Player Development is not Always Linear
Pitchers and hitters don t progress from one stage to another in a straight line. That s what we would like, because we like predictable. We like things neatly arranged and sequential, but baseball player development happens so differently and sometimes, so maddeningly different than what we like, that we are frequently frustrated beyond belief. This time last year, Striker Buehler, who was then named Walker Buehler, was stinking up the joint
Pitchers and hitters don’t progress from one stage to another in a straight line. That’s what we would like, because we like predictable. We like things neatly arranged and sequential, but baseball player development happens so differently… and sometimes, so maddeningly different than what we like, that we are frequently frustrated beyond belief.
This time last year, Striker Buehler, who was then named “Walker” Buehler, was stinking up the joint with a 7.71 ERA and walked 7.7 batters per 9 innings. They were forced to change his name to Striker, when he dropped to 2.3 walked batters per 9 innings this season. That is a true story: Only the names have been changed… blah, blah, blah!
Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger were the anointed ones about this time last year. However, their progress also has not been linear. One step forward and one step back is how much of this year has been for them. I, for one, have confidence in their march and I believe that both will remain/become very good players for a long time, but I get frustrated too.
Max Muncy has traveled a long and winding road. In 2015 and 2016, he had a little over 110 plated appearances each season and then was out of the majors as the Dodgers worked with him in the minors. This year, while he won’t have quite enough plate appearances to officially qualify, only players named Trout, Betts, JD Martinez and Yelich have a better OPS that Max Muncy. Speaking of Mookie Betts, he has taken his game to a new level this year by increasing his OPS by 276 points!
I can go on and on: Trevor Story, Justin Turner, Scooter Gennett, et al… some slowly figured it out and others did it seemingly overnight. That’s why I want to put some things in perspective. These guys aren’t machines and they can have good years, bad years and mediocre years. Sometimes they plateau for a while and then grow on… sometimes they plateau and fall back.
In 2016, the Giants signed Will Smith, who in his previous 4 years of major league service had almost a 5.00 ERA with Milwaukee and KC. He then had TJ Surgery and missed all of 2017, but now looks to be their closer for a while… unless he is traded… and he could be. Let me digress for a minute. If the Giants can’t beat the Dodgers on the field, maybe they will try and take them at the Front Office. No, I am not talking about the Giants taking that old dinosaur, Ned Colletti (won’t happen – they are also convinced about the new baseball paradigm). Andrew Friedman is not going anywhere, but Farhan Zaidi could be hired by the Giants to be their President of Baseball Operations. The Giants need to do a total rebuild, which means trading MadBum, Posey and just about any other asset like Will Smith… and Farhan could be the guy. It could be a homecoming of sorts for him to return to the other side of the bay.
I have been hard on Dave Roberts this year, but I do have to admit that most of the issues could have been eliminated with better execution by the players. That they have been poor when hitting with RISP is certainly true… and it frequently doesn’t matter who he rolls out there, Oh, we can blame it on the lineups, but it’s really the players… players who don’t always develop linearly.
Where Do the Dodgers Go From Here?
Let’s just get this over with: I want Dave Roberts and the Coaching Staff back next year. I am sorry if I doubted you earlier, Doc. I had been a big supporter of Doc’s in his first two years, but soured on him somewhat in 2018. I believe now that it was unfounded. I think Turner Ward’s work is also not done.
Speaking of Linear Progression: it has not been that way with Joc or Kike or the Wild Horse, but I don’t think anyone would be surprised if one, or all of those guys broke out big time. What about el Gasolino who has become el LightsOuto?
Some think that the Dodger’s front office had no “Plan.” No, they had a Plan. Yes! Oh, it was a bad Plan? I still like the plan. It’s just that the plan can’t always be executed for many reasons, most involving the players…and when teams do not execute plans, the fans want someone executed. I’ll save this for another day…
This season could have another month to go, but if it doesn’t, we will try and figure out why. In the meantime, the Dodgers are in the playoffs and can still win the division, and while the later is not in their hands, the Rockies will have to most likely beat Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer to win the division.
Last Night’s Win Was a Team Win
- Ryu is looking more like an Ace, even though he’s the #3 or #4. 1.97 ERA
- Brian Dozier still isn’t hitting, but took part in 4 of the 5 Dodger double plays.
- Kike 3-4 hitting leadoff.
- Turner with just one hit, but it was big!
- Manny with another big hit,
- Where would the Dodgers be without Yasmani Grandal, who hasn’t tired this year?
- Kenley looked confident in closing.
- That may have been Mad Bum’s last game as a Giant. His magical run is over. He’s just another “guy.”
- This team is built for the Post-Season and now they are there! It would still be nice to win the NL West!
R.I.P. Marty Balin, Co-founder of Jefferson Airplane (Starship), Singer and amazing songwriter.
Maybe this should be the Dodgers Theme Song for the Playoffs:
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Discussion (130)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Damn Mark, welcome back!! Just in time for the last day of the season, how cool is that? Got your boy Striker going, with Mad Max teeing it up against the RockShow. Good timing brother! Bring your lucky rabbits foot!
Why not scherzer??
No scherzer tomorrow.
Holy shit cubs and brewers are tied
Nice job by Wood today.
I have stated on numerous occasions that I believed the problem with the team this year was three pronged; FAZ, Doc, and the players. FAZ constructed a team that focuses on HR rather than run production. It doesn’t matter if they practice it. They are not bat to ball type players. When was the last hit and run we saw. I remember in July when they were playing well when Kike’ and others bunted with runners on third and less than 2 outs. With game run differential of 4 or less they are below .500. When the team was playing poorly in April and May, it was the GM who identified the problem as not enough HR’s. It wasn’t too many strikeouts. It wasn’t the inability to moving the runners up and in scoring position with less than 2 outs. No the problem was not enough HR’s.
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The team lost two key relievers from down the stretch in 2017, Brandon Morrow and Tony Watson. The FAZ response was Scott Alexander, and then at the trade deadline Zac Rosscup and John Axford.
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I give FAZ tremendous credit for getting the Dodgers below the luxury tax threshold. They also get great credit for stepping up and trading for Manny Machado. I think we all wish that he was more productive as a Dodger, but the trade was well thought out.
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Dave Roberts is still learning, but we should not just ignore his mistakes. He continues to make the same mistakes instead of learning from them. I had no objection to CT3 coming into the game today, but just not in the situation that he was asked. The situation called for bat to ball skills, something CT3 does not have. Just make contact, and no hitter has failed to make contact more than CT3. His other opportunities were not the same critical timing. I am glad that he went 2-3. He is having a very good September which bodes well for the playoffs. But if the score is tied, or the team needs a tying run, and there is a runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs, CT3 should not be the guy you look for.
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Ultimately the lack of production does lie with the player. The player has to look within themselves to know to go the other way when the pitch is away, to choke up with two strikes, make sure you make contact with a runner on third and less than 2 outs.
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There is a reason that the team is at least 13 games behind last year. I think all three components, FAZ, Doc, and the players need to look in the mirror.
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But there is still 1 game to play, and the Dodgers are in a good position to walk away with the NL West Division crown. Let’s hope all the right buttons are pushed for a win.
It’s gonna put things for the division back in the hands of Dodgers. It was too close for comfort Dodgers! Don’t let it slip through your fingers! Win the final game of the season and we might just get through without playing a tiebreaker.
11-2 Nats in bottom of 8th.
This is just awesome! I hope that 7 runs is a big enough lead at Coors Field.
We caught atlanta too
This is from MLB Trade Rumors about Phillies’ manager Gabe Kapler but could be about Dave Roberts:
“Phillies manager Gabe Kapler, a polarizing figure long before his managerial debut this season, faces questions surrounding whether or not prospective free agents will play for him, writes Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Kapler’s innovative style – which attaches the shortest of leashes to most starting pitchers, relies heavily on day-to-day matchups, and is subject to change at the most unconventional of times (Kapler removed Scott Kingery for a pinch-runner in the second inning of a mid-September clash against the Marlins) – has drawn the ire of players and fans alike…”
Touchdown Jesus is alive and well at the Golden Dome.
5-0 baby!!
It’s quiet as a tomb in Denver.
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5-0
Nats 2 runs in top of 1st
Lets go Nats!!!!!!
I’ve been reading on ESPN and MLB that if the Dodgers are tied or a game out by tomorrow, Sherzer is gonna go. Any truth to that? Keeping my fingers crossed!
Rich Hill will start tomorrow
Yeah, as far as tomorrow: if Col can somehow lose a damn game tonight, then we need to prepare for a Sunday game, a Monday game, and then a possible Monday night flight to Chi/Mil and play a Tuesday game. And I’d think the pitchers would in some order will be Hill, Buehler, and Strip. If that’s the case, I go Strip tomorrow because I don’t want him in a must win game. I go Hill Monday at home, because if we’re in Monday game, it also isn’t a must win. Tuesday would be the must win, and I use Buehler for that.
The pitching decisions will be important, but Roberts said what happens in the Rockies game tonight, might change who is starting tomorrow.
The fruits of (wild card) victory!
No one knows for sure what the right move was, but it is a fact, the Giants are simple terrible.
How semisweet it is!
In a year that has been so improbable…
Rembember, these guys have been through the fire… a few times. They are built for this….