The News Gets Worse for MLB

I’m really dense. Can someone explain to me why we would want to shell out $400MM+ for someone who can’t play defense. can’t pitch next year for sure and maybe never again and may hit alot of homeruns? We have plenty of all of those already and they don’t cost $400MM+

With the Muncy signing, just don’t see an opportunity for both Vargas and Busch next year. One of them will get traded

Lot to take in here.

Is baseball dying a slow death? We base that on TV ratings, right. Well, baseball is a regional sport. Fans in those respective areas care, but does the rest of the country? Probably not. It’s not like football, which is once a week, leading up to a single game championship, the Super Bowl. Gather everyone, have a party and watch the game.

But baseball may go seven games. Yes, the games are stretched out in the playoffs, they play this day and not that day. It should be played like the regular season. Part of that is about television and the money. Always about the money. That’s why the PAC 12 will cease to exist next year.

Plus no one network has the games. You have to search for them. Some people may not even have those channels, depending on your cable or satellite package. Many have basic packages, the network channels. How long has it been since a major network broadcast the World Series?

Plus look at all of the other sports. Soccer, hockey, basketball, golf (both men’s and women’s) not to mention the growth of college sports on TV. You also have other entertainment options including all kinds of movies and series on paid TV services. Lot to choose from.

Honestly, I mostly don’t care about the World Series, unless the Dodgers are playing. I watched some this year because Corey Seager was playing and I like Seager.

For the most part, baseball’s biggest stars weren’t playing. No Judge, no Ohtani, no Trout, no Acuna. Quick, who is the superstar on Arizona? They didn’t have one. Does baseball do a good job selling star power? No, probably not. Besides in baseball, it’s all about the big contract, not stats or personality. Watch the winter meetings, pretty much the talk is about money, the size and length of the contract. Scott Boras even holds court, surrounded by media

So why would anybody be surprised. We live in a different world today. More competition for viewers, more things to do and less recognizable teams making it on the big stage.

Ohtani is the biggest thing to hit baseball in ages, but the Angels never made the playoffs. Trout isn’t particularly interested in promotion and now he has trouble staying on the field. He plays for the Angels, no World Series in his future.

But give some credit to baseball too. The players are more accessible and cities like LA draw huge crowds.

Baseball has made a big effort to bring minorities into the sport, but just look at high school. Football and basketball are the big sports, draw the crowds and excitement. Go to a prep baseball game and you might see 50 or a hundred people there.

As to the World Series, is anybody still talking about it, other than the playoff format and why the big winners weren’t in the Fall Classic.

So where is the buzz. It’s centered on Ohtani. Big story in the Times today. Will the Dodgers sign Ohtani?

2020 is way more legitimate than 2017! played more playoff games and didn’t cheat to win it! that said, it looks pretty much like the Dodgers could (a) sign Ohtani and leave Muncy at third, or (b) go after a 3rd baseman and let Max DH. I know Bear you think Arenado isn’t available, but there’s a lot of buzz on internet he could be. if, and I say if that’s true could Dodgers sign Ohtani and move Max in a deal? just asking. I wouldn’t mind that especially if they have any idea of playing Max at 2nd. Read this morning they might kick the tires on Kyle Hendricks, why? They have Miller, Pepiot, Buehler (if healthy), Sheehan. they would need a left-hand starter (if Clayton leaves). I don’t believe the starting pitching is in as dire straits as some do. shore up the pen and strengthen the outfield. would Friedman change his mind about Tommy Pham? guy wanted to come to LA. do they bring Peralta back(no). I don’t know how the infield defense looks with Max and Lux on the left side of the infield. if they did bring Arenado in, they could let Lux play 2nd and give Rojas majority of starts at shortstop with Mookie staying in right. Max at DH and possible platoon in left. Outman in center. the Ohtani thing is fascinating! If I were placing a major bet in Las Vegas my money would be on the Dodgers passing on Ohtani now that Max has been extended. call me a redundant moron, but I believe Arenado is more likely to be a Dodger than Ohtani. lot of buzz around Glassnow and Burnes. if healthy, Glassnow would be a hell of 1-2 with Miller!

Yes dodger fans are definitely spoiled for wanting their first full season championship in 35 years and how dare them for being upset over getting completely embarrassed last two years

Mookie Betts lowered his asking price for his Encino mansion to 8.4 million dollars. He bought it from Chip Kelly for 6.4 million in 2020. Cody Bellinger won the NL Comeback player of the year award.

What the LAD need is for their starting pitchers to stay healthy and/or stop beating their wives.

The Dodgers only shoot crap in October

We just need to suck less in the postseason.

When your team scores 6 runs in 3 games you better have a bunch of Koufax clones pitching.

I think we all understand it is not that easy to win Championships. I have said this several times over the last few months, Dodger fans are spoiled. They expect to win, and those high expectations don’t mean results. I think most of us were surprised this team did as well as it did with all the injuries and basically a rotation full of question marks. I for one was proud they even got where they did. At my age, I learned a long time ago that the game tosses you a lot of twists and turns, ups and downs, and sometimes, daily surprises. For one, I thought for sure after his struggles in May and June that Outman was going to be sent down. After all, he struck out 60 times in that period over 146 at bats and had 2 homers. But he turned it around in June, hit about .280 over the next two months with 8 homers and 24 driven in, and cut his K’s down by 7. He slumped in September and October but hit 6 more homers. His finishing with a .248/23/70 line and an OPS at .790 was not expected.

What killed the Dodgers in the postseason in my eyes was them not getting a top of the line starting pitcher to go along with their talented kids. Lynn did ok, but he is too homer prone.

Bruce Bochy has won 15 of 16 playoff series. His playoff record is 49-21. That’s a .700 winning percentage. He is 6-0 in elimination games. I may be out of my rabbit-ass mind but you refuse to look at his results. If the playoffs are a “crap shoot” then Bochy ought to move to Las Vegas. Meanwhile, over the past 11 seasons the Dodgers are 48-45 in playoff games and have won 14 series and lost 12. That’s a far cry from their regular season results.

You can keep coming up with excuses but you can’t change the factual history. Remember the definition of insanity!

Mark

From your writing up top yesterday it was obvious that you were talking about me because you have told me several times that I only look at stats.

From your 2nd paragraph yesterday “I never called you a moron, but if you identify as one. I can’t stop you.”

What? You have called me a moron plenty of times. So that’s a lie.

From your 2nd paragraph yesterday “why is Cartaya in the Top 30”

He’s in there because the experts or whatever you called them put him there. And as I said yesterday I will have him either barely in my top 10 or barely out of my top 10 list when I make a new one.

From your 3rd paragraph “I never called you a moron, but if you identify as one by only using statistics, that is on you!”

There’s moron again and there you go again telling me I only use statistics and that makes it obvious that you were talking about me in your writing up top yesterday.

By the way, I take in consideration from the experts and I also rely heavily on stats.

Mark, you closed the comments for the prior post but in answer to your comment, I was not comparing the last two years to anything–I was just saying that the Dodgers performance over the last 11 years has been much worse than their regular season record. That doesn’t have anything to do with Manfred or the playoff format. Or, for that matter, the Astros cheating, or the “crap shoot” theory, They are all just excuses.

You guys keep coming up with all sorts of bogus reasons to avoid facing the fact that the Dodgers have sucked in the playoffs.