You Shouldn t Fly a 747 from Row 13
Occasionally, I have a little more information than some of you (at times), but it s not nearly as much as it used to be when I had several members of the Dodgers Organization on Speed dial. Jeff probably has a lot more inside connections than I do now. Since Andrew Friedman became President of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers, I have very little inside information and that is by Andrew s
Occasionally, I have a little more information than some of you (at times), but it’s not nearly as much as it used to be when I had several members of the Dodgers Organization on Speed dial. Jeff probably has a lot more inside connections than I do now. Since Andrew Friedman became President of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers, I have very little inside information… and that is by Andrew’s mandate. The Dodgers play their cards close to their vest and a leak is a “fireable offense.” I don’t particularly like it, but I respect it. If I were AF, that is exactly what I would do.
When was the last time you saw Billy Gaspirano sit down with a blogger for a two-hour interview like I did with Logan White about 10 years ago? The quick answer is “Never.” We don’t know what we don’t know because Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers want it that way… and I do not blame them. That’s why it really bugs me after every close game or after every loss, many of you blame it on Dave Roberts, simply because of the following:
- Because you have all the inside information and know better;
- Doc has cost the Dodgers hundreds of games, because you know it;
- You are psychic and know better;
- You have never ran anything in your life and this is your chance; or
- You simply have an irrational hatred of Doc;
For example, recently, Dave Roberts was repeatedly criticized for bringing in Kenley Jansen to blow games. I think many of you have failed to realize that baseball has changed and so is how the front office and manager communicate. Gone are the Sparkey Andreson’s, Lou Pinella’s, Tommy Lasorda’s, Jim Leyland’s, Dallas Green’s, and Earl Weaver’s who would do what they “damn well pleased!” Baseball has changed. We don’t see stuff like this anymore:
Why? Because the management of a baseball team has changed, like it or not. Today, there is so much more information and data. Managers are now hired with the understanding that they “collaborate” with the front office and analytics people to make “informed decisions.” Many of you don’t like that, but I guarantee that while those types of decisions do not work all the time, they work more of the time than the “gut feelings” of a manager from yesterday.
Shifts don’t always work, but they work more often than not shifting (which is why I would like to ban them). This brings me to the point I want to make. You can blast Dave Roberts for rolling out Kenley Jansen, game-after-game, but I guarantee that it was a “collaborative” effort between Roberts, the Front Office, and the Dodgers’ Pitching Coaches. While I admit that I do not have inside information, it seems logical and likely to me that the Front Office, Coaches, and Roberts believed that Kenley’s problems were mechanical and could be fixed and they were willing to lose a few battles in order to win the war.
Behind the scenes, it is quite likely that Kenley was working with Mark Prior, Josh Bard, Charlie Hough, and/or Rick Honeycutt and they all believed he could be “fixed.” Well, he looked “fixed” on Saturday night, but only time will tell if it will last. Yes, I would love to have Craig Kimbrell, but at what cost? Not Keibert Ruiz, Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, Josiah Gray, Diego Cartaya, or Miguel Vargas… and I doubt he could be obtained without one of those players UNLESS the Dodgers take back Jason Heyward. Then, I think Kimbrell could be obtained for a couple of #11-30 Prospects. I would do that, but it ain’t my money!
Roberts was using Jansen in save situations in order to determine if Kenley could stay as the closer and the front office and coaches were part of that equation. Roberts was the “point man” for what was likely a Management Decision by many individuals. The same thing is true with Dave Roberts lineups. If you have ever been in the “Bowels of Dodger Stadium” you will know that the Dodgers have an analytics department that is huge and second to none in MLB.
When you say “Why did Doc bring in _____________ to pitch to blank? He has an OPS of ___________and he has an ERA of ___________.” Yes, you looked at a few metrics, but I GUARANTEE YOU, that Doc has about 50 more metrics that the Dodgers have developed that give him a lot more insight than Fangraphs, Baseball-Prospectus, and Baseball-Reference. You are playing checkers while he is playing chess. Actually, it’s more likely you are playing PONG on Atrai and he is playing with a Supercomputer.
Literally!
Thinking you have more information than Dave Roberts is like trying to fly a 747 from Row 13, Seat C. It’s totally delusional, but if it makes you feel good… have at it. I just think it is plain silly. Now, don’t get me wrong, Dave Roberts makes many mistakes. Every manager does. I disagree with things he does… the same as I disagree with Friedman, but I look at their overall body of work and have to say that they both are pretty damn good. There is a human element in everything, but I happen to think he is a lot better than many of you give him credit! I disagree with his politics, but can still respect him.
Remember the greatest baseball tacticians only look that way when their players execute. Certainly, I would welcome Craig Kimbrell, but as I said earlier “at what cost?” Several teams want him and I cannot see Andrew Friedman further depleting the Farm System for instant gratification. Tony Gonsolin and David Price did their part to show that they can hold down a rotation spot… and one of them can go back to the pen when Clayton Kershaw returns (which should be later this week or early next week). To lighten the workload for Buehler and Urias, I think it’s possible the Dodgers go with a six-man rotation.
I do not see the Dodgers trading for Scherzer or Turner and really, if healthy, and it appears they are a rotation of Buehler, Urias, Kershaw, Gonsolin, Price, and Gray is OK… if Bellinger, Seager, Betts, and the rest of the guys can hit. It’s certainly possible that they get healthy in August and become the Big Blue Wrecking Crew again. I read fans lamenting the Dodger’s lack of hitting the past two days but remember that they were missing Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, and Mookie Betts. When healthy, all four of these players have proven track records of being at the top of their respective positions.
When they come back, I do not expect to see an immediate surge – it will take some time for them to get their swing and timing back, but I can see very good days ahead for this team. Knebel, Nelson, Treinen, Gonzalez, Vesia, Kelly, Graterol, and (gulp) Jansen have the potential to be great. Yes, Kenley scares me too. Can they keep him mechanically sound? It’s a tightrope act. I’ll take Kimbrell for the right price, please!
How They Get There is Irrelevant
The Dodgers have been bit by the injury bug all year long and the repercussions may last well into September. However, the fact is, if they can stay the course they will be in the playoffs, and at that juncture, everything changes. IF they can get healthy for the playoffs and the World Series, they could be a very dangerous team.
We saw how Cody Bellinger struggled after coming back. Expect Seager to do the same. Tony Gonsolin and many other pitchers have experienced varying degrees of success after returning from the IL. Jimmy Nelson did not miss a beat, but Victor Gonzalez took a few games to get it back (and still does not have it), and so did the Bazooka. Garrett Cleavinger is showing signs that he might be a viable bullpen piece (next year, as he still walks too many), but Phil Bickford and Alex Vesia may be the real deals this year. You can see Alex growing in confidence. When Corey Knebel comes back, he will likely need some ramp-up time. Darien Nunez? Maybe next year.
Mookie, Corey, Cody, and Max should be back soon. Cody was just starting to put it together when he went down again. David Price and Josiah Gray are showing promise in their new positions. The point I am going to make is that progress is not linear and it may be well into September until this team really clicks. I’ll take that. Nothing like getting hot at the right time. Could this be the lineup in September?
- Betts 2B
- Seager SS
- Turner 3B
- Muncy 1B
- Taylor RF
- Smith C
- Bellinger CF
- Pollock LF
It remains a possibility. I think we will see Ruiz at some point and I am very encouraged by JoJo Grays’ progress and prospects. Yesterday “Dave” wrote this:
“This is silly, but there is a large dark place in me that would love to see the Giants win the west, the Padres come in second, and the Dodgers get into the playoffs by winning the 163rd game of the year to sneak in as the second NL wildcard, then proceed to win the chip. There’s some dark magic in that scenario that satisfies an itch that just running away with it can’t reach. The crowning touch would be a whole winter of listening to midgie fans whine about the unbelievably lucky Dodgers.
I know, it’s an impossible dream.“
It’s not silly, Dave. it’s a cool possibility. Not only a possibility but something that could be very likely…. barring a Giants collapse and that could certainly happen!
A Quick Primer on Masks
This was mentioned a couple of days ago and I just want to be clear about a few things. Do masks work all the time? No, they do not and if they are not used right, they may be as bad as having no mask. However, if they are used right, they are very effective… even the cloth ones (if they are double or triple layers).
- Masks are not extremely effective at preventing you from infecting others if you have COVID-19… unless you actually wear them!
- Masks are not nearly as effective at preventing you from getting COVID-19 because most people do not utilize them properly.
If you touch your mask, you should take it off, wash and sanitize your hands and put a new mask back on, You should do this each time you touch your mask. If you don’t do that, you will still protect others, but not yourself so much. People who slip their masks down to eat and slide it back up are doing nothing except conforming and sometimes you just have to do that, but it is not effective at preventing disease. I will have a mask on from Indy to Las Vegas on Wednesday and back. I hate them, but wear them and try and wear them properly, however, I still slip up. Everyone does. I have heard that 80% of people who caught COVID-19 wore masks. If you are going to mask up, try and do it the right way. They are effective, when used properly and let me tell you, you do not want to get COVID-19. It’s no fun.
This has been a public service announcement.
It Your Mind Open or Closed?
Remember that successful people tend to approach life with an open mindset — an eagerness to learn and a willingness to be wrong. The other group digs their heels in at the first sign of disagreement and would rather die than be wrong. Closed-minded people don’t want their ideas challenged. They are typically frustrated that they can’t get the other person to agree with them instead of being curious as to why the other person disagrees.
Closed-minded people are more interested in proving themselves right than in getting the best outcome. They don’t ask questions. They want to show you where you’re wrong without understanding where you’re coming from. They get angry when you ask them to explain something. They think people who ask questions are slowing them down. And they think you’re an idiot if you don’t agree.
Open-minded people see disagreement as a thoughtful means to expand their knowledge. They don’t get angry or upset at questions; rather, they want to identify where the disagreement lies so they can correct their misperceptions. They realize that being right means changing their minds when someone else knows something they don’t. Closed-minded people are more likely to make statements than ask questions.
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald
We shall continue to keep an open mind here and we value everyone’s opinions… even Bumsrap trade ideas for Joc Pederson. OK, here’s the cookie: If Mookie is indeed hurt as it appears, Andrew Friedman has a relationship with Alex Anthopoulos, and if the Braves keep falling, I could see Joc Pederson coming back to LA by Saturday! For real! Bums would be in high cotton!
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Discussion (234)
Disagree, not disagreeable
On Bauer:
1. There are many innocent people in prison, but not as many as you might think. Of the hundreds… maybe thousands, that I have encountered, I would say I have seen less than 6 or 7.
2. Trevor Bauer has ONE allegation against him, while Deshaun Watson (Texans QB) has 22 pending sexual lawsuits against him. The NFL, nor the Texans have suspended him.
3. No one else has come forward to accuse Bauer. NO ONE!
What do we know for sure:
Do we know that he first met her on social media? Do we really?
Do we know that they had kinky sex? Do we really?
Do we know he punched and strangled her? Do we really?
Do we know that she said, “gimme all the pain” and “choke me out?” We know that was on her social media account.
Do we know that the majority of the Dodgers do not want him back? Do we really?
What do we know for sure? 100%?
Muncy back on active roster, Neuse back to OKC. Note to AF, keep that loser at OKC the rest of the year. He couldn’t hit Timmons fastball let alone anyone else’s. He is a AAAA player. Does not belong in the majors yet.
I think the 2024 Dodgers catchers will be Cartaya and Ruiz. Smith will be on 2nd or 3rd by then. I’m not trading any of those guys.
Since you guys won’t stop mentioning me and Joc in the same sentence let me share this thought with you.
Joc is better off for now playing with the Braves. He is a full time player on a team that still has a chance to make the playoffs. Even if Betts were out for the year and Joc started every game for the Dodgers, Roberts would pinch hit for him as early as the fifth inning and maybe the fourth inning.
I have no desire for Joc to platoon with the Dodgers when he can play full time for the Braves.
I hope that Ruiz is better than Lux, who was also a “we can’t let him go no matter what the offer” prospect. Anybody can be wrong about things like this, but I think that Dodgers fans and writers are more apt to overvalue prospects than undervalue them. Is Ruiz better than Will Smith? We all like Smith, but he is not a superstar, and I seriously doubt that Ruiz would be. And again, he is a catcher, so either you trade Smith, a very bad idea, or you somehow try to move him to the infield, a very risky idea. Or you do what many teams do, and will do this week, trade a top prospect for player who can help you win a title now, and in the next year or two. Also, we have Cartaya, so how many catchers do we need?
If we keep pitching Jansen as our closer, we will not win any title, and likely won’t even win the NLCS. We may not in any event, but Jansen should not have been the closer for the last three years, but he still is. And Kelly may very well be out for an extended period, given his wince, but they did leave him in, though he was shaking his head after the game. Get Kimbrel, or just play it all out with Jansen, and blame the season on the injuries and Bauer.
Bauer acted very irresponsibly at the best, but so many people are anxious to convict men any time they are accused of something by a woman. We do need to know the facts, if we ever will. There are women, unfortunately, who will try to get rich by accusing a wealthy man of doing something illegal to her. Sometimes it is true, other times not, but they usually get a big settlement.
What I will say about virus protocols is that I am very much in favor of trusting highly respected epidemiologists and doctors. They are not always right, but they are very much more reliable than non-experts who in this current culture, think they are able to know more than those who devoted their adults lives to the study and treatment of diseases. Now, one should always be careful, and even wary, but why do so many people think that they somehow understand these things better? It is like De Toqueville’s greatest concerns about fledgling America manifesting themselves. If we get to the point where everyone can just do what they want regarding vaccines and masks, we will be in the Dark Ages again. Look at the three states with the highest number of Covid cases, maybe 40% of them. Florida, Texas, and Missouri. This is not coincidence, they all have governors who ignored and even mocked the epidemiologists and doctors. Science is certainly not infallible, and it evolves, but it has a much higher level of accuracy than guesses or conspiracy theories. Why would all these doctors be recommending masks, if they were not helpful and even necessary?
Bowden in an article from the well respected Athletic proposed a trade for the Dodgers .https://theathletic.com/2729647/2021/07/26/bowden-three-trades-id-like-to-see-the-giants-dodgers-and-padres-make-this-week-in-the-wild-wild-nl-west/
Scherzer to Dodgers
Pepiot and Cartaya to the Nationals.
“I’d Gladly Pay You Tuesday For A Hamburger Today”— Wimpy, from the cartoon Popeye
We wouldn’t have to discuss masks if 85% of us were vaccinated.
Got Polio, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hpv Haemothilus, Pneumopoccus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Varicella?
Thanks vaccines!
Answer to the question many have had about WHY the flu ( which was supposed to be bad this past season ) had virtually disappeared.
>>CDC to Withdraw Emergency Use Authorization for RT PCR Test Because It Cannot Distinguish Between SARS-CoV-2 and the Flu<<
Waiting to see this in the MSM headlines ………….. HAHAHAHAHAHA SMH
Changing the subject. There seems to be a lot of smoke surrounding Jose Berrios and Scherzer and the Dodgers.
Since the Bauer situation won’t likely be resolved before the break, I would think that AF would have a lot of motivation to add another starter, since the lineup is already producing like a top offence even without key players and the bullpen gets better if you have to push a couple of starters into the bullpen to accommodate Kershaw and either Berrios or Scherzer.
I think either would be a the best bang for this team. With all things being equal, Scherzer would be my top choice is they can add another year to his deal. Berrios is pretty damn good and would be a fine consolation prize, but he isn’t Scherzer and doesn’t have Mad Max’s post-season experience.
Who do you prefer?
I was out yesterday after the game and didn’t catch up on the posts until this morning. Last night Badger wrote “I have a question – when I played and coached, if you are on third with less than 2 outs and the infield is in, you have to wait for the ground ball to clear the infield before scoring. That’s why the infield is in, to prevent the run.” No kidding, Badger. I couldn’t agree more. Remember the advice “make the ball be through” with the runner at 3rd? Being an old schooler, I hate the contact play. I don’t think it’s manufacturing a run. It’s manufacturing an out and an easy out. I’ve argued that point with a number of young college coaches, who use the contact play every time. IMO the only time I ran the contact play was 1st and 3rd with no outs. The runner at 3rd goes on contact to prevent the 5-4-3 double play. Usually early in a game, the defense will be at double play depth and will turn it anyway an allow the run. If the infield is in or half way (which is a tough turn anyway) and they go home it’s the runner’s job, if he’s going to be cold at home, to get into a rundown hopefully long enough to to allow the runner at 1st to get to 3rd and the hitter to get to 2nd. You’ve exchanged 1st and 3rd, with no outs for 2nd and 3rd with 1 outs. That, to me, is the only use for the contact play. I see it all the time and hate the play.
* CT3 is making himself some cash with his performance this season. I really hope it’s with the Dodgers.
* Geez, if you don’t put steal on w/ CT3 bottom 7, 2 outs with a 1.38 guy on the bump, then when will Doc start a runner in a tie game? That’s a green light special.
* As a player you have to fool yourself when things are going badly with the “they all even out” motto so you don’t start feeling sorry for yourself. But yesterday in the 9th that theory was pushed to the limit for me. Kelly gives up a pissie swinging bunt to Cron, slips and hurts himself. Diaz hits a wimpy chopper over the mound that moves Cron to 2nd. Tying run on 2nd now by absolute friggin luck and I’m thinking WTF. Fortunately, for my mental health, he didn’t score and we go to extra innings again.
GM Brothers – looks like Marlins will be selling. With Mookie,Belli hurt – need some more pop how about Duvall,Garcia combo. Probably wont take alot to pry away. I know Duvall OBP isnt sterling but proven hitter. Curious, who we all want ? need 1 SP 1 RP another stick. Maybe another Freese type.
Have good day – God Bless !
I seldom, okay almost never second guess Dave Roberts, decisions are decision, they either work or they don’t. However I did disagree with Roberts decision to go back to Jansen in the series finale against the Giants. Just a sense. I flipped off the TV and my wife was surprised. Big mistake to bring Jansen in again. Okay there was the blown strike three call, but Jansen created his own mess. Daily News columnist Jim Alexander explained why it was a bad decision through data. His data, my sense it could have been avoidable.
As to where the Dodgers go from here, the trade deadline coming up. Pitching, maybe a starter, defnitely a bullpen piece or two, maybe a role player. Not exactly like Reks, Raley, McKinney, McKinstry or Neuse are delivering with the bat.
I agree with Mark on keeping Keibert Ruiz and it would probably take a player like that to pry away a significant difference maker like a Max Scherzer or Craig Kimball. Guessing the competition will be fierce if both are on the market this week. Maybe Andrew Friedman can get creative and put together a different package. But if I’m the Cubs or Nationals, I want Ruiz in the deal.
Either player would offer a significant impact and Friedman has a history of putting together those kind of deadline deals. He also manages to do it without giving away top prospects. Maybe he can pull it off again. Seldom do such deals have the impact some think or hope they will. After the big trade with Boston, the Dodgers still finished second.
As to Jason Heyward, I seriously doubt the Dodgers are looking to add more dead money to the payroll. They obviously would like to see the Trevor Bauer situation resolved and the best of all solutions is they can walk away from the contract, the players not wanting him back under any circumstances. A toxic clubhouse situation. And no, they really can’t trade him unless they eat a lot of money. Who would want him, the Yankees maybe?
Hey, may be some interesting deals pitched this week. Trea Turner?
Only five more days.
Instead of blindly believing every word written in print, I try to look for other facts or trends to support or deny what is written. As it relates to Bauer, I doubt that all the players hate him as much as “The Athletic” tells us. The facts in the case make it look like a setup. Even the accuser said the police accused her of a setup. I would think other ball players would be sympathetic to a teammate being setup especially considering a rival team was involved.
Regardless, it took the Dodgers a long time to cut Milton Bradley and Yasiel Puig loose. Both were hated and both were kept a lot longer than a single instance of indiscretion. Before this happened, it seemed like the team welcomed Bauer. I point to Bauer and Bueller’s changeup strikeout contest to backup my claim. He seemed to be coaching and rubbing off on the other pitchers on the staff. The articles mentions that many teammates “unfollowed” him on social media. It didn’t say most, or almost all, or all. Just many. It’s certainly reasonable that players that are interested in self preservation would distance themselves in that manner without making a conclusion that they’re doing it for another reason. Players also don’t have to all like each other. Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent hated each other but played together for years. The front office did not put their player’s affinity for one another ahead of winning.
The Athletic is a garbage mag akin to a grocery store checkout line tabloid. It started off as a good sports resource and morphed into a virtue signaling echo chamber.
I hate to speculate on the Bauer situation because this isn’t about guilt or innocence, law or crime. It’s being treating like a political issue like everything else these days. If you support that kind of behavior, there’s no hope it will change any time soon.
It is completely ridiculous that I can apparently request that you punch me in the face, then sue you for accommodating my request.
Injuries, slumps, idiot managers, scum-sucking relief pitchers, Giants ahead of us in the standings. He’s what I say:
Mark, I think your lineup is likely with one change I would make. Bellie was taking grounders at first base on Saturday. I think having Bellie and Mookie playing on the infield is going to lessen the hamstring issues and keep them off the il. If that is the case can Muncy play right field? He has played left a little bit.
Someone said something a little earlier about it might take some time for Seager to get his timing back, like it seems to have taken Bellinger forever. I think it won’t take that long. Seager’s swing is pretty compact and he does not have the long swing and moving parts Belli has. But only time will tell. No game today. How about that game AA Tulsa played last night? Set a team record for runs with 23. Davidson hit his 17th bomb in OKC’s 10-8 loss to Sugarland.
Interesting that dodgerram mentions Ioannidis (sic) as I just read something about him at Statnews recently. Interesting, very opinionated, epidemiologist.
I admit that keeping up with information the last few years has been increasingly difficult for me, for personal reasons I won’t go into here and for the mere fact that the spewing misinformation is at an all time high. I read an article about that recently too, I’ll try to find it and post it as it helped me in my efforts to discern.
What I am fairly certain of is that accurate information, using a Markism, appears not to be linear. Covid is evolving and keeping up with it’s expansion is challenging to even our most gifted experts. Being in the group most susceptible has caused me to exercise practices I’m not exactly comfortable with but am willing to do. At 73, I choose to exercise on the side of caution.
Roberts. He’s the guy Friedman wants at the helm, and who am to question him? Look at his record, here and in Florida. The man knows what he’s doing. Roberts greatest strength, and perhaps his greatest weakness, is his trust and belief in his players. I admire that. I’m sure players want to play for him. His main problem this year, in my opinion, is trying to win with replacement players …. and the heretofore oft mentioned back to back use of Jansen.
I found it. Here is that misinformation article I mentioned. Hope it might be helpful to some.
Open on www.smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-avoid-misinformation-about-covid-19-180974615/From MLB Trade Rumours
“A majority of players do not want [Trevor] Bauer back under any circumstances,” writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times, who cites “two people with knowledge of Dodgers clubhouse dynamics.” Bauer’s paid administrative leave from the Dodgers, which the club has previously extended twice, runs through tomorrow. In late June, news surfaced of an ex parte temporary restraining order a San Diego woman obtained against Bauer after she alleged sexual assault.
Bauer appeared at a court hearing Friday in Los Angeles, which was pushed to August 2 as his attorney seeks more time to prepare based on recently-received medical records and exhibits. As Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic wrote, the three-day hearing is now set to take place on August 2, 3, and 19. At least nine witnesses will be called at that hearing, according to Britt Ghiroli, Fabian Ardaya, and Katie Strang of The Athletic. It’s known that the woman will call three police officers, while Bauer’s side is expected to call three witnesses of their own. Bauer’s accuser will also testify, and her side will call Bauer as a witness. Bauer’s attorney has advised him to invoke his fifth amendment rights.
DiGiovanna’s article is worth a read, as a well-done overview of where the Bauer situation stands at present and how he came to be a member of the Dodgers. It’s notable that DiGiovanna describes Bauer as a “pariah in his own clubhouse,” as his teammates haven’t spoken publicly on the topic. In the opinion of the L.A. Times scribe, Bauer’s entire career is in jeopardy.
The timing of a potential unpaid suspension by MLB remains unknown, as they investigate the allegations against Bauer on a parallel track with the Pasadena Police Department.
In a lesser trade move I would take Joc back as a bench player and his 60 game salary for the post season in a minute. He’s better than the current shuffling of AAAA players Andrew brings up and down that bring absolutely NOTHING to the party. Strike outs and unable to move runners in key situations has been the norm from these players. They are just not ready for primetime. You know what you will get from Joc, a great team player,, comes up big in the post season and a decent outfielder. Make the deal because the Braves have no chance of making the playoffs with their current roster with key players hurt or suspended with domestic violence. It will not cost much capital to acquire him. He’s a rental and a FA at the end of the season..
Hats off to Robert’s for 2 out of 3 with the Rocks. He is essentially playing with a aaaa team. One post said we were close to sweeping which is true but we were also close to being swept. This current team is average. I don’t believe Robert’s did anything special but the injuries and tough losses it would b easy to give in. Of course I believe his poor decisions played into the losses so there is that.
As far as the trade deadline Kim from the cards shouldn’t b too costly. He is going to b a free agent and the cards hopes are dim. AF might ask Preller how he fleeces these other teams. If we get kershaw back soon our rotation would b stabilized. Without Bauer, May our rotation is not dominant but very good assuming health. If I were AF I wouldn’t waste high level prospects on this team. If healthy we stand a chance if not we don’t.
No more masks for me unless required by law.
MT, that was a long rant. I love it! I hate wearing masks and right now they aren’t required, so I don’t wear them. I believe they do a little to protect people, but not a lot. The way I look at it is if someone coughs or sneezes while wearing the mask, it blocks some of the contagion from going airborne, thus lessening the payload. The higher the payload, the sicker you get. If you get hit with a small payload, your body has a better chance of fighting it off.
I agree with the very last comment on yesterday’s post. Jansen looks like a deer in the headlights. He lost his confidence and looks like he doesn’t know if he’ll have the right mechanics on any given night. I would prefer to have a closer that knows he’s gonna get you out. Not one that worries if his hip is in the right place.
When you said your inside information was on speed dial, I thought that must have been a long time ago. The picture of that Atari systems bring back memories of blowing into the cartridge to get it to load correctly. I still remember the nails on chalkboard sound those joysticks used to make when they began to wear out.
The other picture is not of a “Super Computer”. That’s a standard picture of racks of “pizza box” servers in a Data Center. That is something I have a lot of experience with. I’ve worked in places that look exactly like that for the past 20 years. We call the servers pizza boxes because they are thin and wide just like a pizza box and come in a 1U form factor. 1U means that take up 1 unit of rack space. There are larger servers that take up more than 1U of rack space that aren’t referred to as pizza boxes.
I agree with what you say about managing a team. But, is that the best way to go? Do you always play by the script, or do you adjust based on what your gut feels or what you’re eyes are seeing in real time? Sure the stat guys think that making a lineup based on the computer simulations is the way to go, but are they? Do they consider the human element with their computers? The familiarity of hitting after this guy and in front of another? The trust you have with some teammates vs others?
The computer doesn’t not compute human nature and that is the flaw in the system. If an assumption about a variable in your algorithm is wrong, then the outcome will be incorrect. You see, there will always be human interaction. Humans write the algorithms that are used by the computer. So, is it better to let the human that writes the algorithm effectively pick the lineup, or is it better to just let a human write the lineup after reviewing the information the algorithm spits out? Remember, the game is 90% mental and the other half physical. The computer is real good with the physical, but not so good with the mental.
The algorithm might tell when it’s time to take Kenley out of the game, but your lying eyes can see right away he doesn’t have it on a given night. Tonight my lying eyes see what’s happening in real time. The computer just adds the results that tonight produces to it’s dataset for future calculations. By that time, it’s too late to make the correct decision.
On paper, this team is good enough to take back that 2 game lead with 2 months to play if healthy. But, a key trade will provide a little extra motivation for human nature to get the players on the team to give a little more.
Someone suggested trading Corey and Belli for Scherzer and Turner citing that they’re both injury prone. I wonder if they even bothered to look at Trey to see that he’s only played 1 full season out of seven due to injuries. Who is more injury prone than that?
How is trading a couple of injury prone players for another couple of injury prone players going to help this team? Scherzer had injury issues late in the season the last two years. He was also scratched from his last start with a “minor” injury. Who’s to say that Scherzer isn’t going to have late season injury issues this year? Maybe Trea Turner is about to be injured like he always seems to do. And maybe Corey and Cody are about to come back from their injuries and play healthy for the rest of the year?
Bear commented about Trea Turner being so much better defensively than Seager. Maybe that passes the eye test because Trea is a flashier player, but the stats say otherwise. Trea Turner has a lifetime RDRS/yr of +2 at SS. Seager is -2. Not a huge difference a difference of 4 runs over 7 years does not sound like a huge improvement. That’s better, but not a lot better. Corey’s OPS is better, but not a lot better. It’s really a lot like swapping spit. I think I’ll just stick with Corey and hope for another post season like the last one. I think his teammates would agree.
Sadly, the Giants would look like a team that’s realing if it weren’t for Kenley choking those games in the last series. They lost 2 out of 3 against the lowly Pirates and should have lost 3 of 4 against us and lost 2 of 3 from the Cards right after the break. They should have been 3-7 in the second half if and would have lost 3 straight series if it weren’t for Kenley’s ineptitude at a very critical time. That is unforgivable.
And I wish you guys would learn how to spell Kimbrel. I wear a mask where it is mandated and go mask less where it is not. I agree with what you say Mark. Fans do not have enough information to make rational evaluations. Most fan reactions are based on feelings, not information. To many, Dave flunks their eye test. They remember the decisions they feel cost the team in the World Series and every decision after that is questionable. But he was smart enough last year to use Urias as his closer, and not Jansen. He is a players manager, and he uses the analytics provided to him by the analytics team AF has put together. He is also a big matchup guy. I disagree with a lot of his decisions and I do not think he is a very good baseball tactician. But I do not have the information in front of me that he does, so my decisions are less informed. I notice every game that he has that little note book in front of him and he is constantly referring to it. Fans, well, sometimes our passion for our team puts our brains in neutral. As for the lack of hitting, well the B team is out there. But as long as they outscore the other guy, I don’t care how they do it. Taylor stepped up yesterday, and Smith got a big hit. The pen was stellar and they got a W. Time to move on. There is also a story out today that says a majority of the Dodgers players do not want Bauer back on the team. That could prove very interesting if he gets reinstated.
Masks do not work vs a virus. I can give you 47 studies (including meta studies) that prove that. They can even hurt your health system under certain circumstances (like worn wrong, or in bad enviroment like when they get wet).
So please stop giving personal opinion as a undisputable scientific fact. Because it is not .
To baseball: I am all for getting Kimbrle even if it takes ONE (not two) of the prospects you mentioned. However as you stated I would prefer a lower prospect for him and taking on Heywards contract. A lot of money will come of our books after this season and the Dodgers could absorb that hit to the payroll.
Lets hope Kelly will not have to be the next player to be on the IL after he hurt his hammy yesterday. How much more can the injury bug bite this team.
Bazooka looked very good . Triple digits on almost every fastball and if my eyes did not betray me I saw some good movement to go along with the velo.
Why they did not put Mookie on the IL sooner is startling. Playing shorthanded for over a week is tough when you already have so many injuries.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!