The pandemic is winding down and a sense of normalcy is starting to return to this country. I am done beating this horse (unless you want to say something really stupid), and MLB Baseball has a “window of opportunity” to end the lockout and PLAY BALL! In general, pitchers and catchers are due to report Monday. Valentines Day would be the opportune time to end this Lockout once and for all and play ball. If it doesn’t end by then, there will be a certain number of MLB Fans who will never come back… with each passing day. That number might be 10, 100, 1,000, or 10,000… but there will be people who will say with each passing day, “I have had enough.” If it goes too long, baseball may never recover.
I used to be one of the leading fans of basketball and football. I could care less now. Oh, I know who is in the Super Bowl and I will watch it, but I really don’t care. It’s just another TV event. I watch sports for the love of the game, When you try and interject politics and social justice into the narrative… you have lost me. I don’t watch sports for that. They say overall that it is down 4.9%. The fact is that twenty of the thirty NBA teams attendance is down, and they are using some creative counting to keep it that low. The NBA doesn’t want me to trust my “lying eyes” but I can see that attendance is way down. NFL attendance is fine, but since they only play 17 games a year, that is another story.
Major League Baseball used to be “America’s Pasttime.” It’s in danger of becoming part of “America’s Past.” The entire game is inherently flawed with respect to how they have to compete. In the NFL, which is recognized as the Most Successful Sports League, they shared $8.7 Billion in revenue last year. In MLB, revenue sharing has been a dismal failure because there is no incentive for winning. MLB does not “revenue share” Billions like the NFL. What and how is above my pay grade, but there has to be a disincentive for tanking and there has to be a positive incentive for small market teams to win and attract more fans. Surely, someone can figure this out. I think fewer games would create more interest. Instead of a 162 game season, or 154 game season, what about a 130 to 140 game season with first and second half winners, who then play the World Series?
Don’t kill the Golden Goose! Valentines Day is the deadline. Don’t “drop dead” – wake up and come to life! The clock is ticking…
Dodger News
- Bill Plaschke is still on his “high and mighty horse” that “Trevor Bauer must be banished forever.” People like him who want to rush to their own version of justice are miserable little men. Many people today are quick to condemn others when they hear or see an accusation, even if proof is lacking. Social media lights up like an electrical storm, filled with hateful and vitriolic comments and horrific threats, including bodily harm and death, toward the accused. Even some professional journalists prejudge before getting all the facts (especially some particularly miserable blogger). Verifying information appears to be less important than being the first to publish and take advantage of sensationalism. It’s wrong! It does not pass the smell test… in other words, Plaschke stinks… as usual.
- The Dodgers did not extend Clayton Kershaw the Qualifying Offer for $18 Million.. Why? It’s simple. If he was worth that, they would have offered it. They know more about his elbow than we do. They know he got a PRP Injection into it. PRP Injections can work for amateurs who may have a UCL issue, but a professional pitcher who plays at a high level might not have the success that a “wekend warrior” does. I think Clayton needs Tommy John Surgery. I think he wants to try the PRP and if it doesn’t work, then he will make a decision. His decision should be to retire as a Dodger. That will cement him as a first-ballet Hall-of-Famer. On the other hand, maybe he doesn’t care about that so much. I think the Rangers will give him a 4-year/$60 million dollar-deal and his kids can watch him pitch. If that is what he wants: Good On Him! I think he is done as a Dodger. Move on, there is nothing to see here folks.
- A rotation of Buehler, Urias, Bauer, Heaney, and Gonsolin with May in the second half would be as good as it gets. Let the Farm System grow!
- Have you even considered that even the great Mike Trout hit .200 in his first year? Luke Raley who is no Mike Trout hit .182 in less than half the AB’s Trout had. To those of you who are down on Raley, let me remind you that progress is not linear. He could be totally different this year. I said “Could Be.” The thing is: I don’t know and neither do you! This is baseball – you never know what to expect.
- I would like to see Josh Harrison in Blue.
- I hurt my back yesterday. I was supposed to fly to Myrtle Beach today, but I am stuck at home. It’s getting better.
- I don’t think Freddie Freeman is in the cards, although I would not be mad if he became a Dodger. Being “pigs” is no guarantee of anything except that you will get fat. That said, this would be an awesome lineup:
- Turner SS
- Betts RF
- Freeman 1B
- Muncy 3B
- Turner DH
- Bellinger CF
- Smith C
- Lux 2B
- Pollock LF
The Truth About You…
The Super Bowl
I like both teams. I like the Rams. I like Matthew Stafford, but my late father was Bengal Fan and I am stepping into his role as a Bengals fan. I am rooting for the Bengals… but I won’t be mad if the Rams win. The Rams have Home Field Advantage…
Discussion (19)
Disagree, not disagreeable
As some may recall a week ago……. our favorite liberal William had posted this statement that he apparently believed.
‘Congresswoman Katie Porter, who is an economic whiz, said that the average American has $354 more in his or her pocket at the end of the month, then they had last year, even allowing for inflation.’
As I stated at that time this Democratic Congresswoman was clueless as I live in this country and I’m not making or netting more money this year compared to last.
This week’s news:
Inflation costs the average US household $276 more a month, study says
https://nypost.com/2022/02/10/inflation-costs-average-us-household-250-more-a-month-study/
Former major league outfielder Jeremy Giambi’s death has been ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Giambi, 47, was found dead in his mother’s home in Claremont, California, on Wednesday morning. A report released by the coroner’s office listed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the chest.
Earlier in the week, Keith Law from The Athletic released his top 30 farm systems in major-league baseball. He surprised many people when he had the Dodgers ranked at No. 1.
On Thursday, Law released his top 20 prospects in the Dodgers’ system. I hope you like pitching, because the Dodgers have plenty of it in their system. Most notably, there are a lot of names from the Dodgers’ 2021 draft class.
Dodgers’ Top 20 Prospects
Rank Player Position
1 Diego Cartaya C
2 Bobby Miller RHP
3 Michael Busch 2B
4 Miguel Vargas 3B
5 Andy Pages OF
6 Eddys Leonard SS
7 Ryan Pepiot RHP
8 Landon Knack RHP
9 Jorbit Vivas 2B/SS
10 Jose Ramos OF
11 James Outman OF
12 Andre Jackson RHP
13 Nick Nastrini RHP
14 Maddux Bruns LHP
15 Gavin Stone RHP
16 Emmet Sheehan RHP
17 Carlos Duran RHP
18 Clayton Beeter RHP
19 Peter Heubeck RHP
20 Michael Grove RHP
Dodgers Top 20 Prospects per Keith Law
Of the 20 prospects, 12 of them are pitchers. Of the 12 pitchers, four of them were selected by the Dodgers in the 2021 draft class. If you remember, the Dodgers went pitcher heavy during the draft, selecting 17 pitchers with their 19 picks.
The highest ranked prospect from the 2021 class is right-handed pitcher Nick Nastrini, who Law ranked at No. 13. Nastrini, 21, was drafted by LA in the 4th round out of UCLA. He had a small sample size with the Quakes, but it was an encouraging one.
@Mark.
Made me think of your recent post;
https://www.propublica.org/article/he-was-charged-13-064-for-donating-his-kidney
Keith Law over at the Athletic ($$$$) Goes through his top 20 list of dodger prospects.
It’s a great read, not only for the new names but also because if depicts how the Dodgers player development system is working to take talented but flawed prospects and address those flaws.
And I’m a fan of Law.
Dodgers also signed Duensing. A pitcher who was drafted by the Angels some years ago. No more speculating, the DH is now here as soon as they have a deal. Sign Freeman. Will do nothing but make them better. Let Kersh walk. He is not an ace anymore. Lakers stood pat at the trade deadline which means they most likely miss the playoffs. The sooner James is out of LA, the better off they will be. Seems they are going to use the buy out route to add players. I do not watch the NFL, so I have no interest in the Stupor Bowl. All it has ever meant to me is that spring training is near. Well, maybe not this year. Roberts pretty sure an extension with the Dodgers will get done soon.
Alright, if we can’t agree to not talk politics, can we at least agree on a maximum number of words allowed on a political post?
It’s really easy to tell who watches CNN and MSNBC, and actually believes their bullcrap.
Freeman is going to be a Dodger.
There’s an extra spot in the lineup now due to the DH, might as well splurge.
Max should be able to hold down the DH Spot with one good wing.
We already replaced Seager’s bat when we traded for Trea Turner.
I don’t like the DH in the NL and I don’t like expanded (more teams in the) playoffs. I guess I’ll adjust.
What, no talk about the shift?
I like the lottery. I’m sick of teams sucking for years to stockpile number ones. Top three teams isn’t enough. Make it 5 or 8 or 10.
I would much rather have Bauer pitch for the Dodgers next year than Clayton. His 10 and 8 record with a 3.55 ERA last year was pedestrian.
Has PRP injections worked for any pitcher?
They aren’t testing for steroids right now, just sayin!
Is signing a journeyman catcher with a lifetime minor league batting average near the Medoza line newsworthy?
If I punch myself in the face and say another poster on this site did it, should they be banned from this site? What if I post pictures of injuries and have proof we met for coffee?
Lifting the mask mandates have everything to do with the numbers… The poll numbers, that is.
“Unless you say something really stupid”… Giants will win the World Series in ’22. ☺
Well, Rob Manfred just said he expects to play a full season.
Is that wishful thinking? Maybe. Or is he reading the room and believes they are closing on a deal? No idea.
Of course, the mandates were all about politics. When they said Don’t walk on a beach or trail, it certainly wasn’t about Science or Data. Masks on kids? Study after study talking how harmful that has been. On line education versus in person classes. Didn’t work, students fell way behind. Most politicians are reading the polls and hearing the distant thunder. People are tired and fed up. None of this ever made sense.
As to Clayton Kershaw, if he’s healthy, I definitely want him back.
Trevor Bauer? More complicated than simply releasing him. Is MLB going to negotiate a deal with Bauer? No idea. Number of possibilities, including a straight up suspension. I’m not real sympathetic. He was paid a lot of money to help the Dodgers win another World Series, not to meet someone on line for “rough sex.” Who thought that would go well?
If we believe what has been reported about the players, maybe Bauer wouldn’t be welcome.
The Dodgers need to move forward, figure out how to fill out the rotation. A trade? Definite possibility. Manfred needs to determine Bauer’s future sooner than later. Will he? Probably need to get a deal in place to begin the season, then have the investigators interview Bauer. Maybe that’s already in place.
Seems logical to me that the Dodgers need to replace Corey Seager’s bat. Freeman would certainly help.
No problems with Bill Plaschke’s columns. His point of view is certainly shared by many.
We also need to consider the impact of inflation on baseball moving forward. Wall Street Journal reporting the current inflation rate of 7.5 percent is already costing families $270 per month and it continues upward. Probably double digits already. People are going to have to make choices.
Good column today, Mark.
Dodgers Sign Another Betts
by Eric Eulau
The Dodgers added more minor league depth on Wednesday. LA has signed 24-year-old catcher Chris Betts to a minor league deal. Note, Betts is of no relation to the Dodgers superstar outfielder Mookie Betts.
Betts the catcher announced the signing on his Twitter account complete with an incredible meme from The Office.
Beyond excited for my new home to be with the @Dodgers!!!
…no we’re not related pic.twitter.com/Rim0yw1NVj
— Chris Betts (@ChrisBetts26) February 9, 2022
Betts was originally drafted by Dodgers team president Andrew Friedman’s former team, the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays selected Betts in the second round of 2015 draft.
Betts, a Long Beach native, has spent the majority of the last five seasons in the minors. He finished the 2021 season in Double-A. Betts also played for the Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball league in 2018.
He owns a career slash line of .213/.330/.380.
Yes, it is getting pretty sad. We celebrate free speech, as long as we agree with it or we are doing the talking. I want you to hear my opinion but I’m not interested in yours.
Quite a fan of Jason Furman, who recently wrote:
If you think corporate greed is playing a major role in the current inflation then you need to rethink a lot of your views.
1. FISCAL MULTIPLIERS. Fiscal stimulus is less effective than you thought because it will go more into prices/profits than quantities.
2. INCIDENCE ANALYSIS OF FISCAL TRANSFERS. Distributional tables that show the stimulus checks going to households, for example, not correctly reflect that much of the benefit of the stimulus checks was captured by higher prices instead of higher purchasing power.
3. WORKER POWER AND REAL WAGES. If stronger demand raised the ability of corporations to do unfair or unjustified price increases over and above their costs then the flip side is you are saying that heating the economy lowers real wages.
(All of the above assumed that corporate greed was increased by high demand relative to supply, if it was just an exogenous increase in corporate greed—companies that could have done this in 2019 but mistakenly didn’t—the points would be slightly different.)
?????? The mandates are being rescinded because the numbers are much more favorable. I think that they are somewhat bowing to political pressure from the Far Right, and I would like to see the mandates retained until the numbers are consistently better. In Los Angeles, the mandates remain, but of course people will not follow them. The mandates were never popular among Republicans, so the only reason they were instituted, was for public health, just like in the other countries which ordered them. It depresses me to see so many people just certain that they know more than the scientific and medical community. We would still have polio and smallpox if this was the attitude when those vaccines were developed. Israel was in favor of a fourth vaccine shot, they are far from unknowledgeable, they have just about the highest education rate in the world, and some of the best scientists. Canada has a 90% vaccination rate, and they still have those Far Right people trying to wreck their economy by stalling traffic and blocking ingress to stores. We will probably see this here, as well. If a new worrisome variant develops, the mandates will be reinstituted, and the same people will complain about and ignore them.
Flash:
This just in. With all of the rescinding of the mask mandates, we no longer have to wonder if the mandates were about “the science” or “the politics.”
It was absolutely ALWAYS about the POLITICS! The “timing” proves it!
It has been established!
I was going to tell Mark the same thing. But you have to excuse him…old age ya know! LOL. Maybe he was thinking they were in a severe shift with both playing on the first base side of the infield. RIP to Gerald Williams and Jason Giambi.
Love the lineup, Mark. Only one problem, you’ve got Muncy and Lux sharing second base and no third baseman.
If Friedman thinks Muncy will be ready to start the year, I don’t expect him to sign Freddie.
You heard it first here. If Atlanta doesn’t bring back Freeman, I predict the Rangers will sign him.
@Mark.
From last thread.
YES, YES, YES. For serious issues (Cancer treatment, replacement hips, etc.) the Canadian Healthcare system will leave you wanting. Similarly for cutting edge technologies or medicines.
I’m not sure that’s much different than here in the States, except that if you have resources and money here in the states you can (somewhat) escape that bureaucracy.
Again, I’m happier here than I was there. But Canada is still great.
Bauer deserves respect for not giving in to extortion. All you Bauer haters can hate him till your last breath. Most of us knew what this was from the get go- a shakedown for a huge cash payoff with a non-disclosure agreement. Not to mention the total destruction of a man , his career , and his future. It takes an evil, twisted , psychopath to do what was attempted here. Ya, he ain’t no saint, but what was attempted on Bauer was murder for spite and money.
No horses slayed here…
NFL & NBA can pound sand..
I ill continue to go to see my Rancho Cucamonga Quakes A team. Darn I wish it were AA
If offered FREE LAD tix I’m going..
I love the NCAAF and NCAAB (Notre Dame and UCLA…)
Still like Luke Raley!! Of course I liked Valentino Pascucci.
I’m really liking Freeman.. Harrison not so much…
Love our staff with second half MILB possibilities..
Love to see Kersh retire as a Dodger.. Maybe it will boil down to Benjamins.. Sad.
Bill P. is isn’t commenting on..
Super Bowl? Mainly like the commercials and Half time..
Back under the knife tomorrow .. Minor but at 75, I’m turning it over to higher power!!!
Last but not least, Happy Valentines all the Ladies out there!!!