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
Lovin Spoonful
Do you believe in Magic
We live to play another day…
Giant fans scattering like cockroaches…
To the Max!
So Colorado has Strasburg and most likely Scherzer coming up. If they beat those 2, and wind up winning 10 in a row to end the year, much respect to them. They’ll deserve the NL West
CT3 with another hit!
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Blame Doc!
Maybe getting Taylor into the game was a good play?
.
Grandal’s stats are great, definitely top 4 offensively and phenomenal with framing. But his maddening inconsistency cannot be overlooked, IMO.
OK, safe to say CT3 has made up for that k. I’ve always liked him up there in those pressure spots!!
What a huge insurance run!
Grandal is one of the Top 3 or 4 Catchers in baseball.
#2 OPS
#2 SLG
#2 HR
#5 RBI
#1 OB%
When Taylor pinch it for Pederson he was going to replace him in LF. Using Freese at that point would have used up an extra player. And that’s why Freese was available to pinch hit when he did. Not Docs fault that he lined out. That was just bad luck.
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Would like the Dodgers to tack on in the top of the 9th. Not totally confident in Kenley, who’s no longer as lights out as he used to be.
I know we criticize Grandal for his passed balls and inability to hold on to throws from outfielders, but man, what a great hustle play he made there on Longoria ball. We may have gotten lucky there, but it was all Grandal’s hustle.
A roller coaster to say the least…
Maybe we can ask CK to become our new(er) 2019 set up man??? All I know is, he killed me today…Let me see, we’ve covered CT, Roberts, F.O. etc…. I’m blaming Colletti, fake news and Obama!!!
Chris made up for it! Nice job going the other way by Manny! Now let’s get an insurance run
Everyone is correct, Freeze would have been a smarter decision at the time to bat instead of CT3. I personally was thinking Matt Kemp. Either way, Tommy Lasorda would’ve been a better choice to hit than CT3.
Now hopefully Chris makes up for it with his next at bat coming up this inning.
Freeze would have been the perfect hitter in the inning before, because he is not afraid to go the other way.
Batting CT(Strike3) there instead of Freese is absolutely Insane! You need a contact hitter up in that situation, not the guy with the most strikeouts on the team.
This game is eerily reminding me of World Series game 5
Mark:
From above:
Yes I do believe that. No hitting the other way, no sacrifices, no hitting behind the runner, no chocking up on the bat with two strikes, no reducing the “swing for the fences” at bat with two strikes, no hit and run, no stealing bases. All those contributes to getting runners on third where all you need is a fly ball – it is not emphasized in the Dodger organization with FAZ, and if a team does those things hitting with RISP improves.
Tolesey says throw the dam ball and I’ll hit it!
If Clayton doesn’t opt out, the Dodgers may be able to slot him in at #4 .
Love me some Kershaw but what has been his defining moment when the team needs him most? I know there are some but every time you think he needs to come through in a clutch he shrinks on the big stage. I want him to be a Dodger for life but if the FO does anything more than add 2 years to the current contract they’re foolish.
If Kershaw wants more $$ AAV than currently on the table, he’s dreaming.
Bobby tell me how is it that me and you understand this and the front office and Robert’s don’t
Well, that got CK’s pitch count back in order. Still want to see a Dodgers offensive explosion.
If the Dodgers only had more hitters like Kershaw just put the bat on the ball if all you need to do
It’s Kike, Pederson, Puig & Kersh.
What makes this worse is the anemic lineup that Kershaw is facing. His pitch count is also up, so unless he suddenly gets very efficient he’s probably not going very far into this game.
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Need the offense to step up.
If the Dodgers don’t make the playoffs or even if they do… in spite of Clayton, how can he opt out and how can they justify an extension? This could be a tipping point…