More Ragging on Doc

Agree with the Grandal comment. He needs to sit now. Couldn’t catch a break last night, Manny’s ground rule double and Cody’s replay single. If that ball bounces off the fence rather than bouncing over the Dodgers win and I still don’t understand why the umpires didn’t put Cody at second.

They’ve got to win the next two games against the Mets, a team we’re supposed to beat if we have any wiggle room before heading to Colorado where KJ most likely won’t play.

Doc does so many things wrong it is easy to second guess him. Verdugo should of been up a long time ago and he should lead off. I said this before and will say it again, Doc is too nice. He surely knows Grandal is not hitting right now. However, he cannot pull the trigger and pinch hit for him. That is why Toles and Verdugo never came up in August. He would of had to eliminate Joc and Taylor. This is what I think. The players all like Doc, but I am not sure they respect him. There is a difference. I taught school and was a HS Principal. Kids liked the teacher who was easy on them. However, the ones they respected were the teachers who made them work and had good discipline.

No more Pederson batting lead-off. Verdugo, Muncy, or Toles would be more productive in that spot.

i’d say our offense is officially a problem.

dustin nosler has lux and gonsolin as his minor league players of the year. runners up were verdugo/joe & may/uceta. kremer might have received notice as well.

There is absolutely no acceptable explanation for how Roberts managed the game last night. I have no objection to Alex Wood being removed after 5.0, although I do think he could have pitched another. But to waste Baez, Rosscup, and Floro in the 6th just made zero sense. The roster only has 10 relievers available, which is only 2 more than normally carried during the season. Of those 10, it appears that 2 are not being counted on at all…Fields and Venditte. Ferguson and Jansen were not pitching last night, so there were really 6 available. Therefore, to waste 3 in one inning showcased hammer mentality.

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With the addition of Rocky Gale as a catcher, there were 3 catchers who could have replaced Grandal if he were PH for in the 7th.

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Grandal since August 1, .148/.278/.358/.636

Grandal since August 20, .121/.286/.212/.498

Grandal since August 24 (last 10 games) .080/.250/.200/.450

And this is who you want batting with the game on the line with three other catchers on the bench? If you are going to produce metrics for use, how do you miss this one? With all due respect to Mark, this is much more than a funk.

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Second guessing? Okay let’s play “what if” and look at what might have happened. I agree with Mark that Maeda should have pitched the 6th and maybe the 7th. If any batter other than Grandal came up in the 7th, the chances increase significantly that the Dodgers would have scored a run to take the lead. That would leave RELIEVERS available to finish up, including the only late inning high leverage reliever other than Jansen on the roster, Ryan Madson. What other manager would have played the game out as Doc did? If there was a book on how to lose last night’s game, Doc wrote it.

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With Vargas going tonight, are we going to see another all RHH lineup? Verdugo against LHP at AAA this year batted .396/.442/.542/.984. Should he get a start? Belli is hitting LHP better than Puig and CT3, and very comparable to Kike’. Belli should be in CF and Verdugo in RF. I would think that Freese is the logical starter against Vargas at 1B, with his batting line against Vargas of .583/.615/1.167/1.782 (2 HR – 12 AB).

I liked the players that started last night and where they played defensively. Muncy with the exception of one easy play made solid plays at second. Dozier and Taylor are not hitting well enough to keep Muncy from playing second. Muncy could well return the favor and let his bat put Dozier back to a starter.

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I would give Verdugo another week of play before putting him in the lead off spot but I would keep him in CF. Like most here have said, I think the Dodgers are better when they mix lefty and righty hitters in the lineup and stay away from all lefty or all righty lineups.

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Beginning next week, I want this lineup everyday regardless of the pitcher and do it for a week.

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CF Verdugo

3B Turner

SS Machado

1B Bellinger

LF Pederson

RF Hernandez

2B Muncy

C Barnes and his ability to get walks

3 years ago, Seager was called up, and did so well (granted he replaced Rollins who was horrendous) that we went with him as the starter in the playoffs.

I don’t see why we can’t do the same with Verdugo. Can anyone tell me they’re more comfortable with Joc or CT3 out there in CF and at bat vs. Verdugo? Give the kid the leadoff job for the next 2 weeks and see if he can handle it. We already know what CT3 and Joc can do. I’d be willing to roll the dice on improving the CF production. Kemp/Joc can platoon in LF (with Kemp playing most games), Puig can stay in right, although he’s in his funk as well. But Verdugo deserves every opportunity to run with this. If we can trust him to face deGrom, we can trust him to face every other pitcher in MLB.

I look forward to what he can do in 3 days in Colorado. 5 doubles in 3 games????

I wrote about “The Hammer” last night, great nickname for Robert’s. Less angry today but still resolute in the fact we will not win anything with this guy at the helm. Unfortunately, I think there is about a 25% chance he gets fired if we don’t make the playoffs. I think a more likely scenario is Turner Ward gets fired and Robert’s gets lame duck manager status for one more year.

I know the old adage is that manager’s don’t effect too many outcomes over a long baseball season, and maybe that is true. I do, however, believe manager’s can really shape how players perform in their pursuit of positive outcomes. The Hammer seems to fail daily with lineup construction and with in game management. I realize that is an exaggeration but I have 2nd guessed the Hammer in wins all year and to me that says it all. Maybe Mark is right and The Hammer thinks he is smarter then everyone in the room. I just fail to understand, last night was a tipping point, agree completely with AC in the fact there are no reasonable explanations for The Hammer’s moves besides things like ego, ignorance or idiocy. Would love to hear FAZ’s assessment of The Hammer to this point, polygraphs included.

And Go Dodgers!!

Grandal did the only thing he wasn’t supposed to do, strike out. A ground ball, double-play, fly ball would have scored a run. I would sit him tonight as a result. Same thing with Puig. Anything other than a double play ball would have helped the team. Even a strike out would have at least given us one more chance to score. Again, sit tonight as a result. Kike should never hit behind Machado, there’s no reason to give Machado anything to hit. How about putting the guy with the best RISP in the spot behind Machado, especially since everyone except Doc can see Kemp is heating up. And no, Muncy should not play second base. He has bricks for hands. You can hide him at first only and even that is sketchy. He needs to be traded in the off-season. He’s the lineup going forward against lefties and righties… Put in Kike for Puig tonight because he screwed up by hitting into that double play. Taylor and Kike both proved that they aren’t everyday players. They can try again next year. Freeze can spell Turner from time to time and Bellinger against a tough lefty. Stop platooning everyone!!! Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Fire Roberts now and make Utley player manager for the rest of the year. Manager only in the post season. We just need someone that doesn’t over manage.

Verdugo CF L

Turner 3B R

Machado SS R

Kemp LF R

Bellinger 1B L

Dozier 2B R

Grandal C L

Puig RF R

Wow M.T. – Shades of DeSantis vs. Gillum…

You may want to rethink posting that picture.

Yeah, take that pic down. And since I’ve met you and I think know you a bit, I won’t think anything more of it once it’s down, and we can discuss our frustrating team again.

OK, I’ll take it down first and await a logical explanation.

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I don’t think there is one.

Toles hit as well in AAA as Verdugo. He was the starting LF last year until he got hurt. He has to be better than Joc, Puig and Taylor. They have not produced all year. Why does Doc think they will produce now in crunch time. If I remember correctly, both Toles and Verdugo hit lefties.

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I usually defend managers. Doc is making it real hard to defend him. He does not have the courage to make tough decisions.

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Right now I may try Locastro at second. Rotate Muncey and Freese at first. Put Bellinger in center. Rotate Kemp, Toles and Verdugo in RF and LF. Catcher-flip a coin. I know this will never happen with Doc managing.

I like Mark’s line up against righties, except Verdugo in center, because he doesn’t have good defensive metrics. in center.

Toles has much better defensive metrics in center, and Toles has much more speed, to cover center, too.

But like I have said many times, Verdugo is very adept at getting on base, and because of that, I think he would be an outstanding lead off hitter, for this team.

So I agree with Mark, Verdugo would be a very good, in the lead off position.

But tonight we are facing a leftie, like AC said, but this leftie tonight, doesn’t have very good numbers, against both righties and lefties, although righties are doing a little better.

And just like I insist that Muncy should start against every leftie we face, I believe the same about Verdugo, especially with this team’s weakness, against lefties!

Because Verdugo has reverse splits, much like Muncy does, although they both have pretty decent numbers, against righties.

Like AC pointed out, Verdugo is hitting lefties 396, and his OPS is 984.

And Toles doesn’t have good numbers against lefties this year, but he did have decent numbers against lefties last year, but not at Verdugo’s level.

I think the fact that Toles missed most of last year, and spent most of his time off, rehabilitating his knee, may be the reason his numbers are not as good against lefties, this year.

Because he had no time to really work on his hitting during the time he was off, and he only got in the cage and started working on his hitting, a few weeks before spring training, because he had to wait, until he was cleared, medically.

And he also missed almost two months, at the beginning of this season, because of his hammy issue.

Although Verdugo has much better numbers against lefties, then Toles this year, Toles has better numbers against righties, then Verdugo does.

Verdugo is hitting 304 against righties, and his OPS is 816.

Toles is hitting righties 333, and his OPS against righties, is 862.

And as much as Verdugo is adept at getting on base, Toles is adept at getting key hits, when runners are in scoring position, unlike Verdugo.

Because Verdugo’s numbers goes down quite a bit, in these high leverage situations.

Verdugo is hitting 296 in these situations, and his OPS is just 706.

And Toles is hitting 375, and his OPS is in the 1000s, in these situations.

So both of these two players are talented in different ways, that could really help this team.

Because Verdugo excels against lefties, and Toles excels in high leverage, situations.

And those are two of the biggest weaknesses, this team has.

And both of these players make consistent contact more often, then not, and that would also help this team too.

I would go with AC’s suggestion in the outfield tonight, against the Met’s leftie.

But like I said, this leftie is not doing well, with hitters in general this year, whether they are righties or lefties, but righties have a little better numbers.

We basically need to take today and tomorrow and keep this momentum. You want to take 2-3 vs anybody at home, but especially vs a crappy team

I have an idea. Let’s splice the genes of Max Muncy and Enrique Hernandez. We would take Muncy’s bat and approach at the plate while combining those with Hernandez’s defense and positional versatility. We’d have to get a new jersey and name for him/it: maybe MunKi?

M.T. – What’s that old saying???? A picture is worth a 1000 words!!!

i don’t know what to call muncy other than the 2nd best hitter on the team to turner

MT, yeah I thought the same thing when I read comments from MJ, wow how’d he get away with that one.

Maybe Muncy likes to call himself that too. It is cool.

you need to get a run home. let’s say bases loaded one out. who do you want up? here’s my list:

1. turner–no brainer

2. muncy–seems capable of turning his focus up in big spots [anecdotal]

3. machado–should be #2 but he still may overswing at times

4. kemp–problematic that nobody jumps out here; taylor was in top 5 last year

5. dozier–we need him to get his great hair mojo back

6. keekay–he’s prone to look bad but he does have a plan

7. tie] joc/taylor/puig/grandal–all are flawed

just from looking at this list, it explains a little of why our RISP numbers are so bad this year. we don’t have an abundance of players we really trust up in big spots.

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last year barnes was a guy i liked seeing up at the plate. this year he is as lost as lost can be i must say. toles earnes an “incomplete” and freese might’ve been signed for exactly this purpose. it’s too early for me to rank him.

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also, since pinch-hitting is really hard, i’ll probably say utley might one of best options in a one-off at-bat. at least he knows how to lean into one.

What does Verdugo have to do in order to warrant consecutive starts? Hit the ball all game yeaterday, three of those at bats off the best pitcher in baseball. He also hit .396 against lefties in aaa this year, but Taylor is back in there because of Robert’s blind loyalty thus creating three automatic outs at the bottom of the lineup this evening.

Hopefully Hammer will get lucky and Taylor and Barnes will go back to back in the 3rd inning tonight. Go Dodgers

Adam, you’re preaching to the choir here… All I ask for this year is when Verdugo or Toles camepeterj up, give em a good look. 10-14 days against lh or rh…

Guess we’ll never know … Maybe one or both will win a starting job in S.T. and never look back…

Puig to serve suspension tonight and tomorrow night. So for those two nights at least, I guess we can expect Verdugo in RF, no matter where he hits in the order.