Playoff Roster & Beyond

What Mark has done over the years is remarkable. Building up his readership over the years is no small challenge. Keeping the site ad free and running in tip top shape while managing the drama is something that few understand. Plus providing good content that keeps us all engaged is no easy feat. All while running a business successfully.

I couldn’t do it. I tried at my own site and there wasn’t 5% of the readership as there is here.

He deserves a respite from all this and kudos from us all. I look forward to reading his book. We talked very briefly about it a while back and it will be extremely good, I have little doubt.

Let me just add one thing. There are some real good posters on this page. That is what we will all miss when this site goes away. My time hasn’t allowed me to post much and my work strongly frowns on my engagement with this hobby, which should be a mute point when retirement kicks in next year. I just wanted to say that there are good quality people here with intelligent opinions that could keep a vibrant site going. I hope that happens, but as many already know, the administration of this page is a “bear” (pun slightly intended).

Hoping for another championship and the end of this site on a winning note!

Alex Verdugo wants to be a pitcher.

Joc doing what Joc does in October.

How in the world is Trea Turner not even nominated/finalist for the Hank Aaron award? Led the league in hitting, hits, SB, and was first or second in WAR I believe.

He just gets overlooked. Last year when Tatis was 2020 ALL MLB’s first team shortstop it was a joke. Trea Turner should have been first and Seager 2nd.

I rarely get nervous, but I was watching the game against the Cardinals on Wednesday. I wasn’t even nervous the night I sang the anthem. But that game had me on edge. Now I find myself with a few butterflies down in my stomach before this game starts. I just want the action to begin. Waiting is the hardest part. That is what being a fan means, churning stomachs. Butane looked pretty good his last time out and his record at Oracle is very good. Just add one more win and get off on the right foot.

Los Angeles Dodgers NLDS roster

How Acquired:

•Homegrown (9)

•Free Agent (6)

•Trade (10)

•Waivers (1)

San Francisco Giants NLDS roster

How Acquired:

•Homegrown (8)

•Free Agent (12)

•Trade (5)

•Waivers (1)

Tonight’s Lineup:

HITTERS H-AB RBI HR SB AVG

M. BettsRF 123-466 58 23 10 .264

C. SeagerSS 108-353 57 16 1 .306

T. Turner2B 195-595 77 28 32 .328

J. Turner3B 148-533 87 27 3 .278

W. SmithC 107-414 76 25 3 .258

M. Beaty1B 55-204 40 7 2 .270

C. BellingerCF 52-315 36 10 3 .165

A. PollockLF 114-384 69 21 9 .297

W. BuehlerP 7-69 3 0 0 .101

Love this blog Mark. Please don´t close it.

Go Dodgers!

Like Bear said: “It ain’t over… yet!” Lots of stuff to happen before that.

I am fine with Price on the roster for reasons articulated by Jeff.

I give an awful lot of credit to the job that Mark has done over the years. I suppose I’m a fairly recent reader. I think I found this blog around 2016 or so, right before he shut it down the first time, collaborated with Scott Andes at ladodgerreport.com, and then rebooted it here.

It’s not easy. It takes a lot of time and dedication, and being responsible for creating content is hard. You have to write something even if you don’t feel like it.

I look at other Dodger blogs, and someone above asked about some of the others. I think the formula here works: Mark has “a take” that is often edgy and meant to generate discussion, and the comments are much better than anything else out there, IMO. I think Dodgers Nation does a decent job, and they put out a lot of content on multiple channels – and I kind of like Doug McKain’s YouTube videos. Nosler’s scouting reports are excellent. That only happens once year, and the rest is just recaps of games by the rest of the clowns, and I despise the community on that site – completely toxic. TrueBlue – meh…decent.

I think the quality of the content by the posters here is, far and away, much better than anywhere else by an order of magnitude. I think that’s the important thing. Why do I want to go to a blog that’s just going to give me a recap on the game I already watched? I already know what happened. I want some interesting takes, some insight by people who know the game.

Mark has cultivated that culture. I don’t think I coulda done it.

I hope it continues in some form under someone else if someone is willing to take it on.

One thing we’re missing is stealing a base. We have 6 players capable of stealing a base, TT, AJ, Mookie, Taylor, Lux and CB. Together they are 50/61 an 82% success rate. Maybe take out AJ because of his hernia. Even so that’s still a 80% success rate. Not sure what Posey’s cought stealing rate is bu it can’t be any better than Molina’s rate who failed to throw out Bellinger twice.

Perhaps SF pitching staff is better at holding runners than the Cardinals, I don’t know. Maybe Taylor’s HR was partially due to the pitchers not completely concentrating on the batter and giving some thought to the runner at 2B.

The Price haters will be all over this roster. AF went for the experienced guy. The one thing this team has all over the Giants is playoff tested players. The Giants have fewer. Especially in the bullpen and starting rotation. The bench is thin on that kind of experience also. In a series like this it could make a difference.

I’m sincerely sorry to wake up with this notice from Mark, but anyway, I really appreciate the work and effort you have done all this time, General to all LADT bloggers since I have learned a lot from all of them both about Baseball and the history of my beloved Los Angeles Dodgers team. to you and all the collaborators like DC, Jeff, Bear and people like Tejon, B and P and in

Hey, I just found this blog and now you are ending it….hmmmmm…..bad timing I guess. So where do we move to next to talk Dodgers baseball? Anybody have any suggestions?

Is there a site called DodgersNation? How is that site?

Thanks,

TM

Mark, your work on this great site is so appreciated. I certainly understand it’s a labor of love and it takes a large chunk of your days, But I hope the site can continue. I certainly respect all of the time and effort you’ve put in. You’ve done a a great job for a long time and I really appreciate you and all the posters.

Price on the roster, mcKinstry out. ONly two LH relievers. No Bruihl, nor V-Gone.

Here ist the full list.

Thank you Mark for all you have done to make this blog the VERY BEST. I don’t text very often, some of us don’t, nut doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate you and all the time and time and energy you have given. God bless and keep you safe and happy.

Richard Rodriguez and Chris Martin were left off the Braves NLDS roster. What a roller coaster ride for Rodriguez. From being one of the most sought after relievers in MLB that many wanted (including me), to a pitcher who is left off the playoff roster. He has been inconsistent all year, and had no strikeout pitch (9K’s in 25 innings for the Braves). Was he a benefactor of the sticky stuff???

Just as an aside, arguably the four most accredited ML teams were in the 2021 Wild Card Games. LAD and Boston win, and St. Louis and NYY go home. The reward…we get to experience a LAD and SFG Division Series. This is going to be fun. Does the clock chime midnight for the Cinderella Giants? If the games were played on paper, there would be no contest. But the Giants team on the field plays much better than the team on paper.

Game 1 – Buehler v Webb. This should be a low scoring game. Logan Webb is a Northern California native from Rocklin, Dodgerrick’s back yard. I remember reading about him when he was in high school. He is in the midst of a breakout year. He is someone that many on this site would have given up on if he were a LAD. This year, he has started three games against LAD with 16.0 IP, with a 2.25 ERA and 0.688 WHIP, 17K/4 BB, and 1 CT3 HR. Walker started 6 games against SF with 37.0 IP, 2.19 ERA, 0.973 WHIP, 33K/9 BB, and 2 HR (Duggar and Belt). He had 5 quality starts, allowing 5 runs (3 earned) in those starts. It was his last start on 9-5-21 that was forgettable. But he seems to have put that game behind him. Oracle Park will be packed, and while there will be some LAD fans, it will be rockin’ with rabid Giant fans. It is already a circus atmosphere up here.

Unlike some, I do not fear a Game 5 at Oracle. Bring it on. But I do not think it goes 5. LAD will win it in LA. I also do not fear “then, (gulp) Gonsolin”. Why can’t he be the 2021 version of the 2013 Michael Wacha? He is more than capable. In a playoff Series, just like CT3 in the WC game, maybe Tony Gonsolin or Matt Beaty becomes the hero. It is going to take all 26, and I have confidence in every one of them.

I often wonder the reason why fans of teams become so apprehensive about their team’s chances. I never doubt that the Dodgers will be victorious, in any situation. Sure if they lose, I am not only disappointed, but I have also opened myself up to the infamous “I told you so’s”. I guess it is easier to dish out the “I told you so’s”, than it is to receive them. After the season, there is plenty of time to do a thorough autopsy on the organization, and I am just as sure that countless autopsies will be performed; good and bad. But for me, they will wait until after the season when the Dodgers win their 8th World Series title (7 in LA).

I could sense that Mark was looking to step away from LADT. As he has said, he has done so on a number of occasions, but most of those were out of being pissed off. This time, I think it is more genuinely tied to being tired of the tedium of managing a blog of this size and stature, and still wanting to have a life and complete tasks while still young and healthy enough to do so. As some have said, unless you have tried it, it is challenging to know just how difficult it is to manage a blog that almost always is free to voice diverse opinions. Tensions mount and tempers flare. Mark very rarely has banned commenters on this site, and it angers many. When I was managing the site, I would get several emails asking me to ban so and so. I can’t begin to imagine how many Mark gets. Mark has kept it free of advertising. Go through the blogosphere and tell me how many other sites can say the same thing.

After the season, I will post what LADT has meant to me. I do not want to quit writing, but I do not want the hassles of LADT. I will certainly keep the doors open on possibilities. I am a green eye shade number cruncher with little IT knowledge, and a passion for LAD (and USC and Green Bay). But for now, let’s cheer for LAD and bring home #8.

While I hope the end of LADT does not come soon, I do think that it has been the best forum for Dodger fans to express themselves. Some of the more well known sites like Dodger Digest others just do not seem all that fan friendly. I visit two other sites occasionally. One I have a good relationship with the site administrator. We trade baseball cards now and then and I enjoy his writing and the others who contribute to the site. The other I visit less than when I first joined. Fans just do not post there anymore. But I have thoroughly enjoyed posting here. Even when I am arguing with someone. Contrary to what BandP might think, I am not just history driven. I do know some things about the game. History though is a passion. I enjoy all of the contributors hard work, and since I started writing for the site, I came to realize just how much work it actually is. Finding a subject to post about is probably the hardest part. And I have to believe that what I write will be interesting to the fans who post here. Jeff has enlightened me about a lot of topics in baseball I never thought about much. Harold has done the same. Meeting a fan who is so far away like Watford is eye opening in a lot of ways. I usually do not think there could be many fans as far away as England and Europe except maybe military people stationed there. But it is great to know there are Dodger fans everywhere. I remember when Craig Shipley was signed. He came from Australia and was the first pro from there. He only played parts of 2 seasons for LA, but he played 9 more years after he left. He had a decent .271 career BA but never was a regular for any team he played for. Baseball is a great game. It is also one of the harder sports to master. To be a star, you have to excel at so many things. And you have to be one of the best ballplayers in the world to make it to the big stage. Staying there is even harder.

Hey Mark, I probably like the community here a lot more than it likes me. If you want to slowly phase your way out instead of just shutting the door, I would be willing to maintain the site by doing the IT Administration part of it.

Just a thought, let me know. Cheers!

I’m not so sure why people are quick to dismiss Victor Gonzalez. He’s been just about the same as Bruihl this year. More walks, but also more K’s and the same ERA. He didn’t give up a run in his last 8 games in AAA and in those last 8 games he had 9 K’s against 4 hits and no walks. This tells me that he’s ready to contribute.

No one expected that McKinney, McKinstry and Souza Jr. would be on the Wild Card roster. V-Gone makes a hell of a lot more sense than those guys considering the Giant’s lefty hitters, Yaz, Belt, Crawford, Wade, Duggar, LaStella account for almost half their roster.

Thank you Mark for giving us dodger faithful a place to come together.

I wish you well in all your endeavors and in life.

I hope the site will be able to continue in some form

Again thank you for all your effort it’s been a joy

Thank you Mark – really appreciate you and this site. Excited for what the next chapter brings.

Go Blue !

NLDS rosters should be out sometime early this afternoon. I also think they keep at least 2 lefty’s in the pen. But Gonzalez is not going to be one of them. Bruihl and Vesia will. Position players are easy. Beaty, Bellinger, Seager, the Turner boys, Pujols, Barnes, Smith, Taylor, Pollock, Betts. Lux. If they carry 13 pitchers, likely, then there will be room on the bench for just one more. Take your pick, McKinney, McKinstry, Souza or Raley. McKinney or McKinstry can at least play other positions. Starters, Max, Butane, Julio and Gonsolin who can also double as a long reliever. Graterol, Jansen, Knebel, Treinen, Kelly, Bruihl, Vesia, Bickford, Kelly in the pen and either one more pitcher, or position player.