Your Reality Sucks!
In 2016, my son was a Senior at Cardinal-Ritter High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their football team was picked to finish 5th in their conference before the season started. Stephen played middle linebacker his first three years, but in his Senior year, they switched him to…
In 2016, my son was a Senior at Cardinal-Ritter High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their football team was picked to finish 5th in their conference before the season started. Stephen played middle linebacker his first three years, but in his Senior year, they switched him to defensive end (because… according to the coach), “they had no one else to play the position.” They started out 1-4, and the season looked bleak. After his first five games, my son had 13 tackles and no sacks – he had no one to teach him how to play D-End, but somewhere between game five and game six, he figured it out and had 14 solo tackles and 6 sacks in Game 6! And… the rest is history. The team “won out” and ended up with a 11-4 record and won the State Championship as he was MVP, All-City, All-Conference, and All-State. Somewhere after game 5, he put it all together and led the team to the promised land. He was the team wild man with his long hair flying all over the field. In the State Championship Game he led the team onto the field while waving the American Flag. They won 33-3!
I vividly remember 1988 and the magic that occurred that year for the Dodgers. Compare this team to the 1988 Dodgers and well, there is no comparison. Yes, they had Orel and a bunch of stuntmen. Kirk Gibson was injured, and all that was left was “want to,” desire, and smoke and mirrors. Tommy Lasorda was not the best tactician, but the players wanted to win for him… and they did!
The Dodgers have lost more days to the IL this year than any other team in MLB, yet here they are… in 2nd place in the NL West, just two games behind the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers have the third-best record in the NL, and yet Dodger fans are bitching and crying like last year and the year before that and the year before that, and blah, blah, blah. In the Andrew Friedman Era, this is something that I have heard every year. It really gets quite old, but many fans are under a delusional compulsion that they have “special” knowledge that somehow makes them uniquely qualified to run the Dodgers better than Andrew Friedman.
Most of this is not very well thought out, and baseball fans are anything but patient. However, patience is something that is sorely needed in baseball. Developing young players is anything but linear, and we also have no idea what players are going through personally. Some fans say that they are just “realists ” and are stating “the facts, and the facts are the Dodgers cannot win this year.” They evidently really believe that, but I call BS. The third-best record in the NL with the most days lost to the IL, some rookies and vets underperforming, and some of you have concluded that the Dodgers have no chance? Why even be a fan?
I try not to call people morons, but you brand yourself one with that kind of moronic thinking. The Dodgers are #2 in the NL in runs scored… just ten runs behind the Leading Atlanta Braves! The Dodger relievers, who were 29th in ERA a week ago, are now #26, and Daniel Hudson is back on the team after getting recalled. The Dodger starters are #17 in Team ERA. This is very uncharacteristic of the starters and the bullpen to be in this position, but help is on the way in the form of Jimmy Nelson in addition to Daniel Hudson. JP Feyereisen is making progress, as are Michael Grove and Ryan Pepiot (who has not pitched yet this year).
This team that “has no chance” has four players in the All-Star Game: Betts, Freeman, Martinez, and likely Smith, and probably a fifth who may be the starting pitcher: Clayton Kershaw!
Starting Pitching
It is my opinion that the Dodgers have plenty of pitching in the system and should stay away from Shane Bieber and his ilk. Bieber is a Certified TJ Candidate. His velocity has dropped over 3 MPH in the past 2-3 years, just like Gonsolin. The Brewers are not likely to drop out of the Central race… in fact, they may be buyers, so Corbin Burnes is a pipedream along with Willy Adames. It ain’t happening! If you want to trade for a starter this season, you are going to pay dearly because so many teams are in the playoff hunt, and rational people know that if you make it to the playoffs, anything is possible. On June 30th last year, the Phillies had a 40-37 record and yet, were an eyelash away from winning the World Series.
Noah Syndergaard will be back, and no one has a clue what to expect, but he certainly was a solid #5 last season. What you saw earlier may not be what you get when he returns. The news is not all good – it is the opinion of some (myself included) that Tony Gonsolin will need Tommy John sooner rather than later! He has made a conscious effort to reduce his speed, but I think TJ is inevitable. Clayton Kershaw has shoulder soreness but received an injection, and the Dodgers are hopeful he will not have to go to the IL. Urias is back today, and Kershaw, Sheehan, and Miller can hopefully hold it together until one more pitcher arrives, whether that be Pepiot, Stone, Grove, Frasso, and/or Syndergaard.
Fans have said, “Trade for Bobby Witt” who is OPS’ing .699, yet some want to send Miguel Vargas back to OKC, and he is OPS’ing .680. You have no vision. Fortunately, the Dodgers do. Some saw James Outman get seven hits in his first 13 ABs and jumped on his bandwagon. It is great to see James coming back after a horrid month. The Dodgers need him in CF. He solves a big lineup problem. Progress is not linear. Give it time and watch and learn!
The Dodgers do need a power RH bat in the outfield – CT3 solves part of that, and Jonny DeLuca COULD be the final piece of the puzzle (but he has not shown that yet). Give it time! David Peralta has become a solid piece, as has Jason Heyward. Andrew Friedman will not make the dope-fiend moves some of you are requesting… nor should he. It would be nice if Austin Barnes could hit his weight, but even with Barnes as the backup catcher, I think this team, constructed as it currently is, will lead the National League in Runs Scored! Write that down! Does anyone want to bet against it? Put your money where your mouth is!
Andrew Friedman is not going to gut the farm. Yes, I know that only a small percentage of prospects actually become good MLB Players, but the Dodgers’ farm system is deep… especially with right-handed pitchers. Friedman may make a move or two, but it will be from a point-of-strength… not a move borne from weakness or irrational fear. A lot has not gone according to plan this year, but here we are: The Dodgers have as good a chance as any team to make it to the World Series. In a month or so, we will find out about Dustin May. I am just guessing, but I put his chances of returning at 50-50… at best! Walker Buehler vows to be ready in September. He is allegedly up to 90 MPH. We shall see!
Yes, I love the Dodgers, and while this team is not perfect, it is pretty damn good, and the potential is there to be much better. There will be some bad news along the way and some good news that maybe was unexpected. That is the nature of the game, but the cream rises to the top. I am hopeful every day, but in the end, I could be disappointed. I was last year! However, I would rather be miserable for a day than be miserable all season! I enjoy the process, and the Dodgers’ prospects of winning are as good as anyone.
Greetings From Alaska
I spent several hours yesterday on Glaciers in Palmer, AK as we took a helicopter tour that was simply incredible. This is my first time to Alaska.
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (107)
Disagree, not disagreeable
@TM
Miller and Cartaya are my two untouchables. Anybody else among our top 10 prospects I would think about a trade.
My Nr. 1 priority would be a bona fide closer. Maybe the guy from Pittsburgh.
With him the pen would drastically improve with one move because it would give us 5 lockdown guys with him, Phillipps, Ferguson, Hudson, Graterol. You can shorten the game to 5 innings that way. Plus the guy is young and under control for a few more years.
What would the Pirates want and ask for ? Would Bush, Grove, Pepiot , Nastrini be enticing enough ? Maybe throw in a lower minor arm like Kopp or Karros.
Then I would see if May is able to return or Buehler reallly is ready for September return. If they both are or at least one of the two I think we would be fine in the rotation.
I do not see an ace , top of the rotation type of starter coming available.
Maybe expand that Pirates trade and bring back old friend Rich Hill to eat some innings.
Another RH bat with a high average and good OBP would be nice. Preferably a RF or ss.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, another crappy team wiped our butts last night. And some of you guys honestly think we have a chance against the elite teams in baseball like Atlanta and I’m even putting Philadelphia in this sentence? Phillies starting pitching has greatly improved and their bullpen has been lights out led by our former closer, Craig Kimbrel.
I hate to bang this drum over and over, but PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING wins in September and October. Do you really think we have enough- both starting and bullpen? And I don’t believe we are done with the injuries yet.
Dodgers now three back as D-Backs beat the Angels again. Infielder Jamai Jones opted out of his minor league deal with the Dodgers. Jones was hitting .292 at OKC but the Dodgers opted to go with Hernandez and Busch when they needed an infielder rather than open a roster spot for Jones. He should have no trouble finding a new home. He is 25 years old.
AI finally comes through in a field of import (joke), but this is a great read ($$$$)
Open on www.wsj.comhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/people-hire-phone-bots-to-torture-telemarketers-2dbb8457?mod=hp_featst_pos3What can you do?
After that silly first inning full of weak contact hits, the team played pretty well.
Urias will need some time, but that first inning was almost one you laugh, shrug and move on from.
Just another note in defense of Max.
Although he is batting only .193, his on-base percentage is .325. So he gets on-base in nearly 1/3 of his plate appearances. This is lower than in previous years, but he is still seeing a lot of pitches and consistently picking up his walks.
That OBP may not seem high, but it is actually 5th best on the Dodgers, behind Freddie, Will, Mookie and Heyward. He gets on base more consistently than JDM, Peralta, Taylor, Outman or any other Dodger.
Hit, SB, SB, GO or SF= RS
I am a Dodger Die hard. I like Roberts, yeah he’s made mistakes but who hasn’t? he’s better than many other managers just look at his record. Of course, there were many things he’s done that I’ve questioned and there were many where I said to myself, oh ok, I get it. Last year just about everyone blamed Roberts, hey! he’s not the one that got millions to hit a ball. The players screwed up, they didn’t do their job. Now many of the original players are gone, time to let some new blood take over. It’s a new beginning, let’s see what they can do.
Bottom line, you cannot lose games like this. Julio did them no favors, but in his defense, only one ball was hit hard. But walking two and hitting a batter is not good. This is not vintage Julio. That guy is not here. Bullpen did a decent job, but giving up that sixth run was a killer. Pitchers suck at holding runners. I read on an earlier post something about Will Smith not being good on those tags at home. Give some credit to both runners. They had little chance getting Witt. But Perez made a textbook slide, going to the outside to avoid the tag. Offense had chances and did not get the job done. Freddie got one hit tonight. He left some men on base.
Hoping to get a boost from Julio. Alas s he looks like he did before he went on the DL
KC was awful lucky, but Julio didn’t look impressive at all.
One good takeaway , the bullpen was pretty solid
Beautiful pics! I went on a cruise with my family years ago to Alaska. I didn’t do the helicopter ride to the glacier, but we did get close enough to one to see it … I think the term is “calving.” Incredible! It sounds like a thunderclap when a big ice cube breaks off. You can feel the cold all that ice gives off, even a couple of miles away.
I have a feeling a team is going to get Urias under market after this season. He’s not doing a whole lot to showcase his talents in his contract year, is he?
3-2 this week against 2 of the 3 worst teams in mlb. Not good.
It seems that they heard us
Hahaha
It will be an October killer
Stolen bases allowed is a big problem. it seems that the team has done nothing to stop it
Welcome back Julio!
I am not giving up on this game.
And perhaps the site could just be changed into a discussion site. No repetitive articles. Just open it up for posters.
sorry but two bad plays by Smith on defense
This a very weird start.
This looks like it may be a 3.5 hour long game with 10 pitchers used
It’s like a festival of poor opinions and wild conjecture today.
Mark, are you (can you?) going Salmon fishing?
I could see going for Arenado, if our pitching was in order.
1. Julio was solid like in the past
2. May was healthy and pitching strong
3. Pepiot wasn’t hurt and was pitching like a four or five
4. Syndergaard….. see 3 above
5. Bullpen was pitching more like last year
Seems to me we’re scoring a lot of runs. Pitching seems to be our need, but I don’t see a lot of answers at the trade deadline.
To the contributors; thank you for the many excellent observations and insights today. Phil Jones; you’re fantastic. Bear; your respect and humanism is deeply appreciated. Many other brilliant baseball minds write here. Great reading!! Curiously, all brought on by Mark’s insulting article “Your Reality Sucks.” Nice title. Punches us in face.
Mark: Why do you continue to treat your readers and participants as fools and call us names? I realize that you imagine yourself as an Ann Colter or Tucker Carlson style authoritarian and provocateur but your pompous invectives seem out of place…almost Trumpian. A great pen name for you might be Tucker Timmons.
However, the pictures of Alaska are wonderful. Soothing. Quiet and serene. It has me thinking that you might be less of a “carry a big stick” bully by using a visual medium and setting down the quill. Or in your case, setting down you’re mace.
You speak of “reality,” using the ‘88 championship as an example. Yet we all remember Bob Costas incredulity that that line up was even in a World Series. “Weakest ever” statement comes to mind? That year was a miracle; an anomaly; an outlier. And as Dodger fans we’ve had that miracle. Do you really expect another? Sure you do. I do too.
As I’ve mentioned before, your articles tend to be same each week, almost as if you’re writing from Dodger Talking Points. You take FriedmanSpeak, (half-truths), RobertsSpeak (deception and avoidance), a mysterious insider’s throw away thoughts and add the word imbecile two or three times and create TimmonsSpeak. You’ve probably written that article more than the Stones have played “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” in sixty years of concerts. Get fresh.
More of getting fresh. Cliches. You are the master of cliches and you don’t seem to be able to express yourself without them. Goofy ones, too. Like today when you say: ”Write that down!” or “Put your money where your mouth is.” Junior High dares. Feeble, embarrassing…we’re all Dodger lovers and you come off acting like a Good Fella toughie. Yes. I expect more from your writing than threats and rants and capital letters. Also statistics, while useful at times, are mathematical cliches. Or crutches. You can be heavy on them at times.
Your optimism . Some might consider it childish. Others might feel it fits the Fake News moniker. My barber said you remind him of a Dodger version of Baghdad Bill. Personally I think Baghdad Bill was more humorous than yourself, and…more lyrical. Of course his “Reality” really did “Suck.” As the creator of LADT I was hoping you’d be a little more neutral, mature, sophisticated and objective; your expansive baseball knowledge should serve for more than cheerleading and spreading indoctrinating nostalgia. Interesting dichotomy; you love the Dodgers (especially the authority figures) but seem to hate Dodger fans (the plebeians?). There’s a hierarchy at work here. Perhaps that’s what you’re paid to do.
My favorite Timmons insight. Bob Melvin will be the first manager to be fired. I know it probably came from your “insider” but you said it early. Good show. Your theories about Ferguson requesting the closer’s role (and Doc buying in) and Prior’s patterns of sequencing were interesting but lacked enough details to be be anything more gossip. But thought provoking all the same.
Last thought. Somehow you’ve put together the most interesting Dodger site in spite of yourself. Should I say….good job?
As bad as Muncy has been he’s exactly the kind of guy who can get hot in October and carry a team. A lot of role players have carried the day in October. Though must admit I thought Max was gonna have o monster year this year. Been tough to watch.
The weather looks sucky.
Mark Timmons “everyone who disagrees with me is a moron”, etc. etc. etc. Rinse and repeat.