Playing in Major League Baseball is Hard
OK, so what? Yeah, it’s hard to play baseball in the major leagues. Let me take it a step farther, who here could have played AAA baseball? AA Baseball? A Baseball? Rookie League Baseball? I am sure some will say they could have, but unless you did, you really don’t know. You…
OK, so what? Yeah, it’s hard to play baseball in the major leagues. Let me take it a step farther, who here could have played AAA baseball? AA Baseball? A Baseball? Rookie League Baseball? I am sure some will say they could have, but unless you did, you really don’t know. You just don’t! It’s easy for all of us to say that the Dodgers should just get rid of Max Muncy or send Cody Bellinger to AAA, or that CT3 should just be a utilityman.
“DFA Muncy” OK, then what? Oh, call up Busch and Vargas. Max Muncy is a bum anyway. Right, MLB baseball is easy! Due to the pandemic, Max has logged only three full seasons, in which he has hit 35, 35, and 36 HRs. As a Dodger he has a career OB% of .368 and an OPS of .870 – that’s really close to “superstar status!” So, the Dodgers just DFA Max Muncy? Really? Because Mike Busch is struggling with AAA pitching right about now. Miguel Vargas is hitting AAA pitching pretty well, and he’s all of 22, so he is ready, right? Just toss Max Muncy on the bone pile. Kevin Pillar is hitting .309 with a .405 OB% and a 1.031 OPS at OKC, Let’s call him up to take Cody Bellinger’s place. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Most fans who propound those things also think that it’s all on Dave Roberts. Let me shatter your illusions, but I guarantee that Andrew Friedman, Josh Byrnes, the Dodger Brass, Dave Roberts, and the Coaches are all singing out of the same hymnbook on this. It’s not going to go on forever, but both Cody and Max have earned the right to play another day. Sooner or later, the push will come to shove and they will either snap out of their respective funks or they will be replaced… but that day is not today. Patience, Grasshoppers!
Baseball is hard. Major League Baseball is even harder! I have said it before and I will say it again: “If you have done it before, you can do it again!” That doesn’t mean you will… but you have the ability to do so. Max Muncy has done it before – several times, so he gets a long leash. Cody Bellinger has the longest leash because he is one of the best centerfielders in the game. He can bet you with his legs, glove, arm and power. His leash is very long… but it is not unlimited.
At What Point is This Robert Van Scoyoc’s Fault?
Hitting coaches have a short shelf life. Some teams change hitting coaches more often than some people change their underwear! It’s a lot easier to fire the hitting coach than it is to fire the whole team. It’s easier to put the blame on one person than on 14 or 15 players. The Dodgers’ Head Hitting Coach is none other than Robert Van Scoyoc (“RVS”), who has somewhat achieved “rock star status.” Brant Brown and Aaron Bates assist him.
RVS has been credited as the person who fixed JD Martinez’s swing so that he went from utilityman to superstar. He has also been credited with helping CT3, Belli, and Max Muncy (hold it… am I detecting a trend?) In many respects, Chris Taylor, Cody Bellinger, and Max Muncy are the same player, even though one is right-handed. You can’t run a team with those three players as cornerstones. Some people just want to “blame” someone. I don’t care about blame. I care about what is best for the team.
The fact that the Dodgers have performed so well this year, even with Bellinger, Taylor, and Muncy performing so poorly, is a testament to how good this team is. I think I have gotten close to the end of my rope. It may be time for a change, but before we talk about that, let’s think about what the cause might be. MLB is the Great League of Adjustments. Has the league finally caught up to RVS? Is it time to chart a new course?
I think that is fair question. If you blame the hitters, can you blame the hitting coach(es)? The Dodgers have at least three players who are really struggling with the bat. If the coaches can’t help, then do you change the coaches before you change the players? That is the question…
Andrew Friedman Reclaims Another Pitcher
Last night Tyler Anderson pitched 8 shutout innings. He was simply outstanding and is now 5-0 with a 3.30 ERA. While everyone is playing checkers, Andrew Friedman is playing chess. It seems that he does this every year. Last year it was Phil Bickford, Corey Knebel, and Evan Phillips – scrap heap projects who have become very useful pitchers. This year is is Yency Almonte and Tyler Anderson. So far, both have been exceptional. I keep hearing that the Dodgers need another starter, but name the number of starters who have a 5-0 record with a 3.30 (or better) ERA! Yency Almonte is dominant, but Tyler Anderson is very crafty and has learned how to pitch to his strengths with a 70’s Curve, 89 MPH Cutter, and his 91 MPH 4-Seamer.
How many Dodger fans were fans of the Anderson signing. I said that it was probably unnecessary, but he has been a key piece for the Dodgers. Baseball is hard and Andrew Friedman is good at running a baseball organization. Ultimately, it is his decision as t what happens to Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger. Stop blaming Doc! It’s all on the man playing chess, while we are playing checkers!
Questions?
If Miguel Vargas is called up, will Hanser Alberto be the odd-man-out?
I like what I am seeing of Gavin Lux. It seems that those yips have been exorcised!
Hopefully, Walker Buehler can answer some questions tonight.
The Dodgers are #1 in baseball in team ERA, even though the bullpen has been spotty lately because of use. This too shall pass!
Dodger Poke Report – Part 1
This is excellent and I am going to start publishing these:
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 (102)
Disagree, not disagreeable
So like it is said nowadays, Max Muncy AVOIDED the bases loaded SO!!
We better hope Buehler does not need a second TJ because if he does, that is the end of the line (most likely).
His lower velo may be mechanical or a result of trying to be less max effort.
He wasn’t great, but he was OK.
You have said several times that he throws the ball at 94-95 because he has a plan, that if he wanted he could throw 99-100, you have also copied and pasted publications from other sites to endorse that, now you say that it can be something mechanical, Which tells me he’s changing his narrative and accepting that he’s not the 99-100 guy anymore. Let’s just accept that he no longer has the fastball he used to and that he has adapted by throwing a lot of curveballs and sliders.
Of the team’s starting pitchers he has the worst WHIP 1.23 and the highest AVG against .250, he also has the worst IP/H ratio but he has six wins, leading the team.
I don’t think he had a single swing and miss on his fastball all night!
I always liked stats as a kid, but nobody computed OPS back then (at least not in the newspaper).) OPS is, I think, the best measure of a hitter.
Anyway, Mookie’s power surge has moved him into the top ten in MLB in OPS at .963, just behind Bryce Harper. It’s pretty much the usual suspects up there: Trout, Judge, Machado, Jose Ramirez, JD Martinez, Goldschmidt…. Freddie is the next Dodger in 19th position, at .862.
Mookie’s 12 HRs are tied with Trout and Yordan Alvarez, behind Judge’s 17. (Egad…. He hit the humidor out too).
While the Dodgers, as a team, have the major’s best ERA and WHIP, no Dodger pitcher cracks the top ten in those categories. But given the team’s record, it’s not surprising that Buhler is now tied with the ageless Verlander with a 6-1 record, while Anderson matches Musgrove’s 5-0 record.
BTW, Verlander’s been ridiculously good : a 1.22 ERA with a .72 WHIP and a .161 BA against.
If only Kate Upton had insisted they live in LA…
If the Dodgers knew or thought Buehler had arm problems, do you think they would continue to let him pitch?