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
the strategy was to full the initial pitcher with pitchs so that the others team used more relievers (apparently the weakness of the other teams) and the previous year it worked, but the actual does not so I agree with a new strategy the problem is They will go with bad pitchs but I prefer that to get strikeout watching the third strike as Grandal yesterday
I agree with you in part. Yes, if you are trying to work the count rather than to hit, you might not hit anything. But this isn’t new – it’s what most of the team did last year. it’s mostly the same cast of characters after all. As I have said before, it’s partially too many guys who had career years last season, but a large part has to do with all of the platooning.
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Per ESPN.com this morning: “The Dodgers, 1 1/2 games out of first place after a loss to the Rockies, have scored three runs or less in 8 of their last 10 games. That lineup is way too good for that.”
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What happened 10 days ago (OK 9 days ago)? The 9/1 increase in roster size. Since then, Roberts’ maniacal managerial tendencies have been exacerbated by the number of moves he can make and the number of guys he platoons. Even Roberts admitted as much yesterday:
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“”It’s not only September. We’ve taken the mindset that these last 26, 27 games are essentially playoff games,” said Roberts. “If I can go into each game thinking it’s a postseason game, it’s a good mindset for our players; and as you’ve seen me manage the roster in a game, it sort of mirrors a playoff game. We’re afforded that luxury because we have a lot of good players.”
That’s why, Roberts explained, Yasiel Puig and Cody Bellinger were not in the lineup against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland after successful at-bats Friday night against right-hander Jon Gray. The expanded roster provides Roberts with more matchup options than normal, although the Dodgers have relied on matchup lineups since the current front office took over.
“When you don’t have the depth we have — and I would argue that 29 other clubs don’t have it — there is the argument to ride the hot hand,” Roberts said. “But over the course of a long and big sample size, each game and each pitcher is different. There’s value in lumping it all together in recency, but there’s also an even stronger case to be made on the larger sample size. My answer is easy when you have guys that are a better option, to be frank.”
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In other words – who cares if a hitter is hot. Or even if he has a good track record against a certain pitchers? He’s going to look at a “larger sample size” and platoon almost everywhere almost every day.
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I think that Roberts’ awful lineups are the new thing here. Last season, the Dodgers played with mostly a left/right/left/right lineup and it worked. This constant platooning? Not so much.
The Athletic has a good take on all this today:
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Really, the first 142 games are irrelevant. The Dodgers are still more talented than their competition, and they are close enough to said competition that talent should matter. The potential trouble resides within their mentality. As Turner said last month, to start hitting better with runners in scoring position, the Dodgers needed to stop trying so desperately to hit better with runners in scoring position.
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Put another way, Chris Taylor has struggled for much of the last month, losing playing time in recent days. After he homered Saturday, he relayed the fixes he and hitting coach Turner Ward had made to his swing and approach that allowed it. He lowered his hands some and strived to keep his head still mid-swing. But, more than anything, he said, he endeavored to stop trying to do so much. He hit a homer because he wasn’t trying to hit a homer.
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Open on theathletic.comhttps://theathletic.com/513380/2018/09/09/dodgers-have-stockpiled-an-impressively-deep-roster-but-even-that-might-not-be-enough/All we have to do is win today. That means we’ll have won a road series vs a good team. I’ll take it.
Yes, Hill has a 7 ERA at Coors, but Wood has a 9ERA at Coors, and we pushed him back 1 day.
Dozier is worthless right now, so let anyone else start at 2b.
Since we’re facing a leftie today, expect another moronic all rightie lineup.
Bottom line, and keep in mind I’m no stat guru with all the BAIP, wRAC, War etc. I just don’t get it, the team K’s entirely too much. Gotta put the ball in play and something will happen, (error, hit, sac fly, throwing error, leg single etc.) but you gotta put it in play.
CT3, Dozier, Puig, Joc, Grandal, Barnes, Hernandez, Cody et al. strike out too much and it’s a glaring problem when they have runners on. One thing to start an inning with a K but when you have a runner on third with less than two outs the last thing the team needs is a K and that’s what they do all too often.
I don’t think we’ll see the sixth division title in a row this year and even if we do is it realistic to think the Dodgers will find a good offensive game plan in a playoff game. I don’t think Doc should be fired, but there should be changes to the coaching staff starting with Turner Ward.
Of course the Dodgers are mathematically in it but today is as close to a ‘must win’ game they will have. I’m not sure the team is responding well to Doc’s mad scientist approach. The pennant race is exciting but the performance has been lacking at the plate. I agree with the premise of hitting ‘your pitch’, wherever it is in the count. I am really tired of players watching a 3rd strike go by then having a spirited argument with the ump. Hits and runs chase a pitcher faster than pitch count.
Like I said, the best hitters, attack the best pitches they get, they don’t wait around until they are down with two strikes.
And usually one of the first three pitches, are the best pitches a hitter will get.
And last night Taylor didn’t wait around and work his count, he attacked good pitches, in the strike zone.
How many times have we heard the difference of of 2 one count, or a 1 two count, when it comes to hitters, as well, as pitchers?
It is about the first three pitches, most of the time, unless a pitcher doesn’t have good command.
How can anyone think that the starting lineup is not that important. It’s, indeed, very, very important. It’s who is going to get the most at bats during a game. To think otherwise is utterly foolish.
Today, all righties again. No Bellinger, No Muncy. Hell, even no Puig.
Doc continues to dig his own grave.
Sorry for the repeated post. Didn’t look like the first one was going to go through.
Stanton Contract.
Marlins will eat $30 million of it. Maybe the Yankees will eat a year of it as well plus take Kemp and Hill. Would anybody trade for Stanton under that scenario?
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CONTRACT:13 yr(s) / $325,000,000 SIGNING BONUS:- AVERAGE SALARY:$25,000,000 FREE AGENT:2029 / UFA
YEAR AGE BASE SALARY INCENTIVE TOTAL SALARY ADJUSTED SALARY
2015 Contract details by year 25 $6,500,000 $50,000 $6,550,000 $6,550,000
2016 Contract details by year 26 $9,000,000 – $9,000,000 $9,000,000
2017 Contract details by year 27 $14,500,000 – $14,500,000 $14,500,000
2018 Contract details by year 28 $25,000,000 – $25,000,000 $25,000,000
2019 Contract details by year 29 $26,000,000 – $26,000,000 $26,000,000
2020 Contract details by year 30 $26,000,000 – $26,000,000 $26,000,000
2021 Contract details by year 31 $29,000,000 – $29,000,000 $29,000,000
2022 Contract details by year 32 $29,000,000 – $29,000,000 $29,000,000
2023 Contract details by year 33 $32,000,000 – $32,000,000 $32,000,000
2024 Contract details by year 34 $32,000,000 – $32,000,000 $32,000,000
2025 Contract details by year 35 $32,000,000 – $32,000,000 $32,000,000
2026 Contract details by year 36 $29,000,000 – $29,000,000 $29,000,000
2027 Contract details by year 37 $25,000,000 – $25,000,000 $25,000,000
2028 Contract details by year 38 $25,000,000 – $25,000,000 $25,000,000
2029 Free Agent Year 39
UFA
Contract Notes:
Full No Trade Clause
Player can opt-out after 2020
2028 Club Option contains a $10 million buyout
Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, All Star: $50,000
MVP: $100,000
LCS MVP: $250,000
World Series MVP: $500,000
Marlins will retain $30M in salary if the 2020 opt-out is declined
bad line up again. I would take out a dozier, kemp and kike and put mucy, Peterson and Bellinger
Well I am licking my wounds from yesterday, and need to wait until 5:00 PM to see if my Packers can salvage part of my football weekend. I cannot remember the last time my teams went 0 for 4 with the Dodgers losing 2 and USC and the Packers, so hopefully Sunday will be a better day than Saturday.
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I think I am going to watch OKC and Tulsa today because I think they have a better chance at winning than LAD. Mitchell White goes for the Tulsa win after Andrew Sopko pitched a great 6 innings yesterday in the Tulsa 5-3 victory. Drew Jackson went 3-3 with 2 doubles and a triple, while Gavin Lux went 2-3 with 2 doubles and a walk. Jacob Scavuzzo continues to hit well with a 2 run double. Michael Ahmed also had a two hit night.
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The first team through the first round of playoffs are the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes with their 8-1 win over the tough Lancaster JetHawks. Great night for RF Cody Thomas who went 4-5 with a double and 2 RBI’s. Steve Berman went 3-4, while Carlos Rincon went 2-5 with a HR and 3 RBI’s. The Quakes went 5-9 WRISP. The Quakes play the winner of the Stockton Ports and Visalia Rawhide series for the California League Championship. The series is tied at 2 games apiece which concludes today.
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The best of three series in the Pioneer League playoff series between the Raptors and the Grand Junction Rockies will also conclude today after their 7-5 victory yesterday. Offensive star for the Raptors was OF James Outman (CF) who slugged a pair of HR’s and 4 RBI’s. Nico Hulsizer (RF) also had a 2 run HR, while 2B Jeremy Arocho had a two hit game. The Raptors hit 3-6 WRISP.
My Colts are looking good so far with some Luck!
The reason his era is high against lefties is they take away his change up. Doc is contradicting himself when he says we look at the full body of work before making lineups but yet the full body apparently says colorados pitcher is better against righties. If he can’t distinguish between a hot hitter and sabermetrics we might as well have a tech person be manager. For example bellinger had a tough first half but for the last month and more he has had an upswing. You can’t count what he did in the first half because he is currently a different hitter.
I can’t say exactly what the problem is but I can say I heard some moronic excuses for the performance displayed. Things like “to much talent”, Huh???? Give me a break! That’s like saying “he’s too fast to steal a base. If what Roberts said were true then he’s simply too good of a manager to win any games.
The team just ain’t buying into the crap and are playing like there’s no use trying. Its like having a job foreman giving you detailed instructions to do a task the wrong way as the task of one that you’ve performed top gun your whole life. There is a lot of talent but the spirit is nearing death. Put Utley in charge and dump Roberts and there’s a great chance of getting deep into THIS post season. It’s becoming hard to even think of future baseball if this is the direction it’s heading. It’s killing my spirit too!
After taking a pitch for a strike that appeared to be outside, how is that Taylor then took the next pitch that appeared to be on the outside corner for strike three?
So, some of you lost your minds over the lineup!
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IT’S NOT THE DAMN LINEUP!
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Pay attention!
Mitchell White pitched 7 masterful innings allowing no runs on only 2 hits and 2 walks to go along with 5 strikeouts. He had 94 pitches and was allowed to pitch out of trouble in the 7th. With a walk and a bloop single the Arkansas Travelers had runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out. With a shallow fly out to CF, a fielder’s choice, and a fly out to CF White was able to get out of trouble. In the top of the 8th Michael Boyle came in and got two outs and then back to back HR’s to trim the lead to 5-2. Nolan Long replaces Boyle and got the final out on a fly out to CF. After a leadoff single, Long induced a 5-4-3 double play. Then Long gave up a single and run scoring double before Layne Somsen came in to get the game winning strikeout for the save.
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Offensively the big hitter was…Gavin Lux who went 3-4 with a HR, double and 3 RBI’s. DJ Peters went 2-3 with a HR, and recently called up Eric Peterson went 2-3 with a double. With a single in the 8th, Keibert Ruiz had a two-hit game. In the 8th, Ruiz and Scavuzzo had singles and a walk to Reks loaded the bases with 2 outs. In Dodger fashion, Cael Brockmeyer was caught looking at strike 3 to end the inning.
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The win gives the Drillers the Texas League North Championship. The Texas League Championship series begins Tuesday in Tulsa against either the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) or San Antonio Missions (Padres).
What a stupid lineup!@#$%@
el Gasolino is back!
In that case it probably had nothing to do with lineups either day. Give the Rockies pitching some credit.
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Meanwhile this one isn’t over by a long shot.
Mark, I agree with part of your sentiment. Some of those guys just aren’t good at putting the bat on the ball consistently. However, none of those guys strike me as guys who just take strikes to try to get deep in the count. JT might take a strike after the leadoff hitter got out on one pitch. The Dodgers as a team ate good at not chasing out of the zone. There have been times when I’ve been frustrated with the opposite. For example, the Dodgers had the tying run on deck the other night and two different hitters swing at 2-0 sliders. I don’t get not taking a strike there.
Nice recovery by Baez. Now let’s see if the Dodgers can rise to the occasion and score some more runs.
Does Kemp make that catch?
And I’m not sure that Kemp gets to that last out in the 8th.
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Can we get Kike’ home.