Old and Pathetic

No, I'm not talking about myself! Normally, we don't do two blog posts a day, but today I couldn't help myself. Sorry, Jeff... you do a fabulous job on the Minor League System. You are the "Unquestioned Minor League genius."

I do have a few Ramblings & Rants:

• The Dodgers look old and slow and pathetic, and the pitchers look like BP Throwers. They are cannon fodder! Right about now, the Brewers aren't merely cheaper than the Dodgers. They're roughly 3½ years younger per roster spot. I had AI calculate the average age of the Brewers vs. the Dodgers on August 31st (before the roster expansion). The number that jumps off the page: 4.7 years

  The Brewers' position players average only 27.8. The Dodgers' position players average 32.5.

  That's enormous.

  The Dodgers aren't just an older team because they have a couple of graybeard pitchers. The offense is where the age discrepancy really lives.

  Think about the Dodgers' veteran core:

  • Freddie Freeman, 36

  • Miguel Rojas, 37

  • Max Muncy, 36

  • Kiké Hernández, 35

  • Mookie Betts, 33

  • Teoscar Hernández, 33

  • Shohei Ohtani, 32

  Meanwhile, Milwaukee is getting regular contributions from Cooper Pratt, Jackson Chourio and Luis Lara, all 22 or younger, with Brice Turang and Sal Frelick still in their 20s.

• This Dodger team needs a closed-door clubhouse come-to-Jesus meeting! It's their only hope, but all I see is old and slow!

• These guys are seasoned professionals and have seen it all, BUT SOMETIMES you need an injection of youthful energy and enthusiasm! That's why I pushed for JDP. Tibbs3 may be more ready, but JDP has to be placed on the roster over the winter, so that's why I chose him. He has obviously mastered AA. An injection of youth could inspire the greybeards as well!

• AF must be gun-shy after what happened with Miggy Vargas and Gavin Lux. Getting Sirota was a stroke of genius, which made up for the stupidity of thinking Lux could be a SS!

• BTW, MiggyV has 30 doubles and 29 HRs; his OB% is .363, and his OPS is .847. His defense was the question, but by Statcast, Vargas and Max Muncy are in roughly the same defensive neighborhood this year. Vargas is around -7 OAA, while Muncy has been around -6 OAA. Vargas has essentially become what the Dodgers always hoped he might become offensively, but the defensive concerns they had about him were legitimate... however his bat plays.

• I sometimes wish he were back, but then I remember that Edman and Kopech helped win a Championship. Good luck, Miggy.

• Michael Conforto is OPS'ing .801, which is an indictment of RVS and Company. The "Launch Angle Revolution" has ended, with pitchers throwing faster, fewer fastballs, more spin, and higher in the zone or away from hitters' power.

• The Dodgers can no longer "flip the switch." They are "cooked' with this approach. They have to evolve and change... but can they do it during the season? I remain skeptical.

• I also think there is a better-than-50-50 chance that Stan Kroenke offers Andrew Friedman a stake in the Angels in exchange for assuming the position of President of Baseball Operations. BANG! You also know what else could happen... Ohtani becomes an Angel, again. Friedman could become a billionaire and Kroenke a bigger billionaire. Watch for it!

Maybe this meme is more appropriate: