Playoff Roster & Beyond
In case you have been living under a rock or in some other unfortunate situation, you probably know that the Los Angeles Dodgers are never going to tell what is going on behind the scenes. They say that Clayton Kershaw does not need Tommy John Surgery, which is most likely…
In case you have been living under a rock or in some other unfortunate situation, you probably know that the Los Angeles Dodgers are never going to tell what is going on behind the scenes. They say that Clayton Kershaw does not need Tommy John Surgery, which is most likely untrue. They say that Max Muncy “may” be back. Yeah, and I might be Martha Stewart. The Dodgers under Andrew Friedman will never give you the straight news. What’s the deal with David Price? We have no idea, but there is “something.”
The point is: How can you predict a playoff roster when the Dodgers withhold all kinds of information from us? Something is wrong with David Price… what is it? What about Victor Gonzalez? Is there something bothering him? Muncy? Kershaw? We already know. For the record, I would do exactly what Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts are doing. I would not tell anyone “jack.”
That said, some things are pretty clear, so I will make a stab at the NLDS Roster:
- Scherzer
- Buehler
- Urias
- Gonsolin
- Bickford
- Graterol
- Kelly
- Treinen
- Vesia
- White
- Knebel
- Jansen
- Smith
- Barnes
- Beaty
- Pujols
- T-Turner
- J-Turner
- Seager
- Pollock
- Taylor
- Bellinger
- Betts
- Lux
- McKinney
- The last spot boils down to Souza, Jr. and McKinstry, depending upon whether you want a LH or RH or a utilityman.
Of course, many of you predictably wanted to get rid of Cody Bellinger, but he will start every game of this series.. His defense is especially important in San Francisco. It’s clear to me that Cody had a big hand in Wednesday’s Wild Cardinal Victory. Cody’s head is in the right place, and he said this about the playoffs:
“I think at this point, it’s time to forget the season and just move on to the postseason, and try to help this team win in any way you can, offense, defense, baserunning. There’s a lot more aspects to the game. I feel good and I’m feeling healthy. Any way I can impact the game, I’m trying to impact it.”
Doc summed it all up: “My thing is that he’s going to be better going forward as a ballplayer and as a person going through this adversity this year. He’s getting to the other side, and the at-bats that he took [Wednesday], take the walk, base hit, a couple stolen bases, that’s what we need from him, to be that dynamic player, not that one-dimensional home run hitter. He’s embraced that, and he helped us win a ballgame.”
I think it will be hilarious if Cody Bellinger is the NLDS MVP! Belli Bashers, be ready to eat a heaping helping of crow!
What’s Next ?
If you have read this blog for any time at all you know that I am a busy person. I am 68 years old, in very good health, and we run a very fast-growing water treatment business. We are one of the leaders in our industry and I love what I do. I love building and growing things… and most importantly, I love helping people improve their lives (and sometimes we even save their lives) by fixing their water. I do not know “exactly” when I started LAdodgerTalk.com, but it was around 20 years ago.
You also know that I have tried to quit this gig a few times… so many times, that people think I won’t, but let me assure you that it is going to happen. This blog has been both a blessing and a malediction. It is fun and I love it. It is a burden and I hate it. I think I am done, but I can do it in my sleep, so I will not be REALLY done until after the Dodgers win the World Series. It is going to happen sometime before 2022. There is no hard schedule, but I have a book to finish, six granddaughters to help raise, a company to run, and life to enjoy.
I love the Dodgers. I used to go to Spring Training every year… for a week or two. I haven’t been in five years! I was the first blogger to sit in the press box at Dodger Stadium. Since Andrew Friedman was hired, they have never let me come back. That’s their prerogative. I may not like what they do at times, but I respect it. I am a dangerous guy. It is best that AF keep me away from Dodger brass and players. I do not play well with others. I get it… and I am fine with that.
I am not happy with making “journalist-type money.” Yes, I have a problem with lots of journalists. They are small-minded little morons. At least most of the ones I know are. Remember, I do not play well with others.. so there is that! Take it with a grain of salt.
I am living a dream, but I have also lived a nightmare. I survived and I need to let other people know that they can survive tragedies as well. The Dodgers are Sports. Water is life. My book is also life! I did LA Dodger Talk because I wanted to. Nobody made me. It is/was a lot of work, but I liked it. Now it is time to move on. No big deal. It’s life… move on, there is nothing to see here folks.
I have made a lot of friends here. I have seen my share of idiots as well. I would like to say that they are more prevalent now, but that may not be true. Maybe I am jaded! At any rate, sometime in the future, things will change here. I will keep you posted and make sure that I do not leave you without resources. This is just a “heads up” and there will be more info after the World Series Parade.
I’m Working on a Dream
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Discussion (115)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Well I sure hope this isn’t the Betts we get for 11 more years
Dodger right handed hitters are pulling off that slider and change up of Webb’s. If they don’t try to go the other way and stay in there a little longer he’ll pitch a complete game shutout
I was definitely worried about this all or nothing approach
Bellinger back to being Bellinger tonight
The difference of the game, until now, the discipline of the SF batters and the indiscipline of the batters of the Dodgers, they did not chase anything from Buehler and the dodgers looked like children, very innocent, lousy AB swinging everything, chasing everything, making Webb’s job too easy.
Thanks Mark for your efforts in maintaining the website. Your comments were always entertaining, even the rare ones that I disagreed with. Your dedication and knowledge are appreciated.
Hopefully, we can keep the website continuing in some capacity.
We better win three in a row—facing Webb again in SF doesn’t look promising
Damn Giants keep playing like they don’t accept that the Dodgers are the superior team. VERY SNEAKY the way they use their underdog status. Hats off to Webb and Kapler for putting on a pitching CLINIC.
It is not fair to extrapolate from one game, but the Giants looked better prepared, and they executed better. The Dodgers scarcely threatened to score. Webb dominated, and outpitched Buehler. And the more worrisome thing is that after two playoff games, we have scored three runs, on a home run, and then walk and home run. All the players who struggle, to put it mildly, in the playoffs, are doing it again. And the absence of Muncy removes a major home run threat. Once we get past the first five in the order, we are looking at four outs in a row, and it is very hard to win like that unless you have greet pitching.
We don’t look like a team to inspire confidence that we will win this series. We need the next three starters to pitch superbly, and someone, Betts, or Seager, to carry us. I see no reason to expect that we will put together any rallies, we need someone to hit a three-run home run. And next year, we need a lineup which can score two.or three runs in an inning without a home run. Kapler is not going away, and he is an excellent manager, he has gotten his team to play smart and resourceful baseball,and they expect to win. Our work is cut out for us, not only in this series, but next season as well.
Doc said Cody at 1st tomorrow. CT3 in CF. He didn’t mention LF
Doc very unhappy with the quality of AB’s at the bottom of the order and mentioned the top of the order too. I think he was talking about Trea.
If the offense keeps this up (or is it down?), we’ll certainly have a lot to talk about in the off season. Largely, about how the Giants with inferior talent are beating the Dodgers at their own game.
Two temperature gauges for measuring the Dodgers success thru the Friedman era: are we getting strong starting pitching thru 6 innings and are we consistently hitting HRs. Pitching has been there all year and the cherry on top is the bullpen work. However, the HRs have not been consistent. Meanwhile, Giants who lifted the blueprint are getting both. We’ll have a game with multiple HRs, but can we get three games with multiple HRs? Otherwise, we’ll need one or two shut out performances and none of our SPs seem in that great a groove. At least we know they’ll fight and claw, although, I really thought we’d win game 1 handily. Disappointing for sure.
Just another example of what nothing looks like. Maybe all will show up today.
Farhan has put together a team that doesn’t make mistakes. Have to give them their due.