. He started 4 games, completed 14.2 innings after being out for nearly a month due to injury. He did not allow a run, allowed 4 hits, 1 BB, and 15 K. For his first start in July he allowed 4 runs, 5 hits, 2 BB, and 3 K. That’s is more runs, hits, and BB he allowed in 5 innings compared to the entire month of June.
In the first inning, Foeller allowed a single and then a 2-out, 2-run HR. In the 3rd inning, he allowed a single, and a 1-out, 2-run HR. The HRs were from the same batter, RF Kavares Tears. Foeller threw 70 pitches in his 5 innings and left the game with the lead.
In the 2nd inning, 1B Eduardo Guerrero drew a walk and moved to 3rd on a single from RF Samuel Munoz. Munoz moved to 2nd on the throw. Guerrero scored on a ground ball out.
In the 3rd, with two outs, 2B Logan Wagner, 3B Chase Harlan, and Guerrero all walked to load the bases for Munoz, who hit a grand slam HR (3).
In the 4th, C Chase Adkison singled to lead off the inning. CF drew a 1-out BB and Wagner drew a 2-out BB. Harlan singled to bring home all 3 runners.
RHRP Nicolas Cruz allowed an unearned run without a hit but 1 BB in his 2 innings.
With RHRP Alex Makarewich on the bump in the 8th, he allowed a single to the first batter he faced. He struck out the next 2 and walked the next batter. He then allowed a 2 run double allowing the TinCaps to climb to within 1 run.
RHRP Dilan Figueredo pitched a clean 9th with 2 K for the win and his 3rd save.
- Chase Harlan – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 3 RBI
- Samuel Munoz – 2-5, 1 run, 4 RBI, HR (3)
Fresno Grizzlies 8 (Colorado) – Ontario Tower Buzzers 5
Ontario jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 2nd. 1B Easton Shelton walked. He was forced at 2nd on a SS Joendry Vargas ground ball. Vargas stole 2nd. RF Landyn Vidourek walked. C Conner O’Neal doubled (7) to bring Vargas home and send Vidourek to 3rd. 2B Javier Herrera singled scoring Vidourek and O’Neal to 3rd. 3B Mairo Martinus reached on a FC. Martinus stole 2nd and O’Neal stole home for the 3rd run.
After an outstanding June, and a scoreless 1 hit 6.0 innings in his last start, this game did not go nearly as well for RHSP Brady Smith. He surrendered a solo HR in the second. He then walked the next batter, and wound up on 3rd after two ground outs. He scored on a WP.
Fresno tied the score in the 3rd after a single and triple.
With Smith still pitching, he allowed a 2-run HR in the 4th before he was relieved by LHRP Peter Bonilla. He got the final out in the 4th, but he came back out in the 5th. Bonilla allowed a one out double and was relieved by RHRP Luis Carias. Carias gave up a run scoring single, and a 6-3 lead by Fresno.
In the 6th, O’Neal hit a solo HR, his 7th. Carias allowed a 2-run HR in the 6th.
Martinus hit a solo HR in the 7th, his 9th.
Carias was still pitching in the 8th. He gave up a leadoff single and BB. A one out line drive out moved the runner to 3rd where he scored on a WP.
Down 9-5 in the 9th, Ontario loaded the bases with one out. Unfortunately, Vargas hit into a game ending DP.
- Conner O’Neal – 3-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (7), HR (7)
- Jaron Elkins – 3-5
- Mairo Martinus – 2-5, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (9)
ACL Dodgers 4 – ACL White Sox 1
RHSP Joel Cruz went 4.2 IP allowing just one single and 8 K before he gave up a solo HR.
With 2 out in the 2nd, RH Abel Lorenzo reached 1st on a K, catcher throwing error. LF Leider Padilla hit an infield single. Both runners scored on 1B Jose Gonzalez’s triple (3).
With one out in the 3rd, SS Sam Mongelli singled. C Francisco Espinoza doubled (4) Mongelli to 3rd. 2B Daniel Mielcarek walked and Mongelli scored on a PB with Espinoza to 3rd. 3B Moises Acacio singled Espinoza home for a 4-0 lead.
Discussion (82)
Disagree, not disagreeable
great comeback W! Especially vs the Padres.
Roki is an enigma. Roller coaster season so far. From bad to very good to now horrific.
Good thing the lead has grown to 13 games now so the Dodgers can afford to keep him in the rotation. But it might be not good for his confidence if he gets shelled every outing. Maybe it is soon bullpen time for Roki again.
Do we still dislike Tucker & Rushing? LOL. Rushing is the best backup catcher in baseball and will only get better as he matures. I think when Tucker can answer questions post-game about what’s working vs what hasn’t been working he will start stacking games. I read somewhere (maybe here) that the injury he had last year takes one year to fully heal. I think we’re around one year now.
When Snellzilla returns, someone has to go down or to the pen. Right now it’s Roki vs Sheehan.
Down 6-0.
10 unanswered!
back to over-reacting I see
Shut up
Game not over yet
Feel bad for the young man. He just looks defeated. His next outing should be at the all star weekend. Pitching in the home run derby.
I do too but he’s had plenty of opportunities. Maybe he’s not working hard enough to improve his mechanics. Hanging way too many off speed pitches.
After getting drubbed 23-2 yesterday the Padres were due for a bounce back. That said, Sasaki needs to go somewhere and figure it out. He’s not an MLB pitcher. Unfortunately there is no current alternative available?
At this moment, Sasaki can’t pitch at AAA!
Looks like Roki has fixed the Padres’ offense…
Someone tell Roki that BP is over!
Will this kid ever figure it out? His 98 just gets crushed. I don’t know. He’ll have this year as a runway and then it’s decision time
Done
07/02/26 Los Angeles Dodgers recalled RHP Paul Gervase from Oklahoma City Comets.
07/02/26 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned LHP Charlie Barnes to Oklahoma City Comets.
07/02/26 Los Angeles Dodgers sent RHP Jonathan Hernández outright to Oklahoma City Comets
10:10 PM ET
Padres (43-42)
Dodgers (56-31)
SP Randy Vasquez R
6-6 4.44 ERA
SP Roki Sasaki R
3-5 4.88 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
CF Andy Pages R
1B F. Freeman L
SS Mookie Betts R
3B Max Muncy L
RF Kyle Tucker L
LF T. Hernandez R
C D. Rushing L
2B A. Freeland S
69° Wind 10 mph Out
Change in the Lineup: Edman replaces Freeland at 2nd base and bats 9th
I hate to see Tommy Tanks out of the lineup but as a SH, he is a valuable bench guy.
I’ve been thinking of a Adley Rutschman for Rushing trade. A pitcher might be involved.
Adley Rutschman is a free agent in 2028 and makes about $7.8M THIS YEAR.
Interesting idea Bum but Adley is a stud and an All-star catcher when healthy. He isn’t going to be anybody’s back-up catcher.
I have followed him closely since I first saw him as a freshman at Oregon State, He instantly looked to me like a young, switch-hitting, Buster Posey. He won a Natty at OSU and went one-one in the 2019 draft. He’s only 28 and I have not read that the Orioles are shopping him. Have you?
He’ been a bargain for them and he’s not going to be a back-up catcher for along time, if ever.
He has had trouble staying on the field this season. He was out with a concussion on a freak play. Prior to this concussion, Rutschman had also missed a handful of games earlier in June with left hamstring tightness and had a brief 10-day IL stint for left ankle inflammation in April.
He’s back in the Orioles line up the last few days.
He’s a really good catcher and a favorite of mine.
By the way, as a freshman at OSU he was the punter on the Beaver’s football team and kicked a 63 yard field goal in high school. Pretty good athlete.
My oldest son is a OSU grad and we keep track of their baseball players.
Anyone want to raise their hand who pushed for Duran from Boston last offseason?
i raised 2
Me 2.
Nice piece today Bear. I too hope JT signs a 1-day contract and retires as a Dodger. The organization saved his career and JT reciprocated with a wonderful stint with the club. He’s a stand-up guy and I hope they find a role for him in the organization down the road.
I feel the same about Miggy Ro. But I’m not sure his career should come to an end this year. He’s hitting and providing that excellent defense and leadership, that is so special. He’s a Timex. I would have loved to have him coaching me up on infield play. It’s nice he’s getting more props for his value to the Dodgers.
I also hope that comes true. JT was a huge asset to the team and a large contributor to the community. He and his wife worked hard to better those less fortunate. I always thought the stuff about him celebrating on the field with his teammates after the Series win was just pure envy from many. He wore a mask, so who cared?
Who drops off the 40 for 1 day JT?
LHP Charlie Barnes
I do not recall anyone complaining about Brent Honeywell in the NLCS Game 6 when he went 4.2 innings giving up 4 runs in a loss. He took one for the team on that game. That is exactly what Charlie Barnes did last night. He saved the pen for what could be a tough 4 game series against the Padres. Honeywell took one for the team in the NLCS, Barnes did it in Game 87 of a 162 game schedule. The Dodgers have lost 30 other games this year, and none can be attributed to Barnes. Barnes had to step in because Ohtani needed more time. He could not go on 6 days rest, while Barnes went on 5 days rest. Should they have done that? ABSOLUTELY. This team needs Ohtani for October. Barnes – NO. But to dismiss what he did do is not right.
To blame this loss on Barnes is to give a pass to the LAD offense that was putrid last night. It was almost as if they did not want to be there. Besides taking the night off from pitching, it appears that Ohtani also took the night off from hitting. They were 0-5 wRISP. I am surprised they had 5 RISP. They made JT Ginn look like Tarik Skubal.
JT is one of my all-time favorite Dodgers–in part because I know a couple of Mets fans who look back in dismay and anger.
Turner was the young UT guy that the Mets decided to cut loose. He thought he had played well enough to merit a new contract, but Mets management never offered one. According to JT, it was fellow CSU Fullerton alum Tim Wallach who urged Colleti to take a chance on him. (I attended CSUF when Wallach was the Titans’ star.)
I remember an interveiw with JT in which he described how he revamped his swing in workouts with Marlon Byrd.
And, thanks to Google, I found this:
Justin Turner’s transformation into one of baseball’s most consistent hitters in the late 2010s was significantly influenced by his time working out with Marlon Byrd during the 2013–2014 offseason.
After the Mets released him in 2013, Turner spent the winter in Mexico refining a new hitting philosophy. Byrd, a veteran outfielder who had been serving a PED suspension and was rebuilding his swing with hitting coach Doug Latta, shared with Turner ideas that were “opposite of the older style” — encouraging hitters to get out in front of the ball, stay aggressive, and avoid the old ‘stay back’ mentality
Turner said these concepts “fit really well with what I was trying to do and where I was trying to get to”
. Even after the Mets let him go, Turner continued to hit five days a week with Byrd in the batting cage, applying the new approach to his swing and approach at the plate
Byrd’s guidance helped Turner shift from a more passive stance to an aggressive, front-side approach, which contributed to his breakout seasons. In 2014, Turner hit .340/.404/.411 with seven home runs and 43 RBIs, helping the Dodgers win the NL West
. His 2015 season was similarly strong, with a .324 average, .977 OPS, and an OPS+ of 169
In short, Marlon Byrd’s offseason workouts and swing philosophy were a key catalyst in Justin Turner’s resurgence, turning him into an everyday star and All-Star.
Boy, did the Mets lose out.
I also remember when JT said he was willing to shift from 3B to 1B when Anthony Rendon was a free agent after his near-MVP championship season. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Rendon opted to sign with the Angels–and would become my least-favorite Angel ever.
JT, Max and Chris Taylor epitomized the Dodgers knack for turning seemingly marginal talents into stars. (Right now I wish they had pursued a cost-effective “project” instead of Kyle Tucker. Oh well.)
I trust that JT, now playing in TJ, will get a lot of love in LA after he finally decides to retire. Perhaps he can start his coaching career with the Tower Buzzers.
BTW, the mention that De Podesta signed JD Drew had me thinking that maybe he’s the guy to blame for losing Adrian Beltre. Seriously, I want to know who to blame…. I just remember that Drew essentially replaced Beltre in the lineup…. Losing Beltre was one of the Dodgers’ all-time great screwups.
I had this debate with Mark, and others, when it happened.
“Following his legendary 2004 season, the Dodgers offered Adrián Beltré a six-year contract worth $70 million . Beltré rejected this offer and ultimately signed a five-year, $64 million contract with the Seattle Mariners.
The negotiations after his landmark 2004 campaign are frequently discussed by fans on platforms like Reddit. A breakdown of the contract offers highlights:
Dodgers Offer: 6 years, $70 million .
Mariners Contract: 5 years, $64 million .
Beltré later admitted he made a tactical mistake during negotiations, as the Dodgers were willing to guarantee an extra sixth year despite a slightly lower average annual value.”
He only had one good year with the Dodgers, his contract year (numbers he never came close to repeating) so the LA offer was actually a good one for the time. Yes, the Dodgers should have maybe worked a bit harder to keep him but Beltre chose Seattle. Turned out to be something of a mistake for him (stat wise) but he did ok for himself over 21 years. He’s one of the few players who was able to stay on the field and produce into his late 30’s.
From ChatGPT:
After Adrián Beltré’s huge 2004 season, the Dodgers and Mariners both pursued him, but the exact Dodgers offer has been reported differently over the years. Some contemporary reports said Los Angeles offered six years and $70 million, while later reporting described the Dodgers’ final offer as closer to six years and $60 million. Beltré ultimately signed with Seattle for five years and $64 million.
Beltré later made clear that he had wanted to stay in Los Angeles and felt the Dodgers did not handle the process well. His 2004 season was by far his best as a Dodger, and at the time there were fair questions about whether he would repeat that production. But calling him a one-year wonder is too strong. He had already been a productive young player with power and elite defense, and he later proved to be a Hall of Fame player.
So the Dodgers did have a reasonable concern about paying for a career year, but losing Beltré still turned out to be one of the great “what ifs” in Dodgers history.
What I have in quotation marks is also from AI.
They offered him plenty. If he would have wanted to stay and have a career in LA he could have. He chose money over location. They all do.
Except for Max Muncy. He chose Dodgers over money because the were his family and he was happy here.
It was my understanding that Scott Boras was determined to get Adrián Beltré to Seattle so as to create a landing spot for J.D. Drew in Los Angeles and may have muddied negotiations in order to make it happen. Have you ever noticed how all of the principals from that situation are either unwilling or unable to give a clear answer as to what exactly transpired and why?
After Drew’s breakout season in 2004 the “home team” Braves were under orders to reduce payroll and weren’t able to meet his asking price. Without another suitor the Red Sox only needed to outbid cash-strapped Atlanta. Apparently this was unacceptable to Scott Boras so he manufactured a want in Los Angeles.
It was later rumored that Drew had not wanted to play for the Dodgers but Boras convinced him to sign a five year deal with an opt-out so he could take “another bite at the apple” in two years when the market projected to be more lucrative.
As a footnote, the Dodgers selected Luke Hochevar in the 2005 MLB draft with the supplemental first-round compensation pick they received for losing Beltré to the Mariners. Ironically, when Boras got wind of a deal Logan White had struck to sign Hochevar through another agent, he pulled the plug and tipped over dominoes that would lead to Clayton Kershaw being available for the Dodgers to select with the seventh pick of the 2006 draft.
The main problem is that MLB cannot afford another extended work stoppage. Game is too popular and the fans will be totally pissed if they cannot work out their problems. The average fan cares less what Ohtani makes in deferred money. They only wish their team had thought of it.
There’s no way any MLB free agent is currently going to pick a city like Kansas City (only used as an example) over a large market city (choose). It’s different in football (Kansas City as an example) and basketball (OKC) and everyone knows why.
Pitching matchups for Padre series: Thursday: Vasquez Vs Sasaki, Fri, King Vs Ohtani, Sat, Canning Vs Yamamoto, Sun, JP Sears Vs Sheehan.
Picking up on the “marathon-not-a-sprint” theme, I’d argue that it’s also more important for the Dodgers to beat the Padres than to beat the A’s.
That’s another reason for Roberts put Charlie Barnes out there to absorb the (potential) abuse in a hitter-friendly, minor-league ballpark. Better him than Sasaki or another frontline starter.
Plus they lineup to pitch against the D-Backs who all of a sudden are in 2nd place
Thursday’s Dodger Affiliates’ Schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jakob Wright) at Fort Wayne (Carson Montgomery)
5:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Wichita (Preston Johnson)
5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) vs. Sugar Land (Josh Hendrickson)
6:50 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Fresno (Ethan Cole)
Gracias!
Some news from around the league. MLB has put forward some roster moves in CBA talks such as a 28-man roster for the first 15 days of the season, which makes zero sense to me since there are so many off days at the beginning and extra players are usually not needed. They are also pushing hard for a cap and a floor. The MLBPA will never approve a cap. A’s will lose Brent Rooker for the season with knee surgery. Rockies DFAd reliever John Brebbia. Giants placed Matt Chapman on the IL with an abdominal strain and called up Christian Koss. The Orioles traded pitcher Kyle Nichols to the Nationals in what is a historic trade of sorts. The Nats and O’s have never made a trade since the Nationals moved from Montreal to DC because of the dispute over territory. Cubs’ reliever, Christian Roa has elected free agency after passing through waivers. Mets owner, Steve Cohen has said he is not considering firing David Stearns. Which probably means he is on the hot seat. RHP Jake Woodford exercised his opt out option with the Brewers. Rowdy Tellez was DFAd by the Braves.
expanded rosters, with a salary cap, and the minimum salary are gonna be a downward force on top salaries
“Status quo period”?
https://www.sportico.com/law/analysis/2026/mlb-lockout-looming-legal-issues-1234937370/
Love this!
Thank you.
You’re welcome.
What’s your opinion on the status quo period?
I’m all for baseball being played.
I don’t see why the owners would give up a key leverage point.
“When a CBA expires, many provisions, including those governing wages and medical benefits, continue. In fact, they could continue for years during what is coined the “status quo period.” This period is mandated by labor law and the National Labor Relations Board and during it, a league can’t unilaterally impose new rules for wages, hours and other working conditions.”
Makes sense to me.
makes sense if you think continuing has upside.
Again, I think the owners lose leverage in a status quo continuance
“Wish CA was not so BLUE if you know what I mean.“
No, I don’t know what you mean.
Barnes went 7 innings. The Dodgers offense didn’t.
The Padres lost 23-3 to the Cubs. They are reeling. Getting pitching may not help that club.
COVID reference, I believe.
“Wish CA was not so BLUE if you know what I mean.“
It’s the color of your balls when you surf in the ocean there without a wetsuit.
I do remember that.
Pretty sure he meant the political state of the state. But that had nothing to do with not having a parade. Padres were frippen embarrassed by the Cubs.
Really? Ask Chiefs fans if they got a parade…..
JT and the whole team deserved 1!!!
Kansas City would not nearly draw the crowds LA would have. It was all political we know that now. Back then, people were actually scared.
Kansas City didn’t have a parade because of the pandemic. Made perfect sense.
Yeah people were scared. They had a right to be.
I’m not following the logic here. Maybe I should just drop it.
Part of the history Badger, ya can’t ignore it or it will repeat itself
Explain please.
What’s to explain? Many times, in history, people have ignored the past and it has come back to bite them in the ass. Happens in life and in baseball.
I still don’t know what you are talking about. What history?
Watched the Pirates/Phillies game early on last night since Skenes was pitching. He has struggled the last 8 starts. Granted the Pirates are not a juggernaut and lack some hitting and defense stars but he doesn’t look right. Maybe he is gassed, the league catching up to him after a few years, hiding an injury and playing through it, just guessing.
Phil Jones you mentioned that in an earlier thread that you try to watch his every start. Just curious what you have seen if you happened to have seen his last few starts?
Hope the kid figures it out as he has a bright future whether it’s in Pittsburgh or somewhere else.
Zeke, I have seen exactly what you pointed out. He has not looked the same. I don’t know what’s going on either. He has been hit harder and more frequently. The Phillies beat him like a rented mule. He only went 4 innings and gave up 7 earned runs. His ERA is now 3.62. Very different cat this year.
The Pirates defense is awful, which gives his opponents more AB’s and scoring opportunities but that’s not the whole story. He’s a shell of the last couple of years and it’s hard to watch.
I don’t know if he’s hurt or what but I do know he needs out of Pittsburgh.
Thanks for the reply.
On the Pirates broadcast the announcers were sure concerned as well. They stated his velocity started out at 98ish and later on it was down to 94-95. Not sure what that signals if anything just pointing it out.
Skenes has put together a nine-start stretch with a 5.36 ERA. He’s lost all six decisions. The Pirates haven’t won a Skenes start since he posted back-to-back games of eight scoreless innings to open May.
Yeah, while the Pirates say he isn’t injured. But Skenes’ velocity is down and his command is way down. And while his strikeouts and walks are still okay he has more 3 ball counts and is pitching behind in the count, way more.
Some feel it’s just the league adjusting or a slump. He isn’t using his fastball and that wicked change effectively The pirates defense and run support don’t help. They aren’t very good.
As pointed out, the Pirates have lost 9 straight games Paul has started, his last win on May 12th. That 5.36 ERA is a far cry from his 1.97 ERA his first 2 years.
But he’s not the same guy and I hope it’s not an arm injury.
He deserved a parade. That whole 2020 team did. Wish CA was not so BLUE if you know what I mean.
I was at game 1 and 2 in TX. Was awesome!
Hopefully JT joins the staff at some point and gets the parade he deserves.
Yeah, I always felt JT got robbed there. He did win the Roberto Clemente Award in 22. Well deserved. His foundation is alive and well in LA.
The 80% Dodger fans attending the game last night should file a class action suit against the Dodgers because the team never informed the fans that the team had no intention of actually winning the game. Barnes should get a participation trophy to take with him on the bus back to OKC.
The loss did not hurt the team. It sets up the pitching staff to throw all their best pitchers against division opponents. Why fans get so butt hurt over a loss like this is beyond me. Give Ginn some credit. He kept the hitters guessing.
We tried to get Ginn in 2018 so our scouts knew he would be a good one.
The draft has changed dramatically with the image and likeness payments that the colleges are offering. Teams are going to have to up their bonuses or pressure Congress to restrict the Nil payments. Bribery is a professional sports option! Lol
He spurned the money for college. His choice. He isn’t a stud, not even close, but he is a good arm.
dePaula!Wow!
It’s sad that we only had Charlie Barnes from Oklahoma City to help out with a bullpen game and there were NO other choices. I assume if River Ryan wasn’t on the IL it would have been his game. Charlie,please take the fastest transportation back to Oklahoma City and Never return.
He did a great job. Sometimes you lose a battle to win a war.
He will get a WS ring….
Charlie, if you are reading this, THANKS!!!
Thanks for WHAT,losing the game?
It’s marathon not a sprint. Sometimes you need to lose the battle to win the war.
This guy gets it!!
Andrew. give the A’s pitcher some credit there. He kept LA off balance all night. He made Ohtani look like a banjo hitter. He couldn’t even get a ball out of the infield. Rojas and Freeman had the only two hard hit balls against him. Had the offense been hitting, the game would have been closer. They were 0-5 with RISP and left 9 runners on base. Pages went back to chasing pitches he couldn’t hit with a railroad tie.
Charlie took one for the team last night. Every pitcher except Dreyer got the night off. We got 2 of 3 from the A’s. Now let’s get at least 3 from the Pads and bury them.
Let’s sweep em under the carpet.