The Dodgers returned to the scene of the crime, to play the Cubs, the team who ended the Dodgers’ quest to break a generation-long World Series drought, who were on their way to win it all and break their own century-long drought.
Just to remind the Dodgers of last year’s disappointment, the Cubs had a pre-game ceremony to raise their new World Series Championship flag. At least the big Dodger in the sky brought some rain and delayed the Cubs’ fanfare.
Alex Wood went for the Dodgers tonight and he hung tough through the first couple of innings.
John Lester did the same for the Cubs, although the Dodgers squeezed over 50 pitches out of him through their first three ups.
In the third, Wood got two quick outs and then bad luck entered. Yasiel Puig couldn’t catch a foul ball along the seats. That set up a two out walk, which was followed by an RBI double to Kris Bryant.
That hurt as Wood and the Dodgers suddenly couldn’t get the third out. Wood finally got a called strike three on his 47th pitch, and they escaped trailing 0-1.
In the fourth, the Cubs turned a base hit, error and intentional walk into another run. After 75 pitches, and with bases-loaded and Chris Bryant coming to the plate, Alex Wood was done for the night. Ross Stripling got the ball and a pop up to end the threat.
At the end of four, it was 2-0 Cubs but it easily could have been worse.
After their fifth ups, the Dodgers were being one-hit and looking like it.
In the sixth, the Dodgers got on the board with back to back singles that were followed by a Corey Seager RBI double. That was all for the inning as Scott Van Taking Up Space dribbled a little nubber for the third out.
Josh Fields kept the Cubs quiet and at the end of six, it was Cubs up 2-1.
The Dodgers caught some luck to open the 7th. Two walks and catcher’s interference granted them bases loaded and nobody out.
Joc Pederson struck out. Then PH Andrew Toles double played it to kill the inning.
Bases loaded and no one out became three Dodgers trudging off the field to get their mitts, still down 2-1.
In the eighth the Dodgers threatened once again with two on and one out. Chase Utley hit into a force out, but he scored Logan Forsythe to tie the game at two apiece.
Ninth inning and the Dodgers had a chance again with two on and two out, but Logan Forsythe struck out.
The Cubs won in the bottom of the ninth when Kenley Jansen couldn’t get the third out. Cubs win 3-2.
Let’s all forget this terrible night as soon as we can. Day off tomorrow and the teams play again on Wednesday.
Alex Wood went 3 2/3 innings with 3 hits, 2 runs and count em, FIVE walks and 4 Ks. ERA 1.35
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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Good news. They did not get beat by a lefty. Bad news, the lost. They should have won this game going away. You have the bases loaded and no outs you better score. Pederson and Toles not able to get the job done. Personally, in that spot, I am using the veteran, Chase Utley as the pinch hitter over Toles. Why? Utley is more patient at the plate, and would have worked the count and looked for a mistake. Toles a more aggressive hitter did not do that . He fouled the first pitch off, took a high and tight pitch then hit into the DP.
Totally agree with your take on Utley in that situation Michael. Would not have used Toles there – he is too impatient.
Should have won this one, and it’s games like this, against the really good teams that you play in the Post Season that you need to get in the habit of winning.
Gotta say that I had a good chuckle at Chilli’s Kool Aid induced post from a couple of threads back as I was catching up just now.
Michael
I remember Puig hitting with people on base twice last night, and he struck out both times.
At least Joc, and Toles made
contact.
I wouldn’t have cared if he went with Chase, but Chase did get a at bat, later with people on base, and he did the exact same thing that Toles did, but the shortstop made a throwing error, and we tied the game.
And there were other reasons the Cubs scored runs, because of our defense.
Turner is a really good defensive player, and the grass must have been slippery, and he slipped, or he would have gotten a double play, and no runs would have scored in the inning, but one run scored then.
Wood was pitching a really good game, and Puig had a tough play against the wall, and he took his eyes off for a second and missed a routine flyball, that he would usually catch.
And that gave three more hitters at bats, and a run was scored in the inning.
I think the weather had a lot to do with how the Dodgers played, as Well as that long pregame ceremony.
And until the Cubs scored in the bottom of the ninth, they had not had a hit with runners in scoring position, all night.
And actually the Dodgers did have one hit with runners were in scoring position, and that was from Corey.
It matters not that Toles made contact. I know what Puig did, I watched the entire game, and his error allowed the batter to see a couple of more pitches and boom a double. My point is and was that with the bases loaded you need to score. Toles may have made contact, but it was a weak grounder to the first baseman. You need to score in that spot. I am not making excuses for anybody on the team. They all failed. The only hit with men in scoring position was Corey. All Pederson needed to do was hit a deep fly and he failed. Toles hit a inside pitch on the ground when he should have been looking for something he could get in the air with 1 out. He is too impatient a hitter for that. Utley might have done the same thing later in the game, but his ball was in the hole, the 2nd baseman made a pretty good stop but lost his grip. I go with the veteran who does not get flustered in a spot like that over a kid with less than a year in the majors. And Puig caught that ball, but the downward momentum caused his glove to hit the top of the wall and that knocked the ball loose. It was a tough play, and personally I would not have given him an error. Difference is the Cubs took advantage. Weather or not, you cannot give a team like the Cubs a break. And they did that all night. I appreciate your passion. But Toles was absolutely the wrong hitter in that spot. SVS did the same thing in the 9th. They played a very lackadaisical game.
Michael
The problem is you are expecting more from Toles then someone like Puig, who is in his fifth year.
And this is going to he Joc’s third year.
Maybe Toles didn’t get the pitch, he needed.
And Joc had a three zero, count and let a turned that into to a pop up to right.
You said Toles stopped the rally, and like I said the last time I looked, there are three outs in a inning, and Joc made the first out!
You are always telling your views, and not everyone sees things like you do.
And you should try to be more understanding, Players.
Just like after Puig did something stupid, you got all over anyone who mentioned what he did.
And your first words was, I knew everyone was going to go after Puig.
That is exactly what I thought, when I read what you said about Toles.
I guess it’s a learning experience for both Pederson and Toles.
Very frustrating game.
Pederson just missed the pitch he popped up on, but Toles beats the ball into the ground a lot. Utley would have made the pitcher work.
Michael
Chase would have done his best, but he did have an at bat after Toles, and he did the exact same thing, that Toles did.
The only difference was that the Cub’s shortstop, made a throwing error.
And I love how you always have a qualifier, when one of your favorite players, doesn’t come through either, like Joc hitting a pop up.
That is not a qualifier. He failed, and he did just miss hitting that pitch. And I watched the game so you do not have to explain to me what I saw. I make no excuses for Puig or any of the players on the team. They all blew it. And it was the 2nd baseman that made the error on Utley’s ball, not the SS. Chase’s at bat came in a different inning, it did not kill a rally like Toles did. At least Grandal did not hit into a DP last night. That’s a positive thing. You think I do not like Toles, that is far from the truth. I hope all the players do well. I do not care who’s name is on the back. There are a couple of players I do not particularly care for and we all know who they are. But neither do I want them to fail. Puig had a lousy game on Sunday, and outside of the walk he drew last night, he did not have great at bats. It was a team loss. They all stunk.
Michael
Chase hit a ball to second just like Toles did, and it was a double play ball.
And Joc had a three zero count, and let a pitch right down the middle go by, then swung at a high fastball, and popped up to rightfield.
And there are three outs in a inning, and Joc made the first out, and that stopped the rally too!
Anf he didn’t just miss anything, but a walk.
You are the one trying to make us think Joc’s at bat, was something that it wasn’t.
And Toles didn’t have four at bats all night, like Joc and Puig had, and they also, had there chances, so don’t blame everything on Toles.
Okay MJ, so Toles did not have 3 or 4 at bats. His job last night was to come off the bench, either as a pinch hitter or a defensive replacement. Okay I get that. I saw Joc let that ball right down the middle go by, but maybe he did not feel he could drive that pitch. I watched the entire game, and maybe I see things a little different that you. I thought up until he swung and popped that pitch up he was having a decent AB. But he did not do his job. PERIOD. All he needed was to elevate a fly ball to the outfield and the game would have been tied. So Toles comes up as a pinch hitter. He swung at the first pitch, as he does 90 % of the time. Then he took a pitch up and in for a ball. Then he swings at a pitch that was low and inside, not a pitch he could drive and he grounds into a double play. Inning and threat over. He did not do his job. PERIOD. Utley comes up later in the game and hits a hard grounder to 2nd, did he do his job? Not really, difference is that the 2nd baseman miss played Utley’s ball and they ended up scoring on Russell’s error. That was also the play that Turner was injured on. Utley was luckier than Toles, and sometimes that helps win ball games. The entire team had a bad night. But you accuse me of making excuses for Joc and Puig and all your posts have made excuses for Toles. He did not start so he did not have 3 AB’s like Puig and Joc. That’s an excuse. He has not played as long as they have, that’s an excuse too. They are pro’s paid a lot of money to do a job. If they are successful 30% of the time, they are pretty much Hall of Famers. None of them did the job they are paid to do last night. End of story.
YF
That was a very frustrating night in general, with the Cubs long pregame ceremony, and the anouncers, salivating all over the Cubs, all night long.
Jansen had two strikes on Rizzo right? And then he gives him a fast ball up and over the plate.
C’est la vie!
Artie – evidently Kenley was happy with the way he executed the pitch
http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/223516152/cubs-walk-off-in-ninth-to-beat-dodgers/?topicId=27118384
I wasn’t
With two strikes and the winning run on second (not third) Jansen really should have given him a pitch inside, particularly down and in. A wild pitch won’t score the winning run. But the pitch he delivered made Rizzo’s job much easier. All he did was go with the pitch and win the game.
But Michael is right, the game was lost when they failed to score with the bases loaded.
“I executed my pitch”. No, Rizzo executed your pitch. “How many times you gonna see him do that?” Really? You’re an idiot. He’s Anthony Rizzo. He has an .868 OPS WRISP. His OPS with runners on third late with 2 outs is .977. You would know that if you knew anything about the World Champion Cubs.
You buy them books, you send them to school, then you pay them $80 million guaranteed and they stop studying. To be fair, if someone paid me $80 million to pitch one inning 68 times a year I’d probably stop studying too. I got F U money. You want me to read reports? F U.
That was a bad pitch and Rizzo did what you are supposed to do, hit the mistake. But the game was lost long before that pitch. And what was Romo doing out there starting the inning anyway.?
Totally agree. Jansen from the start of the 9th.
Artieboy
Those two strike hits, are always a killer, when you see what a hitter’s odds are, when they have two strikes.
But Kenley doesn’t usually make those mistakes often.
I liked what the old managers use to do, when a pitcher gave up to two strike hit.
Remember they often fined pitchers, for doing that.
Turner nursing a quad strain, not good, Gutierrez strained hammy. Thompson might be up here in a day or two. They have today off, shake off the loss and come out firing on all cylinders on Wednesday. Urias 3 2/3 innings, 79 pitches, 2 runs, 3 walks. 5 k’s. Lot of pitches in a short time frame. Roberts says he will only throw 75 next outing and hopefully go 5 innings. Doctor’s appt this morning. Y’all have a great day.
I’m nursing a strain too. I’ve been strained watching these Dodgers get hurt doing the simple things they are paid $100,000 a night to do. Hey, note to Dodgers, you are going to have to run and slide if you are a hitter and you’re going to have to throw a lot if you’re a pitcher. You are paid millions to do this, you are young and have about 5 months off every year to stay in shape. Get off your ass and DO IT dammit! Yoga, Pilates, running, lifting, P90x, Mobility WOD, Crossfit Supple Leopard stuff – geez Louise people, I was in my 50’s doin that stuff so I could continue playing and it worked for me. There is NO EXCUSE for you guys to be hurt less than 2 weeks into the season. Somebody should be fired for this. I blame catbox.
Badger
Gutierrez has a chronic disorder, and he has played in to many games, because every team, is throwing a leftie, at us.
That is no suprise.
I wish Scott would step up, so he would get some more playing time, but he has had some bad at bats, and has been a disappointment, up until now.
Turner slipped on wet grass, and the weather wasn’t exactly, good weather, to keep a players muscles warm.
Maybe Roberts is just being overly careful, with Turner.
I thought after that long pregame ceremony, and the cold weather, that the Dodgers did a pretty good job, keeping the game close.
It wasn’t like the Cubs played that well, either.
His disorder had nothing to do with him straining his hamstring. He pulled up just before he got to the bag. Kind of knew something was wrong with him. SVS had a golden opportunity to do something positive last night and he fell on his face too. Another long pre game on Wednesday when the Cubbies get their rings.
Michael
With any chronic disorder, your body doesn’t hold up, like other people’s bodies.
And he has a disease, that affects his muscles, so his body, isn’t going to handle as much stress, as other people’s bodies, can.
And with these autoimmune illnesses, people often have to take meds, that break down there immune systems, so they fall prey to injuries, much easier.
If he is that bad off, what the hell is he doing on the field and being a starter? Do you know for certain that the disease he has caused him to strain his hammy? No, you are not a DR, so you have no clue what went wrong. He is medically cleared to play in the majors. He got hurt, and it had nothing to do with his condition. His condition might not allow him to get as loose as he would have liked and in that case Dave Roberts should never have put him in the starting lineup. He had other options. He is an athlete, he trains all winter long to insure he is ready to play. And as he has stated numerous times it took him a while to learn how to play with the disease. If he passed his physical, then he should have been ready to go. You can strain a hammy just turning wrong.
I thought Alex Wood’s stuff looked real good. Looks stronger this year. Keep stretching him and out and there’s another capable rotation member.
Rye
I agree, Wood pitched a really good game, and he hadn’t really, been stretched out, yet.
His fastball was at 95 most of the time, until Puig missed that tough pop up at the wall, that caused Wood, to have to throw more pitches, then he should.
Yeah, Wood looks like the long reliever he was groomed to be. Gee, who would have ever thought we might need him to start in mid April? And by the way, he threw 70 pitches last night, only 39 were strikes. If he’s on, 70 should be good for 4.2. He got 3.2. That’s 19 pitches per inning. That’s too many. 5 walks in 3.2? His WHIP was over 2. Yeah, his stuff looked good, lots of zip, 4 k’s, only 3 hits, 1 earned run, however his command wasn’t good. But, it wasn’t his start, it was a rain delayed miserable night against the World Champions. It surely could have been worse. I’m encouraged by a 95 mph fastball. Put those pitches where you want to and 75 of them will get you 5 innings and a W. Yeah, a pitcher’s wins don’t mean anything to nerds in suits, but they mean a lot to the guys who wear the uniforms. We knew he would be one of the 12+ starters, but honestly I didn’t see him in the rotation until summer. Go get ’em kid.
Badger
I don’t think the run that Woods gave up, was an earned run.
Wood had two outs and Puig misplayed that pop up, that would have been the third out.
And Woods really hasn’t been stretched out.
Also that umpire last night, was known for having a very tight strike zone, for pitchers.
I thought Wood pitched fine, considering the circumstances.
And he might keep his fastball at 95, longer in game, if he is built up, like a starter is.
Look at the box score MJ. It’s all there.
Badger
How can that be an earned run, when a player makes an error, that would have been the third out?
MJ it is an earned run because the runner was on base via a base on balls. The error had nothing to do with the with the man being on base. All the error did was give the batter another couple of pitches to see. I made a mistake earlier. I said the 2nd baseman made the error when Forsythe scored, it was the SS. You were correct, now, that play was the one that Turner slid into 2nd and took out the 2nd baseman. That is the play he was injured on. That is when he felt a pull in his oblique. Roberts pulled him from the game as a precaution because of how cold it was. That play was reviewed because Maddon thought Turner went out of the way to take out his 2nd baseman……..what rule is that???? You got it, the Utley rule, instituted because of Chase’s slide that broke the Mets SS leg in the playoff’s in 2015.
The run that scored in the 4th was an earned run charged to Woods. The run that scored in the 3rd after Puig’s error was unearned.
As usual Chili, you are wrong. Bryant hit his double in the 3rd inning and that scored Schwarber. That run was earned because Schwarber had walked. Puig made an error on the long foul ball, but it had nothing to do with the run scoring, all it did was prolong Bryant’s AB. In the 4th, Wood tried to pick Russell off and threw the ball into CF for an error. Then when the bases were loaded Lester hit the ball to Turner, who made a great stop, but barely beat the runner to second with the throw. All the runners were called safe originally, but the Dodgers challenged and it was ruled that Baez came down on the bag after Forsythe caught the ball. So he was out. The run that scored was unearned because Wood’s error directly contributed to the man being on 3rd and able to score on that play. Check the scoring synopsis on ESPN if you think I am wrong. But I am not. Even when Bryant hit the double the announcers said it was scored as an earned run.
Michael
I didn’t sign him!
He is suppose to be a part time player, and because we have had to face lefties, he has been playing to much.
I was just explaining that he is more vulnerable then other healthy players.
Frustration level’s gotten very high here. I know I’m a contributing cause, but right now I’m taking a chill pill. Let’s see what these Dodgers come back with after the day off.
And let’s keep the sniping at each other to a minimum for a few days. MJ and Michael I love both of you.
YF
Ok YF, I will try!
I did think the Dodgers did a decent job, after that long pregame ceremony, and with that weather.
You are correct. Only 8 games have been played. Tons of baseball left to be played. No reason to be frustrated yet, except maybe the injuries, and facing left handed pitching.
Michael
Turner didn’t even have contact with the shortstop, and that was showed on the TV, and it was also cooperated by the office, in NY!
He must of hurt himself, with his slide, because there was no contact.
Thanks, I forgot there was a runner on base.
Puig still should have caught that ball.
Like Badger said, Wood deserved better.
Thanks Chili too!
If you watch the replay, which I did numerous times, Turner’s foot inadvertently makes contact with his. BUT it was totally legal because he was not too far away from 2nd base. And he did not go out of his way and try to knock the player down. Yes, Puig should have caught that ball. But like I said, all it did was allow Bryant to see a couple more pitches. It had nothing to do with the fact he hit a double. That was because Wood made a bad pitch and he did not miss it. Good hitters do that you know. Turner was hurt on the slide. He said he felt a strain in his side. Wood is what he is. But he was on a 75 pitch limit anyway.
Did anyone else find ESPN’s coverage insufferable? “Let’s get to know the Cubs better.” There’s a game going on here for Pete’s sake! Stay with the live action, Susan!
Joc’s attempts to rattle Lester were as futile as they were embarrassing. Either run or don’t.
I don’t think they’ll have much trouble finding someone at OKC who can hit as well as Gutierrez.
Anyone notice Jharel Cotton pitched seven scoreless for the A’s?
He’s not as good as Hill, FAZ said so!
He’s not.
But he could be, one day.
That was sarcasm, Bluto. I’d rather have him now than the corpse of Hill.
Me too. Ill take the other two guys back as well.
Jonah
You crack me up!
That Corpse!
Understood, but not me.
No he is not as good as Hill…….He is better…..at least the stats say so.
At this point in time, he IS better.
Understood, but not me.
Hill’s a much better play.
Cotton would still be down at AAA if he were here. Behind Stewart, when he returns, and Stripling. Waiting in line with Oaks.
And making..what? $50K a year? We can’t afford that? Another dumb FAZ move, no getting away from it…
Yeah, WTF was Joc doing? Just frickin’ run. That made Joc look as incompetent running the bases as Lester is throwing to the bases.
Rye
The problem is that Joc should have known better, after the antics that Kike did, in the post season last.
If you are allowed to get that big of a lead, you just can’t stand out there.
Standing and messing around isn’t going to bother Lester, they need to take second base, and that is what will bother Lester.
Joc was merely following orders, as his manager does. Nobody is guilty of anything, everyone just does what Hitler, I mean FAZ orders…
Jonah
Joc pulled a Kike!
LOL! When the level of irrational hatred of a baseball executive sinks to the level of Hitlerian comparisons, you know it’s bad. How any posts was that before Godwin’s Law was validated? Three.
Blaming Joc’s baserunning on FAZ has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve read on this site. Claiming Jharel Cotton is a better pitcher than Rich Hill is a close second.
Jonah
When they say that Cotton and these other pitchers, would only be blocked.
I don’t understand why they are blocked, because it isn’t like we have pitchers, that are pitching, seven scoreless innings.
Snider
Those announcers last night, were so nauseating, I just wanted to get the game over!
Not to mention the two players that they interviewed during the game, and that whole, pregame ceremony, that took so long.
What Joc was trying last night was pretty bush league. Just take your lead and go. You know the guy is afraid to throw over there right? And Joc looks nothing like the runner he was in the minors when he stole 30 at AAA. Toles should be using his speed better too. Puig, I get scared every time he is in a place where he can attempt a steal. Not because he is not fast enough, he just goes at what always seems the wrong time.
Agree with that Michael. If he thought he was getting into Lester’s head he would be wrong. Lester has seen it all. Just go on first move. If you don’t make it under those terms, take a seat meat.
MJ, to your point about that error and the earned run. Two singles and an intentional walk filled the bases. The official scorer says by that sequence the run was earned. I agree.
Badger
Wasn’t there only one runner on base, when Puig made that error?
Puig? You are talking about a different inning. That was the inning before and that run was unearned. The earned run was the next inning. Read “summary – all plays” at MLB.com
Badger
I was talking about the inning, that Puig made, that error.
Did you know that that was Rizzo’s first RBI of the year?
Yes, Schwarber was on 1st, and when Bryant hit his double down into the corner he scored all the way from first.
Badger
Yes Michael and Chili reminded me, but Puig still has to make that play.
Wood did a good job, considering the position he was put in, without being stretched out.
I’m not feeling the love for Romo.
Think he’s a Dodger a couple of years too late.
From all of these excellent posts, I take away one solid fact, MJ and Michael are not sleeping together.
This team has a lot of holes in the line-up. I never saw what others said about this being a quality club and ready to win a WS. It early yet, admittedly, but there are some basic flaws with so many players on this team.
Here’s to some shake-ups to this roster and to MJ and Michael getting a room. LOL
True Blue
If Toles doesn’t go back to his other batting stance, and hit line drives, I might have to kill Michael.
Because he expects more from Toles, then Joc and Puig, who have played more then a few months, in the majors.
You are so wrong. I expect professionals to have professional at bats. I expect players to do the damn job they get paid a lot of money for. I expect players who are in the majors to play like major leaguers, and for your information, I do not have a favorite player anymore. I quit doing that when they traded Mike Piazza. I criticized both Puig and Joc earlier in this stream. As far as you killing me there is little chance of that. I think Puig and Joc and even Toles are young guys who are still learning what it means to wear that uniform. I could care less how long any of them have been in the big leagues. Toles is an impatient hitter. He is notorious for going after the first pitch. And Seager has the same aggressive manner. Difference is, Seager is a better hitter than Toles. Toles did great at the end of last year, better than expected. And he got a shot this spring and played well. But, he is no leadoff man. I stand by what I said. He was not the guy you want up in that particular situation, too impatient. I want the veteran up there. Hey, had he gotten a hit and driven in a couple of runs, great, I would have been right there saying what a good job he did. Pederson blew it too. All he had to do was hit a fly ball and he pops out to short CF. Puig made an error. All his error did was prolong the at bat. It allowed Bryant to see a couple of pitches and eventually double, but the error had NOTHING to do with the scoring. Schwarber walked and Bryant drove him in with a double. That is an earned run. I am not making excuses for Puig, he should have held on to that ball. He had all around a bad game. Nor am I making excuses for Pederson. There was no clutch hitting save Corey’s double. Since he was not up in that spot, you nor I have any clue if Utley would have gotten a hit or not in the situation that Toles was in. But in my opinion, I want the veteran up in that spot. A guy who works the count and increases the chances that the pitcher makes a mistake. You disagree fine, but your boy blew it and hit into a double play. He is hitting around .220 like most of the other guys on this team. They all blew it. Weather is not an excuse. They had the same problem last year with the bases loaded. They failed to score most of the time.
Michael
It is still early, one hit makes a big difference in an average.
Joc has only one more hit then Toles, so those early stats are not going to be stable, for a while.
Take a look at there stats, they are not that far apart.
And Toles isn’t my boy, or my favorite player.
I don’t have a favorite player like you do.
I am just defending him, because he is still young.
And you seem to go after him.
If you remember you said the same thing about Puig being young, but this is Puig’s fifth year.
I rather that Chase hit then too, but he did in up doing the same thing later, he hit a ball, that was a perfect double play ball.
My problem with what you said, is that Toles lost the game, it wasn’t that you thought Chase should have hit instead.
Bottom line it wasn’t everyone’s best game.
Like I said. I DO NOT have a favorite player. I quit doing that years ago. You defend Toles because he is young. Well MJ, Toles is exactly 1 month younger than Joc….that’s it 1 month. I criticized both Joc and Puig earlier in the stream. And for your information and according to MLB records, Puig is actually only in his 4th season. He has played PARTS of 5 years in the majors, but his actual MLB time is less than that. If the guy had played 5 years in the bigs, it still would not matter. Talent wise he is a under performer. And never not once did I say TOLES lost the game. I said he failed at doing the job he was up there to do. His hitting into the DP was only part of the overall FAILURE of the entire team. It was a team loss. Except for Corey no one got a hit with men in scoring position. NOBODY. What I said and what you obviously with your limited baseball knowledge fail to understand is that I felt Utley would have been a better option in that spot. Utley did hit later in the game (8th inning) with 2 men on base. His resulting grounder was ruled a fielders choice, and obviously he failed too, but luckily the SS threw the ball away and Forsythe scored. Utley is hitting 077, Toles 222. Roberts went with the kid. I would have used the battle tested vet. Neither did the job. That is and was my point. PERIOD. I think Andrew is a talented player. I just do not think he is the best option in some situations. As fast as he is, he still hit into a DP. Aside to Toles….the pitchers have video and they know you swing at the first pitch most of the time. It is time you adjust to how the pitchers are pitching you. Corey had to do it, so does every other rookie in the major leagues. Adjust and hit the best pitch you can or stay the way you are and say hello to OKC. Puig is only 2 years older than Joc and Toles
Not a chance in hell. She is a nice person. Too early to shake up the roster, but no doubt they are talking. Personally, I wish Ethier was ready to play.
The feeling is mutual!
We finally agree on something.
Did anyone remember Logan striking out three times, in key situations?
Any point to remembering? Let it go, yesterday’s game.
Jonah
Ok we will get them in the next game, and we won’t have to listen to those ESPN homers, at least.
Jonah
What is the last book you read, and the last show you saw, on your computer?
“Goodbye Darkness”, by William Manchester. He revisits South Pacific battle grounds he fought on as a youth. He works his experiences there into describing how the places have changed in the thirty-some years since the war. Sort of like Michener did with his original book, “Tales of the South Pacific” (from which the movie and Broadway Musical were derived) and it’s sequel, “Return To The South Pacific”.
Jonah
You like war books, and military stuff, is it because of the adventure, without having to do it.
We’re not the only ones with DL issues
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/04/braves-place-matt-kemp-on-10-day-dl-promote-johan-camargo.html?fv-home=true&post-id=89873
Watford
I saw that!
If the playoffs started today the Dodgers would be playing the links.
Bummer about Kemp. Leg issues huh? It’s going around. Must be from playing a summer game in winter.
I predicted 6-4 after 10. Two wins in Chicago? I don’t know about that. McCarthy and TBD are up next. TBD goes against Anderson so that’s even money, but I never bet on Brandon McCrystalpants.
Badger
I actually thought that Ryu pitched a better game, then McCarthy did, in this last round.
Because Ryu was pitching in Colorado, and he didn’t get good defense behind him, or he could have pitched longer.
And he has said he wasn’t happy with his performance, and he wants to pitch further into a games.
The HR he gave up hit the fair pull, so that was close.
Our bullpen guys have been really good except Kenley, who gave up Rizzo’s first RBI, of the year.
The problem with Rizzo is that he dares pitchers to hit him, and a pitcher could actually hit him, and still be in the strike zone, but will the umpires call a pitch like that, a strike.
The problem with Rizzo is the fact he can hit. Yeah, he does stand close to the plate, and chokes up on the bat. Bonds did a similar thing. He’s tough to pitch to. He got Kenley. It’s gonna happen now and then. With the Cubs it’s gonna happen more often.
Godwin ‘s Law. I’ve heard of that patch. So, you admit Spicer has lost the debate. I agree. And why bring Dodger Report cheap shots here? Stooping to insults is an admission you’ve lost the exchange – “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser”. Socrates. That’s why so many were insulted, and even banned, over there. The point about Cotton is valid. At the moment, he has more upside than Blister Boy. Cotton is coming off 7 shutout innings. Hill, with luck, is coming off the DL – in several days. Maybe he will eventually have a better year, a better 3 years than Cotton. But to believe otherwise is certainly understandable. I’d still like to undo that trade. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong eventually. But, not yet.
Spicer wasn’t in a debate, but what he said was dumb. Still, too much is made of a dumb statement. It is the actions and the policy that form the backdrop of that statement that should be the news, not his clumsy analogy. The MSM is just really really dumb. They don’t practice journalism anymore. They don’t dig, do research, ask important questions. They focus on the trivial such as this.
Saying that comparing FAZ to the Nazis is dumb is not taking a cheap shot. Such a comparison is just really really dumb.
You don’t anoint Cotton, an unproven rookie, the superior to Hill because of one good game.
Well, I disagree that Spicer is not in a debate. Everything coming from that direction is debatable. I won’t comment on a comparison, I’ll leave that to you. But it is possible to compare what two pitchers have done since they were traded for each other. Cotton looks good. Hill looks like he’s made of cotton. I find no problem saying we might be better off with Cotton in our rotation. I think he can throw 150+ innings. I don’t believe Hill will do that. Who knows what the next 3 years will look like, but I like the futures of Holmes, Montas and Cotton a lot better than I like the future of Rich Hill.
Oh Badger. Don’t you know that when a pitcher wins 39 games over 12+ seasons that that is the making of a great pitcher. And when their career ERA is 4.08 well, that just seizes the deal.
Got to get drunk on that Blue Kool-Aid to see that. And the more you drink the younger RICH hill gets. That other site is so drunk RICH hill is now about 25 years old and looking like an ace.
I don’t have to read it to know what is being said there. To evaluate Dodger moves and do it with a crtical eye was never done without being raked by Timmons and the FAZophants. I’m sure Hill is projected as a Cy candidate there. ZIPS projects him with 95 innings, Steamer 145. Clearly nobody knows. To give a 37 year old with his history a 3 year contract sounds is risky. To trade 3 top top prospects for him was reckless.
Yes, everything coming from that direction is debatable, at least the substance should be. It’s an important debate and our country needs it. What Spicer said was just a gaffe, a clumsy analogy, a poor choice of words. It meant nothing, and adds or detracts nothing to or from the larger more important debate. It’s just a nice shiny bauble for opponents to seize upon to manufacture outrage when they are incapable or unwilling to ask the right questions that contribute to the larger debate.
Did you hear about the new Wonder Woman movie reboot? They released a trailer showing Wonder Woman with shaved armpits and people are outraged….OUTRAGED, because, I dunno, patriarchy or mysogyny or something. Same thing. We are a culture that is losing its mind and is addicted to outrage, typically over stupid nonsense. It precludes more intelligent debates or discussions over larger issues. It makes people afraid to speak of larger issues.
I woulda thought you’d approve of giving up a bunch of prospects for an aging pitcher. 🙂
If Cotton’s ceiling is that of a mid rotation starter who can give a team 150 innings of decent if unspectacular innings, and I believe that was the scouting consensus on his ceiling, this organization already has bunch of prospects that fit that description. The reality is he’d be stuck in AAA and be blocked indefinitely from advancing because the team also has a bunch of veteran solid if unspectacular starting pitchers. At the same time, the Dodgers were and are in need of a solid #2 because, thank God!, they didn’t overpay for Greinke.
If he goes on the win the Cy Young and ROY, good for him. If he gives up 5 runs in his next outing, we won’t be having this discussion anymore. ….”Wow! Kemp’s raking! What a terrible blunder to trade him away for nothing! We need that right handed bat right now!…..oh wait…he just went on the DL again?” ….*crickets*
And hey Chile. Koufax was a really good. Maybe the Dodgers should sign him because, after all, past performance – even distant past performance – is always the predictor of future performance. It doesn’t matter if pitchers get older or young pitchers get better or ….pitchers reinvent themselves by learning how to throw the best curveball in baseball.
FDS – FAZ Derangement Syndrome. It’s a bit of an unhealthy preoccupation…as is the unhealthy preoccupation with that “other site.”
Badger: “To trade 3 top top prospects for him was reckless.”
You remind me of a thirty-year smoker who just quit smoking in the last two weeks. screaming about the evils of tobacco while on their temporary hiatus. Some of us remember “Trade that overrated middle infield prospect Seager” “Trade that overrated outfielder Pederson” “Trade that overrated pitcher Urias” “Prospects are just prospects” “FAZ swallowed an olive and spit out a hairball not getting Hamels for those scrubs”. I know, I know, they could have got Hamels for Van Slyke. Ha Ha!
What’s a carton of Marlboro’s cost these days?
DP-
Your analogy of Koufax would be fitting for a 5 year old.
Really? We are talking about 37 y/o RICH hill. It is FAZ whom is rewarding someone for their past performance (like just last year)and gave the guy a 3 year deal….more money than the guy received throughout his entire career, you know those prime years. NOW, that is stupid. Wasteful. Idiotic. And must I say again, NO VISION!
Stick around. This will get better. Now, the story is that RICH hill doesn’t have a full blown blister, but rather it is feeling like one is brewing. OMG. Just like the guy that lost his job for promoting Olivera, the guy that traded 3 top 13 prospects and then in the off season re-sign that same injury ridden, over rated 36 y/o pitcher with 38 career wins to a contract of that magnitude…..yep, should lose their job.
Dodger patch
The problem is that this is only one, of the many dumb things, that he has said.
If it was you or me, that is understandable, but he is the president’s speaker!
He obviously knows history or reads as much, as his boss.
Catbox you are ridiculous. After suggesting DeLeon + (Peraza in a flip) I was the one who said keep everybody. I never said trading Seager or Urias was on the table. You know that, you just like to hear yourself squawk. I find you laughably absurd.
patch you said what was posted here regarding Hitler was really really dumb. But then you defended Spicer’s comment as just a gaffe, a “shiny bauble for opponents to seize” – well, I think it is a lot more serious than that. I think on an international scene saying something that ignorant is more than really really dumb, it’s dangerous. We will never agree on these issues but in a way I feel for the obviously overmatched underprepared Spicer – he’s attempting to defend the indefensible. I doubt he succeeds and that is bad for everybody.
I don’t know what will happen with Hill but if I had to bet I would say the same things that have kept him from being elite as a young pitcher will continue to surface and keep him from being an elite pitcher after 37. He’s no outlier and PEDs aren’t allowed anymore. I want the same thing you do patch, peace and posterity on a national front and multiple Dodgers World Championships on a local level. I fear I will see neither. Not this year anyway. This team has cracks, our national leadership has fault lines.
Who cares about Kemp now? He’s been gone a long time. That said, 30 home runs and 100 RBIs would look damn good on our stat sheet.
BAAAAAAger: “After suggesting DeLeon + (Peraza in a flip) I was the one who said keep everybody.”
OH, that’s right in the weeks and months leading up to a potential Hamels trade, you we’re saying DeLeon + Peraza (in a flip). Yeah right, Peraza was acquired by the Dodgers the day before Hamels was traded. But we’re supposed to believe, you were calling for Dodgers to acquire Peraza so he could be traded with DeLeon for Hamels. Good one!!!
I guess you’re just trying to do your best Susan Rice imitation. The next thing you will try and tell us is that the Phils would have traded Hamels for a “video” of you in the getup below.
BAAAAAAger: “After suggesting DeLeon + (Peraza in a flip) I was the one who said keep everybody.”
OH, that’s right in the weeks and months leading up to a potential Hamels trade, you we’re saying DeLeon + Peraza (in a flip). Yeah right, Peraza was acquired by the Dodgers the day before Hamels was traded. But we’re supposed to believe, you were calling for Dodgers to acquire Peraza so he could be traded with DeLeon for Hamels. Good one!!!
I guess you’re just trying to do your best Susan Rice imitation. The next thing you will try and tell us is that the Phils would have traded Hamels for a “video” of you in the getup below.
Badger, that response was exasperating. I did not defend Spicer. I wrote that what he said was dumb. What was actually dumber (and this is my point), mind-blowingly stupid in fact, was the overblown, contrived and histrionic response by the typical media hacks and progressives who reflexively want to be offended and outraged over words that mean nothing.
I understood what Spicer was trying to say. It is still actually a question to this day why Hitler did not use his stockpiles of chemical weapons AS A BATTLEFIELD WEAPON. The Germans actually developed nerve gas, but they didn’t use it against the allies or develop it as a weapon. Why?
http://www.historynet.com/why-no-poison-gas.htm
What Spicer said was dumb because it’s always dumb to make Hitler comparisons to make a point, but what he said was not an example of anti-Semitism. That’s just stupid.
You’re missing the point patch
https://youtu.be/BvCCfwTwqi4
Assuming everything Carlin says is true (in some ways, this sentiment that Carlin articulates resonated with the blue collar folks who voted for Trump), what Spicer said had nothing to do with that.
Carlin is right about one thing. We don’t teach people to be critical thinkers. This PC progressive culture has turned into a bizarre, unhinged cult where the Holy Trinity are race, gender and sexuality.
I don’t think you get that.
Yeah, you missed the point.
Carlin is right about everything. As long as we keep barking at each other the elites will keep getting away with their chicanery. Everything is ideologically driven and it’s by design. You think the current administration gives a shit about you? He’s a billionaire political buffoon that is interested in one thing and it ain’t you or me.
Stand by. This is a national downhill slide and it’s picking up speed.
Actually I was wrong, Toles grounded into a DP to the SS not the 1st baseman. But it was still a DP. Hernandez failed to drive in Forsythe from 3rd in the 6th when they had another chance to take the lead.
To load the bases with no outs and not score is epic failure for an offense. To keep a team from scoring when they load the bases with no outs is monumental defense. The better teams score and keep teams from scoring. That is what makes them better. It’s not a stretch to say the Cubs are the better team. We have a full year to do something about that.
Badgers right no one wants the team not to score with the bases loaded.
Just like no one wants to see a runner on third, not score with less then two outs.
I thought Logan should have tagged up there, and made the Cubs make a perfect throw, to get him.
And Badger really, the Cubs didn’t play that well either.
Apparently Logan struck out three times, in key situations, in that game.
He still leads the team in strike outs.
And I haven’t seen him hit anything more, then a double.
Really, only Corey came through in that game!
These games mean little in the long run. The players in Chicago, and probably a few other cities, were running around trying to play baseball with ski masks on. I just read there are 36 players in MLB OPSing over 1.000. We will know more after 30 games and 100 at bats. Still, it would be nice to take 2 of 3 from the Cubs. In your face Chicawful.
Badger
Like I already said, this is only one of his many, mistakes.
And he seems to be as well read, and educated as much, as his boss, on history.
And we all know that people that are not aware, or remember history, will probably repeat history, and that is scary, at this level.
Good and bad news from Keith Law, who I quite like:
http://insider.espn.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=6988
His revised top 50 prospects has 4 Dodgers.
The bad! He reports Alvarez showed up to Spring Training overweight and under-performing.
Insider information.
But, did I see San Diego rated ahead of us?
No, San Diego only had 3 and none higher than Bellinger who was third overall.
That said, Badger’s point is right. The Padres are full in the tank and should have a strong system soon.
So too, we hope, will the Dodgers while the LA team stays at the top tier of the MLB.
Oh-oh. Someone could be losing their job soon. Say it ain’t so……another Cuban given a boatload of money and now underperforming. Imagine that. But with FAZ, all is wonderful.
I think those guys (engle, guerrero and company) did lose their jobs.
Of course! Guy shows up to spring training fat and it’s the fault of FAZ. They should’ve known he’d show up fat before they signed him. Heads need to roll.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/scouting-the-dodgers-electric-cuban-righty-yadier-alvarez/
dodgerpatch: “”Wow! Kemp’s raking! What a terrible blunder to trade him away for nothing! We need that right handed bat right now!…..oh wait…he just went on the DL again?” ….*crickets*
And hey Chile. Koufax was a really good. Maybe the Dodgers should sign him because, after all, past performance – even distant past performance – is always the predictor of future performance. It doesn’t matter if pitchers get older or young pitchers get better or ….pitchers reinvent themselves by learning how to throw the best curveball in baseball.
FDS – FAZ Derangement Syndrome. It’s a bit of an unhealthy preoccupation…as is the unhealthy preoccupation with that “other site.””
SLAM IT DOWN, BIG MAN!! Way to tell it like it is!!
FDS is all the rage here. Kemp??? C’mon FAZophobes, You have to be kidding me! I know he would have come cheap. Shoot the Padres PAID to get rid of him, but that means nothing here. WAKE UP!!
Bonus: For those who suffer from TDS (Trump derangement syndrome). I heard they have located his tax returns. They are right under Obozo’s, birth certificate, school records, school financial aid documents, fraudulent social security card and Chicago Bath House membership card. You’re sure to see them soon!!!
Interesting article on Yardbarker.com. Asks if the Dodgers should be making performance based roster moves. Mentions SVS who is hitting .200, and Kike tearing the league up at .163. No mention of Grandal .176 or Utley .077. Nor even Toles .222. But the guys who are raking at OKC right now are not multi positional players like the FAZ loves. Bellinger is over .400, with one dinger, but Segedin is at .250. I personally think they give it about a month before they will start thinking adjustments. Roberts also stated on Dodgerblue that he could see Urias up in uniform by the end of April. Also on Yardbarker was an article on the different uni’s and caps MLB has on tap for the different holidays. You have to hand it to MLB marketing, they know how to squeeze money out of their fandom. There are 5 different jerseys that will be worn and 5 different caps for Memorial Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, the 4th of July and the All Star game. Genius.
Nothing wrong with MLB trying to sell that stuff. But everyone should feel sorry for the morons who buy it.
Michael
Like Badger said, player’s stats are drastically changing right now, so it is to early, to know what we have.
One hit, or one out by a player, can change there stats or batting average, to look either really good, or really bad, and that can happen, just in one game.
Badger was smart by saying, it is going to take about 30 games, and about 100 at bats, before any real baseball people, will be taking any player’s stats, seriously.
That’s why it isn’t good to make any any assumptions, this early in the season.
I agree, Lasorda said many years ago in an interview that it usually took about the first 50 games to know what kind of a team he had. By then the starters had made multiple starts, and the players usually had seen enough of the pitchers in the league to get their feet on the ground. He was usually right about that. Puig has a 4 hit night and that .260 average shoots over 300. With as few AB’s as Toles or Kike has had and they are in the same spot. Did you know Joc has almost a .500 avg against lefty’s so far this year? He is 3-7.
Michael
Yes but he only has one hit, against righties.
That tells me he is trying to be more deliberate, against lefties.
And he is shortening his swing, against lefties more.
The thing with Joc is that he will shorten his swing for a while, but he reverts back, to the big swing.
Joc only has one more hit then Toles, actually, there numbers are really close, except in the strike out dept.
I would have thought Joc had a lot more walks, but he only has one more walk.
I don’t know what Toles will do, especially with his new stance. and swing.
I wouldn’t have changed his swing, that much.
His new stance looks uncomfortable, to me.
And I agree with you, he isn’t a lead off type of player, right now.
We saw what Joc did leading off, and that was painful.
That isn’t easy for a young player, that doesn’t have a lot of major league, experience.
If Joc keeps his swing short when he needs to, he will be a better hitter.
And Puig’s average has went down quickly, because he hasn’t had a hit, in his last 8 at bats.
The thing with Puig is, that sometimes, he isn’t good, under pressure.
Even when he was great, he was only good in the post season, in that one series, against the Braves.
I hope Puig can get a hit tonight, to ease his pressure.
I thought he was going to hit more up the middle, and to rightfield, but I haven’t seen him hit that way, for a while.
I think a lot of Puig’s problems relate to his early success. It was very easy for him that first year. The second year he had some success but not as much as the year before. His biggest problem is the fact he has not really learned in his time in the majors to adjust to the adjustments pitchers have made in pitching to him. That is one reason he kept chasing those pitches that were low and outside. I do not worry about Joc hitting RH pitchers. That will come. He has changed a lot of things in his stance and the way he attacks. That is a lot to assimilate. It will take time to be comfortable with all that. Same with Toles. I did not really notice that he had changed his stance at the plate. MJ, ball players are paid a lot of money to be able to handle pressure. If they cannot, they are definitely in the wrong business. I wanted to clarify something to you so there will be no further misunderstanding on this one point. Major league baseball calculates service time in the majors as actual days on the 25 man roster. Time in minors is not included, but DL time is. At the beginning of the 2016 season, Yasiel Puig had 2 years 116 days on the Dodgers roster. Which means that since he spent over a month in OKC last year, his service time at the beginning of this year is a little over 3 years. Or as I said earlier parts of 5 seasons. Joc has a little less than that at 2 years and about 30 days when this year started, so basically even though Yasiel has been around for a while his actual time in the bigs is not all that much. It is not a big deal, but actual time and exposure to the leadership and coaching in the majors makes a difference to me in how guys are taught.
Box,
Whenever I want a good laugh I just check out the other site and it never fails me.
Correct for me to assume that evidently the other site doesn’t hold your interest for you to come on here and post.
But then again I’m sure it’s quite boring to keep hearing the same stuff over and over for instance like when the next wave of prospects fizzle out there will be more in the pipeline to chirp about and promote. And the wheel goes round and round. Enjoy.
Questions for you Box.
1.) How many years has Friedman been in charge of a MLB franchise?
2.) How many championships has his teams under his leadership won?
3.) Are you predicting that Friedman will be employed by the Dodgers when (if ever) they win their next championship?
4.) What is your prediction on when the Dodgers will win their next championship?
5.) How many games did the Dodgers win in 2014?
6.) How many games did the Dodgers win in 2015?
7.) How many games did the Dodgers win in 2016?
p.s.—-this will help you come down from that high that you are getting from drinking the Friedman supplied Blue Kool-Aid.
Well said Chili man! Blue Kool Aid is a sour drink right about now.
Sour indeed, just like about this time last year. Then the Dodgers started to hit, and started to win, and the FAZophobes were a little quieter for a while…until they figured out something else to gripe about.
Chili: “Correct for me to assume that evidently the other site doesn’t hold your interest for you to come on here and post.”
Not at all. Lots of good knowledge to be gained at the other site. I enjoy several Dodger related sites, including this one!
Chili: “But then again I’m sure it’s quite boring to keep hearing the same stuff over and over for instance like when the next wave of prospects fizzle out there will be more in the pipeline to chirp about and promote. And the wheel goes round and round. Enjoy.”
Not boring at all to hear about Dodger prospects. After all, prospects are the LIFE BLOOD of a MLB team. Happily, I believe we have lots of potential studs on the way. Love hearing about them kicking some ass. You don’t?
Questions for you Box.
1.) How many years has Friedman been in charge of a MLB franchise? This is his twelfth year.
2.) How many championships has his teams under his leadership won? What kind of championship? Division? League?
3.) Are you predicting that Friedman will be employed by the Dodgers when (if ever) they win their next championship? YES, My Aston Martin against your Porsche on this one.
4.) What is your prediction on when the Dodgers will win their next championship? I hope they will win it all every year, but I only predict division championships. Playoffs are a crap shoot.
5.) How many games did the Dodgers win in 2014? 95 wins
6.) How many games did the Dodgers win in 2015? 94 wins
7.) How many games did the Dodgers win in 2016? 96 wins
Cubs favored again today. I wouldn’t bet against them, but I look for a close game.
I saw catbox’ s favorite sheep picture and deviced to follow some advice and not read the post. He brings nothing to the debate. I find patch’s arguments more reasoned.
I couldn’t get in to the Insider report but I thought I read SD system at 3, LA at 5. I can see the Padres getting better systematically, as I see Arizona improving their prospects too. What neither team has that LA does is the ability to spend on free agents and the Intetnational Market. Impecunious we ain’t.
Arizona can only go up after the LaRussa/Stewart debacle.
Hope both organizations do well.
Badger
I don’t compare our prospects, to a team like the Padres.
That is because the Padres sold off, almost all of there veteran players, to get the prospects, they have.
And they are doing a rebuild, so they sold off, even there best, veteran players.
Now if we were doing that, and there prospects were more highly rated, and they had more, that would bother me.
Did everyone see the tweet from Pedro Martinez, about Cotton.
He said something like this below.
He said that Cotton was born on the day he made his major league debut, and wears the # 45, and sadly, the Dodgers just traded him, so that is a good sign!
http://www.truebluela.com/2017/4/12/15178314/dodgers-cubs-lineups-no-justin-turner
More importantly, Trayce Thompson called up:
http://www.truebluela.com/2017/4/12/15266918/franklin-gutierrez-disabled-list-hamstring-dodgers-trayce-thompson
Thompson recalled, Gutierrez to 10 DL, Turner not in the lineup, Forsythe hitting 3rd and playing 3rd…
Churn.
I thought Alvarez was skinny. He was praised for how easily he was able to throw 96. What, he can’t now? I didn’t read the details, so obviously I don’t know the story, but I haven’t heard this anywhere else. Google search turned up nothing. I’m not going to worry about it. He’s 21. Get him up early and run and hour of Crossfit before breakfast – which will be a protein smoothie – then team workouts. He’ll be back in fighting shape in a few weeks.
Why would they let young players get out of shape? The team should see that doesn’t happen.
There are two different things going on here Badger.
The first isn’t that the problem is correctable. That’s not what drives worry into scouts/baseball people’s heads, the problem is that one could interpret the weight gain as (amongst other reasons) Alvarez is immature or doesn’t realize the complete effort/investment becoming a great player entails.
The second point is that it’s not up to the team to monitor a player’s diet. It can’t be. The Union wouldn’t stand for that kind of privacy invasion, and rightly so.
It’s in the union’s best interest to see the young assets are protected. All we are talking about here are physicals every few hours and a 24/7 life coach. Look, the money is spent. Take care of your investment. It has to be a year round program for professionals. It just makes sense.
Tonight’s lineup…Toles LF…Seager SS…Forsythe 3B….Gonzo 1B….Grandal C….Pederson CF….Utley 2B….Puig RF…..McCarthy P…..
Zack Lee sighting in Colorado … he pitched 5.1 innings of shut out ball and got a W for the woeful Padres.
Guys, new post up top