This Ain t My First Rodeo

After being the best team in baseball for quite some time, the Dodgers are now playing second fiddle to the Yankees and Astros who both have one more win than the Dodgers. The surging Braves are just three games behind the Dodgers for the best record in the NL, having won nine games in a row. In their last 10 games, the Dodgers are .500 while the Braves are 9-1, and the Yankees and Astros are 7-3. But, this ain’t my first rodeo.

Cody Bellinger and Hyun-jin Ryu are falling as NL favorites to win the MVP and Cy Young Awards respectively… and Max Muncy and Alex Verdugo (two of the Dodgers best hitters) are on the DL. Dave Roberts can’t manage and Andrew Friedman can’t lead and this is how this is all going to end… right? Because hot teams always stay hot and cold teams always stay cold! Everyone knows that! OK, I am being very sarcastic because of all the gloom and doom, knee-jerk reactions. I remain unfazed! This ain’t my first rodeo. This ain’t the first time I’ve seen this dog and pony show.

In fact, I warned you earlier in the season that there would be bumps in the road. 5-5 is a bump… not the end of the world. Now, if the Dodgers are in the midst of the same malaise come next weekend, then I might get just a LITTLE worried. It’s not how you start… its how you finish and that is especially true of September Baseball. In fact, there’s something to be said about saving your best for last. The ATL is surging right now, but they can’t keep it up. Just watch how it plays out. We have nothing to fear, but fear itself! This ain’t my first rodeo.

As we speak, the Dodgers are one game back for being tied for the best record in baseball. They still have the biggest “run differential” in baseball. By a narrow margin, they are 4th on OB% in MLB, 5th in OPS, 5th in runs scored and 3rd in home runs. On the pitching side, they are #1 in Team ERA, #1 in Starter ERA, #6 in bullpen ERA (.02% behind SF) and #1 in Team WHIP. There is a lot to be optimistic about – did I mention that this is not my first rodeo?

When Andrew Friedman took the job as Dodger President and now GM, he was mandated to keep winning while building the farm. I know that some of you oldtimers are tired of waiting for a Championship. 31 years is too long, but Andrew Fredman has only been responsible for 5 of those 31 years. In those 5 years, he has kept the team relevant, winning the NL West all 5 years, taking the team further every year until they lost in the World Series in back-to-back years. That ain’t a failure – I know because this ain’t my first rodeo!

Jeff Luhnow and Theo Epstein rebuilt their respective team’s farm systems and returned to relevancy over a period of years: 4 t 7 to be exact! Andrew Friedman rebuilt the Dodgers farm system while winning. You are placing the blame for the other 26 years of mismanagement on Andrew Friedmans’ shoulders when you should be thanking him for putting your team in the best position it has been in for 31 years to win it all.

The statistics and the eye test tell us that the Dodgers are one of the best teams in all of baseball. Back in the day, you might have looked at Bo Derek and said “she’s an 8!” Well, I thought she was a 10 and so did everyone else. I think the Dodgers are the best team in baseball… even if they aren’t THIS WEEK! This ain’t my first rodeo… quit acting like it’s yours.

On Aug. 6, longtime columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote in The Boston Globe, “I’ll be shocked if Dave Dombrowski is back with the Red Sox next season.”  Keeping a team relevant year-over-year is difficult and I know some of you would gladly trade a World Series Championship for 10 years of misery. I would not! I believe that by getting there, year-after-year, you have a better chance of winning. This ain’t my first rodeo.

You all are free to have your own opinions, but I believe that your knee-jerk reactions are foolish and brand you as rank amateurs in the evaluation of baseball and players. You can create your own misery and wallow in your own swill, but I am having none of it because it’s ain’t my first rodeo. I write the facts… not fiction or the voices in my head.

Good News

• It was good to see Will Smith get a couple of hits last night. Hopefully, he can run off another hot streak. He caught a great game last night, but remember that Gonso is very familiar with him.
• Kenley looked good last night – hopefully he can get his confidence back.
• Actually, the bullpen was great last night: Fregusn, Garcia, May, Kelly. Baez, and Jansen all shut down the Giants.
• Gonsolin, May, and Garcia are all in the running for a post-season roster spot.
• It sounds like Alex Verdugo will not be ready until the last week of the month, providing there are no setbacks with his back (pun intended).
• Joc Pederson is looking like he is locked in.
• The return of Dick Mountain on Thursday will energize the team.

Minor League Lowdown

• The Tulsa Drillers were tied in the series with the Arkansas Travelers 2-2 and forcing a game 5 today. It’s on today at 1:05 EDT. The pitchers have not been announced.
• Rancho Cucamonga was smoked 11-2 as they were eliminated from the playoffs yesterday – Jeren Kendall went 2-4 with a 2 run HR and that was all the scoring. Michael Grove started and pitched 2 shutout innings. Next season, the kid gloves come off and I look for him to get to AAA before the year is over.
• The Loons lost Game One 6-4 in their series against the South Bend Cubs. Camargo and Valera both hit HR, but Kolek and Willeman were touched up for 6 runs. They play again tonight at Midland.