Frequently, I am accused of being a “Dodgers’ Homer” and even “Worshiping at the Holy Temple of Andrew Friedman” because I have been a supporter of his since he came to LA. Unlike some fans who love to criticize Friedman or Dave Roberts, I am fine with both of them, although I could see the Dodgers replacing Doc if they don’t win it all this year… not because it was his fault, but sometimes change is needed for the sake of change and a new voice can be effective. I have no reason to support Dave Roberts except that his record speaks for itself, and to a man, his players love him… and they also respect him. The hatred of Dave Roberts is irrational, at best!
Some Morons think that Miguel Vargas is my favorite player because they have a favorite player and those same Morons thought I would be upset with Miguel Vargas’ demotion back to OKC. That’s what makes them morons: They think they know something that they don’t! They have no clue. I have said that I didn’t understand why Vargas was not playing, but that there had to be a really good reason. Others have suggested that the Dodgers don’t really value Vargas and have decided to trade him. While I think the Dodgers would trade just about any player, I think it is very small-minded to believe that they are hell-bent for leather to trade him… But they will… if they get value in return.
Vargas’ bat-to-ball skills are evident to anyone with a modicum of understanding of the mechanics of baseball, but he is still a prospect, and other than during the time he was injured, he has not had an opportunity to display his talents. His time will come, maybe with the Dodgers or with some other team, but believing that the Dodgers have decided to trade him is simplistic, small-minded, and just plain silly. Maybe that is how you think, but it’s not how Andrew thinks.
It is becoming apparent that Mookie Betts would be better served playing 2B. There has been a lot of talk about Willy Adames, Bo Bichette, and even Francisco Lindor, but there are other possibilities. Consider Paul DeJong of the White Sox. I do not see the Dodgers trading for Luis Robert, Jr., especially with the demand of the Sox, which will take a haul similar to Juan Soto. On the other hand, Paul DeJong is a solid defensive SS who put up a .857 OPS in his rookie year with 25 HR and has never come close to that again. As I write this, he has 13 HR and a .772 OPS for the ChiSox. He is exactly the kind of hitter that Robert Van Scoyoc loves to “fix,” and he has fixed many! What about Javier Baez? Could RVS fix him? OK, I’ll stop right there.
That is just another suggestion, but back to my “irrational worship of Andrew Friedman.” Actually, it’s very rational. As I said, he is not perfect, as evidenced by the fact that he traded away Yordan Alvarez… although for all the accolades he gets, the rumor is that he is not a good teammate (translation: he’s an A-Hole)… so there is that! Maybe he is just immature. But I digress. The fact of the matter is that since Andrew Friedman took over as President of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers, they have the best record in baseball and are the envy of every organization. Only the Yankees came close to the machine the Dodgers have built, and I believe the Dodgers have surpassed the Yankees in worldwide brand recognition with the signing of Ohtani and Yamamoto.
But Dodger fans love to nip at and peck away at perceived shortcomings by Friedman. This is usually done to compensate for something and I am not even going to go there. Here’s the crux of the matter: All fans see is the “tip of the iceberg” but there is a lot more to an iceberg than just the tip.
When we say that AF should trade for a certain player or “extend Teoscar,” we only know a small portion of everything that is involved. As fans, we think we know something when, in fact, we may know 10% of what Friedman knows, but we are quick to express our opinions and, in reality, show how little we know. I do not understand why the Dodgers called up Miguel Vargas only to let him sit on the bench, but I am satisfied that there is a reason, and we will understand it in due time. I am also fine with him going back to OKC. As I have said, he is not my favorite player – I do not have a favorite player… well except for Alex Freeland. We all know his story! However, I do like Vargas’ skillset. I liked Michael Busch’s skillset as well, but Busch is a 1B and was not going to supplant Freddie Freeman. Busch is doing just about what I predicted: .251 BA/.347 OB%/.791 OPS/8 HR. The Dodgers got a good return in Hope and Ferris. If Vargas is traded, it will be because the Dodgers will get a good return for him that will move the organization forward.
When fans say, “Trade for such and such player,” we have no idea how another team values the Dodgers players involved. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Scouts have varying opinions about certain players. One man’s food is another man’s poison. To each his own. That’s not my cup of tea — all of these sayings show how much of what we see is subjective. The Dodgers have won one World Series under Friedman, and it should have been two, but he had no control over that. It’s much harder to win a World Series these days than it was in the past when all you had to do was win the pennant and play the pennant winner from the other league. If you can’t comprehend that, then it is likely someone is reading this column to you today.
I like the fact that the Dodgers are committed to winning the World Series and consider it a failure when they don’t. That’s a great mindset, but in reality, under the current format, the stars have to align perfectly in order to win it all. Baseball players are a streaky bunch. They run hot and cold, and with today’s analytics, video, coaching, scouting, and the like, things can turn in an instant. It is going to be a fun season. Andrew will make some trades… players will come and players will go, but the Dodgers will be in it at the end. Will they win it all? I will guarantee one thing: I will hope they do!
Let me explain why I trust Andrew Friedman with another example: During the past year, I have ceded control US Water Systems to my son, who will be 25 on June 18th. Next week, he will officially become CEO of US Water Systems. Within the past two months, I have moved out of the office and work from home. I am no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. My son, Steve, is doing an amazing job, but occasionally, I see something happen that I question, and I ask him, “Why did you do such and such?” In nearly every case, I questioned the decision because I did not know all the facts. I completely trust him to do the right thing, and that is why I trust AF… even though I have even fewer facts. Jumping to conclusions without all the facts is a sport for morons.
Walker Buehler
I still do not have an opinion on what will happen with Striker Buehler. He can no longer “bully” hitters like he used to. His 4-seamer doesn’t move as much, and he is stubborn. He can still reach back and hit 97 or 98 so he can be effective. He is just going to have to learn to pitch differently, and it might be a process. I can’t predict the outcome, but I would not bet against him.
X-Cites
Ready for my Next Dog
As some of you know, I lost my trusted guardian in September; now that we are settled into our new home, I am ready for my next one. His name is Shadrack and he is one of these (not sure which one of the litter of 14 he is):
Here’s his daddy:
Discussion (41)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Yawn!
Chris Taylor’s first HR of the season put his batting average at .105.
Could this be a turning point? Or was this just a lucky swing?
Last season. Taylor had really good power numbers against lefties, so I thought he’d be a good platoon partner for Heyward. But he’s been the biggest disappointment on the roster, and a lot us wanted to bid him farewell. His contract has kept him in the majors and on the Dodgers.
If Taylor starts streaking in the right direction, I guess this will be another example of AF getting it right.
Unless it’s a case of Roberts getting it right.
Until someone offers convincing evidence to the contrary, I’m sticking to my guess that Roberts put CT3 in the lineup when AF would have prefered Vargas.
And how about that Miguel Rojas? He’s a glove-first guy who is not expected to produce much offense…but happens to be batting .280 with a bit of pop. He has out-hit bat-first guys like Lux and Vargas.
Bigger highlight: Another solid outing from Stone. proving he belongs in the rotation until somebody outpitches him.
Game over
So much for the double play! Time to roll over and play dead
I believe the pickup of Biggio was a good move. This had nothing to do with Vargas other than he can’t play 3rd . Lipcius is a rh batter but Dodgers were needing a lefty. Kike cannot hit righties. Biggie does not chase so I like him and think we need him currently. It also gives AF more options in a trade. Obviously we don’t need another .200 hitter but he is versatile and may provide a good on base guy which we shall c. We know Kiké and Taylor are not getting it done. I wanto c if Biggio can give us an upgrade.
This cannot b the same offense in August but I don’t think it will be. I am getting mildly concerned about the future of our pitching. Miller is not the same guy but mb he is still injured. He appears to be throwing like he was when he went on the il. Glasnow is suddenly homer prone. Paxton is shaky. Can Stone keep it up? Yamamoto is pitching best when allowed to pitch. Buehler mediocre. Kershaw a ways away but what can u expect from him? Brasier and Graterol? Kelly who cares? We can’t even field a 5 man rotation and people are talking about 6.
Offense is just inconsistent but slumping also. I am realizing that my expectations for Ohtani is too high. He is good but as a hitter he is not Judge or Soto. His real value is being a 2 way star. Betts incredible highs and lows. Freeman hitting better. Smith killing lefties. None of the 4 exude confidence with the game on the line. Teo good if the pitcher can’t land a slider. Muncy can’t hit curve or make contact with lefties. Rojas deserves more time but I guess he is physically not able. Lux just trade asap, Barnes won’t play in playoffs. Kike against lefties. 3 future hall of famers can’t put the bat on the ball 2 days in a row says a lot about the makeup of the team. I would give the hitting coach about a month to improve the situational hitting or fire him.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed to reporters on Friday that Kershaw will pitch on Wednesday, June 19 for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. That will be his first of a handful of rehab appearances as he builds himself up to return to the Dodgers.
10:10 PM ET
Royals (40-30)
Dodgers (42-28)
SP Cole Ragans L
4-4 3.08 ERA
SP Gavin Stone R
7-2 2.93 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
RF T. Hernandez R
CF Andy Pages R
2B Miguel Rojas R
3B E. Hernandez R
LF Chris Taylor R
75° Wind 7 mph Out
06/13/24 Los Angeles Dodgers transferred RHP Ryan Brasier from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Right calf strain.
06/13/24 Los Angeles Dodgers reassigned LHP Jose Hernandez to the minor leagues.
06/13/24 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned LHP Jose Hernandez to ACL Dodgers.
06/13/24 Pittsburgh Pirates traded LHP Jose Hernandez to Los Angeles Dodgers for cash.
Just don’t like the construction of this offense.
Observations:
1) Dodgers lack fundamentals/ baseball acumen .
-Base running
-Bunting
-Footwork on turning double plays
-Tag plays on attempted base stealers
-sliding
– advancing runners
– stealing more bases
What happened to the great Dodgers fundamentals of the past.
2) need to identify some contact hitters for 7-9 slots. Either give a shot to a couple of Triple A guys or make some trades and move some of this excess minor league talent.
3) I think our 1-4 guys are not going to be prime time players come playoff time.
Especially in big spots WRISP
Only Freeman has performed during the playoffs consistently.
I’m not sold on Othani in the 8th or 9th inning with the tying or winning runs in scoring position.
4) I think the pitching will be fine with some of the injured returning in the next few months
Go Dodgers!!
He went to the Minors on his own and this was the result:
Cut loose by Astros
June 14, 2024
The Astros released Abreu on Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Abreu was in the second year of a three-year, $58.5 million contract with Houston but will hit the open market after a dreadful start to the 2024 season. In 120 big-league plate appearances, Abreu posted a .362 OPS with a career-worst 23.3 percent K rate and a 3.4 percent walk rate. Amid his struggles, Abreu spent nearly a month in the minors, beginning at the Astros’ FCL affiliate before being brought up to Triple-A Sugar Land, where he went hitless in seven at-bats. Although the 37-year-old didn’t show much to indicate improvements are coming, he’s still just three years removed from a 30-homer season and is a former AL MVP, making him an intriguing project as a free agent.
3 days is a long time in Baseball.
Just seen the luckiest manager in the history of baseball, yes the manager of the reigning World Series Champion Texas Rangers Bruce Bochy, take the series in Dodger Stadium, having been laughed off the field after the first game beat down, from the greatest manager of all time, with the greatest winning percentage as a manager in baseball history, Dave Roberts.
Makes you wonder what his win percentage would be, and how many Rings we’d have if Bruce Bochy had been our skipper these past 12 seasons?
Happy birthday Michael – you’re looking great for 76 my friend.
Pages must learn how to hit belt-high fastballs in order to take his offense to the next level.
Maybe it can happen this year, ..or maybe next year, ..or maybe never. We’ll see.
happy birthday Bear! know JD was a dh , but they miss his hitting with runners in scoring position. only played a few games over one hundred, still drove in over 100. Quality at bats almost all the time! Patience is a virtue! yeah right!
The Dodgers are lucky they’re in a SHIT division.
The Dodgers are just going through the motions and I am fine with that. For now…
Dodgers lead the majors in acquiring players nobody else wants! not a criticism, just a fact! With Walker struggling and Bobby Miller still not close to sharp, does Friedman go get a starter? Was Biggio the “big” move ? Is Max ever coming back? Is Taylor ever leaving? …. Padres inching closer little by little. ……. Dodgers miss JD Martinez! …….. Will Smith is officially the best catcher in baseball!! Really hurts when he’s out of the lineup!! …. Kiki, Biggio, Taylor, are they all the same guy? ….. Is Mark a prognosticator? Is ole Bear just a big teddy bear? Is Bradley the real GM? Stay tuned!!! Go Barnes!!!
“Bobby Miller struggles in 4th minor league rehab start
After 3 scoreless innings on Thursday in Sugar Land, Dodgers RHP allowed 5 runs in his final two innings, throwing 93 pitches in his 4⅔ innings. Next start likely with Dodgers”
Don’t Worry – Be Happy!
Are they just bored?
The excuses for this all-or-nothing offense is running out. Just too many “nothing’s” ..and not enough “all’s.”
Not only is the bottom line-up problematic, but the top 3 collectively are not playing up their hype either.
After a 2-week red-hot start to the season, Betts’ production has since slowly deflated over the past 2 months to the point that his only exceptional skill at the plate is garnering walks. Meanwhile, Ohtani is WILDLY inconsistent, and Freeman is batting a half-level lower this year compared to the past 2 seasons.
Frankly, it’s easy to imagine this offense going ice cold ONCE AGAIN in October.
Hey Mark, this team is a mess. Can your boy clean it up?
When the Dodgers get behind they just quit!! The Hall of Famer Lorenzen beating this lifeless, dispassionate offense. I don’t think AF can fix this offense. Too many holes on offense. U start tonight with 4 outs in the lineup. Lux, Barnes, Taylor, Kiké , biggio, Heyward just can’t hit. Rojas hitting over his head right now. That’s 6 out of 13 hitting .235 or less. With Rojas currently over that but what will the final line be?
Just now the great Biggio and Barnes get on base for the 3 future hall of famers who strike out consecutively for the second night in a row. How inept!!
Still don’t know why Knack is not pitching instead of these bullpen games. Oh well 93-94 wins, wins the West
Another new Dodger… Jose Hernandez from Pittsburgh
From now on, Grove is allowed to pitch any inning BUT the first!
A lot of fans don’t like what I wrote today.
As Rhett Butler once said:
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”
… and the horse you rode in on.
So, just to be clear, you may or may not like Doc?
So as Andrew stated earlier, Bobby Miller goes tonight.
If everything goes as planned it’s possible he will be brought up at some point later next week when his next start is due.
Do we move to a 6 man rotation?
Does a starter move to the bullpen?
Who goes to Triple A or gets a phantom IR stint?
The easy move is IR someone or Banda to Triple A (but he has been so good) and Paxton to the bullpen until he is traded or released. That may depend on where Kershaw is at over the next 6weeks.
With Paxton I just don’t know how he would hold up having to pitch 2-3 x’s a week
His control stinks and he doesn’t miss bats. He would be another Yarbrough which is redundant.
Walker will probably stay in the starting rotation to continue to work things out until playoff time and then possibly go to the bullpen or be left off the playoff roster all together, pending who returns from the current IR list.
They certainly should not be messing with Stone.
Go Dodgers!!
10:10 PM ET
Rangers (32-35)
Dodgers (42-27)
SP Michael Lorenzen R
3-3 3.05 ERA
SP Michael Grove
4-2 4.72 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
SS Mookie Betts R
DH S. Ohtani L
1B F. Freeman L
LF T. Hernandez R
CF Andy Pages R
RF J. Heyward L
2B Gavin Lux L
3B Cavan Biggio L
C A. Barnes R
68° Wind 7 mph Out
Bullpen game tonight
I am really starting to question AF decisions. It was extremely galling to me to see the Dodgers rolling with an outfielder playing SS and watching the guy the Dodgers should have playing SS hitting 3 Run tanks to beat us. AF couldn’t give Seager 330 for 10 but can give Ohtani twice that? All of the Dodgers current headaches with the line up revolve around not having a real starting SS on the team. At least put Rojas back at SS and let’s see what he does with the bat. Put Mookie back in the OF or 2B if you have to. I think Lux is going to end up being a good player if they just give him some time and regular ABs. AF will screw around platooning him and then trading him so he can come back and embarrass the organization wearing a different uniform like Seager did last night.
I just read that Bauer signed with Houston, is that true?
It seems like it’s yesterday’s news, and I’m just finding out
Would the dodgers go after Kris Bryant because he can play thirdbase first base and almost all outfield postions. And I am sure rockies would like some of are prospects or even Lux. Also his last name starts with B so why not.
The Dodgers have 2 starting pitchers returning soon (Bobby Miller and Clayton Kershaw). While James Paxton probably comes out of the rotation first, if Buehler is still pitching the way he is right now, I expect that he will spend the remainder of the season in the bullpen. A return from 2 TJs is not close to being automatic.
Buehler has a very long runway in my book. I look for him to be a playoff pitcher. Inconsistent run scoring is our biggest October nemises
Buehler continues to battle back from his second TJ surgery. It is a long and difficult process with a low chance of success. I love his competitiveness and his team first attitude. He likely was hurt when he took the ball on 3 days rest in the 2021 playoffs, when Scherzer complained of a tired arm. While he has not been close to his old form yet, he has not been terrible. The Dodger defense has not helped him out either. Rojas botched a play at third that cost him several runs that were classified as earned last week. And last night, it looks like Biggio made an error the batter before Seager’s HR. While one run is considered unearned, that error completely changed the inning. If there were two out and first base open with Seager up like there should have been, then Buehler would have had the luxury of pitching around Corey. Instead he had to give in to Seager, the best hitter on the team who is also LH. Seager showed in person why the Dodgers should have kept him. Without that error, Walker would not have thrown that 4 seam FB to Seager.
Buehler did not throw his teammate under the bus in the interview, he just acknowledged that he has to get better himself if he wants to stay in the rotation and pitch in the playoffs.
Buehler has a wining attitude and has given his best to this organization. I hope they recognize his contributions and find a way to keep him a Dodger next year.
I concur with all you said Mark. We fans do not know as much as we think we do. Especially when it comes to how trades are done. I have seen some very unreal trade scenarios brought up here, and on other sites. The Astros GM was quoted on MLBTR as saying the Astros will definitely be buyers at the deadline, so all of you hoping the Dodgers could pick up Tucker, you may as well forget about it. Only the fans are concerned about Betts as the SS. It doesn’t seem that Mookie or the Dodger FO and coaches are worried at all. Mookie has conceded it is a very hard transition, but he seems to enjoy the challenge. My thought is if they decide they want to go in a different direction, they will not upset the apple cart now. They will wait until the off-season to go get another SS. I have to believe that Vargas’s time here was more a showcase than anything else. I think he has slid down some in their eyes. Why give Pages an extended look, and just let a talent like Vargas ride the pine? Makes little sense. Nice looking dog. Hope you enjoy him. Happy Birthday to your son, a Gemini like Jeff D and me. Mine is tomorrow. #76. Wow surprised I made it this far. Just go beat Texas tonight, and then take two of three from a very tough KC team before heading to Denver for four. As for Pages running through Ebel’s stop sign, the kid is a rookie, he was trying to make a play and failed. It happens. He will know better next time.
Mark, question for you:
I agree with a lot of what you say about Vargas, especially the Busch similarities.
Do you consider him a LF only? Is that his only path to a starting job?
Maybe Walker Buehler should pull a John Smoltz and go to the Bullpen for a time?
Mark, if you want your new doggie to have a long and happy life, check out Dr. Marty’s pet food. Everything he needs and nothing he doesn’t. Our Pup has never been better and he absolutely loves the food.
Thursday schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Christian Romero) at Dayton (Bryce Hubbart)
5 p.m.: Tulsa (Kendall Williams) vs. Arkansas (Juan Mercedes)
5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Bobby Miller) at Sugar Land (Blair Henley)
6:50 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Patrick Copen) at Fresno (Austin Emener)
Thursday will be Bobby Miller’s fourth, and potentially final minor league rehab start.
What a beautiful dog! All the best to you and Shadrack. Live long and prosper, little puppie!
BTW, we have 3 Weimaraner boys. One 13 year old and two brothers 3 years old.
The saying is so true: A house with a dog is a home, a house without a dog is just a house.
Go DodGerS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That dog— Daddy— looks like he can hit .270, play all three outfield spots and 3rd base in a pinch…sign ‘em!
Thought he admirably got out of the jam in the 4th, seems like Buehler is struggling to find an out pitch; four seamer looks too straight…and old friend Seager made him pay. Great at bat by Seager; actually showed patience, quickly recovered after missing the 2-0 gopher ball and took it to a full count where Buehler made a mistake. Command still off but making progress…
One game, 15 runs…the next, 2 runs….baseball
Or as the great philosopher Joaquin Andujar in two words once described baseball: “You never know…”
Cheers….