If you have been around baseball for as long as I have (and many of you have been around it longer), if a team won the NL or AL Pennant, they played the winner of the opposite league in the World Series. Then, if they won four games in that series, they were declared World Champion. Simple! They were the best team in baseball that season. It was simple. It was clear. It’s not that way anymore!
Now, if you win the division, you have to sit out for a week while the Wild Card teams play a best-of-three series. Then, as a Division Winner, you play a five-game series before you play the Division Championship Series, which is before you play for the World Championship. So, unlike the “good old days,” there are a lot more variables, and the playoffs are more of a crapshoot than ever before. However, it does not mean that you can’t evolve and still win. That is exactly what we are talking about. What can the Dodgers do to improve in the playoffs?
Andrew Friedman called it an “organizational failure,” and I agree with that. Organizational failure is a significant inefficiency, misdeed, strategic misstep, or failure to manage risk that results in the deterioration or collapse of an organization. The question is: Where do the Dodgers go from here, and what can they do to prevent it from happening again?
I am going to prove that analytics may be at fault. “What? That is heresy!” Yes, the Dodgers use analytics as much or more than any other team. Analytics work! They work over a long season. “X player does not hit RHP well, so we try to limit his exposure against RHP.” Analytics work, but they work in large samplings. If you flip a coin five times, it may end up heads four times, but over 162 times, it will likely be close to 50/50. However, what works in the 162 may not work in five games. Do you get where I am going with this?
Over the 162, analytics win EVERY TIME, but in a short sampling, it is not as apparent. Crapshoot may not be the right word, but Andrew Friedman explained why things happen randomly and what can be done to correct that. It should not be lost on any of us that no team has ever won back-to-back World Championships for 23 years. It is harder than ever before – that is a fact. There is more talent than ever before, more scouting and analytics than ever before. There are more competitors than ever before. It is harder than ever before to win a World Championship.
Here’s the interview with Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes, and it should be noted that Andrew took ultimate responsibility for the organizational failure.
There are things they will do differently next year… especially in the realm of keeping batters sharp, but who knows… maybe next year they will be a Wild Card and win from that spot. All the teams left this season are Wild Cards… except one. Don’t tell me it’s not a crapshoot! However, if you want wrapped up, simple, tidy, and pat answers… there ain’t none! It’s complicated!
The hitters failed to hit in the playoffs against the Padres last year and the Diamondbacks this year. Was the layoff responsible? Of course, it was, but it is not an excuse. It will likely be the same way next year, so the Dodgers had better figure out something… like maybe dividing up into two teams and having a best-of-five “playoff.” That may be a simple fix. In fact, I am surprised they did not do that this year. They did play one scrimmage game, but that was it.
The pitching failure, namely the starting pitching failure was a total debacle that, unless Friedman wanted to gut the farm, could not be easily fixed. You can spin it all you want, however you want, but Dustin May was back after TJ (Wheeler had TJ and came back a few years ago), Julio Urias had just completed his second dominant season and was the staff ace. Kershaw was expected to win 12-15 games (which he did), and Ryan Pepiot was ready to take the next step. The Catman was a question mark, but he was only needed as a #5. Thor was the question mark, but he seemed like a worthy option… until he proved that you can’t fix stupid! The Dodgers had a plethora of youngsters close to ready. What could go wrong? Only everything! Friedman could not have imagined in his wildest nightmares what would happen next:
- Thor thought the Dodgers could help him regain his 101 MPH fastball and pitched like he still had it;
- Dustin May’s arm blew up early;
- Tony Gonsolin’s arm blew up later;
- Kershaw’s shoulder limited his pitching in the second half to just a few innings;
- Ryan Pepoit had an oblique injury for most of the season;
- The rookies showed promise, especially Bobby Miller, but other than Bobby, they were not ready: and
- Julio Urias came out of the gate pitching like an AA pitcher and then turned his wife into a punching bag (allegedly).
Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes could not fix all of that, and nor should they have gutted the system to try. Stuff happens. Yesterday, it was mentioned that Jerry Dipoto made a good trade in getting Luis Castillo. It was one of the few good ones he has made, as he is on the hot seat in Seattle. However, in defense of Friedman, it was rumored that #1. Castillo was damaged goods with arm issues. #2. The Mariners wanted Ryan Pepiot, James Outman, and Kyle Hurt. Bobby Miller’s name was in the mix as well.
Last year’s pitching disaster is behind them, and the Dodgers have a clear path to their own starters. Friedman will swing a trade or two and make a free agent signing or two to build back depth. It is my opinion that Clayton will not pitch in 2024. Neither will Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May and Walker Buehler is a question mark… to be determined in the Spring. Pepioty, Miller, and Sheehan look ready and Gavin Stone could be. Nick Frasso is not far behind as is Landon Knack. Also, watch out for Kyle Hurt as a multi-inning lockdown reliever. Maybe Andrew Friedman should have gutted the farm… but he didn’t and I for one, am glad. Let’s get ’em next year!
Arizona Fall League
- Damon Keith went 1-5 with an RBI and three strikeouts.
- Kendall Williams started and went four innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs. He did not walk a batter and struck out three.
- Ben Casparius pitched one inning and allowed one hit, three BBs, and two ERs.
- Ryan Sublette pitched a clean inning, striking out two.
You can never be sure what these guys are working on.
Discussion (28)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Have a shot at tomorrow, Bear. I’m done for now.
Some of the comments here are either pathetic or hilarious. Some of you should be committed if you really believe that shit!
1. “Players aren’t responding to Roberts Voice anymore?” Roberts says “hit” and they don’t? What kind of bullshit is that?
2. “Friedman is not as bad as others might think, but he’s certainly no Dave Dombrowski.” Did you pull that out of your ass? WTF? This is beyond stupid!
I am not sure I can tolerate this level of stupidity! What is wrong with you people? This has been one of the best runs by a GM in baseball history and you want to hang him?
The game has changed but IDIOTS are the same.
God, I can’t do this anymore! I’m too stupid already. If I stay here, I will just get stupider!
amen glaze. of course you don’t wait on castelanos 2 years from now. but i would have loved to had him 2 years ago. all i’m saying is i don’t play a guy hitting .230 against right handed pitcher, and a .230 hitter against left the next. we have had too many .230 hitters over the last few seasons. bring in some sticks please!
If you’re always worried about overpaying you’re never going to sign a top line FA. You can’t play it safe forever, you have to take some chances because someone else will if you don’t.
I honestly don’t see any impact players in our farm system other than pitching. We have some guys that look to be average MLB players, but nobody that really sticks out as can’t miss under 25 future stars. Winning has affected this with having late picks every year. We will have to get guys via free agency or live with good not great.
Sometimes you have to move someone out to bring someone else in. I would trade Lux for Castelanos any day! Just me Old Bear. I really enjoy what you write. I just don’t like platoons all over the place! Nor do I like all the analytics! But I do love Dodger baseball. have for well over 60 years! Barnes, Taylor, Kike, Peralta, and even Muncy just don’t move the needle for me. I’m not sure we’re better next year with the “young” guys in 3-4 positions. Bush? Yes I believe he can be a very good player. Outman? I’m hoping but not convinced. Vargas? 50-50. I do have a lot of confidence in pitchers, Pepiot, Miller, and Sheehan with Grove a solid bullpen piece. I love Kershaw but maybe it’s time. All this talk about next year would be a lot of fun if not for the absolute disappointment this season!
Start the video that Mark provided up top at the 31:40 mark or slightly sooner.
Bottom line from what he said. His philosophy is preventing runs first with the best pitching possible and then enough runs scored to win games. Which means Friedman is going after top shelf pitching first and then whatever is left in the budget goes for offense.
Any position player prospects already on the team probably stays and the only one is Outman. Lux probably stays too.
I highly doubt Ohtani and Bellinger in Dodger blue.
Look for more platoons and that probably means DeLuca stays, because there are 3 outfield positions and DeLuca can play them all.
Friedman will probably use some of the position player prospects to get top shelf pitching. Vargas, Cartaya, Busch, Pages come to mind.
Friedman will probably trade pitching prospects that are ready that he thinks are not top shelf prospects for top shelf pitching too. Grove comes to mind.
Friedman also said he is going to figure out how to keep the hitters timing correct during the layoff before the playoffs begin for the Dodgers.
Does anyone know what’s happened to SoCalBum? He used to post quite often but I haven’t seen any posts from him in a long time. I always enjoyed his posts and he was quite knowledgeable about the Dodgers. I hope all is well with him.
love all you write Bear! agree with most. butt if you want analytics, plenty of platoons, and a great regular season team , the dodgers are at the top. we’re all sad and bitter about how it’s turned out last few years. no one needs to be fired, but the approach needs adjustments for sure.
I do indeed like the pragmatic and measured comments on AF. He’s not as good as some lament and he’s not as bad as others might think, but he’s certainly no Dave Dombrowski.
Before the 2023 post season meltdown if you commented negatively about AF you might have been castigated and called a moron.
Is he good?….yes. Is he great?…. No. If you are solely evaluated by the number of games you win in the regular season then yes he’s done well, but we’re not the Royals or the Marlins or the White Sox who might offer a
lifetime contract to a GM who won the division two years in a row let alone ten or so. But, we’re not those teams and we expect championships in LA.
If the Dodgers flame out again in next years post season, ownership might indeed be looking for a new GM and will certainly be looking for a new manager.
mookie could have moved to 2nd to accommodate one of the best right handed bats in baseball. and yes dodgers had a better regular season than phillies, my point , the phillies lineup is much better in the postseason. i’ll give pitchers a break, our best weren’t there
I don’t think players got any say either was just wondering if some of the decisions that are made like pinch hitting Barnes for Peralta as a example is detrimental. Gotta admit bear the old school manager types are doing pretty good using their eyes and gut feelings as opposed to always using the analytical way of if facing a lefty must have right hand bat and so forth
They say the most irritating sounds are:
A shrill woman’s scream
A dentists drill
A barking dog
Nails on a blackboard
A crying baby
I’m going to add one.
The sound of John Smoltz doing a baseball game.
John is the perfect example of garrulous. He never shuts up. If Joe Davis isn’t talking, Smoltz is.
He over analyzes damn near everything especially pitches. Orel at least says interesting things. Smoltz just predicts what should be coming and second guesses too much. He often wrong. If a pitcher has has 2 of 3 effective pitches going, it’s not too hard to guess what’s coming in a critical situation. Location is more important anyway.
He has terminal Tim McCarver Syndrome. Eddie Perez has it too. That’s when the announcer points out something obscure to watch for that’s a fantasy. Like a mechanical flaw with a pitcher or hitter, or a pitch characteristic.The next pitch they say “see”, proving their point. But it never happened. There was nothing to see. They feast on the novice fan who doesn’t know the difference. It gives them a chance to talk, show they’re smart, and fill the air time with bullshit.
Here’s a couple of Smoltz pearls from the last 2 games:
“Every organization wants to get here and win as many games as possible”
“The hardest thing about the journey is you never prepare to end your season on a loss. Every team but one will end their season on a loss.”
“The last inning took a little bit out of Evoldi, but you can’t tell”
It’s just drivel.
I’ve enjoyed the TBS American League crew with Ron Darling and Frenchy much more. They don’t overtalk and over analyze everything. They don’t feel rushed to fill every second with what becomes irritating, constant, background noise . They let the game breathe a little. Smoltz has gotten way worse.
By the end of the World Series I’ll be begging for the sounds of a dentists drill or fingernails on a blackboard.
I have tried to post several times on this and it was never posted please explain why
That Friedman interview sounded just like the one last year and bear I worded my last post wrong should have said it’s my opinion that the players aren’t responding to Roberts voice anymore. How many players you reckon believe in the analytical way to manage games in the playoffs. The Phillies are proving there the best team in NL no matter how many games they won in regular season
Dodgers don’t have enough good players and the ones they do didn’t perform. Look at Phillies, why they’ll win back to back pennants and possibly a title. Top tier players and only one platoon guy in Marsh. Dialed in locked in MVP Harper (helps when your best player rakes), Schwarber, Trea, Castellanos, Realmuto plus solid younger players like Bohm and Stott. Everyday championship level players. Bonafide ace in Wheeler and excellent two in Nola. Even third starter is solid and a lot of flame coming out of the pen. That’s a team designed to dominate a short series. Payroll same as LA basically. Yes, most of those guys were free agent buys and trades, but the Dodgers may win more games in the regular season with the shinier run differential but that is a much better playoff team than LA.
Dodgers have no starting pitching. Bobby Miller is the only guy whose stuff would play up in a playoff game and he looked deer in headlights. Lynn is a kerosense can and Kershaw had/has nothing left in the tank and has to now get by with craft at best. A platoon heavy OF with reclamation projects doesn’t work either. Why? Because when a lefty is brought in Heyward and Perralta have to be subsituted and you’re left with zero bench. Outman can’t hit lefties either. May work over 162 with “DePth,” but can be strategized against in a short series.
Andrew Friedmen and co design a team built for 162, not a sprint. It’s an inherent failure. This team needs an ace, Corbin Burnes needs to be here. FA in 2024 and Brewers just lost Woodruff. They’ll look to deal him, local kid. Deal some of these prosepects, you can replace them. If Buehler makes it back this is your playoff rotation:
Burnes, Miller, Buehler. Stuff, stuff and more stuff. Good luck with that for a playoff opponent. Then the Sheehans, Pepiots, etc can fall in line.
Hitting: Ohtani needs to come. I’ll take his 300 and 40 bombs in the 3 hole while we wait for his pitching in ’24. Move Muncy to second base, Lux to SS, Busch or Vargas at 3b, then find another everyday bat for LF. Jason Heyward isn’t it. Bring back Hernandez.
Betts
Freeman
Ohtani
Smith
Muncy
FA LF
Outman
Vargas/Busch
Lux
There’s a better October team, and payroll should fall in the 240 mil range
Philadelphia is the best team in the NL and fortunately will have a chance to win it all. They were also the best NL team last year only to lose out to the cheaters.
I don’t care how many games they won and what place they came in….both years they turned on the after burners toward the end of the season, stayed healthy, and quite frankly, they have the best balance in baseball. By that I mean, they have no weaknesses in their starting pitching, bullpen, and hitting. Their only weakness may be in fielding- both Schwarber and Turner were suspect in the field this year.
Look at their SP…..their #4 pitcher is better than our #1.
And then look at their bullpen….they have 4-5 guys who are better than all of our bullpen save one, Phillips.
And, do you see a weakness with anyone holding a bat? I don’t. Oh, and let me ask this….do you see anyone either pitching Ot batting choking in the playoffs much like most of our whole team again this year?
I’m sure they don’t care how many games the Braves beat them by. They won enough to get invited to the dance and once that began and they quickly disposed of Miami, I think many fans in the know remember what happened last year…Phillies crush Braves. Guess what? It happened again.
If you want to know what their secret is, just analyze their success the past two years.
Nice post , Mark. It is the difficulty that baseball has with its post season. The season rewards organizational depth and especially, depth in starting pitching. Statistical projections for player performance are more predictable over a large number of at bats or innings pitched. Not perfect but certainly better estimates. And, as you noted, analytics can guide decision making more effectively in a 162 game season.
It is difficult to build a team for the post season. Josh Sborz had a 5+ ERA for a lousy Texas bullpen during regular season that has pitched really well in post season. How do you explain that? Small sample sizes, more variability in outcomes.
Is Mookie Betts’ struggle in the post season of late a reflection of his ability to perform on that stage or just noise (randomness in performance)? Freddie Freeman uncharacteristically struggled this year in post season. Kike was really good in the post season again. What do you make of that?
I think changing the playoff format may help but figuring how to best fill that time off is also important.
A healthy Dustin May, Clayton Keyshaw, and Julio Uriah would have helped a lot. I would not characterize this post season as an organizational failure but J understand AF needing to say that. The season was a testament to this organization. Where are the Phillies if Suarez, Nola, and Wheeler are not available?
I am anxious to see this off season and how they proceed. Do they deal a couple of these promising young starters for a veteran starter or a young center fielder? Do they pursue Yamamoto, Ohtani or both?
One thing though, I do trust this front office to figure it out. Will it work? Maybe.
Sounds like Friedman isn’t so popular about now! Bargain bin, reclamation projects, the Tampa way. he’s done a good, not great job. Agree, go get some very good hitters and pitchers, Phillies did!
Dodger Dad
Insightful and the answer on Roberts is yes
I like Dusty Baker despite not liking the Asstros. I love the old veterans like Dusty and Bochy. When Dusty was asked about exit velocity, he said he was more interested in “exit hits”. When asked if Urquidy was on a pitch count, Dusty said “No, he’s on a performance count”.
There’s still something to be said about making decisions with your gut.
Wow, Mark. Excellent analysis. I agree about analytics being part of the problem.
Andrew Friedman seems somewhat bewildered. There were the injuries to the pitching staff and of course, Julio Urias, honestly they probably shouldn’t have won 100 games, but they did. That probably convinced the organization they were set to roll deep into the post season.
But that mean’t they had to rely on Clayton’s balky shoulder, Bobby Miller’s inexperience and Lance Lynn’s homerun issues. When you break it down, the starting pitching imploded, the hitters failed to produce and only the bullpen came through.
Yes, Friedman could have acquired help at the trade deadline, but the cost was higher than he was comfortable paying. He made past deals to acquire players like Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer and Trea Turner at a reasonable cost in terms of prospects. But the changes in the playoff format means more teams are looking to add, less players available to land in trade and a heftier price.
Friedman’s trade deadline strategy is part of the problem, unless, course, you are willing to part with more high level prospects. That obviously makes Freeman uncomfortable and it should. The key to long term sucesss centers around young players arriving at the major league level.
But now Friedman must focus on the winter and not just try to find bargains in the barrel. Anderson worked out two years ago, but Thor didn’t. Instead of going all in on, Bryce Harper for example, , they tried to cut their kind of deal and lost the player to the Phillies.
Sometimes you have to take the long term risk and make the deal. Otherwise, you lose.
There is the Japanese pitcher, who would seem like the key to the off season. He’s both young and talented. It may take a longer deal than three or four years. For Friedman, it comes down to this — do you want the player or not?
But first it comes down to the Ohtani sweepstakes. The Dodgers need starting pitching and Ohtani won’t help them with that aspect in 2024. It wouldn’t make much sense to go all in on Ohtani and ignore potential starting pitcher issues. If you do one, you need to be able to address the other.
But if Friedman pursues fringe pitching like Syndegaard and others of that ilk, then he’s likely to be back next October trying to explain what went wrong. Of course, there are no guarantees, never are, but the teams likely to face each other in the World Series have not run from long term risk.
Of course, Friedman could just look at the return of Walker Buehler being the key and the young pitchers taking another step. Somehow I can’t see him using that approach after two post season meltdowns.
Nick Castelanos is batting 7th in the Phillies lineup! the hottest guy on the planet! So, there’s no way we couldn’t have signed that guy? I know , Friedman doesn’t do this or Friedman hates Boras, or he’s too expensive. these are the dodgers! would love for a couple of young guy to step up and become all-star caliber players, but it’s not likely. Michael Busch may be the closest to that, but will he ever get the opportunity? I like Vargas but who knows if he can make it in the bigs. with Roberts not going anywhere, Friedman needs to put some players on the roster to help Doc not make those head scratching decisions he’s prone to make. I think Doc did a wonderful job during the regular season. But is he, like the team Friedman assembled just that, a regular season champion and nothing else?
Friedman doesn’t care what fans think, he doesn’t have to check attendance figuers. When attendance drops and owners dollars are impacted then he might. He plans no significant organizational changes. Once again insuring they do the same thing over and over and expect different results, still the definition of insanity.
I have seen every Bums championship since Sandys catch in 1955;. Was hoping for 1 more before the good Lord takes me but with the current leadership, I doubt it will happen. Hope I’m wrong.
We have built a ton of minor league depth. It’s time to use it. If there’s anyone who doesn’t fit the plan, dangle them on the market. Play the rest.
Snell is going to command a deal of 5-7 years. No way AF offers that. The longest contract any pitcher has gotten from the Dodgers is the four-year deal McCarthy signed in 2015. We all saw how that worked out. He pitched in 33 games and won 11 games over the three years he was with LA. He was then shipped to the Braves when they got Kemp back. Plus, Snell is a Boras client. AF has not signed a Boras client to a long-term deal. Martinez is the only Boras client he has signed. And he was cheap.
It’s all about the pitching this offseason. I still like the idea of Ohtani being a Dodger even though he won’t pitch in 2024. Hey, it’s not my money and it seems there will always be a fan base that allows the Dodgers to put 45,000+ fans in seats to purchase a lot of parking, Dodger Dogs and Micheladas’.
Watching game #1 and game #2 of the NLCS, both Wheeler and Nola are on top of their game right now and carved the D-Back line-up much like the D-Back line-up went through the Dodger line-up. Game #1 top of the first Carroll led off with a bloop base hit and Wheeler went to work by easily getting through the next three hitters. I thought to myself that is what an ace is supposed to do and thought back to CK in the first inning and how helpless and hapless he looked. He did not have any swing and miss in his arsenal and indeed looked like a shell of his former self. Miller could not land his off speed stuff and the D-Back hitters were sitting in his FB in game #2.
It is all about pitching, especially in the post season, and it’s clear AF and Gomes are going hunting this off season. Not sure who they’re going to target but I think they need two dominant pitchers either acquired via FA or trade. As an example something like this for next year:
Nola
Snell
Pepiot
Miller
Buehler
I didn’t expect AF to lay out his entire off season plan nor has he probably completed his plan as of right now, but I am a bit disappointed he mentioned all coaches would be back. I would like to see the staff examined a bit more closely, and while Doc is safe, do the Dodgers need a couple of new voices among the coaching staff? I’m not a van of RVS and after a complete post season offensive meltdown I think he should be let go.
If AF doesn’t go big this off season I think he might be reading the LA fan base incorrectly. LA fans loves to see their teams go big…….Lebron and AD to the Lakers, Manny Ramirez, Mookie and Freddie to the Dodgers, Stafford, Ramsey and Von Miller to the Rams as an example of just a few. If AF again swims in just the shallow end of the pool I think fans might bring their pitch forks to DS.
My pal Peter Schmuck–yes, that’s his name–who broke in as a baseball writer during Fernandomania and later covered the Orioles for decades has decided to cure what ails baseball. (I was rooting for a Dodgers-Orioles series both for his sake and to avenge the O’s 4-0 WS sweep of the Dodgers back in 1966.) Here’s a column Pete recently wrote:
It appears that the decision two seasons ago to expand the wild-card round of the playoffs has had an unintended consequence.
Just ask the Dodgers and Braves.
I know, I know, the Orioles should be on that list, but it is those other 100-win division champs and Division Series losers who provide the best evidence that the long layoff that they “won” at the end of the regular season is more of an advantage for the teams that get through the four first-round series.
Both the Dodgers and Braves also were eliminated short of the league championship round last year and only one of the four byes this year survived, which means that five of the eight winningest teams in the sport weren’t around to play for a pennant in 2022 and 2023.
We’ll find out in the coming years whether this is a sustaining trend or just a coincidence, but it seems pretty obvious that something is causing so many great teams to go to sleep during their first playoff action. It’s been enough of a concern that the managers of those teams all spent time during the layoff trying to find ways to keep their pitchers and hitters sharp, but there really is no way to simulate real competition.
So, did the Texas Rangers actually catch a break when they lost their divisional tie-breaker to the Houston Astros and got a two-game tuneup against the severely wounded Tampa Bay Rays ahead of their three-game sweep of the Orioles?
The case can be made that the reason they have won five straight games (and four of them on the road) is because they had to grind right to the end of the regular season and keep grinding a couple days later.
“It’s interesting,’’ said Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias when asked about that during his post-playoff press conference on Thursday. “I’m following it. I’m aware of what’s going on with the other teams like you [the media] are.
“First of all, I don’t want to make that as an excuse. I do not believe that was the difference between us winning or getting swept in the ALDS the way we did. I don’t have a big opinion on it.”
Well, I do. The other reason I didn’t list the Orioles with the Dodgers and Braves was because the Orioles had stopped hitting a week before they walked off the field after their final game of the regular season. And they had a couple of very green pitchers struggle in their playoff debuts, which isn’t exactly an unusual occurrence.
Still, it seems clear that the new format is creating more parity in the latter stages of the postseason, and the only question about that is whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing.
There already was some evidence before the recent changes that the wild-card teams arrived in the postseason sharper because they had to battle the better teams in all three divisions to get those final playoff spots – often right up to the last day of the season while the biggest winners were looking at prospects and resting starters for the final week or so.
The Astros, the only division winner to advance to the LCS round, also had to battle to the final day to win the AL West title on that tie-breaker with the Rangers. The other playoff-layoff teams went a combined 1-9 in the divisional round.
Not sure there’s anything to be done about that, since no team is going to pull up at the end of the regular season and choose to take the extra playoff round, but if the whole point of having all these wild-card teams is to keep more teams in contention, have more playoff games and generate more national television revenue, why not add two more wild-card teams and play an eight-team seeded draw in each league.
That way, everybody ends the regular season on Sunday and everybody has either a one-day or two-day break before starting the playoffs.
That would reward the winningest teams with lesser competition in the first round and – theoretically – lead to more intense competition throughout and maybe even a few more network paydays.
It certainly didn’t break my heart to see the mighty fall in the NLDS, but I can’t imagine the TV execs enjoyed watching two big-market teams with national followings fall by the wayside (for the second year in a row) with the biggest ratings rounds still ahead.
It is easy to place blame after the fact, and most Dodger fans jumped on Roberts. But it was his players who let the fans down. Kershaw going 1/3rd of an inning and allowing 6 runs? Kersh never had an outing that bad in his baseball life, but it happened. Sheehan tried to keep the D-Backs at bay, and allowed a couple of runs. Game one was lost before they even started. But even with Miller giving up 3 runs in game two, it was winnable. Trouble was that the offense was still asleep. Granted Lynn gave up four bombs in an inning. That was not surprising, what was surprising was that Roberts left him out there to give up #4. But they could have won that game too. They left way too many men on base. They had the bases loaded and scored 2. They were 2-5 with runners in scoring position. Why Roberts sent Barnes up to pinch hit for Peralta is a head scratcher. Barnes doesn’t hit lefties at all, and he swung at the first pitch. Peralta was hitting over .300 against lefties. One glaring difference to me was the hitters not working the count. There were way too many first pitch outs. Only Hernandez and Smith hit at all in the loss.