No Game Thursday Rants and Raves
Willie Calhoun has regressed immensely since the trdae to Texas. He is hitting .276 with a .321 OB% with just 6 HR in 300 Plate Appearances. Everyone knew he couldn t field now it appears he can t hit. Some former Dodger prospects are showing their worth: Andrew Heaney and Zach Eflin are OK starting pitchers. Victor Arano is pitching well in relief for the Phillies. Scott Schebler is having a
- Willie Calhoun has regressed immensely since the trdae to Texas. He is hitting .276 with a .321 OB% with just 6 HR in 300 Plate Appearances. Everyone knew he couldn’t field – now it appears he can’t hit.
- Some former Dodger prospects are showing their worth: Andrew Heaney and Zach Eflin are OK starting pitchers. Victor Arano is pitching well in relief for the Phillies. Scott Schebler is having a solid season for the Reds. Feel to add to the list. I don’t have the time to search for all of them.
- I continue to believe that the Dodgers do not need pitching. If everyone is healthy, Meada and Wood will go to the pen along with Urias and everything will be peachy. IF they are healthy!
- Logan Forsythe is starting to play the way I expected, but another injury and he should be released. He has never been able to stay healthy in LA. What happens when Chase is activated Friday? They have already sent Farmer to OKC. I’m not sure that I wouldn’t rather have Farmer…
- Taylor, Bellinger, Puig, Hernandez, Forsythe, Turner and Barnes need to up their OPS immensely or some have to go. Grandal and Utley will not up their OPS, but Grandal is fine at #8. You just can’t have Taylor, Bellinger, Puig, Hernandez, Forsythe, Turner and Barnes ion the lineup at the same time unless they UP THEIR OPS!
- Here’s a stat that will surprise you: The Dodgers are #5 in Starter ERA in the NL, just .05 behind the Cubs for 4th and .29 behind the Nats who are the leaders. “Yes but the Nats starters have thrown more innings.” Yes, 25 more, that’s it!
- It all boils down to hitting better. I think they need to try Verdugo or Toles at leadoff.
- Brandon Morrow should never take off his pants again – it sent him to the DL.
- Matt Kemp is the only Dodger hitter having a good season. Joc Pederson is having a solid season, but the rest of the team is sub-par. Well, maybe not Max Muncy, but the entire rest of the team is underacheiving as hitters. One of two things will happen: (1) they will continue to suck; or (2) since this is baseball, we are in for one huge offensive second half! Stay tuned…
- There is way too much talent on this team to keep hitting like this.
- Will the Dodgers give Grandal the Qualifying Offer? I say yes… and he will sign elsewhere.
- Now, the Dodgers need to sweep the Mets.
- I meant to post this several months ago, but forgot. This is my son’s Senior High School College Demo Tape:
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (84)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Conor joe to AAA. Curious where he’ll mostly play.
2019 (Re-Sign Machado):
–
1. Verdugo RF
2. Seager 3B
3. Machado SS
4. Bellinger 1B
5. Kemp LF
6. Turner 2B
7. Pederson CF
8. Barnes/Smith C
You could be bold and trade Puig and Taylor with prospects in a 3-way deal to get Machado.
–
1. Toles RF (try him and if he doesn’t cut it, try Verdugo)
2. Turner 3B
3. Machado SS
4. Kemp LF
5. Bellinger 1B
6. Pederson CF
7. Grandal C
8. Forsythe 2B
Matt Kemp’s achilles heel was Rhianna or as Hall And Oates would say “She’s a Man Eater…
AC – Isn’t Verdugo due for another shot???
Wouldn’t want my grandson to play football knowing what we know now about brains and concussions. But then he isn’t gonna be big enough anyway. I played and I’m not all that stupid.
If the Dodgers can get a pitcher that will make the rotation better, then I hope they try and make a trade. One or two contact hitters would be nice, move Puig, and replace him with Verdugo, and let him play.
On 6/19, Mark posted this in response to a comment by a reader:
“Yeah, the Dodgers can’t hit with RISP, so….how in the hell are they 3rd in the NL in Runs?
–
The answer is YOUR selective memory.
–
Move on…”
–
Now, he criticizes most of the lineup.
–
Actually, I agree with Mark in part. As fans we all think that our players are the best – better than those of other teams, better than they really are. The truth is that over the past several seasons, the Dodgers have had an above average but not great offense but have tried to win by preventing runs. Look at the runs scored vs. runs allowed:
2018 – Runs scored – 339 (9th) – Runs allowed – 287 (9th)
2017 – RS – 770 (12th) – RA – 580 (1st)
2016 – RS – 725 (14th) – RA – 638 (5th)
2015 – RS – 667 (19th) – RA 595 (2nd)
–
If anything, the offense has scored more runs than it has in the past even though Seager is out and important players like Turner, Bellinger, Taylor, Forsythe, Puig, Hernandez and Barnes haven’t been as productive as they should be. This is largely due to the increased number of HRs, the resurgence of Kemp and Pederson, and the appearance of Muncy as this year’s answer to Taylor and Turner.
–
On the other hand, the Dodgers’ MLB rank in runs allowed (9th) is the highest that it’s been since 2014 (11th). The defense is part of this – the Dodgers rank 14th in defensive efficiency this year. They are 9th in runs allowed per game. They are 17th in fielding percentage. They are 19th in defensive runs saved above average (a negative number, incidently).
–
While there are several players who need to step up their games offensively and the bullpen gives me the shakes, the Dodgers’ biggest problem is that they don’t stop runs as well as they have in the past and a big part of this is player defense.
–
The other interesting number is WAR by position.
SP * 2.3 (10th)
RP * -.5 (19th)
C * 0.1 (11th)
1B * .6 (7th)
2B * -.4 (19th)
3B * 0 (17th)
SS * .7 (13th)
LF * 1.0 (5th)
CF * .7 (9th)
RF * .5 (9th)
–
So where are the WAR problems? Bullpen, 2B, 3B are all below league average.
I would be in on Taylor in a deal for Machado.
Mark I totally concur about our offense and our pitching. If healthy buehler, Kershaw, hill, stack up well against other rotations with ryu and urias providing quality depth. Our problem is definitely on the offensive side. Kemp is proven to be a good hitter period but he doesn’t walk and like any hitter he is slumping right now. Turner is really the only other real hitter and he is not doing it. He may not be able to recover from the wrist problem but either way he is not producing. Muncy has been great you have got to play him until he goes cold. Taylor not the player we thought, too many strikeouts, average at best, get him out of the leadoff spot. Bellinger just not a good average hitter .270 at best with power the league has adjusted. Grandal can’t hit and never could put him 8th like you said and minimize him. You have to play him because Barnes has been awful. He is a candidate to be optioned, get some at bats to get out of funk if he has options. Puig is average who can be better at times but you can’t count on him and you can’t bat everybody 8th so bring Verdugo or Toles up. Forsythe or Hernandez, forget Forsythe I would rather have Hernandez who will get a clutch hit or a homer once in a while. Toles and Verdugo can hit for average so there is that. Unless a trade we are stuck with Taylor. How about machado and move Taylor to second or trade Taylor for machado?
The dodgers are probably shocked that Kemp is still healthy and toles hasn’t been needed. He missed his chance when Puig was out. I agree that it’s time to see what he and/or verdugo can do. A high contact/high obp bat atop the order seems like a need.
MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE – 06-20-18 – by AlwaysCompete
.
Tulsa – 7-1 Win Springfield Cardinals
.
Devin Smeltzer (22) continued with a relatively hot June and his third consecutive quality start for the Drillers. In 6 IP, Smeltzer allowed 1 unearned run on 6 hits, 0 walks, and 4 K’s. Smeltzer has now allowed 2 earned runs in his last three starts totaling 20 IP. He seems to be feeling comfortable and confident at AA.
.
In a trend I do not like, in his 6 IP, he threw 76 pitches and left with a 5-1 lead. Why not let him go 7 or 8? How do you expect starting pitchers to go late in the game when they are not allowed to pitch deep in an obvious situation? Karch Kowalczyk and Layne Somsen pitched the final three scoreless innings allowing a single baserunner and registering 4 K’s.
.
Offensively, the Drillers were paced by 4 HR’s; 2 by Drew Jackson (7), Jacob Scavuzzo (8), and Will Smith (8). Smith, Jackson, and Cael Brockmeyer all had 2 hits, with Brockmeyer getting his 4th double.
.
The Drillers now embark on a 4 game home series against the NW Arkansas Travelers (Royals) before the AA All-Star break.
.
Ogden – 3-2 Loss to Orem Owlz (Angels)
.
The Raptors took a 2-0 lead into the 9th after 8 brilliant IP by Starter Jose Chacin (5 IP) and Jeremiah Muhammad (3 IP). Combined they allowed 0 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks, and 11 K’s. Vinny Santarsiero entered the 9th with a save opportunity, and allowed all four batters he faced to reach base, with the first two batters scoring the tieing runs with a single and HR. Jasiel Alvino followed and proceeded to strike out the side, but not before a ground ball was booted by Jefrey Souffront allowing the eventual winning run to score.
.
1B Alvaro Rubi and 2B Jeremy Arocho each had 2 hits with Rubi getting his 3rd double. OF Daniel Robinson (2018 29th round draftee from Central Michigan), getting his 1st triple.
.
20 year old 6’ 3” 200 pound RHP Kevin Malisheski draws the start today.
.
AZL Dodgers – 3-2 Win over AZL Mariners
.
Finally James Marinan made his 2018 debut and pitched 3 scoreless innings. He did allow 4 hits, issued 1 walk, with 2 K’s. After Jose Hernandez surrendered the tieing run in the 9th, Melvin Jimenez came on with a runner on and one out, and closed out the inning including 2 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 9th, a Frank Sanchez triple and a one out single by Kenneth Betancourt scored the walk off winning run.
.
Jeronimo Castro (21 year old RHP from Los Llanos, DR), just promoted from DSL pitched 3 innings allowing one run on two hits, no walks, and 7 K’s (7K’s in 9 outs…not too shabby). One of the 2 hits was a bunt single, followed by the 2nd hit, a run scoring triple, spoiling an otherwise outstanding 3 IP in relief.
.
DSL Dodgers Guerrero – 4-1 Loss to DSL Red Sox 2 (Game 1)
.
3B Randy Rodriguez 3-4 with a double
2B Eynar Machin, HR (2)
.
DSL Dodgers Guerrero – 6-1 Win over DSL Red Sox 2 (Game 2)
.
Carlos Montilla pitched 4 scoreless innings, 3 hits, 2 BB, 6 K
Emmanuel Mercano (19 year old RHP Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela) finished the final 1.1 IP. After 6 games and 8.1 IP, Mercano has yet to allow a run. He has surrendered 1 BB with 11K.
.
1B Jose Nava – 2-4
SS Eddys Leonard – 2-3, including 3rd double
RF Jaime Perez (5), 2B Jesus Valdez (3), LF Andy Pages (6) each hit a HR.
.
DSL Dodgers Robinson – 17-5 Win over DSL Red Sox 1
.
The Dodgers scored 17 runs on 13 hits and 11 walks.
CF Julio Enrique – 3-5 with a HR (2)
SS Carlos Santiago – 2-4 with a double (3) and HR (1) (3 run HR)
RF Rushenten Tomsjansen – 2-4
DH Yunior Garcia – HR (3) (3 run HR)
.
Jose Rodulfo (17 year old RHP from Anaco, Venezuela) started 4th game went 5 IP for 3rd consecutive start, allowing 2 runs (1 earned), 4 hits, 0 walks, and 3 K’s. For the year, Rodulfo has started 4 games and pitched 19 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned), 9 hits, 3 HBP, 3 walks, 16 K’s. He has a 0.95 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, and .138 batting average against. This might be a 17 year old to follow.
Mark: Off the top of my head I would add Frankie Montas to your list.
4-1; 2.41ERA