The Lineups Are The Least Of The Problem Here s The Biggest Problem:
There s not much to say that hasn t been said ad nauseum. Almost every day we look at the lineups and have a cow or roll our eyes, but they win more often than not. I don t think it s the dumb, stupid, moronic lineups that are the problem. I don t care where you hit them or in what order (well, I do care, but it s not all that), I think hitters
There’s not much to say that hasn’t been said ad nauseum. Almost every day we look at the lineups and have a cow or roll our eyes, but they win more often than not. I don’t think it’s the dumb, stupid, moronic lineups that are the problem. I don’t care where you hit them or in what order (well, I do care, but it’s not all that), I think hitters are going to hit… maybe not Yasiel who seems to hit best lower in the lineup.
I think the whole problem is “approach.” The Dodgers see more pitches than any team in baseball. Joc Pederson, Yasmani Grandal, Chris Taylor and Kike Hernandez all have a great batting eye – they just can’t hit a lot of them. It’s one thing to see pitches, it’s thing entirely another to hit them. When you go up there with the idea that you are going to work the count, you are less aggressive and more defensive and then when they get 2 strikes on you, if you are aggressive, you are apt to strike out. If you are defensive, you are apt to foul off repeated pitches and make weak contact.
The lineups may be 20% of the problem, but the approach is 80% of the problem. The other day, Doc said that Cody was just “trying not to make an out.” In basketball, if you go to the foul line and try not to miss, the odds are you will. The focus needs to be on what you need to do: Make a basket! In baseball, if you go to the plate with the idea of working the count, your focus is not on getting a hit – it’s on a process. Certain type of pitchers thwart that process.
When the Dodgers hit, it seems like everyone hits and when they don’t, no one hits. The Dodgers problems are not Roberts stupid lineups, but rather, the approach which may have been fostered by FAZ, but also carried out by Turner Ward and Dave Roberts. The players should not be so concerned with working the count as they are with getting a pitch they can hit. That’s a big part of the reason Dodger pitchers like Clayton Kershaw are giving up more home runs: Players know they are trying to get ahead with a strike and they jump on the first one they see.
I am not saying that they swing at every pitch they see, but quite often, I see Joc, CT3, Yasmani, Cody and even JT watch the first pitch right down broadway… and it is sometimes the best pitch they see. You can train for this, even in batting practice: Line a dozen hitters up and you only get one pitch… and you have to swing at it. I’m not advocating swinging at the first pitch, because pitchers will get wise and adjust too, but I am advocating being ready for a pitch in “your zone” and hitting that pitch.
FAZ may have started this trend – I can’t say, but it needs to end and it will likely end with the replacement of Roberts and Ward!
Dodger News
- You can see Striker Buehler’s greatness – he just needs to learn how to pitch better at Coors, although he wasn’t bad. He’s developing game-by-game.
- Rich Hill has a 7.17 career ERA at Coors, so he will probably pitch a perfect game. Kidding…
- Freeland was very good last night. He deserved the win. Oberg and Ottavino were filthy.
- Brian Dozier and Matt Kemp look lost right about now. I would give both 5 days off. Maybe pinch hit in a laffer!
- Alex Verdugo looked like a rookie with the bat…
- For some reason, Dave Roberts is loathe to play Andrew Toles
- Ruiz, Jackson and Lux are all hitting over .350 in the playoffs and Tulsa plays game 5 today.
- Thomas, Rincon, Wong and Berman all hit over .300 as RC won the first round and now plays for the championship.
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Discussion (157)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Taylor apparently is leveling out his swing and keeping it in the strike zone longer. Glad to see it but why was he in the lineup for 130 games while he was upper cutting and leading the NL in Ks? It seems like Doc could tell Taylor to get his swing back to where it was last year or sit.
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I would also tell Joc that unless he keeps his hands above the knob of the bat he sits as well.
By the way I Think Arizona is out of the race
I think the time has come to accept that this team is not so good this year. FAZ defined it from the beginning that this year it would give priority to not paying taxes. On purpose I think the best team in the national is Milwaukee. Lets see where Dodgers reach for
There were a few strike outs with runners were in scoring position, not just line drives.
The players on the Dodgers, could learn a lot from some of the Reds players, with the way they approach their at bats.
We have people on this roster that do use the right approach, but they are not being used.
There are far to many hitters with only one approach on this team, and they make it easy on pitchers, when they don’t adjust.
I still think Roberts has to many players to plug into this line up.
And that doesn’t give players the consistency they need, to stay sharp.
Plenty of blame to go around. A total team effort.
Let’s stop torching Roberts and put the fire to the players. Roberts and Ward do not hit for these guys, although I bet they wish they could. We are wildly inconsistent this year, and yeah, we can trash the lineups all we want but these guys are at the major league level, they are paid to FRIGGIN HIT!! Our approach with runners in scoring position is a joke. Turner Ward is a coach, not a player. He can only suggest things, he can’t execute them, only the players can, and they are not. We will be one and done in the first play-off series because of our offense. Way too much Jeckel and Hyde. By the way, careful what you all wish for. As much as we trash Roberts, he is a new generation manager who communicates personally with his players one on one, He is only into his 3rd year on his first managerial gig. He won’t last but a week before somebody snaps him up on the open market. He is still learning, managing a big market team and a storied franchise, Despite what alot of you guys think, if the damn players would hit the f%^$#$%^ing ball with runners in scoring position, we would all be singing a different tune. Lot’s of blame to go around, but Roberts doesn’t deserve nearly as much hate as he is getting.
Even when the Dodgers scorch the ball with runners on, they can’t get a hit. Puig was not rewarded for what was a quality at bat.
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Sure it would have been nice to have Scooter Gennett. But at what cost? I’m sure the Reds would not have given him away.
I believe he’s from Cincy and had no desire to leave. He wants to be part of the Reds rebuild. I don’t think he was on the market.
Well since I am the resident Alex Wood fan, and he is one of my four jerseys, I feel I can say that Alex sucked out loud tonight. I do not have blinders on for my favorites. There are no excuses, he was just bad. However before Dodgerrick wants to DFA him (sarcasm alert) in his prior 13 games dating back to June 16, he is 7-1 with an ERA 2.39. That is a pretty impressive 13 game stretch. It might also be noted that Wood has been pushed back a day for his last two starts. Could that be a factor? Staying on the rotation is important for the other four, why not Wood?
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Bad game for Alex and Madson so far.
Every time we play the Reds, I wish we would have got Scooter Gennett.
I know he is another leftie bat, but he has a 4.4 war this year, because he is ok defensively, at second.
But I have no idea what he would cost.
Ryan Madson has not been a fantastic pickup. Oh well, go Dbacks!
Robert’s sense of urgency is a joke. Let’s wood hit in the top of the 4th when he has shown nothing so he can take us back to a 4 run deficit in the 5th. Thx, Robert’s year end thank you gift from me is now definitely not coming.
Roberts does not have sense of urgency
Why Roberts keep wood in game? Doe He wait for 10 runs deficit?
About time this dumb ass manager pulls the starting pitcher
Wood should never start another game for the Dodgers!!
I actually feel bad for Grandal, because it seems like it is becoming psychological, with him.
I’m stunned at how Grandal cannot hold on to the ball.
Not sure why Wood hit with expanded rosters. How many balls is Grandal going to drop at the plate this year?
Val9000.
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Kike 5 left on base. he must hitting 8th
Kike leaves 5 runners on in two at bats. Can’t do much better than that.
The pitcher that the Dodgers are facing is so bad…..
HOW BAD IS HE?
He’s so bad that the Reds haven’t won a single start that he’s made (0 for 12)
And yet, the Dodgers are down 4 – 1; 1 for 6 RISP.
We come back and win this. I feel it
Well we have four players in our line up hitting 249 or below, and the Reds only have two players in their line up, that are hitting that low.
I know some don’t value a batting average, but it is not a consequence that teams with better batting averages, do bettter in these high leverage situations.