There's Nothing Left to Say

• Well, I am back!
• The Dodgers are 50 games over .500.
• They are indisputably the best team in baseball.
• Their farm system is as good as any – better than most.
• The Dodgers have scored more runs than any other team.
• The Dodgers have given up fewer runs than any team in baseball.
• Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, and Mookie Betts are all TOP 10 in the MVP Voting (Maybe top 5)
• As I write this, Blake Treinen, Victor Gonzalez, Danny Duffy, and Tommy Kahnle are ready to come off the IL, and Yency Almonte (who might be the best of all) might not be far behind.

There are just not enough words to describe how great this team is. A World Series Championship is the only acceptable ending to the 2022 season… and yet it is a crapshoot because anyone can get hot for a couple of weeks. After 162 games, the Dodgers will have to prove themselves all over again.

I really hate it when I read things to the effect that Price, Bruihl, Jackson, Reed, and others could all just be DFA’ed! That is a very silly thing to say. Some (even just one?) of these pitchers will be very good (in all likelihood). Relievers are up and down… depending upon the year. Example: Phil Bickford: 2.81 ERA in 2021 and 5.25 ERA in 2022. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. They all play roles in the Dodgers organization, and it galls me when people just dismissively say, “get rid of the bum.” Most people have no idea how difficult this game of baseball is. Players are more than stats. Never forget that. They are people, and people are unpredictable. People are not perfect, but they are people. They deserve to be treated with respect.

I have been critical of Craig Kimbrel, but he pitched exceptionally well in his last outing. Hopefully, Mark Prior can “fix” him. He looked outstanding in his last outing. If he can keep that up… no other team has a chance!

Dodger News & Notes

• Miguel Vargas hit his 17th HR yesterday and has 82 RBI. He is hitting .304 with a .913 OPS. The only question is, “where will he play?” LF or 3B. He is a star in waiting.
• The longer I think about it, the more I think Mike Busch will be traded. This is guaranteed if Trea Turner signs.
• If the Dodgers win the World Series, I think the following players will retire: Justin Turner, Clayton Kershaw, and Craig Kimbrel.
• I really like Damian Keith.

Oh, There Was a Wedding…

It was a whirlwind week. Last Monday, I headed to Las Vegas to do the Cannabis Conference. I got back in Indy Thursday night. My oldest son and daughter arrived in town Friday Morning, and I spent the day with them (it’s been a while). Then on Friday night, we had the Wedding Rehearsal. Saturday was all about the wedding, and it did not go off without a hitch (Badda Bing). We partied until the wee hours of the morning, and then yesterday, we had about 40 of the family assemble at my stepdaughter’s house for a pool party.

As you may know, I performed the wedding for my youngest son on Saturday and was asked by about a dozen other people to do their weddings. I politely declined. This was a “one and done!” I will respectfully say, “I was damn good!“

It was an amazing weekend, and one of the highlights was that my daughter urged me to finish my book. So it is coming. I will be conspicuous by my absence here for a while. I am sooooooooooooooo blessed!