Sometimes the War is More Important Than the Battle
Of course, I knew that everyone inclined would blame Dave Roberts for the loss last night. Right or wrong – everyone has an opinion of him, just like everyone has or is an… well, never mind! I sat four rows in back of the Dodgers dugout and had hundreds of Dodger faithful in all…
Of course, I knew that everyone inclined would blame Dave Roberts for the loss last night. Right or wrong – everyone has an opinion of him, just like everyone has or is an… well, never mind! I sat four rows in back of the Dodgers dugout and had hundreds of Dodger faithful in all their gear around me. In the first inning, after scoring three runs in the top of the inning, the Catman gave it all back, and the Dodger fans were screaming to take him out. That would have been a dope-fiend move! Tony settled in and shut the Reds down for his next four innings and would have left the game after five innings with the same score except for Max Muncy’s Air Mail throw.
Tony did not have his best control, but he turned it around and pitched well – he pitched out of trouble…. because Dave Roberts left him in and gave him that opportunity. Someone said his velocity was down. NOT TRUE! Nothing more to say. UNTRUE! Fans make shit up! Just like a certain person made shit up about Betts being afraid of Vargas on the field, and when I call them out, they take their ball and go home. Bye! Some of you have an idea of how to manage people or players. Some have no clue… in fact some think management is a SOB! I can’t help you there!
Many fans want to blame this loss on Dave Roberts or Max Muncy because “Well, we have to blame someone.” OK, you can blame Max, but he has gotten better and will continue to get better at 3B. You could have given him both errors, and there would be no argument! However, the throw from Jason Heyward to Muncy would not have been caught by Nolan Arenado… or Brooks Robinson for that matter! I was forty feet away, and it either hit the runner’s foot or hit something and just skidded away. Max had no chance! Max was visibly upset and even jawed with the fans… which is why (it looked to me) Doc took him out and replaced him with CT3. You could see that Max was very frustrated and animated in the dugout. He cares…, and while I acknowledge he is not a great defensive third baseman, by the end of the season, I think you may have a different opinion.
CALEB FERGUSON LOST THE GAME! “But Doc should have never left him in there in the first place!” I call BULLSHIT, and here’s why: Caleb Ferguson has great stuff… and he is soft! I see this as a moment when Caleb Ferguson was not going to be given a Mulligan. This was a learning moment for Caleb. The fact that he choked will be a stepping stone or stumbling block! You don’t learn from success – adversity is the best teacher. Doc left Caleb to fend for himself. He sent Mark Prior out there to “build him up” and then left him to do it himself. In essence, he was saying, “I have confidence in you Caleb – You can do it!” Of course, we know what happened.
When managing people or players, you have to allow them to grow or not. You have to put them in positions where they can succeed or fail. But, when they fail (and fail, they will), you have to determine if they can learn from their failures and turn it around. Caleb Ferguson is soft, and Dave Roberts is trying to turn him into a Bulldog – as Tommy did with Orel. It starts with changing your mindset. Will Caleb learn after last night? That is to be decided, but if he turns it around, it was because Dave Roberts gave up the battle to win the war.
The Bullpen
Remember this: Bullpen Pitchers are fickle! Last night, Craig Kimbrel struck out the side with 12 pitches to get his 9th save for the Phillies… but he still has a 5.09 ERA – he has been horrible and great. Yency Almonte was unhittable last year – this year, it has been a crapshoot! Caleb Ferguson is a “lefty killer,” but unless that is his ceiling (I do not think so), he has to be stretched out of his soft comfort zone, “This is not Mamby Pamby Land, you Jackwagon!”
Caleb Ferguson has two saves this year. He came in with a two-run lead. Don’t tell me he should not pitch to RH Hitters. His problem was confidence and control as he walked or hit four batters. They only got one hit off of Caleb. Caleb will either grow or crash and burn over this. We shall see, but the bullpen needs more pitchers who can step up in pressure situations. It’s a work in progress.
The Bazooka has had two bad outings in a row, but his ERA sits at 2.10 – he is also a work in progress. Building a business and building a bullpen are very similar – you have to put people in positions where they can succeed or fail and then coach them up to succeed. It’s a process. Some pretenders will be weeded out, and others will become bulldogs! As I mentioned yesterday, there are a number of pitchers on the IL who will be back over the next few weeks or months, including Julio Urias, who will allegedly be back over the weekend. Then there are Dustin May and Walker Buehler (August and September… maybe), and Alex Reyes, Daniel Hudson, Ryan Pepiot, Jimmy Nelson, Blake Treinen, and JP Feyereisen.
Adversity is what gives us lessons. Life is like a coin – there will be good and bad times… just like a coin has two sides. Both sides are essential. Good times give you the best memories, some fun, some happiness, and it passes away without teaching anything. But, Adversity in life, though it is frequent, teaches you the lessons of life. If people think about why adversities are made, we can see that adversities are as crucial as success. It’s necessary to enjoy success. It gives us much more and better lessons, often bitter, but it’s sweetest after you get the result.
Bad experiences happen; that’s what makes people experienced and truly human. If you don’t have Adversity in life, it means you probably don’t have lessons.
Talking about humans, we met so many people in our life. It’s not accidental. Everyone we met is for a cause, some give you good things, and it will be a memory forever. But, some give you bad things, bad experiences, which give you life-long lessons. From each and every experience, we learn something! The true essence lies in finding out the lessons and accepting them rather than complaining.
Hard times build you up, bad people make you strong, and enemies make us famous. All those hard times and the hard work you have is sure to give us an opportunity for results. It all depends on your attitude toward the adversities faced in life. Either it can destroy you, or you can use it to drive you to your dreams with those lessons learned from bad times.
All in all – it was a fun game. I enjoy the process of seeing youngsters like Caleb Ferguson grow into something more than they are. To me, that is the coolest part of baseball. If you are just concerned with wins and losses, you are going to be miserable half the time. Misery is a choice, and I do not have time for it in my life! The good news is that I walked 5 miles yesterday with no ill effects on my back. Life is too good to be miserable! If you are miserable… change your thinking, and you will change your life.
Now, I am worried about how the pitcher formerly known as Thor will do today. But, in baseball… just when you think you have it figured out… you don’t! Jonny DeLuca will play today.
By the way, not signing Verlander, deGrom, or Rodon are three of Andrew Friedmans best moves EVER!
Minor League Notes
- Michael Busch was back and had 2 doubles and 3 RBI (he had an unspecified injury)
- Of course, Nate Robertson was called up last night and is on the 40-man.
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10:05 a.m. PT: Tulsa (Nick Nastrini) vs. Arkansas (Juan Mercedes)
4:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Justin Wrobleski) vs. Lake County (Aaron Davenport)
5:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (TBD) at El Paso (Pedro Avila)
7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Gabe Emmett) at Modesto (Shaddon Peavyhouse)
7:10 PM ET
Dodgers (35-26) 2nd place NL West 1.0 GB
Reds (28-33) 3rd place NL Central 5.0 GB
SP Noah Syndergaard R
1-4 6.54 ERA 52,1 IP 35 K
SP B. Williamson L
0-0 4.29 ERA 21.0IP 18 K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
DH J. Martinez R
3B Max Muncy L
LF Chris Taylor R
2B M. Vargas R
CF Jonny DeLuca R
SS Miguel Rojas RL
Clear Day
1% Precipitation
75° Wind 7 mph L-R
DeLuca playing CF and batting 8th.
I vented last night. I still think bringing in Ferguson to pitch the 9th was a mistake, and his prior stats vs RH batters prove it. Now, they may not have hit him at all, but that bleeder through the infield started his problem. He has problems with his control to RH batters. He tends to pull the pitch or miss high to his arm side, and he does that all the time against RH hitters. They have a .313 BA against. The reason I blame Doc is because he has the stats right in front of him, he had two righty’s available in the pen. Miller would have been the smart choice. And sooner or later, they are going to have to see what Robertson brings to the table. Why not bring in the big rookie. He is 24, not like the Reds are a powerhouse team. See what the kid has. They have brought guys up and sent them down without letting them pitch even once, Tayler Scott, give the kid a chance, or bring in the guy with a .111 BA against.
News from Internet:
RIP Iron Shiek:
LOTS of great stuff in this Jay Jaffe chat:
Farhandrew Zaidman: DeGrom is the modern day Dwight Gooden? Absurd peak, unquestionably the best in his day, not a HOF.
Jay Jaffe: He’s closer to the modern-day Koufax, but Johan Santana or Cliff Lee are more apt comparisons. Gooden had a lengthy back end to his career and did reach 194 wins and 2,800 innings. deGrom is 35 and has 84 wins and 1,356 innings, which is closer to Santana and Lee.
Chip: Is Father Time finally catching up to Justin Verlander?
Jay Jaffe: maybe. He’s had three good starts, one so-so one, and two bad ones, one of which was at Coors, but beyond that the velo and strikeout rate are down, xERA is up. Stuff+ sees serious declines in both his fastball and changeup.
I wouldn’t count him out just yet. A few weeks ago I started raking the dirt for a spot to begin the burial proceedings for Scherzer and he’s really gotten it together.
Brian C.: In the event that Judge’s stubbed toe requires the full amputation of his leg, will our insurance policy require that we seek compensation from the Dodgers for their malicious failure to Judge-proof their stadium infrastructure?
Jay Jaffe: it’s been 10 years since Bryce Harper concussed himself by running into the outfield wall in Dodger Stadium. It is more than goddamn time for the Dodgers to make it safer…
ee_rumbah: Favorite rookie pitcher thus far? I didn’t catch the Abbot start but Bobby Miller has the looks of a frontliner.
Jay Jaffe: I can’t claim anything close to a comprehensive view of all the folks people might name but I’ve been very impressed by Bobby Miller and Yennier Cano
Guest: As HOF guru, help me get past two travesties. Pete Rose was one of the greatest players of all time. His gambling came well after he retired as a player. The hypocrisy of MLB now embracing gambling sites should be the tipping point for Rose to get in. On the flip side, I can’t get past the Harold Baines induction. There must be 50 guys more deserving that got left out. How can you help prevent that from happening again?
Jay Jaffe: Rose was found to have gambled as a player. Players have been prohibited from gambling on baseball, with knowledge that the would be banned for life for doing so, since Landis handed down his ban on the Black Sox more than a century ago. Nothing MLB does with regards to getting into bed with gambling companies mitigates that one iota.
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Jay Jaffe: I sometimes poke around with a WAR/200 (innings) as a cross-era comparative device. It’s worth keeping an eye on…
Remember him?
Hyun-il Choi, who missed most of the 2022 season with forearm inflammation, allowed one run on just one hit for Great Lakes today as he tossed 5.0 IP for the first time since September of 2021
Remember him, part deux
Michael Busch played his first game with AAA OKC since May 30th and made an immediate impact. 2 doubles in his first 2 at bats.
Baseball America has updated their top 100 ($$$$) Dodgers have 8 of the top 70.
Open on www.baseballamerica.comhttps://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2023-top-100-prospects/Take a guess at who they are (no cheating!)
Geoff Pontes ($$$$) takes a look at 10 young hitting prospects to get to know.
Open on www.baseballamerica.comhttps://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/ten-young-hitting-prospects-with-good-underlying-data/Chris Newell, of the eye-popping wRC #s gets a mention.
FutureDodgers takes a look at Nick Robertson’s stuff:
Ken Rosenthal has a lovely piece with a few tidbits about the Dodgers, but I’m calling out this about JD Martinez’ return to batting prominence and the role of Van Scoyoc therein ($$$$$)
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“It’s one of those things when you keep looking at something over and over again and you just don’t see it,” Martinez said. “There were things I was kind of clueless to. (Van Scoyoc) was like, ‘no, dude, this is happening because of this.’ I had never thought of it like that. Just having a different set of eyes on it has helped a lot.”
Paul Hembekides notes:
Best ERA+ in MLB history
(min. 200 starts):
Clayton Kershaw (156)
Jacob deGrom (155)
Pedro Martínez (154)
Lefty Grove (148)
Walter Johnson (147)
Ed Walsh (146)
Addie Joss (143)
Roger Clemens (143)
The Athletic’s Prospect Intel ($$$$) mentions several Dodgers:
Open on theathletic.comhttps://theathletic.com/4582858/2023/06/06/mlb-prospects-noelvi-marte-cade-horton-minors/Austin Gauthier, DeLuca and an extended bit on Thayron Liranzo:
This is an interesting kid. He’s only 19, and he wasn’t a big bonus guy when they signed him. He’s 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds and looks durable enough to stay behind the plate.
James Anderson calls out some breakout hitters at Rookie Level in the minors
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@THEREAL_DV
Dave Roberts said Julio Urías is still on track to start on Sunday in Philadelphia. #Dodgers #Phillies
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
#Dodgers will not keep 6 starters when Urías returns. They will have a decision to make this week.
Dodgers right-hander Daniel Hudson began a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday, pitching a perfect inning in the Arizona Complex League. He started against the Mariners and retired all three batters he faced, with one strikeout.
Hudson has been on the injured list since the start of the season, still working his way back from left knee surgery last June. He was also slowed during spring training with right ankle tendinitis developed while rehabbing the knee injury.
He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 18.
It’s unknown how long Hudson will need in the minors before returning, but it’s probably going to be a little while considering how long he’s already been out. Rehab assignments for pitchers can last up to 30 days.
Changing the subject…..I’ve never been one for sitcoms and till about two weeks ago I didn’t know who Danny Masterson was/is. I knew was L.Ron Hubbard was as I had read a couple SiFi stories written by him and also knew wordwise he is the most published writer. But surely not one I’d put as great. To me he fit a clown like personality that failed at making himself so important. Easy to spot him as a phony. His best science fiction has to be the church he started and I may have to read it just to see if it can be looked at as the true threat it turned out to be. Just the script seems so impossible to be taken seriously to have made the mark of success it did. Tom Cruise really is a very good actor. He fits the role perfectly of every part he’s ever taken on screen. That takes intelligence. How could he fall for such nonsense. Maybe he’ll star playing Hubbard some time in the future. Can’t wait. Next up politics. Just kidding!
* Where do they make guys like Elly De La Cruz? 6’5”, 200lbs, switch hitter, hitting clean up with massive power, fast as hell and a shortstop by trade. I coached forever and never saw a kid like that. Ever.
* Again, the latin kids have a big advantage over US kids in pro baseball. Cruz is 21 with 4 years of pro baseball under his belt. While US kids are playing high school and travel ball at 17 and 18, this kid was moving in pro baseball. Didn’t Joe Davis point out that the kid was given up to a baseball development situation from age 6? That would never happen in the good ole USA. Nor should it, IMHO.
* Really, Orel wanted to sell me on Muncy being distracted and concerned about the runner in front of him on his express mail throw to 1st? Ain’t buyin it. Step on the bag.
* Not to say I told you so on Vargas’ improved footwork at 2nd, but did you hear Orel praise the kids work and improvement? I like what he’s doing defensively at 2nd.
* When was Graterol last clean inning?
* Doc on Sunday popped out of the dugout like a jack- in – the box to make a pitching change with 2 outs in the 9th. I needed to see that same eagerness last night with Ferguson walking the planet. I’m not buying he left him in to learn a lesson and gain toughness. What he learned was you can’t walk 3 guys in .1 inning, but I suspect he knew that. But then again, I have no good explanation why Fergie was left in, other than it’s Doc being Doc. He’s been great this year most of the time with situational pitching match ups. Last night wasn’t one of them.
I also think Ferguson needs to get tougher mentally. Smith went out and talked to him after one of the walks. It appeared he wanted to after the walk that loaded the bases and Ferguson waved him off. He seemed to be shook up but wouldn’t accept help to me. He tried to throw harder which usually doesn’t work when you already are having control issues.
We could always inquire about kenley! Cora is running out of trash cans!
As I left the stadium a drunk Reds fan jeered me and said, “Dodgers Suck.”
I said ,”Congratulations, this was your World Series. I am glad to make you happy, but it’s just one game to us. We will not see you in the Playoffs. Have you ever been there?”
162, these things happen. Regular season losses don’t get to me much anymore.,
We have a solid team, will be there at the end, and hopefully peaking by October.
Win today!!!
This whole article of excuses for Doc and Ferguson would be redundant if you understand a comment from Norcaldoger from yesterday: Ferguson is not a closer and the experiment should be halted now.
My question is not who Doc should have brought in for the 9th inning, but rather why anyone should have been brought in. Phillips could have closed out the game.
If you want to teach Ferguson a lesson, let him stay in and take a beating in a game that’s a blowout for one side or the other. Not fair to the rest of the team to put a game on the line and possibly lose it trying to teach one member of that team a lesson.
They could’ve lost it even if he took Ferguson out a couple batters prior. But he sure didn’t put them in the best situation to win it
I personally think Doc is an OK manager, not the best and he sure isn’t perfect
I could be wrong, but from what I’ve read, you seem to defend every single thing he does
Well, after reading Mark’s article I guess I should be happy we lost. Seeing that this experience gives Ferguson a chance to toughen up and grow through adversity.
Come to think of it, this is exactly the teaching Jesus gives to anyone who wants to follow him….you must go through and overcome through your many inevitable trials and tribulations. So it seems to me, with or without knowing, Mark was merely piggybacking off my Lord’s words, words that i live by. Soooooo, I certainly cant find fault with that.
I feel much better now about our loss. Who’s next to grow?
TM
Tough break for the Rangers and deGrom. I would have liked the Dodgers to sign him during last offseason but it appears it was a very wise move by AF and Dodgers managament to stay away from deGrom.
With TJ surgery coming up he will not only miss the rest of this season but very likel the entire 2024 season as well.
Huge blow to the Rangers goal to finally win a WS title.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So far we have been winning on OK pitching and mostly really good hitting. So when pitching is less than ok (or hitting) it is a struggle. Its a long season lets see how pitchers coming back will be. Urias hot and cold so far. CK likewise. OOOPs. I think I have posted what I sometimes don’t like in others–Stating the obvious. Oh Well!!!
As for hitting? Can our crew of 30year olds continue to hit and stay uninjured for the duration? Can Outman and Vargas contribute? Will be fun (or frustrating) to watch
BTW, a Star is Born with Elly De La Cruz and his arrival. He has “IT!”
… and before some of you say, “We should trade for him.” It ain’t happening!
Well, if Roberts really wanted Caleb in a stress situation for him to learn he should have left him in .
But he took him out and brought in Miller . If what you say Mark really was Roberts intention there was no need to take him out with the game still tied.
IMHO Roberts once again showed why he is not a great manager but just okay. Ferguson is no rookie any more , he has proven already to be lethal vs LH hitting but very hittable vs RH hitting. Has nothing to do with him allegedly being soft. He is who he is, a lefty specialist. Four RH hitters were due up last night in the 9th with a chance to get this road trip on a good note , wiping away the two bad losses to the Yanks on the weekend and ending that little losing streak. Miller and Robertson were available but Roberts blew it by putting a pitcher in a situation he is not comfortable with and very likely never will be.
Now the team is on a three game losing streak with Thor going today, 1 game out of the divsion.
If you think Roberts wanted to teach a lesson to Caleb , fine, but horrible timing . IMHO Roberts once again mismanaged a game badly because he put a pitcher in a really bad situation from the get go.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!