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Home > NLDS Previews/Recaps > NLDS Game 5: Dodgers 4 Nationals 3: Sweet Vindication! Seventh Inning Rally Propels Dodgers Into NLCS

NLDS Game 5: Dodgers 4 Nationals 3: Sweet Vindication! Seventh Inning Rally Propels Dodgers Into NLCS

I am emotionally spent but I feel so good inside. The Dodgers are advancing to their eleventh NLCS in franchise history thanks to their 4-3 win over the Nationals in game 5 on Thursday night. The boys in blue’s four-run seventh inning rally propelled them to the win. Joc Pederson’s solo home run and Justin Turner’s two-run triple was the catalyst for the incredible rally. Carlos Ruiz’s pinch-hit RBI single gave the club the lead. Kenley Jansen was brought into the game in the seventh inning and pitched 2.1 innings before Clayton Kershaw was called in to record the final two outs of the series and earned the save.

NLDS Game 5 – Dodgers Win Series 3-2

Dodgers    4 8 0

Nationals  3 7 0

WP-Urias-1-0

LP-Rzepczynski-0-1

SV-Kershaw-1

HR-Pedeson-1-Heisey-1

This game had everything from Julio Urias coming into the game, Kenley Jansen making over 50 pitches and Clayton Kershaw finally erasing that stupid narrative that he can’t pitch in the postseason. Oh and that seventh inning rally was pretty cool too.

This was an amazing game and what the postseason is all about. Dodger’s starter Rich Hill lasted just 2.1 innings before being replaced by right hander Joe Blanton. The Dodgers were down 1-0 early as Hill gave up a single to Daniel Murphy in the bottom of the second. Murphy stole second and then scored on an RBI single from Espinosa.

With the Dodgers still down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, the club loaded the bases but failed to score against Max Scherzer. Josh Reddick, and Joc Pederson singled. Yasmani Grandal whiffed, but Andrew Toles bloop single to right was too shallow to score Reddick, but it loaded the bases. Pinch-hitter Andre Ethier whiffed and Chase Utley grounded out to end the threat and the Dodgers didn’t score.

The Nationals had a costly tootblan that cost them a run in the bottom of the sixth and possibly the series. With Urias on the mound, Jayson Werth walked. Murphy lined out to right for the first out. Rendon’s pop-out is the second out. Ryan Zimmerman doubled down the left field line. Toles throws it to Seager who relays to the plate to nail Werth by a mile. I don’t know if Werth missed a sign, but it was huge. Dodgers still trailing 1-0 going into the seventh inning.

In the top of the seventh Scherzer began to tire. Joc leads off by smashing a huge solo home run to tie the game and give the Dodgers life. Joc screams and pumps his fist as he runs around the bases. The seventh inning saw Dusty Baker make a record six pitching changes and the Dodgers score four runs. That knocked Scherzer out of the game. In comes left hander Mark Rzepczynski. Grandal walks, and Pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick singles.

Charlie Culberson tries to bunt but pops out. Left hander Sammy Solis replaced Blake Treinen and the Dodgers counter with Carlos Ruiz. The savvy veteran comes through with an RBI single through the hole in short to give the Dodgers the 2-1 lead! After Corey Seager flies out, the Nationals make another pitching change and bring in Shawn Kelley. Justin Turner smashes a two-run triple to put the Dodgers ahead by a 4-1 score!

Things would not be easy for the Dodgers. Oh no they would not. Left hander Grant Dayton is brought in and couldn’t retire a single batter. Espinsosa walks and then former Dodger Chris Hesiey slugs a two-run home run into the left field bleachers to pull Washington within one run 4-3. Then another former Dodger Clint Robinson singles and the Dodgers are in trouble.

Dave Roberts brings in Kenley Jansen, which is a highly unconventional move with the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. He gets Trea Turner to fly out, and after Bryce Harper singles to left strikes out Werth. Murphy is wisely intentionally walked and Rendon whiffs to end the inning.

Move to the bottom of the eighth. Kenley is still in the game. Stephen Drew draws a lead-off walk. Espinosa couldn’t get the bunt down and pops out to Gonzo. Pedro Severino flies out to center, and Michael Taylor is struck out. The Dodgers are three outs away from advancing to the NLCS!

Move to the bottom of the ninth. Trea Turner starts the inning by striking out. Then Kenley walks Harper and Werth. Roberts goes to the pen and brings in…..you guessed it Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw gets Murphy to pop out and then strikes out Wilmer Difo to end the game and the series!

The Dodgers are going to the NLCS!!!

Celebrate!!!!!

I’m out, I’m completely spent……(passes out)

Scott Andes

Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic

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Scott Andes
Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic
https://ladodgerreport.com

101 thoughts on “NLDS Game 5: Dodgers 4 Nationals 3: Sweet Vindication! Seventh Inning Rally Propels Dodgers Into NLCS

  1. Team win. Just about everyone committed in a big way. Grandal got the walk to get us going. Joc with the dinger. I was shocked he got a fastball. Tolesy cutting off that ball in LF. For those who wanted him benched, Kendrick and Ethier don’t cut that ball off that quickly. Chooch has more than validated the trade. It’s time to pay JT. There is really no debate about it. Pay Kenley while you have the checkbook open. Nice job by the Urias and Joey Pancakes. I sure was wrong about signing him. Big hit by Howie off the bench. Got to feel good for Kersh. He deserved a better stat line in game 4 and he deserved a moment like this.

    1. This was a Doc Roberts win. Great job today. We’ll be fine with him at the helm. MAXIMUM effort!

      One trivia – the last time Kershaw got a save … Kenley Jansen was his catcher!

      1. One more trivia – Kershaw’s last save, with Kenley as the catcher, came against the Gulf Coast NATIONALS.

  2. Your first sentence says it all. Werth did not miss a sign. Hendley waved him in. Toles really saved the day with his cutting off the ball. An amazing pickup by the Dodgers.

    1. During the season I was impressed with Dayton’s compose. He seemed like the logical move but when he walked a .200 hitter on 4 pitches I have to admit I was yelling to get him out right then. The moment got him.

      1. Hawkeye

        I totally agree with you about Dayton.

        His biggest mistake was walking that 200 hitter.

        After Hill walked this guy twice, and the second time, he came in on a HR, Dayton should have aggressively pitched to him.

        On our team, it almost always feels like any hitters our pitchers walk, always seem to score.

        But we don’t do the same thing on offense, but I don’t know the numbers, but I would love to know how many hitters we put of base free, came in to score this year.

        Maybe the moment got to big for Dayton, or that pitching area, was a little to messed up.

    1. On my iPhone yes. I see a bunch of vertical lines on the screen. Started yesterday. No issue on my laptop just the “mobile device”.

    2. Scott

      I can get on, but there is that football coming through on ladodgerreport, and lines are coming down the page faintly.

      And since that football network is showing through, if I am not careful, it goes there.

      All of this happened after Mark and Wondering put up there videos.

      Because on the last article, I was texting fine with Wondering, until this new page came up.

      My print is a little faint as well, and I am not having trouble on other sites.

      Scott, almost all of my new posts are coming up duplicate too.

      And this is on my IPhone too.

      1. MJ,

        None of your posts are coming up duplicate. The problem is the CSN Champion sports banner is overlapping with the front page of the site. It’s only affecting the mobile version of your browser. On your Iphone if you select *Request desktop site* in your broswer settings the site will show up fine. As for why the banner is causing this on the mobile version I have no idea.

    1. So, three people, all using phones, getting interference lines on their screen, everyone else using computers NOT having problem. Hmmmm. Seems like a simple solution…

  3. My wife’s family is in town from San Francisco, and of course, they are huge Giants fans. So, it was nice to see their Giants go down in flames and they were rooting against the Dodgers… of course. IT WAS SWEET!

    It was a team win and DOC played all the right cards, but it’s like Clayton said after the game: “We have eight more of these.” There will undoubtedly be some roster changes.

    McCarthy and/or Anderson may be on the NLCS Roster and I would not be be surprised to see Kike back. Dayton and/or Avilan could be replaced with Wood and/or Howell as well.

    I have no knowledge how healthy Anderson or McCarthy are, but we may find out.

    Barnes and/or Culberson could be left off and Segedin and Kike could make it.

    Remember when many thought trading Ellis for Ruiz was a huge mistake?

    This %^%$@! just got serious!

    WHAT AN AMAZING GAME!

    BTW, Alex Verdugo played CF in the AFL last night and tripled.

    1. Mark

      I was wondering where you were last night?

      Please don’t bring up those two pitchers, they are not grinders.

      I think Urias pitched well enough, I might think about starting him over Maeda, who I like, but he hasn’t been the
      same.

      And now everybody does think that trade was worth it.

      Ruiz always seems to have very patient at bats, and he has had two big hits, in this series.

      It is to bad Grandal can’t choke up, or swing just to get the ball over the infielders, when runners are no base, because strike outs, just kill rallys.

      Grandal did have a good at bat, and got a walk last night, but he needs to do better, in those situatuions.

    1. Definitely not De Leon.

      Wood misses bats, but is he stretched out?

      Stewart is stretched, but does he have the stuff?

      1. Does it matter? Our starters won’t be going more than 6, if that, in any game this series. We are a bullpen team. It’s working, so, might as well keep it going.

        1. Yes it matters, because you ideally want to get to the sixth in the best manner.

          But me thinks you were jesting a bit.

  4. I have the lines too on my i-Phone. I rebooted but they are still there.

    Scott, there are updates you should install on the blog that should solve that problem. I see you have 7 updates to install.

    1. Scott-

      I think the issue is tied to the CSN (Champion Sports Network) promo/ad. It seems that it is overlapping the webpage.

    2. Mark,

      those updates won’t solve anything. The issue is with the CSN banner and only on the mobile browser version. Everything else is fine. I wish I had a full time web developer that would work for next to nothing, otherwise I would fix these little issues that come up.

  5. I’ll take full credit for using Jansen in the 7th. It is clearly obvious Roberts read my posts about the insanity of not using Jansen when the game was on the line 🙂

    Applause for Jansen and his great performance in the 7th and 8th innings!

    Now bring on the Cubbies! Holy cow!

  6. BALK!

    Hill <3.

    Wilmer Difo?

    Shawn Kelley losing feeling in his fingers.

    Jansen – 51 pitches?

    Bob Henley sending Werth who was out from me to you.

    Double play ball off Rendon glove.

    Kershaw used as a closer?

    We had a lot breaks go our way. Will that continue against the Cubs? I wouldn't count on it, but who knows. This is baseball. These are the playoffs in baseball. Anything can happen.

    Wilmer Difo? Steeeerike 3. Adios Dusty.

    1. Dusty didn’t have a choice with Difo. He was the last guy on the bench. That’s not Dusty’s fault. The key at bat was Murphy before. He’d hit homers of Kershaw before with those high inside fastballs, and Kershaw kept it in just enough to get a popup. That was just the best hitter going against the best pitcher.

      I thought the tactical moves by both managers were generally pretty good, and it’s part of what made that game epic. It was The Game that will be known hereafter for its unorthodox moves….that worked.

      Hill? Surprising that he was pulled so early, but why let the pitcher go through the order again when you have a bullpen that has saved the keister of this team all year ready to go? No need to save any arms for a game tomorrow. There is no tomorrow. All hands on deck.

      Balk? He’s been doing it all year. An ump can’t start calling it in game 5. If he’s on the edge of a balk and it’s not getting called, that just means he’s really good at it.

      Jansen? There is not tomorrow. All hands on deck. Why not? Kershaw? Same thing. It’s just using every single asset available when needed at the right time, and those assets executing. That’s not catching a break, that’s doing what needs to be done, in the moment, when it needs to happen. Screw orthodoxy!

      Sending Werth home was a boo boo, but it was caused by a great cutoff. That’s another thing: defense held it all together. Is that luck or execution?

      Playoff baseball has always been essentially about both of those elements playing off each other and influencing each other. Personally, I’d rather not predict the Cubs win, and if they do, say, “See! toldya,” and if they lose, say, “The Dodgers got lucky.” I think I’d just rather see how thing play out and enjoy the series.

    2. Badger

      Usually when a ball is hit into that area at the Nationals park, it is easy to score they said.

      I think that was just a bunch of quickness by Toles, and a strong accurate throw to Corey, and he took his time, and didn’t rush that throw home.

      That play was talked about the most by the Nats.

      1. I think that play also distracted Scherzer a little, but more credit goes to Pederson for not trying to pull that first pitch.

        The best move, amongst many good moves, was putting in Blanton in the third.

  7. Great Victory last Night! Unorthodox and lucky in many ways. I always say I would rather be lucky than good.

    The FAZ 2016 plan now has us in the FINAL FOUR!!!!

    Now the question becomes starting pitching. Who starts games 1 and 2. Kershaw/Hill probably are not available. I say probably because after last night who knows for sure.

    I would start Maeda in Game 2, to give him 5 days rest. Oh course, FAZ hasn’t called me yet, so he could start Game 1. Who is the other starter this weekend?

          1. The way Urias looked last night I would love him to start. However, is he an option since he pitched last night? He threw 30 pitches. I suppose, he is an option, ride him as long as possible and then turn it over to the bullpen.

            I love that we get to discuss how to approach the next round. What a game!!

  8. Lester going for Cubs so I go with TBD. It’s worked well so far.

    Does FS1 not use Pitchf/X graphic in all their telecasts? I missed it in this series. And tell me Reynolds is done for the year. Please.

    It’s time to use technology on the strike zone. We’re asking clearly incompetent (BALK!) umpires to eyeball it and it makes every fan watching the game better equipped to call balls and strikes than those guys.

    1. They won’t replace the umps because they have a union. That’s why they can’t fire the incompetents. They have went on strike before, you remember, and MLB backed down. And that was just over money!

      1. Yes, Unions can screw things up that way. But didn’t the umpires fight instant replay? They lost that. After all the Umpire’s Union isn’t a government employee union.

        1. What I don’t understand is why the players aren’t complaining a lot more about it, it affects their livelihood…. If I were a player I would be pushing the Association to be striving for that in the next Agreement, as well as bringing the DH into the NL and increasing roster size to 28 players instead of 25. Those are all good things for players and clubs too.

        2. Not a union guy box? Why am I not surprised.

          Of course the union would fight replay. And they lost because replay is the right thing to do. Now what to do about a strike zone that varies not only from ump to ump but from pitch to pitch. Something needs to be done because umpire reviews and grading practices are not improving the product.

          1. I can see how a Union might have value. Say the Union comes to a large builder and says, “we have a hundred highly skilled electricians who we guarantee to be top-notch, if not, you tell us and they are immediately off the job”. “Our job as a union is to raise the quality of our workers and and make sure you the builder has a top crew they can rely on”. We charge a LITTLE extra for quality, we are worth it.

            Sadly, unions have largely become strong armed extortion groups, especially government unions, who rape the taxpayer! These unions also need to lose, because it is the right thing to do!!

          2. box. I must give you some credit here. Unions helped build this country and did build the middle class. But they bargained ridonkulous packages that weren’t sustainable. I don’t know how powerful the umpire union is, but making umpires less responsible for calls can’t help in negotiations for more pay and better lifetime benefits.

            I got Cub fan friends already contacting me with the “SO happy the Dodgers bounced the Nats” business. Give ’em hell Roberts.

          3. Box-
            Nice article.

            I also agree that Unions were good at one time. They served their purpose years ago. Unfortunately like most everything else, they had become corrupt. It’s amazing that ‘for the most part’ only the government unions remain strong…..hmmmm, wonder why but when balancing a budget and controlling fiscal spending is not of importance it is always easy to spend someone else’s money.

      2. Wondering

        Even if they get the electronic umps for the plate, they will still need a ump, to assist at the plate, so that isn’t an issue.

        1. Boxout

          Some times unions can get out of hand, but unions are needed, because you can’t trust the owners to treat there employees fairly.

          And before there were unions, most of these big owners, treated there employees, like crap.

          I see unions, as a way of balancing the system between owners, and there employees.

          1. How about government unions? You seem like you place a lot of trust in the government. You know, the kind benevolent government that is going to “take care” of us all. Why would government employees need a union other than to fleece the taxpayer?

          2. 100% right. Like in the western movies, the townspeople hire the gunslinger to protect them from the other outlaws. Unions, with all their corruption, are still a necessary evil.

        2. Of course. They will still need all four umpires to call fair and foul and tag plays etc., on the basepaths. It really makes the Ump job easier but they’ll still fight against it.

  9. A strike is a strike and a balk is a balk. Urias got away with not one, but two of them. If he’s been doing it “all year” then the umpires need to get their collective heads out of their asses. If that had happened to us we would all be screaming about it. Well, those of who know the rules would be. It’s inexcusable in my book. Integrity of the game.

    Wilmer Difo and Bob Sendly. Happy neither are on our team. Difo a career minor leaguer with a .740 OPS and 142 errors in those lower leagues. How the hell did it come down to him? Nats fans must be reeling this morning with Henley’s gaff and Difo in a situation he had no business being in. The baseball gods were with us last night. Yes, rather be lucky than good – and it’s good to be lucky. Can playing like this work against the best team in baseball? Stand by, because- Yes, it could.

    1. Yes, I am sure Nat fans are not happy about it coming down to Difo. We still had Puig on the bench. Good managements job is to make sure a team has depth!!! Score one for FAZ!

      1. Uh, FAZ had nothing to do with Wimer Difo. That one is on Washington management. Our Difo yesterday was Culberson.

          1. yes, and if Culberson can’t get the job done, Kike or Taylor. Depth/Options.

            Culberson deserved the chance after winning the division with his home run.

          2. If that had been the final at bat he would have been our Wilmer Difo. Culberson has had his moments. 81 OPS+. Yeah, better than Kiké’s 66, but frankly I like Kiké better. His career numbers, and his youth, allows me to give him the advantage. I’d take him to Chicago. But, what do I know? When asked, I picked the Cubs and Toronto last April.

          3. I do not take Kike to Chicago…..Culberson is a true back up SS if something happens to Corey and Kike is not that great in the field… that sub .200 average is no mirage

    2. We did have a pretty decent lead, it wasn’t all luck, but it another pitcher puts another 200 hitter on base, four or five times in the next series, I will be upset.

      I don’t like when any reliever comes in and gives a hitter, a free base, let alone a 200 hitter, that got at least four free bases.

    3. The best team in MLB often is not the best team in a short 7 game series. If the Umps didn’t call a balk it wasn’t one. Like Bill Klem said…it ain’t nothing till I call it.

    4. I perused a couple of Nats blogs. No one mentioned the alleged balk. There weren’t any protestations by the Nats last night: by Dusty, or Harper who was picked off. It’s not something that had been called by any umpiring crew over the course of the entire year, by people who actually do this sort of thing for a living and are fairly accomplished at their craft. Reynolds mentioned somewhat parenthetically that it was “close” to being a balk, but that was about it.

      It seems you’re the only person indignant that the Nats got robbed over a phantom balk. Actually, you’re the only person here who actually seems indignant that the Dodgers actually won.

      You’re metabolically incapable of actually giving any credit to this team for actually being a pretty good team.

  10. It was legend. The best hitter in MLB, a thorn in both his and the Dodgers side, waiting , as he jogged in from the BP. Classic baseball drama, and when he popped him up, the pained look on Murphy’s face, the relief of his team mates, and the realization, he’s got this. Classic…and Legend.

      1. Michael

        In my book Murphy really won that batting crown, because it was another player in Colorando that sit and won the crown again this year.

        And that isn’t fair, or Ted Williams like.

          1. Michael

            He won the batting title last year, not this year.

            But it was another Rockie player that won the batting title this year.

            And that makes my point, hitting with the altitude in Colorado, gives Rockie hitters, and offensive advantage, and that is why there have been so many Rockies win.

            And last year when that guy you mentioned won, he sat out a couple games, so his average wouldn’t go down.

            The other player, that was right there with this player, couldn’t sit out, because there team, was only one game out, from winning there division, so he had to play to help his team.

          2. No the batting title last year in the NL was won by Dee Gordon. LaMahieu won this year with a .348 average to Murphy’s .347……..Gordon hit .333 last year to win it. Murphy played because he had been out with leg problems……….

          3. There is no rule that says you have to play in games that mean nothing, and the Rockies were looking at some rookies…Since they joined the league the Rocks have had 8 batting champs with LaMahieu being the 9th……Larry Walker won 3, Helton, Holliday, Gonzalez Morneau, and Cuddyer 1 each…….last Dodger batting champ……Tommy Davis in 1963…….Last Dodger finishing 2nd…..Mike Piazza in 95…no one else has come close.

  11. Cannot last long with many more games like that. My hair is already gone. Luckily my heart is in pretty good shape. Dave Roberts has Huevo’s the size of Texas because he made some ballsy moves. And this is one time I must admit if DM was managing last night, we lose. He never would have brought Jansen in. We would have seen Baez and maybe Fields……Kudos to Jansen, he put it all out there. And Kudos to Joc for going with the pitch instead of trying to pull the ball.

    1. Good take Michael. Roberts has the magic. Don’t you think had Mattingly or Torre done all that crazy stuff it wouldn’t have worked? Will the magic continue?

      Yes ’58. Legend. As I said last night – we will all remember this one. We will talk about it for years.

        1. What is that MJ? I think this organization deserves enough praise that there is enough to go around.

          Roberts deserves GREAT PRAISE, made some very unorthodox moves last night. I would have brought Baez in to start the seventh, three run lead. We all know Baez can suck, but, he has great stuff. I won’t totally second guess Roberts bringing in Dayton, but, will second guess him for leaving him in after four pitch walk. Why leave a lefty against a righty? But, he managed to a victory!!!

          I think the players deserve GREAT PRAISE. The playoffs are for the players in my book. Time to get the adrenaline flowing and step up. They did that!!!

          FAZ also deserves GREAT PRAISE. Seven rookies on this team. Also saddled with $60M in three players Crawford, Ethier and Gonzalez. Still they put together a roster that got us to the FINAL FOUR. As you know, many had written off this year. Many wanted to make like “Sleeping Beauty” and wake up for the 2018 season. Not me, As “Since 1958” noted, last night was “legend”. I am loving the moment!!! If you are too stubborn to admit that FAZ had a huge part in THIS SEASON, I feel sorry for you.

          1. Yes, he made it, along with help from previous administrations. Nobody denies that, but some of us have suggestions about how he could have made it better. That really isn’t anything to go to war over, even God gets criticism about the way He made the world and everything in it. I would say FAZ is in good company…

          2. Boxout

            I liked what you said, until your agenda came up.

            I do give credit to the front office, for some of there small moves, that has paid off quite well.

            But not having a decent starting rotation, and then Kershaw having to go out, isn’t the recipe for success.

            It was Roberts and the players, that worked and played hard, to make up for all of that.

            The hitting and the bullpen, is what made us win this race.

            I was just saying that, because I didn’t want to hear any views, that had more to do with the agenda on each side.

            I kind of second guessed, having a leftie pitch there too, but I was more upset, that one of our pitchers, put that 200 hitter on again.

            That was the second time that hitter was on base, to add another run, when a HR was hit.

            A solo HR wouldn’t be good, but it really doesn’t hurt as much, with a three run lead.

            But just think what has happened to our players in the last two games.

            They score some tough runs, to get a decent lead, and a pitcher comes in and almost gives all of those runs back.

            But our players gain some more mental toughness, and come back twice.

            That should go a long way, in the next series!

          3. Agree 100%

            The degree some go to not give the front office (is FAZ an acronym? Why Alex A and not Byrnes?) credit is nuts.

            Do people think Roberts make usage decisions Ina vacuum? The front office not only assembled the bullpen, rotation and bench, but helps script lineups, shifts and usages.

          4. Does that mean I can credit the front office for my heart attack that I know is coming because the starters they have acquired cant go 5 innings? For all their moves, what they have done to ” upgrade ” the starting staff has sucked and been a disaster…..Does not mean they are totally screwed up, but starter wise, they are over matched. The biggest asset is the teams grit…

    1. Mark

      I sound like a Giant fan now, but there has been some similarities between these two teams, even that rain out, was quite similar.

  12. How about Harper stealing 2nd in the 7th? It took the bat out of Murphy’s hands.

    I don’t belong to a union but there is an article on the home page of http://www.epi.org which discusses the negative effect of union decline on non union wages.

  13. I give credit to the former administration for the good they have done. When Friedman first started, every time he made a trade, it was “because he wants his own payers there,” but guess what? He kept the cream of the crop (Seager, Pederson, Urias, De Leon, et al).

    If he would have traded them, many would have blasted him for trading away Ned’s players and since he didn’t, people still blast him for nt trading them to get better pitching. Most of you didn’t like him and Zaidi from Jump Street, because… well you just didn’t! So, it pretty easy to find fault with someone who you already have your mind made up.

    I have two employees who are HUGE Red Sox fans and they constantly make fun of the Dodgers because of how the Red Sox ripped the Dodgers off in THE TRADE. Practically every real baseball fan I know mocks that trade. The only ones who regularly stand up for it post here .

    31 of the players on the 40-man roster were acquired by Friedman! So, don’t keep saying that Ned and Company were more responsible than FAZ – they weren’t. Whether you like Friedman or not, I think you are going to LOVE what he will do. This is a rebuild, during which time he has kept the team relevant and competitive. We all wish we had better starters, but we will SOON because of what he has and hasn’t done!

  14. Let me tell a union story:

    In 1976, I moved to Anderson, Indiana which was a GM town. Delco-Remy and General Motors employed 28,000 people. I had a friend who was a millwright who worked 3rd shift. He set up his machine to run when he got in and then was asleep by 12:30 and slept until 6:00 AM in a bed he brought to work and the union prevented management from taking it away. In 1979, he made over $100,000 at Delco and had another full-time day job because they paid him to sleep. I know of dozens of people who were drunk repeatedly on the job or high and the union saved their jobs over and over. The stories are almost unreal and hard to believe if I hadn’t seen it myself.

    Today, there are no GM plants in Anderson. Yes, companies too advantage of employees, but look what the employees did back after the union came to power.

    1. One of my, life long, best friends worked for 40 years in the “film editors” union in Hollywierd. The stories he had mirror yours, totally unbelievable stuff. Stuff like guys coming to work, locking other people out of the labs, and taking baths in the big industrial sinks used to work on the films. The bathers would threaten to complain to the union stewart when confronted. Never sounded like they were the most productive bunch. LA used to have a huge film editing business, now one lab or none, not sure which. The rest moved over seas.

    2. Mark

      I was in a union, and there are bad apples in every job, that take advantage of union rules.

      Alcoholism is considered disease.

      That is probably why they were not fired.

      And that other story there has to be more to that, it would seem.

      But other employees knew there were a few employees, that took advantage of things they thought they could, because of the Union.

      But that is more the minority of union employees, where I worked.

      But companies also don’t care about there hard workers at times too.

      That is why I see it as a check and balance between unions and companies.

  15. Did you know labor organization made the following 36 things possible?

    Weekends without work
    All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks
    Paid vacation
    Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
    Sick leave
    Social Security
    Minimum wage
    Civil Rights Act/Title VII – prohibits employer discrimination
    8-hour work day
    Overtime pay
    Child labor laws
    Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)
    40-hour work week
    Workers’ compensation (workers’ comp)
    Unemployment insurance
    Pensions
    Workplace safety standards and regulations
    Employer health care insurance
    Collective bargaining rights for employees
    Wrongful termination laws
    Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
    Whistleblower protection laws
    Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) – prohibits employers from using a lie detector test on an employee
    Veteran’s Employment and Training Services (VETS)
    Compensation increases and evaluations (i.e. raises)
    Sexual harassment laws
    Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
    Holiday pay
    Employer dental, life, and vision insurance
    Privacy rights
    Pregnancy and parental leave
    Military leave
    The right to strike
    Public education for children
    Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011 – requires employers pay men and women equally for the same amount of work
    Laws ending sweatshops in the United States

    You can thank unions at any time.

  16. I don’t belong to a union but I deal with unions daily, primarily one that has over 5000 members. Because of that I have come to the conclusion that there are 3 independent groups: the employees, the business, and the actual union brass. Everyone talks about the relationship between the employees and management. but doesn’t mention the brass, who hide behind the employees. That group, I have come to conclude, cares neither for the employees nor the company, only what is best for them. Remember that: it’s not two groups, it’s three.

    Here is the article I mentioned:

    http://www.epi.org/publication/union-decline-lowers-wages-of-nonunion-workers-the-overlooked-reason-why-wages-are-stuck-and-inequality-is-growing/

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