For at least a dozen years in a row, I made sure to bet the Dodgers would win the World Series. If I didn’t place the bet in Las Vegas myself, I would ask someone who was going to Vegas to lay down a bet for me. It was almost always dead money because I had no idea the boys wouldn’t even made it to the Fall Classic.
I also had no idea I didn’t have to rely on making a 300-mile drive. All I had to do was visit a convenient sports betting site click here and lay my action down in the comfort of my home.
Do you ever bet on the boys to win the World Series? Sometimes I’ll even bet on the Dodgers to win an individual game. Of course, it all depends on the odds that you get. The way the Dodgers have plowed through the league, you might not get very good odds, but you can also lay down some action on player’s accomplishments.
At the beginning of the season I predicted Yasiel Puig would have a breakout year, and that would have been a good bet to lay down. Betting on Justin Turner and Clayton Kershaw to have good years would not have been a get rich quick bet because they were both healthy and looking like they would repeat the accomplishments of 2016.
That said, who could have foreseen the monster season coming from Cody Bellinger ? If you had placed a bet on Cody to be called up, and to hit 20 home runs, you would be in pretty good shape today.
We’re past the half way mark and a list of unpredictable accomplishments that would have yielded some good payback on bets have emerged: Alex Wood with ten straight victories to open the season, Justin Turner leading the leagues in batting average, the team having seven players with ten home runs or more.
What bets on individual players would you lay down for the second half of the season? How about the Dodgers once again having four players with 20 home runs? How about Chris Taylor finishing the year with the most stolen bases and the most grand slams on the team? Do you take that bet?
It turns out this year I didn’t make that bet for the Dodgers to win the World Series. That’s probably why they will.
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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I’ll answer the question.
Not really.
Not this good.
I thought they had a real chance when Manny was here. I thought they were a very good team with Kemp, AGon and Hanley in the middle of the lineup, Kershaw and Greinke at 1 & 2 but were a reliever away in the St Louis series. ’15 I thought they were a #3 away. Last year I just thought both the Cubs and Nationals were better teams. This year, as you know, I like the team a lot but don’t trust the fragile starting pitching, nor do I trust the bullpen to hold up pitching so many innings. I know there are many who have disagreed with me over the years, but so far my predictions have mostly held up. (Was wrong about Grandal hitting 25). This year? Honestly I did not expect Wood to be this good, so that’s a surprise, as is Taylor and Bellinger. Is this the year? Well, the Cubs don’t currently look like they will repeat and Nationals look beatable. So, yeah, it could be the year……. but please get a stud starter or another arm for the pen. Or both.
I’d love a #2 and a leftie bp guy.
FAZ is looking… https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/888601206893027329
Interesting comment thread there.
Obviously I’d like to see Yu in Blue. But I agree it could be costly. There will be several teams interested. He’s a 6.1 inning/game, 200 IP guy, which would help our bullpen. Though I know some don’t buy that premise, I sure do. With our last two month brutal schedule, our pen will be tested.
I particularly liked the one guy who said Walker Buehler, Texas Ranger………I said no way JOSE>,, Darvish would be very costly and only a rental. I know FAZ went after Hill last year as a rental, but I think the price for this guy would be astronomical considering some of the deals already done.
Right handed hitter? You aren’t going to like this but….. Howie Kendrick has a very nice average going this year, if you overlook his injuries. Hmmmm. That just might attract FAZ’s interest, that and being fairly low salary and probably super low to acquire. And he can play second base (You can never have too many second-basemen) AND left field. Go for it, FAZ….
I mentioned that a few days ago. And, I mentioned I don’t think Howie liked it much here.
But your’re right about second baseman, injured, and FAZ interest in both.
I think he thought he would only be playing 2nd and when the shift to the OF came, he was not really down with that. He did not though, let it affect his overall play.
We’re also looking at Addison Reed, per Buster
Yeah, just read that on twitter, he also says Rangers have scouts checking out the Dodger farm teams.
First, I never bet on sports. Sucker bet in my book because 90 % of the time, you are betting with your heart and not your brain. Did I think the Dodgers would be this good at this point? No, not really. Especially after that sluggish start. But I did not think the Rockies and D-Backs would sustain what they did either. Nobody could have predicted that Gonzo would lose his power stroke and then lose the back pain battle. Bellinger is a breath of fresh air and at this point a much better option at 1st than Gonzo, even when he comes back. I want that height and athleticism there all the time. Taylor should have made the team out of spring. He was the better player all spring, but the time at AAA allowed him to learn the OF, and work on his revamped swing. Putting Puig in the 8 hole was genius. He has thrived down there. Not so much the last couple of games where he has started rolling over on pitches again. I am sure Turner Ward will address that. Finally, like Badger I do not have much faith in this staff beyond Kershaw and Jansen. I think the BP is going to be pretty much gassed by September with the amount of innings that they are throwing, so some sort of mid season pick up is needed. Wood has been a revelation and a god send because without his steady performances, the BP is in even worse shape. Hill and McCarthy and Maeda all have winning records in spite of a load of mediocre outings. I would prefer a solid #3 behind Kersh and Wood going into the playoffs. And another solid lefty arm in the pen. The offense has been pretty good up to this point, but another bat could not hurt. The best thing this team has going for it is chemistry and the belief that they can always come back and beat anybody.
As of 2 hour’s ago, Buster Olney reported that the Dodgers are talking to the Mets about Addison Reed. He also reported that the Rangers are scouting the Dodgers and the Cubs farm systems.
DOWN ON THE FARM YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAW!!! OKC wins 4-3 on a Edwin Rios HR in the top of the 9th, his 3rd. Wilmer Font goes 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits and a walk. Strikes out 11. Jeremy Bleich gets a blown save and the win, his 4th. Dickson hits HR # 21, and drives in 3. Cunningham is 2-4 with a double. Tulsa loses 2-1. Eddie Gamboa, the knuckleballer, goes 7 for the loss. Fernandez hits HR # 14 for the only score. Brant Whiting, the catcher, goes 2-3 in his first game at AA. Ranch beats San Jose 6-1. Meises goes 2-5 with 3 RBI’s, Keibert Ruiz goes 2-5 with a ribbie, Omar Estevez the SS goes 3-4. Zach Hartman goes 4 scoreless innings of relief for the win.
To go 31-6? Not me.
To be a spectacular 35 games over 500? Not me.
Of course there are some who will say they themselves saw this coming. They post their comments on another blog.
NOBODY saw this coming. Those that say they did are lying. As I recall, most wouldn’t pick on the O/U of 95 games. I did. Took the under. Looks like a losing bet at this point. Don’t mind losing that one!
I predicted 100 wins. Either on this site or Mark’s site. But I did say 100, and that the ring is ours
Yeah, I remember you doing that Bobby. I was thinking you were probably a little light, but good prediction. You even backed it up with a season tickets bet!!!
You think you could sell the World Series tickets for more than the season ticket cost? Not that you would do it. But options, options, its the FAZ way.
I never saw them this good. Not in a blue moon.
couple of injury updates on the Dodgers, courtesy of J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group (Twitter links): First baseman Adrian Gonzalez should return before Sept. 1, but outfielder Andre Ethier likely won’t. Back problems have been ruinous to both veterans this year – Gonzalez has been out since early June, and Ethier hasn’t played at all.
It’s a good team.
The depth, which most people anticipated to some degree, is really outstanding.
Hill has been great except for those two starts, Cleveland and someone else, Wood has been as many hoped.
The FO deserves major kudos for acquiring:
Barnes, Kike, Taylor, Morrow and holding on to so many of the prospects.
I hear everyone pining for Darvish or Verlander, but the team already is overgrowing with starters. Ryu, Maeda and McCarthy dance on/off the 10 day DL with Stripling and Stewart doing long relief.
You can’t get another starter without moving one or two currently on the 40. Right?
PS: Badger, the guys from TrueBlueLA have been hamming it up about your guy, Dodger Therapy. Evidently he’s deleted all his negative Tweets.
Hamming it up?
Don’t much care what Fruedy says or does since he invited me to leave. I sure as hell don’t care about his tweets, but there is some other fool I wish would stop tweeting.
Suggestion to Roberts: Remember Hill is only good for 110 innings. Make sure he has at least 15 of those left for October. 98 pitches last night. That’s 10 too many. You’ve got the Designated Lollygag to manipulate- use it wisely with Hill. And mcBrittle. Ryu. Maeda. Wood. Even Kershaw should get a few days at the resort.
Fraudy invited you to leave? Trouble in paradise? That’s going to hurt, you were his only poster. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you!
He’s got another Badger. He don’t need me.