- RVS gets all the glory… (10 runs a game average) at least until tomorrow.
- The Dodgers are undefeated! Print the tickets!
- If you listened to the Andrew Friedman interview, you should never say the Dodgers want to be an “all or nothing” team.
- Why no MRI on Kershaw? Because you don’t want to know… “La, La, La, La, La, La, La” <fingers in ears>
- DJ Peters has added bulk and is noticeably bigger and stronger. The fact that he blasted two home runs does not go unnoticed. Can he cut down on his strikeouts… that’s the question!
- Edwin Rios has not showed out with the bat (yet) and I think his swing is a little slow, but he looks like he might be able to handle 3B. It’s early…
- Dennis Santana is the Dodgers’ Future Closer! What filthy stuff! They will probably keep him on a starters routine, but he’s a bullpen guy!
- I remain convinced that Russ Martin will be the Comeback Player of the Year and have a very good season. Wouldn’t it be something if he made the All-Star team? Before you gag… I said the same about Matt Kemp.
- Gonsolin and Ruiz are both very good athletes. Exceptional, actually! Ruiz may be up later this year… the same with Gonsolin.
- I wonder if Omar Estevez is a Robert Van Socyoc disciple? That HR was textbook “launch angle and stay in the zone.“
- Mitch White and Dustin May looked very healthy… and ready to rumble.
- If you believe that “Andrew Friedman just is cheap and won’t go over the Luxury Tax Threshold”, then you have something in common with a bag of hammers. Just WOW!
- I am headed to LA for the rest of the week (not baseball related) but should be in touch with the internet. Rancho Cucamonga on Monday, Temecula on Tuesday, Valencia on Wednesday and Buena Park on Thursday. I’m sure there will be come food and fun as we visit our vendors. My VP of Sales and Marketing and my son are my roadies.
- Man… I am missing the NFL Scouting Combine in Indy this week!
- Finally, while I do not think it will happen, I would not be surprised to see Farhan Zaidi sign Byrce Harper.
Rant Rave Monday
RVS gets all the glory (10 runs a game average) at least until tomorrow. The Dodgers are undefeated! Print the tickets! If you listened to the Andrew Friedman interview, you should never say the Dodgers want to be an all or nothing team. Why no MRI on Kershaw? Because you don t want to know La, La, La, La, La, La, La fingers in ears> DJ Peters has added bulk and
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Discussion (70)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Affairs. Hamchuck does not engage in affairs outside his marriage unless the Mrs. gives her consent 🙂
that’s a joke. Anyway, considering how AF has about signing FA’s the past couple years, we should not expect to see our beloved Harper (another pun) in LF this year. 🙂
“Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted.” – Fred Allen
I don’t know Bryce Harper well but we hung out and played video games in Las Vegas before the start of free agency. I feel the same way now as I did then. He wants to play for the Dodgers. It’s now up to the Dodgers to make the numbers work.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) February 26, 2019
Subtracting Kershaw will not be a problem for the Dodgers. Buehler, Ryu, & Hill, move up a notch. Ferguson, Urias, Stripling & Maeda will plug in to the other 2 slots while Kershaw sorts out his problems. Another possibility would be going after one of the existing free agent pitchers, but I don’t think they want to go that way. They seem to want to promote from their home-grown ranks. I’ve no problem with that as long as they don’t procrastinate getting someone else ready to step in. Too much attention is paid to Kershaw as the savior of this team. He has never been the savior in spite of the hype surrounding him. Good pitcher who has choked in the post season. That’s just the way it is.
Kershaw still hurting after Mondays session. Roberts starting to sound concerned. Hmmm..
Roger, That shoulder may be dead. It isn’t coming back on its own and 2 of those 3 years of $93m might go down the drain. I have serious back issues and I think it created his shoulder problem by compensating. One piece goes and it takes down another.
59
You were the first one I thought about, when I saw the news about the Dodgers and Harper.
Because I know you were holding back hard, until Harper signed with another team.
Everyone here knows how I stress hitting when runners are in scoring position, and the last 4 years of Harper’s 7 year career, he has been excellent in these situations,when it comes to average and OPS.
Yep, I gave up home with all the Phillies rumors and I’m glad we have out foot wedged between the door and the stop. I still think he’s an a$$ for waiting this long. And I still hate how he smears eye black all over his face. But, his bat is golden and would look real good in our lineup.
59 I love the eye black. Looks like and smells like Victory!
Booked my weekend trip to Camelback Ranch to see the game on the 16th. Staying in Chandler for 2 nights because the hotel prices are crazy. Game prices are crazy. Outfield seats at $40 a pop. Going to eat a Don and Charlies before they tear it down. Can’t wait! It’s gonna be a great weekend!
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It will be a cherry on top if Bryce is in LF. Call me crazy, but I would much rather see Bryce Harper in LF than Verdugo.
–
Could it be that Harper didn’t like the ideal of playing for the Giants or the Phillies and he told Boras to get the Dodgers back in the loop?
Harper lives in Vegas and he wants to play in California.
I’ve refrained from posting on Harper as I never thought that it would go on this long, but my sister is a friend of his wife and has said many times that his wife’s family are all life long Dodger fans.
59 that sounds about right to me.
Just like Strasberg did with the Nats and Boras.
Kersh played catch today. Afterwards he said he didn’t feel great. His throwing program is back on hold
And still no MRI planned.
We need to keep the competitive edge, and do it privately.
I WANT BRYCE HARPER
I know it is ST. However, we are hitting. The pitchers are usually ahead early in ST. Our pitchers are also doing very well. I just have to believe our farm system is very very good.
I am not a Harper fan. I do not know if we even need him. I would rather have Verdugo, Pollock, and Bellinger in the outfield. Maybe they are just driving the price up. I cannot see him going to SF.
I’m not sure how this line makes sense:
`
Finally, while I do not think it will happen, I would not be surprised to see Farhan Zaidi sign Byrce Harper.
It is what I said:
1. I don’t think it will happen;
2. But if it does, I’m not surprised.
That’s all there is to it.
Both do not have to be mutually exclusive.
I guess I thought they were mutually exclusive, but this is getting into philosophy and cognitive science.
`
We should be so lucky to have this as a disagreement.
`
All is good!
🙂
Mark, I really like Martin but to compare the renaissance of kemp with him is not realistic. It was not a huge surprise what kemp did last year. The guy is a major league hitter and has been most of his career. He loved the idea of being a dodger so he was even more motivated. Martin may love the idea of being a dodger as well. However, Martin even at his best , is not in the same class of a hitter as kemp. I’m more surprised that kemp wouldn’t keep his weight off to stay a dodger. I am pulling for Martin as he is a junkyard dog but if he can justly healthy, play above average d, and hit 250 he will help. I know you are not comparing Martin and kemp you are just saying Martin can be an all star like kemp. I’m just saying while unlikely kemp has the tools to be an all star Martin does not. Martin has been so bad he has to be better. If we make it to the playoffs Martin could play over his head for a dozen games. Comeback player of the year would be a phenomenal accomplishment we can only hope for. Who looked best white, Santana, Gonsolin, May? What makes you think AF will go over the luxury tax? Do you think kershaw is headed to the injury list?
Still totally against getting Harper. If you guys thought Puig was a distraction, wait until the Harper circus comes to town. It’s been well know that his own teammates from the Nats didn’t even like him. Roberts, Turner, Kershaw, Hill, Utley the last few years started a culture where everybody was accountable and all in. Harper don’t fly that way. This guy could be toxic to the clubhouse culture down the road. Plus, we don’t even really need him, he will not get us over the hump. Save your cash and get Kuechel or some other starter as a backup plan to Kershaw. The dude reminds me of Barry Bonds 2.0.
You mean the best player in baseball history? I’ll take it
No kidding! As much as I hate the Giants, I feel that I was fortunate to watch Bonds play. He was walked with the bases loaded, that’s a mic drop right there!
People always confuse personality with talent. Bonds had no personality, but had talent.
Bobo, no cult!!! Just a work stoppage in the future where no one wins and we bring up our AAAA &AAA to play ball…
Darn, it’s good to see J.T. going off early…
I was at Camelback last year when he went down…My wife asked me “is he going to be ok” ?? After he down on a knee the second time, I said ” nope he’s going on the DL till God knows when”…
Now I just want to see the Seager back at SS…
When does this Manny/Harper shitola end… The only person smiling is Mike over in Anaheim.. No one player is worth 300M…
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/relievers-have-broken-baseball-we-have-a-plan-to-fix-it/?yptr=yahoo
If AF gives 40M to get Harper then all of us in the AF congregation, need to realize, WE ARE IN A CULT!
Bobo
I forgot to warn you about the obvious, just don’t drink the Kool Aid, like they did in Guyana.
As was stated so aptly a couple days ago, a player is worth what someone is willing to pay for them. He isn’t worth 40 million a year to me ( ha ha, so obviously ) and I can’t believe in my wildest dreams that he is worth that to the Dodger brass and AF.
On another note.
MJ. are you and Hanchuck having some sort of affair, seems like you guys have something special going on.
Bobo
Not at all, I think that is a better question for Bum.
But I am with you, I don’t know what to think about this Harper deal.
I tried to think what Corey would be worth if he continues to play like he has, before he was hurt.
And I don’t even think Corey would be worth that much.
And I think he is going to be a better player, and a more consistent player, if he can stay healthy.
I guess the Dodgers ask themselves how much does Harper not only increase their chances of winning a World Series, but also how much revenue does he generate from marketing, attendance, etc. Do you they cross 4,000,000 in ticket sales this year if they sign him? I don’t think he makes that much of a difference on ticket sales, but you can bet a whole lot of Harper jersey’s and t-shirts would get sold.
totally agree Hawk. Harper won’t put too many more butts in the seats, because we already lead the league in attendance! But marketing, more national/prime games, more people watching on tv (not in LA obviously), and more fans watching us when we take our show on the road.
Plus the cost acquire him will eventually be offset by trading away current pieces on the roster.
Bobby
Harper is going to make more in LA from promotions, and that is why we should offer him a little less a year, and tell him that.
And the obvious that he will be on a winning team, and less then a half hour by plane, from his real home.
Hawkeye
It isn’t that I am not open to Harper, I just think he is not worth 40 million a year.
We should offer him a lower amount, and tell him he will make a lot more from being in LA from all the promotions he will get, instead of the other way around.
Doesn’t that make more sense?
Big mistake, MJ. Harper is worth what the market will pay. This is a simple equation so put it to rest. Harper would make a ton in L.A. on the endorsement side, but what he will add to the team is a consistent bat, that means rbi’s and getting on base. This is a win-win for both sides. There is no downside to this deal. If the Dodgers want him, they’ll get him. The real question is ‘do they really want him?’ You won’t get that answer out of Roberts. He does not speak for ownership.
My ex is still mad at me even though she got to keep the dog.
Jeff
See toward the bottom of this thread, what I say about Harper.
You know I am a big proponent of hitters, that are able to hit when runners are in scoring position.
Adding Harper now feels like what the Lakers have with James and the Lakers are a mess.
On another note Boston Patriots now have TailGate to go along with SpyGate and InflateGate.
I think the Patriot’s owner has finally taken the bait, and that is called InflateBate, instead of just bate.
Except James is at the end of his career and Harper is at the beginning.
Except the Lakers sucked before LeBron and the Dodgers do not suck before Harper.
Except the Lakers are still better this year with LeBron, even with his injury, than they were last year without him.
Except the Lakers are really missing Ball.
Except the Lakers aren’t a mess at all when they’re healthy.
Except comparing a basketball player who touches the ball on just about every play can’t be compared to a baseball player.
Harper wants to be a Dodger and the Dodgers don’t want to pay him. The Phillies want to pay him but he doesn’t want to be a Phillie. It makes more sense when it comes to the luxury tax penalties to pay him a longer deal than giving him $40 million a year on a shorter deal.
True! I would give him a 5 or 6 year at 40 mil, wdyt
I’d offer that. New CBA after 2021 may change everyone’s calculations.
Luxury tax should be less of a concern next year as significant money drops off the books (think Homer Bailey, Rich Hill, Ryu etc)
On the other hand, we have some young studs that will need to be paid in a few years.
Hawkeye
Do you really think Harper is worth 40 milllion a year?
That seems like way to much.
No but if they want him to take a
Shorter deal then they overpay more.
I suspect that if the Dodgers are really serious about Harper, that they have already figured out all the trade scenarios. AF, I am sure doesn’t do anything in a vacuum. Any deal, if there is any, will involve serious forethought.
Mark my office is up the road from Temecula in Menifee right next to the Texas Roadhouse, which has some of the finest ribs, etc in the area. I’,m sure you’re going to be busy, but if you have the time, I would be glad to treat you to dinner or lunch.
It is so fun to watch the prospects play in Spring Training. It’s like watching the spring flowers come into bloom. DJ Peters is exciting to watch, strikeouts not withstanding. Mark Beatty looks improved from his two injury plagued years. KBear, oh the possibilities. Our young pitchers all look like future Cy Young winners. The dreams and the excitement lives on!
Don’t know what to make of the Bryce Harper meeting. I’m hoping it’s just a tease to drive up the price for the Giants! If the Dodgers sign him, trades would have to be made as it creates several out of position logjams. Not sure how they would unravel all of that.
Think this is all a smoke screen to drive up price, but …. stranger things have happened.
Trades would happen. Suspect Bums might become a Chisox fan 😉
It’s not a bad problem to have. This would be the cherry on the cake, at least for 1 or 2 seasons. Short term deal.
Or Hamchuck might be a White Sox fan.
Trying to make it more obvious is not making it less obvious.
We all took contrast and comparison in school, so it is not hard to read.
Like I said before, let it go!
Take your own advise.
Did you slip and speak for Hamchuck again?
Hamchuck No White Sox Fan. What you say!!!!
I have nothing to say on this Harper rumor. The Dodgers are not going to sign him. IF Kershaw is hurt, which it looks like he might be, they need a pitcher.
Is Harper falling into the Dodgers lap or are the Dodgers interested in signing Harper so they can free up talent that would be included in a trade for Kershaw’s replacement?
A Harper signing makes Verdugo and likely Joc instant trade bait. We could really replenish our farm by trading those 2 or we trade our surplus of depth for an impact player . Either way, Harper would give us tons of options.
Harper and W.C. Fields apparently do not like Philadelphia.
So it’s long been a great story that on his tombstone, W.C. Fields has written some variation of the joke:
“On the whole, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.”
Like:
“All things considered, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.”
or
“Better here than in Philadelphia.”
The actual line in question is:
“Here lies W. C. Fields. I would rather be living in Philadelphia.”
However, that is not Fields’ ACTUAL epitaph, as many people believe, but a joke he made over two decades before he actually passed away. In a 1925 article in Vanity Fair, Fields made a joke about what he would like his epitaph to be, and that’s what he came up with, once again a joke about Philadelphia.
Field’s ACTUAL epitaph is the quite simple “W. C. Fields 1880 – 1946”
Mark, I live in Valencia. If you guys have some free time I’d love to grab a drink with you. (I also love free food so perhaps I”ll tag along and meet your vendor?)
Keep me in the loop!
I too am looking at Peters and getting really excited for his future…
M.T., The Man, the Myth, the Legend of Dodger blogs… Would I dispute Rickey Martins 2019 meteroric rise ?? Not here.. Simply stated M.T., you’re the Criswell Predicts of all that is Dodger baseball…
Oh and of course your affinity for the men who don the tools of ignorance..
ESPN and MLBTR is reporting that Roberts plus Dodgers brass are meeting with Harper in Vegas.
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Nice problem to have – Gonsolin, White and May all looked the part. Each looked better than the previous pitcher. Gonsolin looked impressive escaping a couple of bloop hits. May looked dominant. White looked very poised and polished. I can see why the Dodgers would trade any of them. Was Santana using a whiffle ball?
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Back to back to back jacks off a dude throwing batting practice. Estevez looked stronger than I expected.
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Ruiz is very athletic. What a play on that ball that skipped away from his glove.
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I’m trying not to get too excited, but this team is loaded with talent.
–
Bryce is gonna have to decide if he wants to be rich and win a ring, or be richer and get booed by his home fans. Dodger or Phillies, seems like a no brainer to me.
Dave Roberts and others were in Vegas last night:
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26075139/dodgers-re-enter-bryce-harper-sweepstakes-interested-short-term-deal
Were they placing bets and won a jackpot? Trades would no doubt follow such a signing.
Only watched a few innings yesterday, and none the day before. Saw a number of things that impressed me, but I’m not going to go overboard after some very early ST games.
Regarding DJ Peters, I didn’t notice if he added any bulk, size or strength, and for now I don!t care. The previous DJ Peters I saw had humongous power, and it doesn’t matter to me if he hits a HR 475 ft. or 575 ft. They both count the same. However, I did mention in a post at the end of the previous thread that I was concerned with what I saw in his last AB after hitting the two HRs. Instead of trying to just make contact he went up to the plate trying to murder the ball, and struck out swinging wildly at three pitches. As I noted then, it is not necessary for a man with his size and strength to swing so hard and wildly. All he has to do is make consistent contact, and plenty of balls will just naturally fly over the walls.
I’ve been interested in Peters ever since I watched him go back on a fly ball in a 2017 spring training game. I lost some enthusiasm when it looked like his throws curved. I will be watching his defense closely. He could have a big spring. Dodgers still need a big righty bat.
I have already been on record that Harper could be a Giant. It looks like he is finalizing a contract with the Phillies as soon as today though.
From https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/news/dodgers-have-advanced-offseason-workouts: Among the players that worked out regularly Van Scoyoc during the off season were Taylor, Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Austin Barnes, Enrique Hernandez and Cody Bellinger.
I watched an interview with Brant Brown about the guys working out with him and RVS and the list is a lot longer. It seemed like almost everyone was working with one or the other.
Very nice report. Very nice. thank you sir.
1. D.J. Peters is a Monster. I hope and pray the Dodgers put this guy in LF and don’t let him languish for years in the minor leagues. Bring him up. We want to see. I love this kid and he is a grinder.
2. I agree Rios will be over powered by Major League pitchers because of his slow bat. Just doesn’t have it. Trade Bait ASAP.
3. Ruiz is going to be GREATTTT as Tony the Tiger would say. Pure Hitter. Don’t you agree????? Or the Geico Camel. Hey Mike, Mike Mike Mike. You agree????
4. White and May. Bring the up if the guys in the Dugout can’t handle it give the ball. I am so tired of seeing old retreads get signed just to watch 4. 78 ERA’s go to the mound because they have “EXPERIANCE”