247 years ago, the first shots of the American Revolution were fired just after daybreak on April 19 in the little town of Lexington, thrusting the farmer-colonists of our yet-to-be-born nation into war.
At every turn since then, when the nation has called for those willing to wear the uniform of our nation in service around the world and here at home, there has been no shortage of people willing to do so. They are people who entered the service knowing full well they might not return.
It is not a day of celebration, nor a holiday to glorify war. Rather, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, a day of honor, and a day of respect. Thank you for your service to those soldiers who did and did not return. Never forget!
Frankie Montas Would be Nice… But I Would not do it!
It is really tempting to make a trade for a pitcher like Frankie Montas, who has made 10 starts for the Oakland A’s. In those 10 starts, he has compiled 66 Strike Outs in 57 IP. He has 15 Walks, and a 0.988 WHIP to go with a 3.28 ERA. Frankie is 29 years old and his only question is durability. He did pitch 187 innings in 2021 but has never accumulated more than 96 innings in his career prior to that. He would look good in the Dodgers’ rotation… no doubt. He’s probably the best pitcher available and it will take a Pirates’ Booty to get him. It would take a couple(at least) of the following pitchers to get him:
Landon Knack, Clayton Beeter, Jordon Leasure, Nick Nastrini, Maddux Bruns, Carlos Duran, Michael Grove, Gavin Stone, Peter Huebeck, Hyun-Il, Choi, Kendall Williams, Nick Robertson, Mark Washington, et al (I probably forgot a couple). I would trade a few of those pitchers, but probably not the one Billy Beane would want. Notice, that I did not include Bobby Miller or Ryan Pepiot – the Dodgers will not be trading either of them.
Of course, not every pitcher listed above will be great or even good, but the more you have in the pipeline, the better the odds are. Growing your own pitching down on the farm is the best way to build a team and the Dodgers pitching pipeline is loaded with excellent prospects who should be traveling the path to Dodger Stadium. We have seen Michael Grove and Ryan Pepiot already this year and a few others are yet possible in 2022.
- The Dodgers have the best record in baseball with a .702 Winning Percentage – that’s on pace to win 114 games, which doesn’t seem likely, but…
- The Dodgers are #1 in Team ERA at 2.67, and WHIP at 1.08;
- The Dodgers are #1 in Starting Pitcher ERA at 2.40; and
- The Dodgers are #3 in Bullpen ERA with about half the bullpen on the IL!
By the way, the Bullpen is #20 in Innings Pitched so they are not overworked. The Starters are averaging 5.7 IP. No other contender has that high of an average. Tyler Anderson, Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, Ryan Pepiot, Mitch White, and Michael Grove have all looked solid to good. Andrew Heaney and Clayton Kershaw should be back next month, with the Ace of the staff being the only question mark with a 6-1 record and a 2.91 ERA. I still believe he has been “tinkering” with something that is affecting it, but time will tell. I would not trade for another starting pitcher. I think the Dodgers have enough, but what does Andrew Friedman think?
Dodgers Minor League Notes
- I heard the rumor last night that Diego Cartaya was about to get the call to Great Lakes.
- Of course, a couple, of days ago, Ben Casparius got that call too. He is a guy to watch!
- OKLAHOMA CITY DODGERS
- Mike Busch was 1-5
- Carson Fulmer went 2 innings, allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1.
- Noda, Wolters, and Lamb all had 2 hits
- TULSA DRILLERS
- Brandon Lewis was 2-2.
- Jordon Leasure went 1 inning, striking out all 3 batters.
- GREAT LAKES LOONS
- Jorbit Vivas was 2-5 with a double.
- Jonny DeLuca hit his 13th HR
- Jose Ramos hit his 2nd HR
- RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES
- Diego Cartaya was 1-4 in what may have been his last game at RC.
Discussion (28)
Disagree, not disagreeable
You just have to be able to close out 7,8and 9 on a crummy team! And you can’t walk a crummy #8 hitter ahead 1-2! Kimbrel just has to be be better
LHP Clayton Kershaw (right SI joint inflammation)
Expected return: Mid-June
Kershaw, who was scratched ahead of his scheduled start against the Phillies on May 13 with inflammation in his pelvic joint, threw just shy of 40 pitches in a bullpen session May 30. Manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw used all of his pitches and could go on a rehab assignment in less than a week.
“He was outstanding,” Roberts said. “He might argue being outstanding, but he used his entire pitch mix and there will be another [bullpen session] here in a couple of days.” — Doug Padilla (Last updated: May 30)
LHP Andrew Heaney (left shoulder discomfort)
Expected return: Mid-to-late June
Heaney threw a two-inning simulated game May 30, pitching against Kevin Pillar, Hanser Alberto and two hitters borrowed from Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Heaney will throw a side session this week and could head out on a rehab assignment June 3 or 4, according to manager Dave Roberts. — Doug Padilla (Last updated: May 30)
Noticed that the “fresh” prospects rankings from Bleacher Reports that Jayne linked to has Gavin Stone moving all the way up to the No. 10 position. Among pitchers that puts in behind only Miller, Pepiot and Knack. A Stone with helium, apparently.
I can’t stand Orel. Just talks too much BS for me. I prefer Nomar and have enjoyed Dontrelle. But everyone is going to have their own favorites. Tough game to watch. Too many missed chances and they had the right guys up in the 9th. Kimbrel’s 3-2 curve was a dumb call in that situation. The walk burned him.
Well that was an enjoyable game to watch and actually highlighted some of the frailties mentioned earlier in this thread, notably Buehler and Kimbrel’s troubles.
Much prefer Orel with Joe
And it’s Flower of Scotland for me….
Is it me or are the Dodgers hitting a lot of solo home runs this year.
Wow. Perspective. Given how slow Mook started.
https://twitter.com/billshaikin/status/1531482563620982784?s=21&t=5OmUkkkqdS6IWbVXnTobzA
It’s just kind of unbelievable with Buehler’s fastball right now. It’s like a magnet is attached to it! A wood magnet
Two months ago I said I was worried about Buehler and that hasn’t changed for me, nothing has happened, nothing to tell me that he’s reversing the trend.
He was a power pitcher now he is not, he would understand if he was 35 years old and many innings accumulated, this soft version of Buehler is slowly catching up with him, he has more hits than innings pitched, fewer strikeouts than innings pitched, his avg in against continues to increase, etc, etc
Urías also started about 2 MPH down but in the last 3 games he is constantly at 94-95 mph where he is good, his trend is upward.
Hey David,
In response to Craig Kimbrel. I looked at the top ten saves leaders and compared stats among these 11 pitchers, there are ties so that’s how we get to 11 on a top ten list. The cutoff is 10 saves.
Here are some bullet points that stand out.
Kimbrell pitched in the least number of games and the least number of innings. 15 games and 14.0 innings.
The number two guy on the list is beast –
Josh Hader. 0.00 ERA 16 saves 14.2 IP 3 H 6 BB 22 K
Kimbrel 4.50 ERA 10 saves 14.0 IP 14 H 5 BB 19 K
Those are the only two players on the list that don’t have a blown save or a loss.
The only sub 2.0 ERA’s on the list are Tyler Rogers and Josh Hader
There’s 2 more out of 11 that have a sub 3.0 ERA
There are only 3 out of 11 that pitched less that 20 games
Out of the 11 games Kimbrel has pitched, he’s given up runs in 5 of them. In 4 of those games, he entered the game with a 3 or 4 run lead.
He’s hasn’t entered a game with a 1 run lead all season.
He’s entered the game with a a 3 run lead or more 13 times.
When I watch him, pretty much every game this year, I see a confident pitcher who’s wild and is getting behind in the count a lot leading to some unnecessary hits, especially the shift hit kind. But, he never looks worried or panicked at all. He always looks the same no matter what. No one has attempted to steal a base off of him this season.
The good, bad and ugly in reverse order…
His ERA is ugly, but if you put it into the context that he doesn’t mind trading a run for an out with a three run lead, I don’t think it’s cause for concern.
The WHIP is bad. At 1.36 it isn’t far off from Liam Hendricks at 1.29, or Edwin Diaz at 1.26. Ideally anything just below 1.0 is elite and that’s where I would like to see it.
The Good. No Blown Saves! If he comes in with a lead, he keeps it in the early going. And that is the most important thing to do a closer.
Baseball Savant says his fastball is down slightly (half a tick) at 95.9 compared to 96.5 last year. Spin is off a little less than 100 RPM 2224 vs 2301.
Same thing with the curve, a tiny bit slower 85.8 vs 86.1 and a little less spin 2513 vs 2558.
Is it the ball, lack of use, or age catching up to him?
My personal opinion is that he doesn’t look sharp, but he’s ultimately getting the job done. I don’t have cause for concern because of that inflated ERA because the 14 inning sample is so small. A little rust and a little bad luck and constantly pitching behind in the count is what it looks like to me.
BandP, ok I might of been trying to get a reaction. But, the Reality is that truth is either true or isn’t. Truth is something that conforms and agrees to reality. Mark said most things expressed on this blog is not truth but but is opinion ( as if someone’s opinion couldn’t also be true, but that’s a different line of logic )
Mark said, he doesn’t like it when someone tells him he is wrong about a belief, but that is what he implied. He said most are opinions and Not absolute truth .
( not truth is equivalent to wrong, not true ) Well it used to be, maybe we just all get to decide what is true and isn’t these days.
Play ball!
Semper Paratus
Padres lost to the Cardinals 6-3.
10:10 PM ET
Pirates (19-27)
Dodgers (33-14)
SP Walker Buehler R
6-1 2.91 ERA 52.2IP 42K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
SS Trea Turner R
C Will Smith R
DH Edwin Rios L
3B J. Turner R
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Kevin Pillar R
2B Gavin Lux L
Clear-day
0% Rain
71° Wind 6 mph Out
No Dodger minor league games today.
Mark, with all due respect. You don’t like people telling you that you are wrong about a certain belief and then you say that most of the beliefs people have that are expressed in this blog are not truth, just opinions. Isn’t that saying most people’s beliefs are wrong, if they are not truth ?
Isn’t that what you don’t like ?
Just asking.
We have a lot of diversity, culture, and opinions on this blog. I have no problem with sharing them. I do not have a problem with different and divergent opinions. What I have a problem with is people telling me what I should believe or that I am wrong about a certain belief. Most of these beliefs are just opinions. Most are not absolute truth.
Could I settle for a butt tattoo?
Bleacher Report updated their Minor League rankings this morning. Guess who they rank #1?
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2956468-fresh-mlb-farm-system-rankings-at-quarter-mark-of-2022-season.amp.html
People say the Dodgers are where they are as a franchise because they have money. Not surprisingly, Tampa is #2 (kind of blows that theory out of the water, don’t it?) AF plays chess while the rest of the league plays checkers. #3 and #4 are coming out of full tank mode. In the case of the Orioles, their tank mode has lasted half a generation.
Best record in baseball. Best minor league system in baseball.
The next time we go into a 4 or 5 game losing streak (and we will, probably several more times this season) and somebody calls for Dave Roberts to be fired… or blasting AF for picking up players “on the cheap”…they should be forced to get an Orioles face tattoo.
I hope everybody has a good Memorial Day. My son’s team was eliminated yesterday from their weekend tournament. So they aren’t playing today. Spent the morning watching Band of Brothers in our hotel room. I’m glad HBO puts on that marathon every year.
Thanks to all of you who served our great country. Have a peaceful Memorial Day.
Those of us who served know only too well that Freedom is not free. It has been paid for in blood. Way too much in my mind. Baseball has been along with music my refuge from the day to day BS. I love my country, family and my Dodgers. I do not consider a season where they do not win it all to be a failure. I know how hard it is to just win your division anymore. True dynasty’s like the old Yankees just do not exist in the way the game is structured today. I wish each and everyone a very peaceful Memorial Day. And to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice, RIP my brothers and sisters, you will never be forgotten.
Why am I not surprised that Bluto has to tell everyone on this site that they doesn’t believe in God? Maybe if you did, you wouldn’t be so negative all the time. Like vegans, they feels the need to tell everyone. Why? What is they possibly seeking by making that statement? How is it relative to baseball?
It sure would be nice for people to stop posting their political views on this site. Let me pre-empt your response about it being religious and not political. It is not, you are being a good comrade by following Marx with your non-religious, state above all else views.
You can always choose to believe what you want and not advertise it. That is also a choice you can make.
All this winning is aggravating. It’s getting harder and harder to be negative, but I’ll try. Besides Buehler’s obvious nosedive, Mookies now in a slump. Freddie won’t hit the ball into the shift. Smith fouls off too many pitches to hit a homer and Anderson can’t always go 8 shutout innings. And I could go on and on but I don’t want to get branded always negative
Id like to get a consistent duo in the broadcast booth. Some of you may like D Train but hes not for me.
I miss Joe and Orel….guess we will get that tonight.
SD is ok but they will fade per the ususal.
I’d like to see some ‘notes’ discussion on Kimbrel. Haven’t seen him pitch, but seems he is like Jansen. doesn’t like clean innings
I first became a Dodger fan in 1959. From ‘59 to ‘66 they were 3-1 in the World Series. Since then they are 3-19 in post season attempts at a Championship. Not sure what that means. A lot of “Curses! Foiled again!”
Have to admit Anderson continues to surprise me. Can he keep it up for 30 starts? My Magic 8 Ball says ….. “are you f’n nuts? 24-0? Not a chance.” My Magic 8 Ball is very opinionated .. and long winded.
The Dodgers defense, which is average in my opinion, and frankly good enough with this offense, is improved with Pillar. But I agree he has to hit.
Rios just needs more at bats to develop plate discipline. It’s ok to walk Ed.
Buehler.
We will eventually play teams that are good. I look forward to it.
Today is my mother’s birthday. She would have been 95.
On this Memorial Day I wish for peace, knowing full well I will never see it in my lifetime. Humans have a very difficult time just getting along.
Enjoy your family time and barbecue’s. I’ll be grilling corn and veggie kabobs. I made peace with God’s critters decades ago.
Glad to see Rios getting his chance. He just needs to improve his pitch recognition and tighten his zone. Learn from Smith and Lux. Because when he makes contact, good things happen! And he did a pretty good job in the field yesterdsy
A shout out to all those who have served, thank you! And a thank you to Mark to start today’s post with such a reminder.
I took a couple of days off to travel to see my wife’s family in Visalia. It was a quick trip and a beautiful drive up the 5 to the central valley. A great BBQ with some great people and a couple more Dodgers wins. A great trip.
I was a little afraid of the fact that Diego would get called up soon and I would miss seeing him next weekend.
Kevin Pillar made his Dodger’s debut yesterday and did no hitting. But, his glove sure does play. He won’t be here for long if the bat doesn’t show up.
I’m glad to see Rios get the runway he’s been waiting so long for now that Muncy is on the IL. Up until now, we have seen flashes what could happen if were able to play on a regular basis. Now, we’ll actually see what will happen. I think this is his big opportunity and I can finally decide if he’s for real.
There wasn’t a whole lot going on in the final day of what seemed to be a very long road trip. I think the trip just seemed longer than most with an East Coast swing and no off days. Just 4 hits yesterday and Lux had one of them. I think Gavin is starting to look more comfortable. He’s hasn’t really gone on a tare, but there’s been some solid moments and mostly great defense from him. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Gavin just yet, there’s much more in there.
At the end of April, Patch and his fellow Giant’s fans would say things like “Why can’t the Giants just be a good team”. I told him that they would be buried by the end of May. With just two more games remaining in MLB’s second month and the Giants are right where they should be. They were in first place in the West at 14-7 when May began. A lofty 7 games above 500 and a half game ahead in the standing. Now, they sit at 25-21 and 7.5 games behind. That’s 11 wins and 14 losses for the month and showing who they really are after a year long aberration. Maybe Farhan will be able to hold his garage sale a year too late.
I guess the elephant in the room is that the Padres are the good team and they will be giving us trouble most of the season. With their best player on the IL all year so far, they’ve had superman streaks by Eric Hosmer who they desperately tried to trade all offseason and Manny Machado. MacKenzie Gore is looking like the Ace his prospect status said he would be and Joe Musgrove is continuing his rebirth in San Diego. Bauer’s best buddy, at least before the incident, is coming along nicely after TJ and Darvish and Manea are pitching good enough to be the Dodgers’ 7th and 8th starters.
Tonight, we’ll begin our homestand with Bueller and his “worrisome” fastball against our favorite whipping boys Pittsburgh Pirates before we start a showdown with the Mets, White Sox, Giants and two against the Angels, aka The team that doesn’t know which city they play in. This might be our toughest stretch of games this season. Time to step up and start playing our best baseball.
Kershaw or Koufax? 3 Rings vs 1. Enough said.
A thank you to all who have served our country here at LADT!
A little history on Ben Casparius from my great State of Connecticut born in Westport Connecticut that Mark has his eye on:
2021 Season: Drafted in the 5th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. ABCA First Team Northeast All-Region. Second Team All-BIG EAST. BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament team. Finished second in UConn single-season history with 127 strikeouts. Led the Huskies and BIG EAST Conference in starts (15), wins (8), innings pitched (91.2) and strikeouts (127). His 127 strikeouts ranked No. 12 in the nation. Threw 8.0 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts vs. Miami (OH) (3/5) to notch first win at UConn. Pitched 5.0 strong with just three hits allowed and eight strikeouts at No. 9 Texas Tech (3/12). Threw 6.2 innings and struck out 11 in victory at Saint Joseph’s (3/19). Fired 7.0 shutout innings with eight strikeouts vs. UMass (4/2). Notched a complete-game shutout with a season-high 15 strikeouts vs. Georgetown (4/9). Struck out 14 in 7.0 innings of work in a victory vs. Bucknell (5/1). Recorded 6.2 innings, walked zero and struck out seven in a win at Villanova (5/15). Picked up the win vs. Seton Hall (5/21) with 6.0 innings of one-run ball and seven strikeouts. Dazzled against Creighton (5/29) with 7.0 shutout innings, just three hits and 13 strikeouts in the BIG EAST Championship.
2020: Had to sit out the 2020 season due to transfer rules.
Transferred from the University of North Carolina after the 2019 season.
MiLB Career Stats 1 2 2.78 14 8 0 35.2IP 53K 1.12Whip