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OldBear48

OldBear48

Latest from OldBear48

Expansion: Where To and When.

For quite some time we have heard rumors that MLB wants to expand to 32 teams. It makes sense. Instead of uneven leagues, you would have 16 in each league, which would allow you to have four 4-team divisions. That also fixes some of the problems with the way the playoffs are set…

By OldBear48 · November 9, 202322

HOT STOVE IS HERE

Now the fun really starts. Every day the free agent list will grow as players are non-tendered or options are not picked up. The trickle becomes a deluge. And sometime over the next couple of weeks, after the season ending awards are handed out, players will begin the…

By OldBear48 · November 7, 202317

Moe Berg: The Catcher Was a Spy

Casey Stengel once said that Moe Berg was the strangest man to ever play baseball. Berg was born in New York on March 2nd, 1902. His parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants. His father, Bernard Berg, was a druggist. He arrived from the Ukraine in 1894 and found work ironing in a…

By OldBear48 · November 5, 202323

If Not Baseball: Then What?

Most of us who love and played the game had those dreams when we were young. We were all going to play for our favorite team and hit a homer in the 9th inning of the seventh game of the World Series. Marry the most gorgeous girl in high school and be the envy of all of our…

By OldBear48 · November 2, 202326

Baseball Takes a Backseat to Life

What a day it has been. Cold weather, no games, and snow, lots of it. I haven’t watched a single inning of the World Series. I am pulling for the Rangers simply because they have a few former Dodgers on the team, and I dislike Arizona immensely. I lived in Phoenix for about 12…

By OldBear48 · October 31, 202323

Bill Russell: Steady and Underrated

Yesterday, Bill Russell turned 75 years old. To me, Russell was one of those steady, but sometimes unappreciated and underrated players. He spent his entire playing career with the Dodgers. He would also coach for the team and took over as manager when Lasorda had his heart…

By OldBear48 · October 24, 202318

Do The Dodgers Need Ohtani?

Do the Dodgers need Shohei Ohtani?? Good question. I am of a mind that most of the Dodger fans would love to see this guy play at Dodger Stadium. Can you imagine a 1-2-3 punch featuring Betts, Freeman and Ohtani? Would be hard not to love that combo. Three thirty homer guys at…

By OldBear48 · October 22, 202311

Greatest Hitters In Dodger History

The Dodgers this season saw two of the best in the major’s bat back-to-back all year. Both put up excellent seasons. Both have had stellar careers to this point. Both Freeman and Betts will get some serious Hall consideration. Where do they rank with the hitters of the past…

By OldBear48 · October 20, 202320

1977: Remembering Tommy's First Year

On September 29th, 1976, Walter Alston, who had been the Dodgers manager since 1954, stepped down and retired. He was replaced by third base coach, Thomas Charles Lasorda. Tommy had been a part of the Dodger organization on and off since 1949 when the Dodgers drafted him from…

By OldBear48 · October 19, 202317

Hot Stove Starts After the World Series

Well, in a couple of weeks, after the dust settles and a new Champion is crowned, if the Astro holes don’t win, we can all put on our GM caps and begin making our fantasy selections on just who the Dodgers might target via trade, free agency or dipping into the Asian free agent…

By OldBear48 · October 17, 202329

SLOW YER ROLL

Well, it is over. Judging from the comments I read on yesterday’s post, most think that there will be some huge changes coming, and well, there might be. The loss to the Diamondbacks was, if nothing else, embarrassing. Embarrassing to the players. Embarrassing to ownership and…

By OldBear48 · October 13, 202324

100 Wins History

For the first time in major league history, a team won 100 or more games in four consecutive full seasons. Yes, 2020 was wedged in there, but still, four full seasons of 100 wins! Pretty amazing when you think about it. The Boys of Summer team won 100 or more once. Alston’s…

By OldBear48 · October 10, 202331

The Memory's Just Keep Coming

Well, it is playoff time. Today is also the anniversary of Bobby Thompson’s “Shot heard round the world.” A little overkill there. The only place it was really heard was in New York and Brooklyn. A dagger right through the heart of every Dodger fan. And total elation in Coogan’s…

By OldBear48 · October 6, 202317

Defense: Just How Important is it?

You ask 100 fans that question, you might get 100 different answers. One thing is for certain, bad defense is going to cost you games. It cost the Dodgers a game only yesterday. Max Muncy blew what should have been an easy double-play grounder, and the Giants won, 2-1. As of…

By OldBear48 · October 3, 202320

Pick Yer Poison: Brewers-Diamondbacks

Well now we know from whence commit our next opponent. Who do you prefer? Milwaukee or Arizona? Pitching wise, both present challenges. But the earliest either’s number one can start is game two of the NLDS in Los Angeles. Milwaukee’s two main studs are Burnes and Peralta…

By OldBear48 · October 3, 202317

Once More Into the Breach

Well, here we go again. 11 straight years going to the playoffs. 9 years of disappointment, and 1 of elation so far. And last season was probably the most disappointing of all. Yet, we have experienced a time unlike any other in Dodger baseball history. People harp a lot that…

By OldBear48 · September 30, 202317

The All Timers

Since Mookie and Freddie are having such great years, I thought I would look back on some of the best all-time record holders. Freeman, who is about as consistent a ballplayer as you will ever see, is now one hit away from his first 200 hit season. Think about that. 14 years in…

By OldBear48 · September 25, 202312

J. Hey and The Freight Train

When the Dodgers signed David Peralta and Jason Heyward, Dodger fans were less than enthused. And I must admit, I was one of them. Heyward was coming off of a year where he was worse than horrendous. And the Cubs were willing to pay him for not playing. Peralta was coming back…

By OldBear48 · September 19, 202330

The 23 Dodgers: They Are Who They Are.

2023, according to many, it is supposed to be a transitional year. In some ways, it has been. In others, not so much. Nothing has played out as expected. The only starting pitcher who was a starter out of spring training left standing, well leaning a little, is Clayton Kershaw…

By OldBear48 · September 16, 202325

Blasts From The Past

I have always said how much I love history. US history has always been a favorite subject. Right up there with that is the history of the Dodgers. I thought I would look back at some players we all might have forgotten. They were Dodgers at some point in time, they might have…

By OldBear48 · September 14, 202312

The Changing of The Guard

It is happening. Slowly for sure, but it is happening. At the beginning of this season the Dodgers had five veteran starting pitchers. Kershaw, Urias, Gonsolin, Syndergaard and May. May obviously the kid in the bunch but entering his 4th season in the majors Many of their…

By OldBear48 · September 8, 202330

Team Mascots: Are They Necessary?

Ted Giannoulis, The San Diego Chicken We see them now at most major league parks. Most are there to entertain the fans during lulls in the action on the field. The Dodgers are one of the few franchises without a mascot. I am pretty sure the Yankees also have no mascot. All of…

By OldBear48 · September 4, 202331

My Favorite Trades

Just wanted to look back at some of my favorite trades in Dodger history. Some, I was very young for, others, not so much. They are in no particular order. 1. Gino Cimoli for Wally Moon. On December 4th, 1958, the Dodgers made the first trade that would impact the team…

By OldBear48 · August 29, 202319

Ballplayers in Movies and Television

I was watching “The Pride of the Yankees the other day. Outside of the star, Gary Cooper, there were small parts in the movie played by the real ballplayers themselves. Of course, the most recognizable player was Babe Ruth. Babe had several scenes with Cooper in the movie. Maybe…

By OldBear48 · August 26, 202323

Best Years of Our Lives: Outstanding Seasons by Dodgers

Where to start? Through the years there have been many Dodgers who have had outstanding and career years. I thought about this because of the outstanding performances this season by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Sometimes one year defines a player’s whole career. As good as…

By OldBear48 · August 21, 202323

Max Muncy=Enigma

Don’t get me wrong, I like Max. He is one of those signings that come out of nowhere and pay off big. Released by the A’s in March of 2017 after a 96-game tryout where he hit only .195, he signed with the Dodgers in April of 2017 and was sent to AAA OKC. He played 110 games…

By OldBear48 · August 18, 202335

43-7 The 2017 Dodgers Historic 50 Game Run

43-7. Amazing run. From June 7th to August 5th, 2017, the Dodgers were nearly unbeatable. They lost two games in a row once. Not even the 2022 team that won 111 games went on a run like that. No Dodger team ever has. By August 5th, they had a 14.5-game lead in the NL West. It…

By OldBear48 · August 15, 202319

Three-Homer Games

Early this year, Dodger outfielder, Trayce Thompson, started the season with a bang as he had a three-homer game. Unfortunately for Trayce, that was pretty much the highlight of his year, and he was traded prior to the deadline back to the White Sox. The first three-homer game…

By OldBear48 · August 12, 202334