I am not going to be labor the point, but most Dodger fans thought the Padres would be the team doing the celebrating. Dodger fans were outraged and irrational that the Padres and maybe the Giants and D-Backs had passed the Dodgers in talent. This was the mantra before and even during the season, and at the Trade Deadline, many fans pronounced the Dodgers dead on arrival for their lack of quality trades and berated the Dodger front office… again! But, last night, this happened:
The Dodgers are now 90 and 57, and if they win 10 of their next 15 games, they will win 100 games… again! I think 98 is more likely, but no one thought they would win even that! I also won’t rehash all the injuries, Tommy John Surgeries, and how they lost Julio Urias, who was their Ace. I will talk about how this team is galvanized as one big machine and how all of the players came together with a steely resolve and a large serving of junkyarddogism!
It seems like no matter what you put in front of this team, they just surmount it, scale it, dominate it, and they are never beaten down, even if they are beaten. It has been said over and over that this is the best Dodger clubhouse ever! The Dodgers have learned (the hard way) that players like Trevor Bauer and Julio Urias are not Dodgers. These Dodgers are high-character individuals like Freddie, Mooke, Will, J-Hey, David Peralta, CT3, Kike, Clayton, Ryan Brassier, Joe Kelly, Lance Lynn, Austin Barnes, JDM, Miguel Rojas, and everyone’s favorite “kid,” James Outman. On this team, talent matters, but it is trumped by character!
These guys are fun to watch because they have fun. They care about each other and pick each other up. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and I will not bet against them. The playoffs are a crapshoot, but luck is where preparation meets opportunity… and these guys are prepared and are always looking for the opportunity.
A clearly diminished Clayton Kershaw pitched like a junkyard dog. I would not count on him for any more than four innings… probably less, but bringing in RHP Emmet Sheehan after the soft-tossing lefty, worked like a charm. The Bullpen, which has been the best in baseball since June 20th, continued its dominance. The Dodgers now have the #5 Bullpen ERA in baseball and are just .07 points away from #2. These guys just find a way to win. Do not ever count them out!
Now, some players will get some rest. Will Smith and Freddie Freeman are both worn down. I would expect them to have off days, but maybe pinch-hit for a couple of games. The cool thing is that they are having fun and Kike is a big part of it!
Discussion (22)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Kyle Hurt – His fastball has tremendous movement.
J-Hey, the best feel-good story of this season.
Nerdy Nelson and jolly Jess on the call! Trying to find my mute button! Heyward at it again!
I think wow. What a hell of a team that’s better than some of our previous division winners. If the youngster pitchers show up big in playoffs look out.
My bad to forget David Ross. However, Doc would get my vote.
My bad. Forgot David Ross. And I agree, Doc should win it
Eric: There is a Manager of the year in both leagues. I think the NL candidates are Doc, Buddy Bell, and Torey Luvello. Yes, the Dodgers were certainly thought to make the playoffs. However, were they picked to win the NL West and by double digits? And winning it that way without a solid starting pitcher staff. I think a solid argument can be made for all 3 candidates.
Duke, you mentioned yesterday carrying an extra pitcher in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the rules only allow 13 pitchers, just like the regular season.
This isn’t a denigrating Doc post, although I will be accused of doing so.
Shouldn’t manager of the year go to a manager that took a team from out of nowhere to the playoffs and one of the best records in baseball? This sounds like the Baltimore Orioles.
Did you really think the Dodgers would not make the playoffs?
I have to wonder if the Dodgers could have won the Western Division Championship without the benefit of all the bad luck they have had this year.
Anyone else have that “funny feeling” this is a team we will be talking about in the years to come? They may or may not all be Hall of Famers but they seem to be HoF people!
Congratulations you guys. You deserve all the accolades for a season well fought and won despite adversity!
Today’s Starting Lineup 4:10 ET
1Taylor, Ch3B
2HeywardRF
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3Martinez, JDH
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4PeraltaLF
5Hernández, K1B
6OutmanCF
7Rosario, ASS
8Wong, Ko2B
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9Barnes, AC
Gavin Stone P
Well, they did what most thought they could not. As many players stated last night during the celebration, this is a very special group of guys. Freddie stated that this team genuinely like each other. They have accomplished something almost every pundit said they would not.
“but most Dodger fans thought the Padres would be the team doing the celebrating.”
I’m sorry, but I never, ever thought or believed that those assholes would be the ones who would celebrate, I always laughed at those who were afraid of those shitheads.
Dodgerram: Thank you for recognizing the incredible job Doc has done this year. However, that does not negate the incredible job he has done since he took over. All we have heard from the doubters (B&P are you still reading?) is anyone could have achieved the best winning percentage in MLB history with all this talent.
Ask Bob Melvin, Buck Showalter, Aaron Boone, etc if that is true? I have long been saying that winning is the only metric that matters and winning in baseball is not easy. Dave Roberts is one of (if not possibly the best) the best Managers in baseball history and truly deserves credit not only for this incredible season, but for all the prior ones.
I don’t believe he had anything to prove (as Dodgerram did) this year but prove it he did in spades. This year has been one of the most enjoyable of my 75+ years of being a fan, regardless of how it turns out.
Yea! Manager of the year has to be Roberts. Having Mookie and Freddie, along with Clayton ,helps the younger players thrive. I also had the Padres as the favorite to win the division. The talent on that team is incredible and shame on them to have under performed so greatly. The playoffs will be fun to watch and I have no expectations. Let the big dogs hunt.
Been very criticla of Roberts and before the season I said this will be the year we will see what he really is all about.
have to give credit where credit is due: Exceptional job by Dave Roberts managing this team. When you lose your starting ss before opening day and then lose 4/5 of your starting rotation with the last man standing only doing it on smoke and mirrors you are not expected to win the NL West with a shot at another 100 win season.
So there you go, kudos to Doc. IMHO he should be COY.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would love a deep run-in playoffs! Braves, Philly, Cubs, Brewers, and even the Diamondbacks could be a world record series participant. In the American League I’m pulling for the orioles! But as long as the Aaaassstros aren’t there I’m ok. Sadly In a few weeks summer as well as baseball will be over. I love college football and basketball (especially basketball). NFL is ok, NBA sucks! So, I’ll enjoy the ride with my dodgers as long as it lasts. My son is expecting a son in January. They agreed to name him Clayton, (my son’s middle name is Clay) but my daughter in law has put the *NO* on that! Said too much to live up too! Oh well. Has been a very interesting year, started out not so good, but last 2/3 of the season has been great! Outman, Heyward, Peralta, and Rojas have been a pleasant surprise! Mookie and Freddie are unbelievable! Hopefully Clayton goes out on top! Win it all Clayton then retire! Perfect ending to a marvelous career! Go blue!
Well, I was certainly disappointed the Dodgers didn’t pick up Justin Turner’s option. I understood not picking up Cody’s option. I thought Trea Turner was determined to play back east, which is what the Dodgers said, then Turner is interviewed and the front office made no attempt to keep him. That bothered me. I’m guessing they said that because so many fans wanted him back, that came out with my season ticket holder end of the season interview. A lot of people bringing that up, the Dodger official admitted. I’m just guessing they made up the whole Trea Turner just wants to play in the east and is not interested in returning to the Dodgers.
I would have preferred a more honest approach. We’re moving in a different direction. Okay. I find the Dodgers do that a lot. But hey, they win and the stadium is nice and no, I don’t find it a dangerous place. If they cut back on alcohol, most of the fights and other nonsense goes away. But the Dodgers tend to ignore that issue.
But I thought they had an excellent chance to win again. Yes, the Padres look formidable and Arizona surged to an early lead. I have no idea what the Giants plan is, but I really don’t care.
Mostly, my faith was centered around pitching. Kershaw was back, May looked like a number one and then there was Urias and Gonsolin, plus a couple of young, up and coming prospects in the minors.
Although I thought the race would be far closer, I thought the pitching would carry the Dodgers. The role players looked like a solid bunch. Then May goes down, no thunder from Thor, Gonsolin and Urias just not the same, both gone, one an injury, the other apparently domestic violence. Wow. Amazing to lose that many starters and still win. Yes, the prospects really help make a difference. Some up and downs, then the hitting proved to be better than expected. The Dodgers could score and then score more.
We’ll see how they do in the playoffs. Better than last year probably. They could, with a little luck, make it to the World Series. Maybe even win.
And yes, the Dodgers do need to pay more attention to character.
David Vassegh
@THEREAL_DV
#Dodgers Will Smith did reveal that he did play with a broken rib for a couple months after being hit by STL reliever, Jake Woodford on April 30th, but says he’s 100% now.
Congratulations to the 2023 Dodger Western Division Champions!!!! Great game and the after game celebration was fun to watch!
Saturday scores
Tacoma 11, Oklahoma City 10
Tulsa 8, Corpus Christi 4
Sunday schedule
Playoffs
10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) vs. Cedar Rapids (Christian MacLeod) – Game 1
5:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (TBD) @ Modesto (TBD) – Game 1
Regular season
12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (TBD) vs. Tacoma (TBD)
4:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Orlando Ortiz-Mayr) vs. Corpus Christi (TBD)
Fun team. If the young arms can come through in October, watch out