SponsorUS Water Systems
LA Dodger Talk

The Art of War

Last night, the Dodgers did not pull out all the stops to try to win the World Series in New York. After winning three World Series games in a row, the Dodgers elected not to use any of their high-leverage pitchers in a bullpen game. Instead, they elected to use Casparius…

By Mark Timmons1 min readJump to 78 comments

Last night, the Dodgers did not pull out all the stops to try to win the World Series in New York. After winning three World Series games in a row, the Dodgers elected not to use any of their high-leverage pitchers in a bullpen game. Instead, they elected to use Casparius, Hudson, Knack, and Honeywell. Casparius and Knack fairly acquitted themselves, but Hudson and Knack were a disaster! I’m OK with that.

The book “The Arty of War” by Sun Tzu has as it’s central metaphor, “water.” Sun Zzu wrote this:

A military force has no constant formation, water has no constant shape. The ability to gain victory by changing and adapting according to the opponent is called genius.”

— Sun Tzu

Oliver Goldsmith wrote this:

“He who fights and runs away
May live to fight another day;
But he who is battle slain
Can never rise to fight again.”

Tomorrow, they have Jack Flaherty going against Gerrit Cole and they also have the following pitchers available for 1-2 innings of work:

  • Banda
  • Brasier
  • Graterol
  • Kopech
  • Treinen
  • Vesia

Flaherty needs to just air it out for however long he can and then turn it over to a rested bullpen of high-leverage closers. It would be nice to close it out in LA, but why wait? Do it now! Last night, was calculated by the Dodger Brass. Their high leverage relievers are rested and ready. That is the plan… now they have to execute!

Discussion (78)

Disagree, not disagreeable

Be civil — moderation is real. Links may need a moment of review.

  1. DanoOctober 31, 2024

    To the whole Dodger family.

    Well done.

    Brilliant.

    Book em

  2. QuasimodoOctober 31, 2024

    That Yankee fan that pinned Mookie’s hand and pried the ball from his glove pretty much represents the typical Yankee fan so it is a beautiful thing ending it in yew nork. There is a baseball GOD after all. Yanks. who is YOUR daddy………….

  3. DanoOctober 31, 2024

    Well done lads. Brilliant!

    On second thought……..

    The boys were fucking awesome!!

    Book em

  4. Brian PerkinsOctober 31, 2024

    Congrats, Mark. Fuck the haters. Peace out

  5. DavidOctober 31, 2024

    Hudson retires!!! He gave it all he had

  6. Andrew Vincent ForteOctober 31, 2024

    ‘The Dodgers will commemorate their World Series title on Friday with a parade in Downtown Los Angeles and a special ticketed celebration at Dodger Stadium, the club announced on Wednesday night. Both events will be televised in their entirety on Spectrum SportsNet LA, local television channels and AM 570. Due to logistics, traffic and timing, fans will not be able to attend both events.

    The parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. PT at Gloria Molina Grand Park on Spring Street in front of City Hall. Mayor Karen Bass will officially kick off the parade, which will then continue on a 45-minute route from 1st Street to Grand Avenue to 5th Street, culminating at the intersection of 5th and Flower Street, with members of the Dodgers traveling atop double-decker buses. Fans wishing to attend the parade are emphatically encouraged to take public transportation due to significant street closures and limited public parking”.

  7. Andrew Vincent ForteOctober 31, 2024

    After the game, Ohtani went up to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and had a simple message.

    “Let’s do this nine more times,” Ohtani said to Friedman.

    Friedman hilariously said: “He gets one in his first year so he thinks this is easy.”

  8. Jayne CobbOctober 31, 2024

    I’m trashed.

    Uber took me home. Got tanked with 10 of my best friends and 25 new ones.

    Tonight was a good night!

  9. HawkeyedodgerOctober 31, 2024

    Congratulations to all of us who bleed Dodger Blue! Nothing much sweeter than beating the Skankees. Great job by the players and Doc! Whether he’s back or not, I ordered a Walker F’n Buehler t-shirt.

    Potential Starters returning next season:

    Ohtani

    Yamamoto

    Glasnow

    Kershaw

    May

    Gonsolin

    Knack

    Ferris

    Possible FA’s

    Roki

    Buehler

    I could see a 6 man rotation next year

  10. DodgfanOctober 31, 2024

    DYNASTY!

  11. Watford DodgerOctober 31, 2024

    There’s a White Sox with a Ring in 24!!!

  12. GHOctober 31, 2024

    Mark thanks for your strong leadership through a sometimes troubling year. I have enjoyed ladodgertalk and hope it continues. Sleep well all you other morons!!

    Way to “Go Dodgers”

  13. NorthmsdodgerOctober 31, 2024

    World series champions I am 62 but I feel 12 again .Santa has just come to my house fellas.How good it is.Those old yankees don’t seem too happy to hug Freddie. Around and Jeter.Great season.

    .

  14. Carlos ZamoraOctober 31, 2024

    Guys, I am so happy. Congratulations to all of you and me of course. Go Dodgers.

  15. DavidOctober 31, 2024

    I felt once Walker got those breaking pitches over to Volpe that he would get it done. They sitting on fastballs, but he didn’t have to throw them

  16. porpoiseboyOctober 31, 2024

    Freddie series MVP, Treinen postseason MVP

  17. DodgfanOctober 31, 2024

    Graterol actually struck out Judge twice in that AB. Umpire squeezed on 2 obvious strikes.

    Dodgers playing the Yankees and Umpiring crew.

    Yankees 5

    Umpires 1

    Dodgers 5

  18. SummerboyOctober 31, 2024

    I will be delighted to be proven wrong! 3 skanky miscues in one inning, and super clutch Freddie, and Cole has lost his magic. Time for Max!

  19. DavidOctober 31, 2024

    We’ll get them in LA.

  20. porpoiseboyOctober 31, 2024

    I say no to Flaherty next year

  21. DavidOctober 30, 2024

    Why the panic?

  22. dodgerrickOctober 30, 2024

    The Dodgers are still in control. Yankees mostly haven’t hit and Dodgers have hit better. Dodgers’ pen is ready and rested – Yankees’ are not. Dodgers’ defense has been much better than the Yanks’ too.

    Cole will likely be good again – Dodgers need Flaherty to keep them in the game. I like the Dodgers to win tonight.

    I don’t know who Kiki is – the Dodgers have a player named Enrique (Kike) Hernandez. No Kiki’s though. By the way, he is slashing .277/.333/.447/.780 in the post-season. He’s doing just fine. He has cooled off in the Series but he’s playing well and is capable of getting the big hit. And bench Ohtani? Seriously?

  23. DanoOctober 30, 2024

    Maybe it’s just me, but mixing Dodgers and negativity right now is frickin bizarre . They’re in the World Series up 3-1. Damn I’m having a great time. How about you guys?

    Book em

  24. BoboOctober 30, 2024

    Gheez, up 3-1 and some here are panicking. You don’t sound happy. Did you expect a sweep and since it didn’t happen you are falling apart.

    It’s baseball, it’s the World Series for crying out loud. Teams win and lose and win again.

    GO DODGERS

  25. JOSEPH M KOVACSOctober 30, 2024

    No one did a great job last night. If this goes back to LA we are in trouble. No one really hitting … Give Knack a snack and Hudson both a ticket home. Max too

More from Dodger Talk

Dodgers Food Trailer

I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…

By Mark Timmons · July 17, 202673

Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12

3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…

By Jeff Dominique · July 16, 202674

Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)

It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…

By Mark Timmons · July 15, 202652

Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor

I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…

By Michael "Bear" Norris · July 14, 202676