In 2000, the “average OPS for an MLB Baseball player was .782. Now, for the uninitiated, I believe that if you have to use one statistic to measure a player’s ability to be a force offensively, then OPS is your man. In 2024, the average OPS is .713. Now, for full disclosure, OPS has varied over the years, going up and down. It is probably very dependent upon how the balls were made. In 2000, the average run per game was 5.14. Today it is 4.41.
Pitchers are dominating the game… to their detriment! Their arms are falling off with regularity. The Dodgers are at the forefront of this. Is there a single cause for this? I doubt it! Players are bigger, stronger, and faster. They train with scientific precision, and the pitchers throw harder and with excessive spin rates. It’s little wonder that arm and shoulder issues are at an all-time high. The connecting tissue, the ligaments and tendons, are still made of the same stuff they have always been. The only way to stop this uptick in velocity is to make it illegal to throw a pitch over a certain MPH. Let’s say 99 MPH. If the radar gun detects a 100 MPH pitch, it is automatically called a ball. That way, every pitch thrown will not be at max effort. I know that sounds silly, but how else can you stop it? If it keeps going in this direction, we are going to see pitchers hitting 110 MPH, and teams like the Dodgers will have a Dozen Pitchers at a time on the IL with Tommy John. Does anyone have a better idea?
Last night’s loss was bound to happen, but it was still hard to take. Clayton struggled with his control and pitch selection in the first inning but then settled down. Kopech has not been named the closer because he needs to earn it. Phillips struck out the side in his inning but again made just one bad pitch. Joe Kelly remains an enigma. Gavin Stone goes today.
BTW, it’s a compliment that the morons at the other board read here and then go back and talk about me. I find that highly interesting and very flattering… even if they don’t say nice things about me! Also, Jeff Dominique and I are fine and have e-mailed each other. I consider him a friend and have no issues with him. It was Bear who invented that I was disrespecting Jeff. Not true. Jeff knows that. But if that is what Bear wants to believe… so be it. I have no quarrel with either of them. My only quarrel is with the morons who make knee-jerk reactions over and over and ridicule Doc and Andrew ad nauseum. I would think that if they are tired of me calling them morons, then they would stop being morons… Makes perfect sense to me.
Discussion (16)
Disagree, not disagreeable
A lot of posters complain about our weak hitting bench. If Andrew’s goal is defensive depth and the ability to maintain a high level defense at all times, then I’d say we have a great bench.
I was at yesterday’s game and got there early. Yamamoto spent over 30 minutes hurling his javelins. I saw him grab at his right shoulder a couple of times after tosses. Glasnow was throwing a rubber ball at a wall (not hard) from close distance. Flaherty and Buehler were throwing bullpens. Buehler was under the eye of Mark Prior and was all over the place.
Interesting what you can see at the ballpark.
Gavin Stone was excellent yesterday! Was a bit surprised Doc didn’t allow him to pitch the 8th. Kiki keeps shutting our mouths! Great catch in center field and then a monster home run! … ohtani was absolutely drilled in the wrist! Very fortunate he wasn’t seriously hurt. Mookie saved the day with his own missle! …. Freddie doesn’t look comfortable at the plate. Might be the finger is bothering him more than he lets on. …. Here’s hoping Yamamoto is completely recovered! i’m guessing the doctors wouldn’t sign off on his return if he wasn’t. He will be like making a big trade at the deadline! … Then there’s Glasnow. i thought it was more rest than injury. Now i’m not so sure! …. It’s still amazing how many starters the dodgers have on the IL! Glasnow, Gonsolin, Yamamoto, May, Sheehan,Ryan. That’s a very impressive rotation! …. A bit surprised Vesia didn’t pitch yesterday. Trienan 2 straight days? i guess Doc knows best!
Following the Dodgers’ win, Ohtani underwent X-rays on his left forearm that manager Dave Roberts said came back negative and he’s expected to remain in the lineup moving forward.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Yamamoto (triceps) will start a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
“It’s the final stage of the rehab progress for the Japanese right-hander, who has been sidelined since mid-June due to triceps tightness. Yamamoto has recently thrown a few simulated games and should be ready to cover at least a couple frames in his first rehab start. The Dodgers are targeting mid-September to bring him back from the injured list”.
Although he’ll probably go 4-5 today, but just wondering if if Freddie needs to be playing everyday with a hairline fracture. 0 for his last 9
Mark I love your idea. But how about no more than 97? And great idea forcing starters to go at least 6. Enough of the openers and specialization in the bullpen. Look at how they used to pitch. We need healthy pitchers and a good balance between pitching and hitting. That’s always been the achilles heal of baseball hierarchy, how to maintain that balance. Full throttle pitchers ain’t cuttin it. Force them to back off a little. I don’t know what else can be done. Thoughts?
Book em
On Sept. 1 when rosters expand to 28,either Knack or Wrobleski,then the other after being optioned back will be called up as pitchers and most likely Pages. as a position player.
Kelly is too inconsistent to be on the playoff roster. If Graterol is healthy, he is his replacement. Anyone agree?
4:10 PM ET
Rays (65-64)
Dodgers (77-53)
SP Jacob Lopez L
0-0 8.44 ERA
SP Gavin Stone R
11-5 3.44 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Mookie Betts R
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
SS Tommy Edman S
3B Max Muncy L
CF E. Hernandez R
C H. Feduccia L
2B Chris Taylor R
85° Wind 6 mph Out
NO Lux,Smith or Rojas
Hunter Feduccia Makes First Career Start
Sunday schedule
10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Christian Romero) vs. Wisconsin (Will Rudy)
11:05 a.m.: Tulsa (Jackson Ferris) at Springfield (TBA)
4:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Justin Wrobleski) vs. El Paso (Jared Kollar)
5 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Sterling Patirck) vs. Lake Elsinore (Johan Moreno
It ISN’T early for the conversation about Ohtani but it is for the crown. He has a lot of baseball in him yet unless some serious injury befalls him (Please God, NO!)
I wonder if Dodgers management is attempting to carefully regulate Yamamoto and Glasnow – maybe more guys? Graterol? – for the post season and hopefully World Series. Arms seems have only so many times they last at max effort.
if yamamoto is healthy, he goes ahead of Flaherty. Don’t underestimate Gavin Stone! Nerves won’t affect him i don’t believe! maybe a piggy back of Stone and Kershaw is possible? I’m a joe kelly supporter, but i don’t believe he’s on the postseason roster. Although, Blake Trienan has not been good lately. Nobody’s talking about Walker yesterday or today. Everyone of the opinion he’s not going to be a factor? Is it possible Bobby Miller could be a bullpen piece? … Will sit today? he needs a reset. …… Finally. hearing a lot of talk about Ohtani being the greatest ever on different shows. isn’t it a little early for that conversation?
I keep adjusting my postseason rotation rankings:
1. Glasnow
2. Flaherty
3. Yamamoto
4. Stone
5. Kershaw
6. Miller
Don’t see anyone else starting a game for us. Injury will halt one or two from above. I think I will know our destiny based on who the four are. Miller stepping in for Glasnow/Yamamoto could be huge.
We have more pitcher injuries because we have a better pipeline of guys coming up. The strategy is throw as hard as you can and spin as much as you can for as long as you can until your arm blows up. Then the next guy comes up. If someone can last a few years the monetary rewards can be great
Well at least Brasier was good! once again Ohthani hits, freddie and mookie don’t! funny game ain’t it? Hopefully Lux isn’t reverting back to his old ways. didn’t look good last night. He should be fine. Rojas continues his great season! Everything will be ok. Just waiting for all the bats to get going. …… Clayton looked out of sync for sure. settled down for the most part after the 1st. … Bullpen could use 7 strong innings from Gavin Stone today!! …. What in the hell did Kevin Cash say to his team? Came in 2nd worst offensive team in baseball , and they’re killing the baseball! . Funny game ain’t it? ….. Dbacks won’t go away!! Padres have cooled off a bit. 3 with a very good Baltimore team and then 4 with the Snakes. Guess we’ll find out how good the dodgers really are!