Re-Launching LADT
Maybe it’s because I am seventy years old, but for quite some time, this website has been a haven for grumpy old men. Over the past few weeks, I have made a conscious effort to run off all the grumpy old men… as well as all the morons (sorry, Smitty). It cost me some friends…
Maybe it’s because I am seventy years old, but for quite some time, this website has been a haven for grumpy old men. Over the past few weeks, I have made a conscious effort to run off all the grumpy old men… as well as all the morons (sorry, Smitty). It cost me some friends, and some left because of the drama, but I am so glad that the morons who tried to hijack this site are gone. Today is the last I will speak about it. It’s all water under the dam now. I will never speak of this again.
I don’t understand why I am such a Dodger Moron Magnet (DMM), but that stage of my life is over. Truth be told, it was about 10-12 commenters who posted 3-10 times a day. It looks good in your comments bar, but it’s just drivel. They all migrated where I sent them, and they are just peachy there. Good Riddance! Never again! Baseball should be fun, and by golly, it is. This is the official re-launch of LA Dodger Talk. Nuff said!
Last Night’s Game
This team is all about picking the other guy up, and that is exactly what they did last night. The Dodgers struck out 16 times last night, and this team is always going to be a high strikeout type. It really doesn’t make much difference how you make an out – an out is an out, but at least when you strike out, you can’t hit into a double play. That and Dave Roberts has gone to the whip! We are coming down to the final turn and headed for home. This is no longer a Country Club – it is a Fight Club!
Walker Buehler is a work in progress. I can’t predict how he will rebound by October – I guess that’s why they play the games. He went five innings and was OK… not great… but not bad either. There’s plenty of time for him to prove what he has, but the bullpen was outstanding. Daniel Hudson is no longer a workhorse, but if you pitch him sparingly, he is very good. Like Doc said last night:
“Performance will dictate everything.”
–Dave Roberts
Roberts’ message is as straightforward as it is telling: the Dodgers, grappling with a wave of injuries to their starting rotation, are still in the dark about who will take the mound for Game 1 of the postseason. The uncertainty extends beyond that first game, clouding the rest of the rotation as well. Yet, where there’s uncertainty, there’s also opportunity.
Walker Buehler is one player with a golden chance to seize the moment as the season winds down. In a pivotal stretch, Buehler turned in his second consecutive promising start, surrendering just two runs over five solid innings in the Dodgers’ 6-2 victory in extra innings at Angel Stadium. His performance signals more than just another win—it’s a bold reminder that he could be a critical piece of the postseason puzzle.
I am not going to speculate who will make up the postseason rotation, but I am confident that the Dodgers will have at least three or four starters who are playoff-worthy. Don’t worry about it – It will all play out. Speaking of that, Bobby Miller will be auditioning tonight.
Rants & Raves
- It appears that Farhan Zaidi’s star is dimming, yet consider that just a few years ago, some fans said that Farhan was the brains behind Andrew Friedman. Yes, they were dimwits!
- The Dodgers are now #1 in the Power Poll and have the best record in baseball by two games.
- With 23 games left, the Dodgers have to go 16-7 to win 100 games again. That is very likely…
- The White Sox are a haven for ex-Dodgers: Miguel Vargas is flailing at .179, Nick Nastrini is being hit like a BP pitcher with a 7.79 ERA, but Jacob Amaya is hitting .267… albeit in 15 ABs. The White Sox are a disaster!
X-CITES
These guys want it… BAD!
Locked and Loaded!
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Discussion (53)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Thanks Mark for the relaunch! I know it was hard for you to deal with the “morons” because they took away the joy of what you do but they are gone. Now let’s enjoy what could be an amazing season of Dodger baseball!
I was thinking about next year’s OF. We could see Betts in RF, Edman/Outman in CF & Rushing/Pages in LF. Probably time to trade Chris Taylor but there’s room for him on the bench too.
The White Sox are not only a disaster but a total disgrace to Major League Baseball especially being in a major market with a horrendous 31-109 record. Their fans deserve better than that.
“Yamamoto allowed two runs, both in the first inning after a walk and double were cashed in, but also struck out three. The stuff was there for the right-hander, with his 95.4 mph fastball average basically right at his seasonal number, and he got eight swinging strikes in his relatively short time on the mound.
With Yamamoto not yet stretched out, we’ll see what happens next week, whether he rejoins the Dodgers in a limited capacity — think part of a bullpen game — or gets one more rehab start”.
“Brusdar Graterol started his rehab assignment with Oklahoma City and allowed a run on three singles in the fifth inning, with one strikeout. It was his first game in four weeks”.
One announcer mentioned that it looked like Teo just wasn’t picking up the ball when Detmer was pitching. But it looked like they all couldn’t pick it up or just guessing wrong on every pitch. A few centercut fastballs just no swings on.