The Master Plan Unfolds
Mark Timmons Weekly Newsletter – Sunday, August 4, 2024 The biggest problem Dodger fans (actually all fans) have is that they are fanatical. Well, Duhhhhh… That’s what makes them (me) fans. A fanatical person is motivated by an extreme and often unquestioning enthusiasm…
Mark Timmons Weekly Newsletter – Sunday, August 4, 2024
The biggest problem Dodger fans (actually all fans) have is that they are fanatical.
Well, Duhhhhh… That’s what makes them (me) fans.
A fanatical person is motivated by an extreme and often unquestioning enthusiasm, devotion, or zeal for something, such as a religion, political affiliation, saving the whales, or a dedication to a sports team… especially the LA Dodgers. They are so fanatical that they frequently engage in circular reasoning to justify their beliefs. There is no reason to accept their premises unless one already believes the conclusion or that the premises provide no independent ground or evidence for the conclusion.
Many fans also suffer from nearsightedness, which is a common vision condition in which close objects look clear but far objects look blurry. In other words, all we see is what is in front of us. We can’t see what might be in the distance. For the past few years, the Dodgers have almost always won the NL West by the end of August, and the only time they didn’t, they beat the Giants in the playoffs. Maybe we need to learn something there.
The Dodgers are 4-6 in their last ten games. By the way, the great Phillies are 2-8. The Diamondbacks and Padres are both 8-2 in their last ten games and 4.5 and 5.0 games behind the Dodgers, respectively. The Padres and D-Bags are playing their best baseball of the year. The Dodgers have yet to do so. This time last year, the Diamondbacks and Rangers were not even a thought, but they both ended up in the World Series. The Dodgers pitching is currently in disarray. The Dodgers are #9 in all of MLB in team ERA with a 3.79 ERA. The Braves are #1 with a 3.45 ERA, so that is not a lot of difference. The Padres are 16th with a 4.03 ERA, while the D-Bags are at #26 with a whopping 4.51 ERA. Yes, both teams made some deals and are getting players back, but so are the Dodgers. The Dodgers are still in the TOP FOUR of just about every offensive category, including OPS, BA, OB%, and Runs Scored.
Freddie Freeman is one of the best first basemen in baseball and a clutch hitter. His teammates also love him, and his absence is certainly a downer for the Dodgers. He will be back as soon as his son, Max, progresses, and I can see the Dodgers rallying with “Pray for Max Patches” on their uniforms when Freddie returns (figuratively or literally). Mookie Betts will be back, and look for him to have a slow start, only to come on with a vengeance! I think he will go back to SS with Rosario and Lux playing 2B.
In 2023, the Texas Rangers won the World Series while they were 21st in Team ERA (4.21). Their closers (Will Smith. Josh Sborz, Aroldolis Chapman, and Jose Leclerc were a combined 30 for 47 in save attempts and had a combined ERA of over 4.00 during the regular season! But they got hot at the right time. Josh Sborz had a 5.50 ERA in the regular season but a 0.75 ERA in the playoffs. “That is because Bruce Bochy is a freaking genius!” Right? I know someone is going to say that. Sborz had never pitched well before the playoffs in the history of his career, nor has he pitched like that since. But it happened. The Rangers even backed into the playoffs by losing the last game that would have clinched the division – they were a Wild Card!
The Dodgers have been playing like crap for several weeks… and Doc is showing no urgency. I am glad to see that. There is no urgency. Don’t worry about it. Let this play out before you pull the Fire Alarm or go to the whip down the stretch! As I mentioned earlier, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts (both All-Stars and potential MVPs) will be returning. Also, according to the Dodgers website, “Max Muncy, who has taken far longer to recover from a right oblique strain than initially expected, had a “breakthrough” in his recovery after having a chiropractor come in for a procedure that really worked, according to manager Dave Roberts. Muncy is set to participate in a simulated game on Aug. 8 at Dodger Stadium, a big step forward in what will likely be a lengthy rehab process because of the amount of time he has missed.” This team has the horses to win it all!
Yamamoto threw a Bullpen Session yesterday, and if he recovers well, he will start a rehab assignment and likely return in late August. Ryan Bassier and Brusdar Graterol are nearing ready, as is Michael Grove, who fills the Ryan Yarbrough Role. Tommy Edman, Walker Buehler, and Miguel Rojas will also return soon, with expectations remaining low, but you never know—this is baseball.
When Mookie and Freddie Return, I think you will see the alarm sounded, and Doc will go to the whip! I have a feeling this is going to be a fun September with no Cruise Control allowed! Oh, and BTW, Jack Flaherty looked pretty dang good last night. He is a horse. I thought his arm was ready to fall off a year ago, but it turns out it was all mechanical and training-related.
I think Heyward and Pages will platoon in RF. Tommy Edman and Kevin Kiermaier will patrol CF with Teo in LF. James Outman will be the odd man out.
In September:
- Betts – SS
- Ohtani – DH
- Freeman 1B
- Teoscar LF
- Muncy 3B
- Smith C
- Lux/Rosario 2B (definitely a L-R Platoon)
- Heyward/Pages RF
- Keiermaier/Edman CF
Rotation:
- Glasnow
- Flaherty
- Yamamoto
- Stone, Wrobleski, Kershaw, Ryan, Knack, Buehler (pick ’em)
I am not counting on Buehler or Kershaw, but neither am I betting against them. If I had to bet, I would bet that at least one of them would turn it around. Evan Phillips has been too good in the past, and I think this is just a bump in the road for him. He will be back and better for this. This is uncharted ground, and I am eager to watch it play out. To sum this all up, the Padres and D-Bags are playing their best baseball now. The Dodgers’ best baseball is yet to come!
P.S. Jeff Dominique is a very smart guy. Some of the people at LA Dodger Chronicles thought I was disrespecting Jeff with what I said earlier… Jeff knew better. Jeff understood that I was disrespecting the Morons on his site (yeah, I have plenty here too). I read what Jeff lays down. He’s as astute as they come, and I wish him a quick recovery from his knee surgery. I also appreciate 2demeter2 and the Grizzly Bear.
Rants & Raves
- Gavin Lux is up to .240 and climbing, and Kike Hernandez has bounced up to .208 after his 3-4 night.
- Cavan Biggio remains a very useful ballplayer, but his lack of hitting will soon cost him his job.
- Michael Kopech is on the path to being a lockdown reliever of the first degree!
- I see a IL stint for Stone. He needs rest, but when Graterol, Brasier, and Grove come back, who else goes down? Ryan and who? Honeywell is looking good too. This is a good problem to have…
- Kike can close too… 😉
- Today, we go Rollin’ on the River!
- I’ll be back next Sunday… Carry on!
X-Cites
See you next Sunday..
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Disagree, not disagreeable
“According to MLB Network, Freddie Freeman will return to the Los Angeles line-up tonight. The Dodger first basemen had to leave the team in Houston last Friday when his three-year-old son, Maximus, was rushed to the hospital back in Los Angeles. Maximus has been diagnosed with Gillian-Barre Syndrome. Although rare in children, this neurological condition can cause full-body paralysis and, in Freeman’s case, difficulty breathing”.
Freeman (personal) has rejoined the Dodgers and could be activated from the restricted list ahead of Monday’s game against the Phillies, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
From the Dodger’s Official Page:
Aug. 3: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws bullpen session
Yamamoto threw a 20-pitch bullpen session on Saturday, his first since landing on the IL in mid-June. Manager Dave Roberts said the team was “really excited about the command, the velocity,” and the 25-year-old righty was able to mix some curveballs and splitters in with his fastballs. Yamamoto came away feeling good, and he’s scheduled to throw again this Tuesday August 6th..
STB – hope you’re good.
You said something above that peaked my interest, in fact it’d been something I’ve been wondering about, but it’s probably a very simple answer.
I don’t watch much other baseball, different time zones and all that, so I didn’t watch Ohtani with the Angels.
What happens on the days he pitches?
I presume on those days he DH’s?
More the question is what did and what will he do on the other days?
Did he play LF (as some have suggested here), or did they DH him all the time to conserve his energy?
I mean we are talking about a weak Outfield in terms of Prospects in the Minors, and Teo is a FA at the season end, so would he not fill a very big need if he could patrol LF for us on non Starting days?
An outfield with Ohtani and Soto anchoring it wouldn’t be too shabby, or have I got it totally wrong, and he is purely a DH going forward because physically it would be too demanding on him?
If Rushing becomes a viable option in the near future, should the Dodgers consider moving Will Smith to 3base?
The Dodgers have reinstated Freddie Freeman from the restricted list and designated Cavan Biggio for assignment, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
10:10 PM ET
Phillies (66-45)
Dodgers (65-47)
SP Aaron Nola R
11-4 3.43 ERA
SP Tyler Glasnow R
8-6 3.50 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
LF T. Hernandez R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
2B Gavin Lux L
3B E. Hernandez R
RF J. Heyward L
CF Andy Pages R
SS Nick Ahmed R
82° Wind 8 mph Out
l like tonight’s lineup left right 1-8 all the way down
In additional Dodgers news, Ardaya reports that the team is planning to activate one of Brusdar Graterol or Michael Grove from the IL “as soon as tonight.” Grove, 27, has been on the 15-day IL since mid-June with an intercostal strain. He has a 5.06 ERA (but a 2.97 SIERA) in 37 1/3 innings pitched this season. Graterol, 25, has been out all season with a shoulder injury. He is on the 60-day IL, so he is not currently taking up a spot on the 40-man roster. However, the Dodgers already had an open 40-man spot before they activated Freeman and DFA’d Biggio, so they would only need to free up a spot on the 26-man roster to activate Graterol.
Pages ain’t no center fielder! Glasnow dealing!!
Glad to see the site is still open for business. Nice win last night, even though I didn’t make it to the final out. As the calendar turns to August you can tell the games across the league take on a different vibe. Watched the DBacks/Guardians game early on and Joc continues his heroics with another late game pinch hit 2 run HR.
White Sox have lost 21 straight games tying an AL record for longest losing streaks. They may not even win 40 games this year and are on pace for the worst season ever I believe.
Without that horrible read in centerfield, Tyler’s pitch count would have allowed him to get maybe into the eighth inning. … Pages did have a big double after that But that one play almost changed the outcome of the game!! … Doc had to use more of his bullpen than he wanted to. Banda walked a tightrope. Kopech looked great again. Hudson scared the crap out of me with that lead off walk. Thankfully he shut them down before the top of the order got back up. …. Good win! Now it’s Clayton’s turn to show he’s still the man! …. By the way, i’ve read the dodgers are considering moving Mookie off shortstop when he comes back. Now that would mean moving Gavin off 2nd, right? . Lux is raking!! Please don’t -uck that up!! If Mookie is healthy, leave him at shortstop or move him back to right field. As of now Lux has completely earned the second baseman job!! … After everything Biggio did or didn’t do for the dodgers, i was kinda sad to see him released. AND, it’s going to get tougher!! When Mookie comes back, who’s next? Ahmed? great defensive shortstop. Without Rojas he might be invaluable! Max? who’s the guy if(big if), Max comes back. Taylor? same thing. Rosario? .300 hitter. Can , or will they cut him? Saw them replace him at shortstop Sunday after a couple of oh chit plays. He made the plays , but not smooth! Kiki? had another couple of games this weekend to probably save his bacon! KK? great defensive center fielder. but his bat? (see outman). And too, KK makes that catch Pages botched. James does too. Or Chris Taylor does also. … Going to be interesting who stays and who goes. But Graterol comes, Trienan goes on the IL. Probably the same for position players. Glad it’s not my job.
Really emotional night watching Freddie’s pre-game news conference and the love the fans showed him at his first at bat.Great win!!!!
If anyone is interested Landon Knack is on the mound tonight for Oklahoma City.
Solid performance by Glasnow against a tough opponent. Feeling much better about the rotation after Flaherty’s acquisition but we’re going to need at least one additional option in the playoffs. Will Yamamoto be that starting pitcher?
Well well well, with a win tonight the boys in Blue will have the best record in the NL…..
The Cavalry is coming!
” Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas has missed the last 13 games with right forearm inflammation, but he could return to the team shortly, perhaps as soon as this homestand. Up first is a rehab assignment with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday night, the team announced”.
STB – thanks for your thoughts on Shohei and next season. I guess the big change would come if he was unable to pitch after his /nd TJ surgery.
I’m glad you love London, and I’ve gotta say I’m absolutely loving life here. I feel like a tourist constantly. It’s literally a fifteen minute stroll to Piccadilly Circus from my flat and the options I have are endless M.
Just need to be able to retire as soon as I can so I can really enjoy everything it has to offer.
Big night for Clayton tonight.
10:10 PM ET
Phillies (66-46)
Dodgers (66-47)
SP C. Sanchez L
7-7 3.36 ERA
SP Clayton Kershaw L
0-1 5.87 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
LF T. Hernandez R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
2B Amed Rosario R
3B E. Hernandez R
RF Andy Pages R
SS Nick Ahmed R
CF K. Kiermaier L
78° Wind 9 mph Out
Alex Freedman
@azfreedman
Well, this is interesting. Per manager Travis Babary, Dalton Rushing will exclusively play left field to start his time in Oklahoma City.
For those who are interested in Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, here’s a link to a very good article on him at Fangraphs:
Open on blogs.fangraphs.comhttps://blogs.fangraphs.com/lets-ballpark-roki-sasakis-market/Jolly Jess! thank goodness nerdy nelson ain’t on!
Clayton Kershaw has shown that he might be a factor.
We need to see more!
That’s a hell of a hamstring injury to Bazooka!
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters before Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies that when Mookie Betts returns he’ll play shortstop and bat second. Shohei Ohtani will continue to bat leadoff.
So, Betts is going to play SS as I predicted… he is just not going to hit leadoff. I like that better actually!
If Rojas is successful in returning, Nick Ahmed is the odd man out.
If/When Muncy returns, Outman is the odd man out, and when Edman returns, Kiermaier will retire.
This is the best lineup:
1. Ohtani DH (L)
2. Betts SS (R)
3. Freeman 1B (L)
4. Teoscar LF (R)
5. Muncy 3B (L)
6. Smith C (R)
7. Lux/Rosario 2B
8. Hernandez/Pages RF
9. Edman CF (B)
Clayton gave me some hope. He needs a couple of more starts. The Bazooka is gone for the season before he started. Grove will be back today and Brasier isn’t far behind him. I think we will see Jack Dreyer soon as well.
Can Stoney rebound?
Clayton looked much better last night. only a couple of “hard” hit balls. his control is getting stronger. The biggest difference between having Paxton rather than Clayton is base on balls. James issues way too many passes. Clayton doesn’t have the speed James does, but his overall game is why he’s there and Paxton isn’t. Clayton still can make good hitters look silly! …. Nick Ahmed makes shortstop look easy! Same as Rojas. He won’t be out of work long. ….. Must be really frustrating for Outman to sit there and watch KevinK. playing. Wouldn’t he be better served to be in AAA? …. Mark, is Rushing being “rushed “ to the big club to play left field? …. Kiki’s hot streak didn’t last long. …… Saw some signs of Will swinging better. Boy do they need him to snap out of his slump!! …. Team looks different now without Gavin Lux in the lineup!!! Just saying. …. So sorry for Bazooka! Easiest 100 mph you’ll ever see. Bless you Brustar. …. Stone needs a big time start today. needs to help the bullpen get some rest. … Quietly Joe Kelly has been very good! …. Just win tonight guys, all’s well!
Rented mules are protesting today over how Roberts used Honeywell last night.