Well, it is now early September. Dodgers 2 games back with 22 to play, and none of them with the Giants. So, what do they need to do? First off, they need to take care of their own business and not get too involved in scoreboard watching.
Some players now have a short time to get back on track and play like they were earlier in the season. Smith and Seager have been the hottest lately. Taylor, Muncy, JT, and Betts need to crank it up. Trea Turner has been getting a hit a game. A 3 or 4 hit performance would be a nice pick me up for the offense. These guys need to do it since the bottom of the lineup has become the black hole.
If Bellinger is indeed going to be kept in the lineup, and since Pollock is injured, this is the most likely scenario, then do not hit him anywhere but 8th. The pitching is going to be getting some reinforcements over the next week or so. Gonsolin is in there today against St. Louis, who look like they are having a bullpen day. I would definitely call up Beaty. Right now they are playing with a short bench and 16 pitchers.
Emotions for the fans will be up and down according to the fortunes of the team. The Giants are for real. And they are playing like a team on a mission. But they have some tough games on tap. And 10 with the Padres is not an easy task. The Dodgers, on the other hand, have 9 games against some soft competition. They need to win those games. And they need to win the series they have with the contenders.
I think they have a pretty good chance of taking today’s game against the Birds. Then the aces are lined up for the Padres. Then the D-Backs, Reds, Rockies, and D-Backs. Then they close out the year with the Padres and Brewers. That 12 game stretch starting next week with Arizona and Cincinnati is going to be a crucial stretch and could decide just where they finish. They also have to hope that the teams playing the Giants play some pretty good baseball against a good team. Even though the Giants won that game yesterday, their starting pitching beyond Webb and Gausman can be beaten. Desclafani only went 4 innings.
The reason that stretch is important is that 10 of the Giants games in that stretch are against the Padres, Braves, and then Padres again before they finish with 6 against Colorado and Arizona, and then 3 with San Diego while LA plays SD and Milwaukee. I feel pretty good about their chances, but I wish they had at least one more head-to-head with them. Now no matter who the # 2 wild card is, that game if it involves the Dodgers, will be at Dodger Stadium.
I feel a lot better with that game being in LA rather than on the road. All of the Dodger starting pitchers are pretty good in LA. A head-to-head NLDS with the Giants looms if it comes down to that and they win the wild card game. Also, since they would have to travel to SF for the game, the travel is not as bad as say having to fly to Milwaukee. I will say this, MLB needs to revamp the playoff system. They need to do an NBA-style playoff by rank. Dodgers right now should be the # 2 seed in that kind of playoff. 1& 2 should not meet in the first round.
This winter is going to be one of the more interesting winters in recent memory. There was a lot of activity when Freidman took over after the 2014 season. With the new CBA being negotiated, and the number of prime free agents the Dodgers have, AF is going to have some tough decisions on his plate. You also have to give Farhan kudos for the job he has done with the Giants. I find it amazing that so many former Dodger employees are running teams in the majors.
Congratulations to the Hall of Fame inductees, Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller. Many think the award for Miller was long overdue. I watched part of the ceremony yesterday. Players have long memories. Jeter called out the only writer who did not vote for him.
Well, the Dodgers lost another one-run game today. The offense is so bad right now that the last 4 hitters in the lineup had an awful day. Roberts rested Seager, Smith, and Taylor all at the same time. Souza, McKinney, and Barnes started in their stead. And after the loss, the fan reaction was predictable. The frustration with this team is pretty high right about now. And some think Roberts has thrown in the towel and is preparing for the Wild Card game. An assumption that is absolutely ridiculous.
On the Dodgers site, Trea Turner was quoted as saying, we are not playing good enough. And he feels he can do better. They made weak contact on a lot of first-pitch curveballs or off-speed pitches. Their best opportunity, Bellinger hit a soft fly on the first pitch with the bases loaded and two outs. Muncy said the offense just sucked. And they are wasting great performances by the pitching staff, which is most likely frustrated themselves with the lack of help from the offense. JT thinks the entire team is pressing. And I have a feeling that is very true. He also said they need to be having fun playing, and right now they are not.
I have no clue what the solution is. They have 12 games left at home, and 9 on the road. They need to take care of their own schedule and hope the Padres and Braves can throw a wrench into the Giant’s machinery starting next week. I also think they need some help off of the bench which right now has 2 hitters under the Mendoza line, Pujols, and the backup catcher. McKinney has been a bust and Souza Jr. has one hit in his two games. The starters are getting a boost with the return of CK on Monday and they are throwing the best they have at the Padres this weekend.
But unless the offense cranks it up and quickly, they will continue to have to win close games with few runs in the bank.
Discussion (47)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Shabbat Shalom my Dodger brothers!
Dodgers win, Dodgers win!
Julio to the rescue!
Marvelous Max breaks out!
TM
4 for 26. 0 for 4 WRISP.
ZZZZZZZZZ
A few barrels that were caught. Might be a sign. Might not.
Urias. 28 starts. 163 innings.
Doyers win! Max is the man
Not a bad night for a reliever! And a virtual explosion by the offense tonight!
Joc used to own Musgrove
Vieron el doblete de Myers a jardín central?, esa es una de las razones por las que juega Belli, su defensa de élite.
Me gustaría que los Dodgers continuarán la ofensiva para hacer más carreras, tal cómo lo hacen la mayoría de los rivales y no se aletarguen ( cómo lo hacen a menudo) para terminar sufriendo en las últimas entradas. Julio no irá más de 6 entradas.
We Say puta madre Shen we are rally, rally upset
This lineup is much, much better
I guess Puta Madre means Julio isn’t happy with the umpire lol
McKinney IL, Beaty up. Belli’s gonna sit for a couple of days. With Snell starting Sunday, looks like he’ll miss the entire Padres series.
It’s so bad for CT3 that Lux is batting ahead of him. I’m really looking forward to seeing Lux play LF tonight.
I always think something special is going to happen this time! We’ve seen Man-Ram make that remarkable run. Puig’s start of his career, Fernando, Welch. Anything can happen in baseball, just ask now mortal Randy Arozarena.
Maybe Lux will finally play like we all expected and spark the team while playing stellar defense in the outfield. Some guys just take to it like CT3 did.
Maybe I just smoke too much weed.
Beaty vs. Lux?
Beaty is a better hitter, so they must have come to the conclusion after watching the two games that Lux played in the outfield that Lux can play the position with superiority over Beaty. Two games isn’t much, so Lux must have taken to the position like a fish to water. I looked up the stats and he was pretty busy in LF last night recording 5 outs with one via assist on a double play. Maybe his arm plays up in the outfield.
I don’t want to get too excited over defensive stats with 9 total chances, but they must have really liked something for him to be starting in LF today.
With the bat, he went o-fer last night, while scoring two runs. But, the two nights before he had a couple of 3 hit games with a bomb and a couple of doubles. Hitting wise, right now in the minors, Lux and Beaty are showing similar results.
Here’s the weird part. In Beaty’s current run in the minors, he’s played 4 games and 35 innings in left field, but he’s only made 4 plays. In one game, Lux had as many plays and recorded one more out. Maybe they aren’t hitting balls to left field when Beaty’s out there, or maybe he isn’t getting to too many. Baseball’s an odd game.
Either way, Beaty is a more experienced hitter, but no doubt Lux has more tools to work with.
The real question is WTF is McKinney still doing on this roster?
Dios te oiga Mark, ° Tal vez la ofensiva se despierte ahora mismo y todo esto se olvide … ¡Eso espero, pero soy de Missouri!
Tonight’s Lineup:
RF Mookie Betts R
1B Max Muncy L
2B Trea Turner R
SS Corey Seager L
3B J. Turner R
C Will Smith R
LF Gavin Lux L
CF Chris Taylor R
P Julio Urias L
No Cody Gavin starting in LF
I hate to hear how Bauer was a bad signing by the front office. As a matter of fact, up until Fourth of July weekend, it was a great signing. He was amongst the leaders in most pitching categories and you could always count on him to rest the pen and have a quality start. Two things that don’t get enough attention these days.
No one could have predicted that a former employee from a rival team would have a grudge big enough to make Gil Renard look like just another fan, let alone that he was stupid enough to invite an Internet psycho over after receiving offers for rough sex. If this was a movie plot, it would bomb as being unbelievable.
No amount of due diligence would have prevented such a combination of stupidity and the borderline personality traits of a serial killer.
https://www.insider.com/common-traits-of-serial-killers-2018-5#need-for-excitement-9
I know he had some brushups online while arguing with people, akin to what everyone on this site has been guilty of. But, to paint him now as a sexual predator, instead of a victim of someone that clearly displayed ulterior motives is the result of political climate as opposed to a reasonable conclusion based on fact.
The real travisty is that Trevor and the Dodgers are being targeted by MLB because Manfred doesn’t want to address the noise that would surround Bauer pitching on National TV in the playoffs. It is a cowardly way to handle the situation and it is unfair to Bauer and the Dodgers. Trevor’s reputation is irreparable damaged and this will hurt his future earnings and this has also hurt the reputations of two other players along the way. But, the person that caused all the damage is getting little backlash. What a strange world we live in where a man is at fault and punished based on a women’s allegations, her nefarious actions, and his response to her requests.
Sure, you may not agree with the contract, but it’s hard to argue with the results before the fateful incident occurred. I hardly fault AF for bringing a stud pitcher onto the team and I certainly don’t mind paying a premium to reduce the risk of a long term contract.
Politics suck, but it’s a necessary evil in life. Without it, the most violent and unremorseful would rule mankind. In Manfred’s case, it’s hard to argue a single team other than the Dodgers would want Bauer back before the end of the season. So, he will trample the rights of a single player to make the league look less bad in the public eye. As commissioner, it is entirely within his power to do so. But, in the case of our nation’s government, you should vote out anyone that is supporting trampling over the rights of its citizens for any reason. Once you lose your rights, it will be very tough to get them back. Remember that when you vote.
I will be voting tomorrow morning, in person and I’ll have my ID in my pocket even though I don’t need it to vote. Like most people, I carry it wherever I go. I don’t trust the postal service to ensure my vote counts any more than I would trust them with mailing a $100 bill. If you can’t get your ass in to vote properly over the weekend, Monday or Tuesday, it’s just not that important to you so maybe your vote shouldn’t count. I will eat something before I leave the house, and I’ll bring water with me. No need to supply those things in the line. This isn’t a trivial trip to Walmart.
DODGERS RECALL GAVIN LUX
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled infielder Gavin Lux and optioned right-handed pitcher Andre Jackson.
Lux, 23, joins the team for his second stint with the club after playing in 85 games and hitting .221 with six homers and 37 RBI with the Dodgers. He played in 17 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .279 (19-for-68) with four doubles, one homer and 10 RBI. He has spent parts of three Major League seasons with the Dodgers, batting a combined .217 with 11 homers and 54 RBI. The 2019 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year had a banner campaign in his last full minor league season, hitting .347 with 26 homers and 76 RBI in 113 games split between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was originally drafted in the 2016 First Year Player Draft out Indian Trail High School with the 20th overall pick in the draft.
Jackson, 25, was recalled yesterday but did not appear in the game. He is 0-1 with a 1.04 ERA (1 ER/8.2 IP) and seven strikeouts in two big league games this season for the Dodgers. The former 12th round pick of the 2017 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Utah has split the season between Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City and is a combined 5-3 with a 3.42 ERA (31 ER/81.2 IP) and 88 strikeouts.
Cody Bellinger is literally the worst player in MLB (using OPS+ as the measuring stick – I know that there are other ways to look at it). I agree that if you put the likes of McKinney out there every day he would be as bad or worse and Belli is a superior defender, but running Belli out there daily doesn’t solve anything.
If Trea Turner would play CF (which he did for a while when he came up) then against southpaws at least they could move Pujols to 1B, Muncy to 2B and Turner to OF. I know, worse defense at 3 positions but Pujols has a triple slash against LHP of .302/..341/.635/.976, which is certainly better than anything that Bellinger is doing. I know – Turner doesn’t want to play OF, but really?
I also know that doesn’t answer the other problem which is that Muncy, JT, Taylor, Betts aren’t hitting much either but Belli is 0 for September.
Here are the Dodgers’ hitters in September:
Corey Seager: .391 (9 for 23)
Will Smith: .353 (6 for 17)
Trea Turner: .313 (10 for 32)
AJ Pollock: .286 (2 for 7)
Austin Barnes: .250 (3 for 12)
Max Muncy: .241 (7 for 29)
Albert Pujols: .222 (2 for 9)
Mookie Betts: .214 (6 for 28)
Justin Turner: .214 (6 for 28)
Chris Taylor: .067 (2 for 30)
Steven Souza Jr.: .167 (1 for 6)
Billy McKinney: .000 (0 for 7)
Cody Bellinger: .000 (0 for 23)
The other thing about resting players down the stretch – unless they’re hurt now is not the time. Here’s Houston Mitchell from the Times:
“I think we are at the point of the season when it’s OK to stop resting players. I mean, there are only 21 games left, and it’s not like all the rest prevented Pollock from getting injured. I don’t think an outfield of Souza, Bellinger and McKinney, like the Dodgers started on Thursday, is the ideal lineup when you are two back with 22 to play.”
Finally, what about Matt Beatty? The Dodgers now have a 15 man pitching staff (they just sent Jackson back down and recalled Lux). Beatty has an OPS over .800 since being recalled from the minors in July. Tell me that you wouldn’t prefer to see him come up over the likes of McKinney right about now.
Los Angeles Dodgers
@Dodgers
The Dodgers recalled IF Gavin Lux and optioned RHP Andre Jackson.
http://probaseballinsider.com/baseball-instruction/infield-situational-positioning/
Infield in – no. Infield half way – yes, with excellent base runner.
In response to William above…
I will agree with you that Craig Counsell is a better manager than Doc. IMO, Counsell is the 2nd best manager in MLB right behind Tony LaRussa. If LaRussa’s CWS win the WS, he will have won a WS with three different teams. No other manager has won a WS with more than 2 teams, and only 4 have done that.
Bucky Harris – 1924 Washington Senators and 1947 NYY
Bill McKechnie – 1925 Pirates and 1940 Reds
Sparky Anderson – 1975/1976 Reds and 1984 Tigers
Tony LaRussa – 1989 A’s and 2006/2011 Cardinals
I would have preferred Kapler over Doc but for personal reasons. I do not think he is a better manager. He is doing a fantastic job with SF this year, but he needs to be do it consistently as has Roberts since 2016. In his first three years, Gabe was three games under .500. Roberts worst record was 91-71 in 2016 and 92-71 in 2018.
Kevin Cash is perfect for Tampa Bay, but if you think Doc manages off of a script, you would not be pleased with Cash. It is Tampa Bay’s position that no pitcher should face the lineup a third time. That is why he came out to get Snell after Barnes single with one out in the 6th and the top of the lineup coming up. Snell owned Betts, Seager, and JT. 6 ABs and 6 Ks. You really think that was a good in game decision? Snell did not. In 16 outs, 9 were by strikeout. Snell was not just winning, he was dominating. Cash even said after the game that they have been using that same strategy all season and he (they) saw no reason for changing it. You may not like Doc’s in game decisions, but you accept that one? Compare that to Doc’s in game decisions in Game 6. Doc came out and got Gonsolin in the 2nd inning behind 1-0 and with two runners on and Playoff Super Hero Randy Arozarena coming up. Doc went to change up artist Dylan Floro who got Arozarena on three changeups. The book on Arozarena was that he was very susceptible to changeups, and Floro threw him his three best of the season. Doc then maneuvered the bullpen perfectly. With the Dodgers ahead 2-1, with two outs in the 7th Zunino got the single off Bazooka and Doc brought in Julio. Doc was going to ride Julio to the finish and he dominated the rest of the way. That is not how he might have managed during the year, and it certainly is not how he is managing this year, but for that one game, I am glad that Doc was the manager and not Kevin Cash.
While I do agree with you that to send Darvish out for Game 7 in 2017 was a bad decision, I would not have started Kershaw. I would have started Alex Wood who owned the Houston Cheaters in their yard in Game 4. Kersh would (and did) come in. I would have had zero complaints with Kersh starting Game 7, but my preference would have been to start Wood and finishing with Kersh. Kersh started Game 5 and Wood was fresher.
And I have said on too numerous occasions that I did not agree with the decision to let Kershaw pitch to Soto in Game 5. So yes I do agree that Doc has made decisions that I disagree with in some playoff situations. However, I agree with other decisions. Would my decisions (or anyone else’s) have turned out different? We will never know. Overall I think Doc has made more correct decisions than incorrect ones. If it were not for the Houston Cheaters, he would have 2 WS championships in his first 5 years (and who knows about this year yet). He has three NL Championships in 5 years. I doubt that he will ever silence his detractors, even with a WS championship in 2021. Would Counsell have the same record with LAD as Doc has? We will never know.
Well if someone told me at the beginning of the year that we’d be 35 games above .500 and 13 games up on the Pads on Sept 10th I’d have taken it! Life could be worse. We could live in San Diego. Or be Mets fans!
The contact play again. Phil Jones, you’re a pretty smart guy in my opinion, but you definitely have a blind spot for the contact play. Every time it fails, you point it out, but never mention when it does work. It worked for the Cardinals in the first inning of the third game. So, they ran in twice in the series and had a 50% success rate. If they weren’t running on contact, they have about a 30% chance to get the runner home from third on a hit. 50% is still a bigger number than 30%.
I think if you ever really keep track of all the times it happens and you record the results, you’ll find that the runner scores from third more often than not. Record the results, do the math, then tell me why it’s bad.
Giants just got a 2 run HR from Longoria in the 7th and take the lead 3-1.
Man, they are on their way for another comeback win today and another player appears to be the hero. They are getting huge contributions up and down the roster.
Sucks.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!
Just wanted to pop in to say hi to all!
Go Dodgers…win baby win!
Hi Mark
I’m not on this board enough, evidentally.
Our municipal water company is the DWP of Los Angeles.
Heading up to Denver to meet Mark for dinner. Nice posts today.
So the Dodgers have to pay Bauer for all of 2021? Seems to be bullshit that the team has to suffer for what this idiot does.
Good takes today. I don’t agree with all of them but they don’t suck.
It ain’t Roberts. It’s the sticks. This stuff happens. Some days we score double figures, some days the barrels got holes in them. See my avatar? That’s the Dodgers. Muscle bound swing for the fences blind squirrels.
We usta had Joc, CT3 and Kiké off the bench. Now we got van full of McKinney’s. We usta had a MVP 1.035 OPSn Cody Bellinger. Haven’t seen him in months. How will this current group finish? Good thing we have 3 good starters and a string pen, ey?
Just got a drop notice on my screen – Trevor Bauer out for the season. Gee, what a surprise.
https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/10/22662320/epic-apple-ruling-injunction-judge-court-app-store
Bill Shaikin
@BillShaikin
The Los Angeles County DA hasn’t decided whether to file charges against Bauer. MLB is still investigating. There’s no realistic time frame for Bauer to come back and pitch effectively this season.
Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
Trevor Bauer is expected to remain on administrative leave through the season and playoffs and not pitch for again this season. With things in a holding pattern, time short and him understanding it’s better not to be a distraction for the Dodgers, he is prepared to wait till 2022.
Some thoughts on yesterday
* I hope our offense improves as much as Kirsten Watson has. She’s slowed down and actually breathes now. You can understand her and she’s pretty good.
* Thanks Cards for running the contact play with 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, with the infield in. They went from 2 runners in scoring position with one out to first and third with 2 outs I will never understand it. Please skip telling me your opinions about how that it’s a good play.
* I just feel sorry for Bellinger now. This has gotten ridiculous and I can’t imagine how he must feel and how frustrated he is. I’m sure his teammates try to pick him up but what can they say? He’s heard enough “Hang in there’s” and “Get em tomorrows” for a lifetime.
* So how perfect would it have been for Belli to make the Cards pay for pitching around Turner to pitch to him with the bases loaded? Or again bottom 9. Again it didn’t happen.
* So, what can the Dodgers do? First, Bellinger isn’t going to get sent down or develop a different swing in 3 weeks. As mentioned by many, who’s there no one to platoon or take his spot? There isn’t much more to say. I guess we just sit back and root for the guy at this point. This is becoming cruel and unusual.
* Until yesterday, I thought Larrs Nootbaar was a brand of Norwegian energy bar.
* These are certainly challenging times after the last couple of games. But as fans it’s no time to panic and run of the ship like rats.
* i wish I had some wise and insightful solutions to what’s going on with our offense. I don’t.
I attributed Wednesday to great pitching by Wainwright. I don’t have that excuse for Thursday. If I knew how to cure these funks, I’d bottle a potion and be a billionaire.
* There were times in my young coaching days when I would be frustrated and pissed and deferred to the role modeling of the day. What a struggling team needs is a good running session or ass chewing. Back in the day a pro game like today and yesterday would have led to a torn up clubhouse or an explosive ass chewing. You pick the fiery manager but they would have aired it out. I never liked that as a player and it dawned on me, I didn’t like it as a coach either.
* So what can a manager do?
* This was not a competitive line up by Doc or the Wizard Behind the Curtain. I think JT needs rest and Smith after a night game but at his age I’m not 100% convinced that he can’t play back to back. But the botton half of yesterday’s line up isn’t competitive. I have complimented Doc often lately for his line ups and use of the Pen. Yesterday wasn’t one of them.
* Do nothing and play. Count it as “one of those days”
* Have a clubhouse (airplane) meeting or heart-to-heart conversations with the veterans on this team. This poor play is happening on their watch too. Find out what they feel needs to happen to make a push down the stretch. Maybe they didn’t like the lineup either. Doc’s a communicator, so communicate. He may have done something similar all ready.
* Do things different. Show up later to the yard. Don’t take BP on the field. Let the individuals do their own prep in the cage of whatever pregame they want to get ready but change the routine. Do something different. I won’t mention a slump buster. Manufacture runs when you have an opportunity. Be aggressive on the bases. Keep Dino challenging the opponent to make plays.
* Take your pick from the choices above or add a new one. I’d like to hear what.
* Here’s the truth. We can’t trade for new guys. There’s nobody to bring up that we haven’t seen with the exception of perhaps a pitcher. We can only get CK back, Gonzo stretched out and maybe AJ back.
Other than that, for the remainder of the year, this offense isn’t playing well enough to win the division. Everybody needs to look in the mirror and have a come to Jesus meeting wth themselves and come out tonight and collectively, play better.
https://www.craftbrewersconference.com/
I can’t believe I get paid to drink beer. This must be heaven
I didn’t think we could afford to rest 3 hitters when we aren’t hitting. However I agree that most of the blame has to fall on the bench players and minor leaguers that have been called up. Obviously they are trying to get hits but for some reason not one of them has been even adequate this year. For a number of years we have been blessed to have many players step up when injuries or slumps have occurred. For the next stretch of games our regular players have to be in the lineup consistently. Bellinger needs to play but must bat 8th unless he heats up. Smith must catch 3 out of 4 games at least. If we don’t close the gap with a week to go then we can worry about resting for the playoffs. This team can still win the whole thing again.
In some sense, no manager or coach of any sport is responsible if his players strike out, or drop a ball, or miss a field goal. The players play. To an extreme degree, one could contend that unless he strikes his players, no manager or coach should ever be fired, because he is not the one failing to execute on the field or court or rink. The job is a sinecure, all you have to do is be civil and not yell at your players, and you can stay as long as you want., because you are not responsible for them underachieving, or making mistakes, or not improving,; you are in the dugout, not on the field.
There are actually some people who do sports shows, including some who have done Dodgers shows, who take this position. No matter what someone says to criticize the manager or coach, their response is, “Is it the coach who fumbled three times, or missed five free throws?” The answer is, of course, no, it is not the coach. Nor is it the coach or manager who hits three home runs, or pitches a shutout.
Some people like to criticize managers and coaches, some never want to. No one can definitively say what impact a manager has on his team’s success. Some close to the game have speculated that a good manager might win you two to four extra games a year, but that a bad manager will cost you six or more.That is probably true, in that most managing, particularly now, is done by the book, statistics, algorithms. One sometimes wonders why managers are paid substantial amounts of money, anyone could follow the algorithms. What the average folks could not do, is handle the various egos and temperaments. So in that sense, why bother even going over what a manager did or did not do in a game, just consider it a lifetime job, like the civil service.
But of course no professional sports could exist without fans paying for it. So sometimes, or more often than that, fans think that it is appropriate to criticize the manager. It doesn’t amount to much, though; the ownership usually ignores it. It will only matter if the attendance drops, which is not the case here.
So there is an essential futility to it, but then again, if fans weren’t involved, there would be no fans, and no organized sports. Leading back to Dave Roberts, I think that he is better than several managers, but not as good as the best. At the top , I would put Kevin Cash; and yes, I know all about him taking Snell out, based on the percentages of his career, but he has done an amazing job with Tampa Bay. His team, in one of the top two divisions in baseball, has the best record in the American League, despite the loss of Snell and then Glasnow. If we could trade Roberts for him, I would do it in a second, but we can’t. S o that even if we fired Roberts, almost inconceivable, the odds that we would get a better manager than Roberts are not very high. Counsell is probably better,but we can’t get him, either; managers rarely are poached from other teams in professional sports, there are big penalties for that.
So we are stuck with Roberts, in that sense. I would rather have hired Kapler back then, but the ownership preferred Roberts. I will admit that I have never seen the Dodgers have a manager whom I was impressed with in terms of game strategy. So maybe that means that I am too demanding of our managers. Or maybe we have never hired a great one. We could argue that kind of thing forever, and still we are not making the decisions.
I think that Roberts made a big mistake starting Darvish over Kershaw in Game 7 in 2017. I think that twice he took Hill out too soon in the World Series,and we lost both games. I think that leaving Kershaw in to pitch the 8th inning against Washington was questionable,and leaving him in after the first home run was astoundingly foolish. Putting Kelly in for his second inning in that game was wrong, and leaving him in after a leadoff double, then loading the bases, was ludicrous. Those are the big game mistakes. And then he seems to have this penchant for double switches (not as bad as Mattingly, who did not even understand it), which in two key games this year, ended up with us having to let the pitcher hit in extra innings. Lasorda also used to be so eager to try to score runs, that he would pinch hit at will, and by the 10th inning, we often had no one left on the bench, and the pitcher batting fourth.
So if you asked me if I would rather see Cash or Counsell or Kapler managing here, I would answer affirmatively. If you asked if I would want us to just fire Roberts and take our chances with someone in the minor league system, or one of our coaches, I would not want that. So there we are. All sports are relative. If you have one of the better coaches, and your biggest rival has a better coach, you probably will lose to them most years. You want to try to have the best coach or manager, if you can afford him. Finally, I think that Roberts looks tired, and I would not be surprised to see him want to retire for a t least a few years, which would force the choice of the next manager. I would not want to see another Russell or Hoffman or Tracy or Mattingly here. But that does not mean that there are not better managers than Roberts.
Someone made a smart ass comment about Bellinger and the Mendoza line the other day. Surely, it seems reasonable to compare Bellinger to one of the infamous hitters in all of baseball, but if you dig into the facts, or numbers you’re argument falls apart pretty quickly…
First, here’s the definition…
The Mendoza Line is an expression in baseball deriving from the name of shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose low batting average is taken to define the threshold of incompetent hitting. The cutoff point is most often said to be .200 (Mendoza’s career average was slightly better than that, at .215, but he also hit under .200 in over half of years in the MLB) and, when a position player’s batting average falls below that level, the player is said to be “below the Mendoza Line”. This is often thought of as the offensive threshold below which a player’s presence on a Major League Baseball team cannot be justified, regardless of his defensive abilities. The term does not apply to pitchers, who are not expected to be effective hitters.
Now let’s look at the facts as they compare to Cody Bellinger…
First off Mendoza was a shortstop justifying a bad bat for the most important defensive position and a position where hitting was an afterthought for that position at the time when he played. This is no longer the case as there are now more shortstops that OPS over 800 than there are CFs that can boast that lofty number.
Mendoza had a good glove, but not a gold one like Belli.
He also wasn’t a good baserunner. He had 12 stolen bases in his career against 8 CS. Bellinger is 47-11.
Bellinger’s OPS is currently 524. Mendoza eclipsed that mark just twice in his nine year career.
Mendoza had 4 home runs in his career. Belli has more than double that this year.
Mendoza put up those numbers as a healthy player. Not a player that’s trying to get right after injuries.
League wide batting average was 20 points higher when Mendoza played than it is this year.
Mendoza was never an MVP or a ROY or a SS. Belli was all of these things, so he gets a little more leeway.
The circumstances on this team requires Belli to play. We don’t have another guy that can play in Center right now that would be a good replacement. CT3 is slumping almost as bad. Mookie’s hip is an issue, so it’s better he runs less. Pollock is out with a hammy, and it would be good to have him play center when he’s coming back from a hamstring injury.
We just don’t have any viable options right now, so it is what it is and it’s senseless to keep flogging that dead horse.
If we have a postseason outfield of Beaty, Taylor and Betts, it’s going to be a short run. It’s best to do everything possible to get Belli good enough to contribute. It looks horrible right now, but it is absolutely the best thing to do.
I may give him an extra day off after a particularly bad game from now until the end of the season, but there’s no way I would bench or send him down.
Bear, you are really throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Davidson? Really? I think Souza or Davidson on the roster, there’s no need for both. We have enough infielders right now, so Souza stays.
I say dump a pitcher and McKinney. Bring up Lux and Beaty to take their places. Remember that Kersh and Duffy are right around the corner so Price to the IL right now. I have no idea why Jackson is on the roster right now. Maybe he gets dumped when Kershaw comes back and Phillips goes if/when Duffy ever makes it to the big club.
Lux apparently was pretty good in LF yesterday and even had an outfield assist. He’s now played a whopping 2 games in the outfield. One in left and another in center.
What a disappointment splitting a four game series against the Cardinals after losing 2 of 3 against the Giants to stumble through a critical road trip so late in the season. The worst part is those 3 losses were by just 2 runs or 1 run. With a short bench that includes McKinney on the MLB squad and Beaty not, it’s no wonder we lost those close games. Only 3 reliable starters will make roster decisions like carrying 16 pitchers questionable.
With Mookie’s hip and JT’s groin, I understand the need for rest. But, resting Seager, one of the only hitters that actually hits? I question that strategy.
Does anyone think that all these guys would have been rested if there was no Wild Card?
I don’t follow the Giants closely. Of course I do some amount of scoreboard watching right now being in the position we’re in, but I don’t know for a fact that they rest their players in the same manner that we’re resting ours. All I know is that we didn’t field our best players while losing the last two games and that hurts, especially in the standings. And if we were to plan on resting so many players, it might have made some sense to have a full bench while doing so.
Bellinger is the big elephant in the room. He went from being very unlucky to chasing out of the zone frequently in the last week or so. He’s pressing as are others on the team. I know now that a manager is responsible for absolutely nothing these days, so I’m not sure what the solution is. What I do know is that this team is stacked with talent, but not quite as deep as it has been in the past. Maybe we should have made an additional trade at the deadline for a utility player.
I think the lineup is deep enough to absorb having a Gold Glove defender in CF that has a chance to light one up from time to time, or take a walk and with good baserunner, have a good shot at scoring. Especially when you consider the alternatives with the glove. Souza and Taylor are solid outfielders, but both misplayed balls in recent games that lead to runs. They are not the answer especially when their bats are almost as cold. Not to mention the risk in hoping to count on them during the post season. Beaty makes both of them look like defensive wizards. But, with Mookie and Belli in the same outfield, I could see Beaty not causing too much damage with his bricks, but can he hit much better? Probably not with a lefty on the hill. I can see there’s really no good options unless maybe Lux can catch fire and go on a run.
Pollock’s untimely injury really hurts. There’s just no replacement for him right now. He was carrying the team to some extent and the lineup went limp when they lost his big stick.
Yes, there’s still enough time to catch the Giants and it would make for a great end to a crazy season. The great thing about baseball is things like that happen and are remembered for their historic significance. Let’s see if we have a finish like that this year.
The constant bashing of Bellinger is like fingernails on the chalkboard. That guy has done some pretty amazing things in Dodger Blue, yet fans want to discard him like they throw out their phone when the new iPhone comes out. It’s one thing to give up on a rookie, like Lux. We’ve seen hyped prospects fail in the past. But, to do it to a former MVP and ROY leaves me unsettled.
The other thing that might be be even more unsettling is all the Giant’s envy on this site. It really makes me throw up a little when I hear people’s comments praising them or acting like they’re the franchise to emulate. Especially when we’re the franchise they’re trying to emulate.
I see a lot of similarities between the Giants and last year’s Padres. They both had a lot of players having career years. The Giants are not the next dynasty. They are a team with 20 free agents all playing above their heads for their next paycheck. Let’s see how lucky Farhan is next year restocking that pitching staff. I doubt he’s going to pick up 3 pitchers off the waste bin that will be anywhere near this effective again.
This team is a little Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Let’s see if Dr. Jekyll shows up and goes on another killing spree because Mr. Hyde just isn’t getting the job done right now.
We are reaching the point that the varsity has to play every day. It’s important to win the Division, and as I mentioned a few weeks ago we may be using our lineup of aces to accomplish that in the last series against the Brewers. Odd scheduling this year. Hopefully they will have clinched and be on cruise control at that time and we can win going away.
My take? If we hit, we win. If we don’t, we won’t. Coming through the back door, The Wild Card, will be a challenging route, but again, winnable if we hit. And I hope it never comes down to needing a hit from the bottom of this order cuz if it does we’re toast.
I still believe we will win the Division.
CT3 is playing himself out of a big paycheck if he doesn’t turn it around soon. His strikeout rate is way to high. Take strike one, foul off strike two, swing and miss strike three, may be a couple of ball thrown in there, but that seems to be his pattern. My wife and i have been watching and it is uncanny how often that is the pattern. Cody batting 5th isn’t so bad when you look at the BA of the players behind him. Not much to choose from.
Neuse hit 2 HR’s and a double last night in OKC’s win over Salt Lake City. Davidson had 4 hits and 2 RBI’s with a couple of doubles. Beaty was announced as a pinch hitter and pulled. Lux went 0-5 but scored twice. McKinstry and Reks had triples. Meisinger got the win. Beaty could be called up today. With the big 3 pitching this weekend there is absolutely no reason what so ever to carry 16 pitchers with the offense as anemic as it has been. Me, I send Souza and McKinney down. Well, McKinney cannot be optioned so I DFA his butt. Same with Souza. I recall Beaty, Lux and Davidson. Maybe even Neuse. They need some RH pop with Pollock out. And send down two pitchers, Jackson and Greene. Vazquez pitched a clean inning last night.
Good description of the bottom of the line-up as a black hole.
When they look back and I’m sure they constantly evaluate what has gone right and what has gone wrong, no doubt they will question what went wrong with the line-up and the inconsistency of the hitters, particularly the lack of depth or anyone who can step up and hit the ball, particularly with runners in scoring position.
It will be easy to point to turning points if the season goes wrong and the Giants win the division. Is Farhan really that good? Or did they simply make some moves, had older players step up and everything worked out. A magical moment. Chances are good the Dodgers end up with a hundred wins. Pretty much good enough to win any division in any given year.
But if the Dodgers manage to win the wildcard game and ride their starters to the World Series and a second championship, nobody will remember they didn’t win the division. Nobody will care.
But if they don’t there will be cries of anguish, particularly among those who post here. After all this was the best team in baseball. How can this happen? It will be analyzed and then analyzed some point. All good, of course.
If the worst nightmares come to pass, the Dodgers fall short of the division title and get bounced in the wildcard, it will become somewhat of a cursed season, all the injuries and craziness. The Curse of Bauer?
In the meantime there are games to play, admittedly time is running out. When is not too late, too late?
They are 3-4 since landing in first place. Not the best outcome. When does the pedal hit the metal? If not not now, when? Will we rest the Dodgers hottest hitter, Corey Seager, again? Should we? Does it make sense?
Will Cody Bellinger, who has become an automatic out, hit fifth again? With AJ Pollock out, who replaces Cody in the line-up, another automatic out? Not much left in the bag.
In response to Seager and will the Dodgers re-sign him? The question I would ask Bear, Mark and anyone else. Are the Dodgers better with Seager than without him?
Good write-up today, Bear.
I totally agree that if the Dodgers flame out in the playoffs, changes will be coming. I absolutely think they should resign Scherzer. Seager is going to go where the money is, and I am not entirely certain with Turner in the fold through next season that they are going to spring for a boatload of cash for him. I think Bellinger will get a lot of tutelage vis a vis his swing come spring training. I think Taylor will get a 3 year deal somewhere. Kelly might be back, for maybe the same type of 2 year deal they gave Treinen. Jansen, I am not so sure about, except I doubt he would get 20 mil a year again. They have 3 hitting advisors at the major league level. Brown, Von Scoyoc, and Bates. I am not sure why they need 3. A lot of things will be decided when they figure out what the new CBA will entail. November is going to be a very busy month. I am hoping they get the CBA figured out before the winter meetings are over. As for Kershaw, I am not sure how it all is going to play out. He is certainly not a 30 million dollar a year pitcher anymore. Scherzer and Buehler are the Aces. Urias can be one of those guys when they totally take the reins off. Bauer is out of the picture for the foreseeable future. If you want a comparison to his case, MLBTR posted a story about Ozuna and what he is going through right now. He has had to enter a domestic abuse program and he is still facing up to one year in jail. And the major charges against him were dropped. The charges he is facing now are misdemeanors. The Giants have a very tough stretch coming up beginning Monday. 10 games against contenders. 7 of those against the Padres. The Dodgers have a much softer schedule. 12 more home games, and 9 on the road. Lets get er done!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021
DODGERS TO HONOR LEGACY OF TOMMY LASORDA AND 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF FERNANDOMANIA DURING HOMESTAND
Six-game homestand vs. Padres and D-backs starts tomorrow at Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers return home tomorrow and will take on the San Diego Padres (Sept. 10-12) and Arizona Diamondbacks (Sept. 13-15) during a six-game homestand starting Friday at Dodger Stadium. Tickets remain available for all games at Dodgers.com/tickets.
The Dodgers will host the Padres for three games this weekend, which will include Friday Night Fireworks presented by Q CELLS and pre- and post-game events Sunday with Viva Los Dodgers presented by Spectrum and Coca-Cola in the Centerfield Plaza prior to the game and Kids Run the Bases following the 1:10 p.m. series finale. The club will honor two franchise icons during its series against the Diamondbacks, with Tommy Lasorda Bobblehead Night presented by Security Benefit on Monday and a Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead giveaway presented by ampm in the homestand finale Wednesday. The team will also host LA Kings Night on Friday, UCLA Day presented by UCLA Health Sunday and Hello Kitty Night Tuesday, each with themed pregame ceremonies and an exclusive item for those that purchase the special event ticket packs at Dodgers.com/events.
Nearly 3,500 fans have been vaccinated at Dodger Stadium during the team’s past seven homestands, and the Dodgers will once again host a mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic this homestand on the Left Field Reserve.
In accordance with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) order (effective Aug. 19, 2021), all individuals ages two and older, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask or an appropriate face covering at all times at Dodger Stadium, except when actively eating or drinking in their ticketed seat or when seated at a table. As defined by the LACDPH order, actively eating or drinking is the limited time during which the mask can be removed briefly to eat or drink, after which it must be immediately put back on.
The Dodgers lead the Majors in both home and road attendance and have recorded 38 sellouts so far this season.
A full schedule and more information on the upcoming homestand can be found below:
Friday, Sept. 10 – 7:10 p.m. vs. Padres
• Friday Night Fireworks presented by Q CELLS, set to the music of Metallica.
• LA Kings Night: Fans that purchase the special event ticket pack at Dodgers.com/Kings will receive an exclusive Kings Night t-shirt.
o First Pitch: Current members of the LA Kings.
o Kings mascot, Bailey, in Centerfield Plaza pregame.
• Probable starting pitcher: Julio Urías, seeking his MLB-best 17th win.
Saturday, Sept. 11 – 6:10 p.m. vs. Padres
• Special pregame ceremonies for September 11 Remembrance.
Sunday, Sept. 12 – 1:10 p.m. vs. Padres
• UCLA Day presented by UCLA Health.
o Fans that purchase the special event ticket pack at Dodgers.com/UCLA will receive an exclusive UCLA Day tank top.
o First Pitch: Trevor Ariza.
• Viva Los Dodgers presented by Spectrum and Coca-Cola in the Centerfield Plaza pregame.
o Joe Kelly stage appearance at approx. 12:00 p.m.
• Probable starting pitcher: Max Scherzer seeking his 3,000th career strikeout (enters game with 2,994).
• Anthem: Bryan Ruby.
• Post-game Kids Run the Bases.
Monday, Sept. 13 – 7:10 p.m. vs. D-backs
• Tommy Lasorda bobblehead giveaway presented by Security Benefit (first 40,000 ticketed fans in attendance while supplies last at guest’s point of entry).
• Probable starting pitcher: Clayton Kershaw expected to return from Injured List.
Tuesday, Sept. 14– 7:10 p.m. vs. D-backs
• Hello Kitty Night
o Fans that purchase the special event ticket pack at Dodgers.com/HelloKitty will receive an exclusive Hello Kitty knit cap.
Wednesday, Sept. 15 – 7:10 p.m. vs. D-backs
• Fernando Valenzuela bobblehead giveaway presented by ampm (first 40,000 ticketed fans in attendance while supplies last at guest’s point of entry).
• Pregame performance: La Reyna de Los Angeles Mariachi.
• Roberto Clemente Day.
• First Pitch: Olympic gold medalist (volleyball) Jordan Larson.
Yesterday 18-year-old catcher Yeiner Fernandez made his debut with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He had hit .319 in 35 games with the ACL Dodgers. In his debut last night he went 3-for 5 with two runs batted in.
Third round selection in 2021, 19-year-old right-hander Peter Heubeck, made his professional debut with the ACL Dodgers. He pitched two hitless innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
Nineteenth round selection, right-hander Gabe Emmett, also made his debut wth the the ACl Dodgers. He was charged with two earned runs in his inning pitched as the result of a two-run home run.
If you think Dave Roberts is wrong to rest his players as he does, why is Gabe Kapler right for doing it as well (maybe even more so)? See it automatically falls back upon the players.
Most of the Dodgers hitting prospects have flopped on the MLB Level this year, while more of the Giants hitting prospects have played their roles. They haven’t been great, but they have been adequate. I would not rank more of the Giant’s prospects ahead of the Dodgers’ but they have delivered and the Dodgers have not.
There reaches a point where you cannot fire the players so you have to fire the manager and coaches. I know that most of you think I am a Dave Roberts apologist and that is because you do not understand nuance. My entire point about Dave Roberts is that pitchers pitch and hitters hit, and it is up to them to execute. It’s easy to blame ANY move that doesn’t work on the manager, but I believe that TACTICALLY, a manager makes very little difference. When Roberts brings in (pick ’em… let’s say, Joe Kelly) and he loses the game, is Roberts the idiot or did Kelly fail to execute?
It’s insane to blame Dave Roberts over and over for his player’s failures. RVS and his team were on the cutting edge with “New Age” hitting techniques. Could it be that the league has caught up to them and figured out how to counteract their method of hitting? Cody Bellinger was the poster child for creating a new swing. He went from someone who hit no HR in HS to a monster and now look at him.
There is a lot of time left. The Giants can still flame out, but it seems so absurd that the entire Dodger team is hitting .205 in September while there are teams hitting over .300! The Giants are hitting .279 as a team in September. I also guarantee you that if Cody Bellinger were on the Giants, he would also be playing.
The entire team is in an offensive funk – ALL AT THE SAME TIME. It’s not Cody’s fault. It’s not Doc’s fault (although if the Dodgers end up flaming out, he might have to go)! These days managers have a shelf life – maybe Doc’s has hit his. Sometimes it’s not the manager, it is just that change is needed. I don’t know. I am not in the clubhouse, but right about now, it looks like Cody, Max, JT, McKinney, Mookie and others are not haveing any fun.
You CAN put that on the manager – to a degree. I tend to think that the Dodgers’ need to overhaul their development and hitting ideals and that just hunting for fastballs to launch in a certain part of the zone is not working like it once did. I cannot tell you the complete solution, but I can see part of the problem.
There are twenty-something games left. If the Dodgers don’t win the division and flame out in the playoffs, there will be changes…. BIG CHANGES!
Maybe the offense will wake up right about now and all of this will be forgotten… I hope so, but I’m from MIssouri!