My Final Farewell…
Starting a few weeks ago, Bluto posted three comments that were very instrumental in my decision to close LADT. He wrote this: “The drama or negativity people invent is something else.” Message boards or blogs have always been havens for people who hide behind a keyboard and…
Starting a few weeks ago, Bluto posted three comments that were very instrumental in my decision to close LADT. He wrote this:
“The drama or negativity people invent is something else.”
Message boards or blogs have always been havens for people who hide behind a keyboard and feel like King Kong as they anonymously post whatever they want with no repercussions. To Vinny’s Ghost, Zeke, John, Bobby, NH Dodger, DodgerDad, JayB, Woddy in VT, MushersPop, WatfordDodger, SBuffalo, and others (I can’t remember them all), I appreciate you all and am sorry to leave. I have threatened to stop this blog several times, but it just did not seem right at the time. This time, I am done. I will explain…
Bluto also wrote this:
“What are your priorities in life, if not optimism, about sports teams and enjoying the company of friends?”
The Dodgers played badly against the Astros and Padres, but the team is clearly trying. You know they all want to win. You know Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts want to win. With a multitude of players in the IL, it’s clearly been a struggle.
But when I watch a Dodger game, I am there to have a good time. I want them to stay in the game until the 9th inning, but my experience isn’t terrible because they lost or are in the midst of a losing streak. I don’t understand people who, even when the Dodgers are winning, would find something to be mad about.
These are the same people who will say ‘trade —— because he’s having a bad year‘ and then next year scream ‘look what we gave away‘, or ‘Let’s trade all of our prospects’, and then ‘why don’t we develop players’.
It’s just insane. If you are stressing out about baseball this much you need to re-evaluate if sports are for you. Some fans just think being miserable is part of being a Dodger fan and I’ll never understand that. They may not be the best team in baseball today but they are fun to watch if you enjoy the sport.
I feel like most people who are constantly yelling about how the team sucks aren’t fans of the game because even when the team is bad, someone who loves the game can still enjoy it.
There’s a difference between self-deprecation and finding a perverse sense of happiness in the team being bad. Many Dodgers fans appear to be more excited when the team is bad because it gives them an excuse to be miserable, angry people. That is really what they are to their core: miserable, angry people!
They seem to think that being miserable is part of being a Dodgers fan. Actually, I think being an entitled toxic whiner is what should not be.
Finally, Bluto wrote this:
“Yeah, I can see why Mark may walk away from this stuff!”
BANG! When the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change… you change!
The fundamental fallacy of most sports fans is that if the team isn’t winning, it’s because the players somehow lack character or aren’t trying hard enough. It’s childish, particularly in baseball, where you’re trying to identify a pitch and whether to hit it in .2 seconds, failure is the norm, and trends play out only over huge sample sizes. To think otherwise is moronic.
I want to thank Bear – he is a real friend. Jeff Dominique is a good guy, but I stand by what I said. He made a comment about me, and I responded. If you don’t understand that, well, you are obviously a moron… and we all know…
Watford Dodger summed it up very well in a post several commenters sent to me:
“Very disappointing to read the negative comments about Mark and LADT.
Its amazing how many posters are willing to pile on, yet all seemed to visit his site every day to see what his latest Post had to offer.
To come up with new content every day for 20 plus years and have that amount of dedication takes a lot of effort and energy. His writing style was deliberately polarising but unfortunately some people were unable to see this and seemed to take affront or take it personally.
The use of the word Moron seemed to really upset people. Really!! Come on, it’s about as light as your gonna get, and of course the more people whined the more he used it. He was also right about the Dodgers far more than he was wrong.
I read there and contributed occasionally for 13 years in which time I learned so much more about the great game and enjoyed the to and fro with many of of you guys.
I would like to thank Mark for his efforts.
cheers”
Thank you, Watford – We did not always agree. In fact, sometimes we disagreed a lot, but he was respectful and generally gave a solid explanation of his opinions. People who think that I am a narcissist or thin-skinned are not morons. They are idiots and clearly have no clue. I won’t even attempt to defend myself because they literally have no comprehension.
I am seventy years old and having the time of my life. To be miserable over sports is just silly, especially when the Dodgers have as good a chance of winning it all this year as any team in baseball. They may be better than any other team. Watch and learn. LA Dodger Talk was once very important to me. That time has passed. I will still follow the Dodgers, but that phase of my life is over, and I am at peace with it.
Godspeed to everyone. Goodbye!
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Discussion (139)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Hate to see you go. Now what will I do first thing in the morning without your post. Life goes on and I hope yours is just the way you want it to be. Thanks for all the information and opinions over the years!!!!! You’ll be missed by alot of readers.
9:40 PM ET
Dodgers (63-46)
Athletics (45-65)
SP Gavin Stone R
9-4 3.34 ERA
SP Joey Estes R
4-4 4.92 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
C Will Smith R
2B Gavin Lux L
LF T. Hernandez R
RF J. Heyward L
1B Cavan Biggio L
3B E. Hernandez R
CF K. Kiermaier L
SS Nick Ahmed R
73° Wind 7 mph Out
Damn it Mark!! don’t do it!!! don’t shut it down!!!! what will happen to all of us?? i don’t want to go to another site!! i’ll never get to read Bradley again! i’m. going to hold my breath until you say ok!! Seriously, don’t do it!! ……. and on another note, Mookie, hurry up and get better! Max, please hurry!!! AND most of all, Freddie. We’re all praying for your son, and all you guys!!
I really hope you can find a way to keep LADT alive. I really enjoy your perspective on all things Dodgers. It’s a shame that a few people can ruin such a good thing for so many. You will be missed.
08/02/24 Chicago White Sox claimed RHP Gus Varland off waivers from Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sorry to say goodbye Mark. I almost never write posts but read you everyday and will certainly miss this blog. Take care.
Hi Mark – thanks a tonne of red skinned yellow flesh Mozart potatoes for opening up your site one more time so we can say our thanks to you. As we golfers say, it has been a slice – I have greatly appreciated the huge amount of time you spent and have learned more about Dodger baseball in the last few years than I thought possible and my favourites were always your forecasting of the prospects coming up. I will miss that.
Enjoy your Phenomenal Phamily –
Cheers from Southern Alberta – Gerry
Thank you Mark for LADT. As a baseball and Dodger fan your site has been a great source of joy for me. The first time I ever commented, 5 or 6 years ago, your comment was “ winner winner chicken dinner “.
You made me fell welcomed . Thanks.
I have especially enjoyed getting to know several of the contributors, only by their comments, that has been a joy also. Sometimes a painful joy.
And Mark, it has been a pleasure to get your thoughts and insights and yes opinions.
I wish for you and all the LADT family peace and happiness going forward.
Mark I would love to have access to your book when it is published. Your story sounds interesting.
Kind regards to all.
Oh, bye Mark
“Great Lakes left-hander Jackson Ferris , part of the Busch trade with the Cubs had the longest start of the season in the Dodgers minors with eight scoreless and hitless innings in a win over Cedar Rapids. He walked four and hit a batter, but also struck out six on the night”.
08/01/24 Los Angeles Dodgers activated CF Kevin Kiermaier.
08/01/24 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned C Hunter Feduccia to Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
Friday schedule
4:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Maddux Bruns) at Cedar Rapids (Ricky Castro)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Carlos Duran) vs. Springfield (Tink Hence)
5:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Bobby Miller) at El Paso (Jared Kollar)
6:30 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (TBA) vs. San Jose (Shane Rademacher)
Maddux Bruns off the IL or the Development List and Bobby Miller both pitching tonight
From Chelsea Freeman:
“Last Friday, Max rapidly declined and went into full body paralysis,” she wrote. “We are very fortunate to have gotten him to the hospital in time so they could reinforce his lungs.
“Freddie was in Houston at the time and rushed to the first flight back home. After many tests, Max is battling a severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. A rare neurological condition that is especially rare in children. These have been the hardest and scariest days of our lives. Maximus is such a special boy and he has been fighting SO hard. This is going to be a journey to recover, but we have faith that he will be completely healed.
“We have been blown away by his improvements in the last 48 hours. Maximus was excavated from his breathing tube and taken off of the ventilator yesterday, which is a huge win for us. We believe in the power of prayer and we have been witnessing a miracle in his recovery. Please continue to cover Maximus and our family in your prayers. We really appreciate and have felt all of your support.”
Mark, great idea! Leave the site. open as a message board like Reddit so the true Dodger fans can discuss and debate their thoughts and ideas. I will continue to post daily lineups and other information and quotes I read and find from other sources. You will make a lot of people happy.
Buehler (hip) threw 3.1 innings while allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six during a rehab outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
“Buehler needed 86 pitches to record 10 outs, as he continued to struggle with his control. Positively, he did manage to strike out six, a significant increase from his first rehab appearance Friday. It’s possible that the Dodgers activate him for his next turn through the rotation, though they could also opt to give him another start in the minors in hopes of him throwing strikes more consistently”.
“A certain judge was constantly annoyed by the sneering remarks and abusive language of an attorney. Instead of cracking down on the lawyer and silencing him, the judge would only smile and chew on his pencil. People wondered how he could be so patient.
At a dinner party someone asked him, ‘Why don’t you do something about that wise-guy lawyer?’ The judge laid down his fork, and resting his chin on his hands said, ‘Up in our town there lives a widow who has a dog. Whenever there is a full moon, that dog barks and barks all night.’
Then the judge quietly resumed his eating. One person asked, ‘But Judge, what about the dog and the moon?’
He replied, ‘Well, the moon just keeps right on shining!’”
Mark, it saddens me that this blog which so many of us have come to rely on for a small measure of joy no longer affords you the same. I lack the eloquence to properly express my appreciation to you for constructing this extraordinary website and for fostering this wonderful community, even while suffering (at times) the “slings and arrows” of some outrageous discourse. Quite simply, they have been a gift. Thank you!
As a fellow Hoosier perhaps you can relate to my feeling of serendipity when I found this enclave of like-minded people who were so passionate about the fortunes of the Los Angeles Dodgers so as to argue over lineups and pitching changes and roster moves that they couldn’t control – with people they had never met. The greater discovery by far was the wealth of observations and opinions and information gleaned by you and a few others from years of watching baseball and, in particular, following the Dodgers and all their affiliates.
Persistent discord arising from a few ill-tempered guests on your site is regrettable, given that we all share the same enthusiasm for the Dodgers, but it has never held much fascination for me. Having weathered the McCourt years and residing in a state where most baseball fans are condemned by misfortune of geography to a lifetime of pulling for the Cubbies or the Redlegs, I count it a privilege to be a fan of Dem Bums. And I count it a privilege to be able to come here and parse the musings of others who bleed Blue.
Mark, how I wish you would just keep right on shining; but I understand if you cannot. I pray that in whatever lies ahead you will rediscover the joy you once found in sharing your insights with those of us who were fortunate enough to stumble onto your site – hoping only to learn what the Dodgers might expect from Tommy Kahnle. As much as you are able, pray for your antagonists. It may be a grievous wound that moves a person to vex a thing they should have cause to value.
Blessings to you my friend, and many thanks!
Thank you Mark. In more ways than one. You have always been good to me and I learned a lot about the Dodger organization and the workings within from you. We’ll keep in touch. Perhaps a pilgrimage to the Hsll of Fame induction ceremony of Kershaw a few years from now would be a goal we all set. An LADT reunion in Cooperstown where all us morons can hash it out!
Good luck going forward. But with all the recent deadline activity, I was thinking of the song, ‘You picked a fine time to leave us Mark”
Have been afraid this day would come. There will be many of us who will greatly miss this blog. It was the starting point every time I visited LAD blogs. I have been a Dodger fan since 1952, but I don’t live and die by the box scores. Wishing you the best Mark.
.. stay tuned.
I am not going to continue on as I was… but maybe, this will become a message board with a post once a week.
I am thinking about that!
You brought a lot of people a great deal of daily enjoyment for many, many years at a significant cost in time and money while expecting nearly nothing in return. Extraordinary.
Thanks Mark.
Sorry to hear you’re walking away, Mark. I haven’t been posting lately for some of the reasons you stated. I haven’t even been reading the comments much. But I always enjoyed your writing and insight.
Life is too short to argue with people.
All the best.
And let me know when you’re back in SoCal.
Same here. It was a blast, when I finally found the place. I looked for over an hour. B&P was surprised I could talk to the ladies so easily. LOL> I am carrying the ball for Jeff while he is recuperating over on his site.
Mark, thanks for running and managing LADT for so many years. It was great to read your daily commentary and the reader comments were also enjoyable. It surely took a lot of your time, effort and money, and I greatly appreciate it. I wish you all the best in your other endeavors. Thanks for bringing great Dodger content to so many people!
Have fun through your journey. My biggest regret with your decision is I didn’t find this blog earlier. Good luck Mark, you’re a talented human. BTW Try coaching and then get into politics, thee stories I could tell.