Do you remember The Twilight Zone episode “It’s A Good Life?” The episode features a six-year old boy, who has the powers of a god. He can read your mind or control the weather. No one knows if he made the entire world disappear, leaving only his small town remaining, or if he ripped their town away from the planet, and placed everyone literally in the middle of nowhere. That said, the kid’s scariest power is the ability to wish anyone, at any time, into the cornfield.
And that brings us to the Dodgers and the A.J. Ellis trade. Dodgers management sent Ellis away to Philadelphia with the same amount of foresight and sensitivity (ZERO!) the monster shows when he ships folks off, or creates a snowstorm just because he can. Just like the monster, Dodgers management was completely oblivious to the timing of the Ellis trade, and the ramifications it could bring.
They traded Ellis today not because Carlos Ruiz had to be on the roster RIGHT NOW, they did it because they could.
I get it. Ellis has been unproductive (in the stats charts) for the past couple of months. The Dodgers could use a shot of new – postseason tested – blood on the roster. Ruiz should be a step forward for the catching corps. Those are all valid points.
My question is, did it have to happen exactly when it happened?
Is the Dodgers brain trust that blind to the fact that team leaders matter? They supposedly sent Yasiel Puig to the minors partly because of team chemistry factors, so this one makes me scratch my head. Hello, Clayton Kershaw? Hello, Yasmani Grandal? Hello, pitching staff? And all the other teammates that like and respect him? Did that chemistry count for nothing? Zilch? The non-logic makes my head explode.
I’m not talking about trading the guy. I’ll grant that it was a good move, if all we care about are numbers on a chart. But baseball is so much more than that. Do you think people believe they are born fans of a particular team because of that team’s OPS and WHiP stats? Do you think teammates cry about trades because of FPCT numbers?
My mother recently passed away. When I stopped by the mortuary to pick up the urn containing her ashes, there was a family there having a funeral service. EVERYONE attending was decked out in Dodgers gear. That doesn’t happen because of WHIP trends. Baseball is life. It’s life to those of us who watch and opine about it; you better believe it’s bigger than life to many who play the game at its highest level.
That’s my point. Dodgers management had no concept of how trading away a popular team leader would affect the mojo of the Dodgers – at least in the short-term. And when there are less than 30 games on the schedule, everything matters in the short-term.
According to reports, Clayton Kershaw was devastated by the news. I’m sure he wasn’t the only one in the clubhouse feeling blue – and I don’t mean the good kind of Dodger Blue. Many in the fan base were outraged by the cold and callous way the trade was handled.
It happened on the night of a home game – a sell out – when the Dodgers were playing their hated rivals, the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers had just taken two games from the Giants, advancing their lead to three games. The Giants were slipping in the standings and reeling. A sweep and going four games up was entirely possible.
And then management sucker punched the team, right in the gut. A ten-year old would have advised against the timing. The results? The Dodgers slept-walked through the game. They were no-hit for 8 2/3 innings, and were shutout 0-4.
Management wished A.J. Ellis into the cornfields of Philadelphia, without considering the fallout of the timing, simply because they could. If this isn’t an argument against having a baseball team solely run by numbers-crunching stat heads, I don’t know what is.
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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Way too melodramatic, Scott. If Ellis or any other professional sports athlete is ill prepared for the ‘business’ of sports in these modern times, they need to screw their heads on better. While it’s sad to see a respected player go, it’s the nature of things to change. After 3 years of very little production, how could Ellis think his time on the team was secure? The only reason they kept him this long was to get Kershaw used to having another catcher around.
Sorry, but I’m not getting into this dirge.
A.J. Ellis was always the underdog so easy for me to cheer for. Any move he made that benefited the Dodgers shined twice as bright through my lens. Thusly I won’t say the the trade is a bad trade, but it surely is a sad trade. I genuinely give thanks to A.J. for all of the contributions he gave that had gone mostly unnoticed. There are some on the team that are better players than they’d be if he was never a teammate to them. I hope they’ve learned enough to spread the things that A.J. taught them to those new to arrive in the clubhouse. Ellis is an overachiever and unsung hero who we surely haven’t heard the last of……CHEERS and tears!
Good take, Quas!
OSCAR was right on.
Sorry, Scott. I meant Oscar in my lead post.
Jeff, I suppose you are lucky enough to never have been in a workplace where a popular and respected colleague (whom you have worked side by side with for years) was unceremoniously and suddenly let go.
Those of us who have experienced this might agree when I say a cold move like that feels like there was a death in the family. I suspect that’s how more than a few of the Dodgers felt about the Ellis trade.
The people who remain still show up for work, but their minds are preoccupied with the sad circumstances, gripe about how management handled things, and sleep walk for at least one day on the job.
Sure, these athletes are paid millions of dollars to place the game on their minds once the ump yells, “Play ball!”, but they’re not automatons.
Finally, as I acknowledged in the article, if all you count are stats, Ellis has been unproductive. But behind the scenes, he’s been a teacher and a leader to many on the team. It’s called the “intangibles.”
oscar, you left out the part about the Dodgers causing the sea levels to rise, the planet will explode come October 1st, and crazed zombies invading Dodgers Stadium and eating all the hot dog vendors.
Agree with you Oscar. Sure it’s a business but most fans are invested mind, body and soul in their Dodgers. This move was just one more betrayal of the fans by this FO.
Yes, it surely was Karma. This is the first time the Dodgers have EVER had difficulty with LH pitchers. Who saw this coming?
Really, what Seager did was Karma!
Mark
What has Reddick done to play and start on this team?
If we are talking about numbers, let Toles start instead of Reddick.
I’m sad now.
So…… The Curse of AJ begins?
I hope they just got 1 hit as a tribute to AJ. “We miss you buddy, this one hit is for you.”
We’ll know more after the Cubs series.
Sorry to hear about your mom Oscar.
Thank you, Badger. She passed in June, but she lived a full life, and her work here was done.
She was a big Dodgers fan as well!
See below about the Dodgers tribute we left for her in her funeral.
Puig: http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/nl/los-angeles-dodgers/heyman-dodgers-not-desperate-trade-puig/
“He’s handled it particularly well” – said an anonymous Dodger “person”.
He’s hit well. Who knows what’s really going on here – other than the Dodgers want him gone but aren’t going to give him away. What a waste. We finally get a 5 tool player and we can’t get through to him. I blame FAZ of course. There’s no algorithm for motivating young Cuban head cases. If the numbers aren’t there, then the player begone. Except Reddick. And Kazmir. Anderson. McCarthy. Grandal. The last one is for Mark. Grandal has been ok. He hits .230 and frames. Can’t ask for more than that from a receiver.
… except maybe 25+ HR and .800+ OPS and Grandal is 6th in Fielding percentage but #1 in all of baseball catchers in Range Factor. Do I need to explain to you what that means?
In catchers that have played over 100 games, Grandal is 3rd in OPS, barely behind Lucroy and ahead of Posey!
And he’s been OK? Of course he has!
Grandal is below average in throwing out base stealers. And, in two seasons with the Dodgers, he disappeared for quite awhile in both, slumping big time. Grandal is not Piazza, or Russell Martin, but he can definitely hit some HR’s and he’s good at drawing walks. When he’s hitting, I have no problem as I am not expecting him to be an Allstar.
By the way, some things are so absurd they don’t warrant a response. How do you defend yourself against the accusation that you have been seen consorting with aliens? Some things just don’t warrant a response. Some people don’t like it when I disagree with their incessant whiny drivel that they chant over and over, so they personally attack me… that’s for the purpose of diverting attention away from their weak ass arguments.
Several people have presented arguments here recently that I disagreed with, but complemented them for the context. In fact, I liked Oscar’s argument today about AJ, although I don’t totally agree with it. Of course, then some old blowhard says “Why would anyone with an operating brain give a damn about what you think?” and this is the guy who wants me kicked off the board? I wasn’t even talking to him – just complementing an excellent comment! The funny thing is, he says why would anyone care? If I don’t care about something I ignore it. Obviously he cares. Then he wonders why I have no respect for him….
Most of you have good takes, but I swear that others paste the same thing over and over 5 times a day. Obviously, it’s a free country and you can do what you want… and so can I.
Quas, don’t be a stranger – I appreciate your insights. Godspeed!
I saw that comment and I found it completely unwarranted and classless. I scrolled through that thread. For the life of me I don’t understand what it is about what you say and what you post that just sends people over the deep end. You said nothing offensive.
I think people just want this echo chamber to repeat the same mantra and get approbation from others who repeat the same mantra, and you’re just this big fly in the ointment.
And why such melodrama over this trade? People are responding like FAZ unceremoniously fired Vin Scully. It’s AJ Ellis. He hasn’t played all year. His already limited skills were diminished. He sucked. Ok, he’s a nice guy, but it’s not like the Dodgers ripped out the heart the soul of the team. Reading Chile’s comments…get a grip!
Dodgerpatch
AJ only caught at the most, twice a week.
He does many things behind the scenes to help the team.
He helps Grandal with every new team the Dodgers face.
Sometimes, the right move on paper, isn’t always the best move.
Because baseball players are human.
And because Roberts and his coaches, got these players, to believe in a team concept, and to bond togther, these 25 players, are more a team now, then they have been in the last four years.
And Kershaw has said more then one time, that this current team is the closes team, he has been on.
Kershaw is important player on this team.
He carries enough weight, that all of the other players, have been playing there hearts out, since Kershaw went out.
Even the Cubs made sure that Lesters personal catcher, was brought to the team.
Don’t you think that Kershaw deserves at least as much consideration?
Someone yesterday said that the Cubs could carry three catchers, but actually the Cubs didn’t have three catchers last year, and they just brought up a young player to get ready to be the team’s catcher, in the future.
But right now he is playing other positions too.
They could have just handled this much better then they did.
It makes them look void of knowing social interactions, amongst the players, is a big part of a team.
Especially a team that has bonded together, and willed themselves, into still playing really well, even when everything looked so bleak, after Kershaw went out.
It isn’t AJ’s fault, that are roster is littered with pitchers, that have been on the DL more then they have pitched.
If they thought this team needed a right hand bat so bad, why did this front office bring Reddick to this team.
He isn’t even hitting right handed pitchers right now, and he is just another platoon bat, on this team.
And he doesn’t deserve to start over Toles, who has done nothing, but produce, since his first major league at bat.
Dodgerpatch, your take on AJ sounds like it came from a stat nerd with no human skills. Tell me it isn’t so.
Must have touched a nerve because you put the quote in italics…that’s ok, I have no respect for you either.
Agree patch. Some people come in with the same tired whining day after day.
“How do you defend yourself against the accusation that you have been seen consorting with aliens”
Well first off you didnt even try, and secondly you don’t need to. Consortium with The Council of Worlds is a privilege and you should be hailed. Unless of course you were just scooped up and probed by some lowly Grays. If that’s the case then yeah, not much to brag about there. However, if that’s what happened, it would explain a few things.
ok….that was good. Although Grays would probably take offense to your description of them as lowly. I think you’ve read one too many Whitley Strieber books.
Spot on Quaz/Mark – I consider myself a huge Ellis fan and am anxious to see him managing in the MLB sometime soon.
Went to see Las Vegas play in Fresno 2008 or so and ran into AJ and Mitch Jones in a restaurant. Told him simply that at his stage he was better than recent p/u Brad Ausmas !! He simply stated ” I know”… I was a fan since that evening…
I hate to be a pessimist, but does anybody really think Kersh is going to be here after 2018???
It simply boils down to this:
Does Clayton want to go home and pitch in Texas?
We have no clue about that!
Any guesses are simply based upon personal biases and WAG!
Peter, on Kershaw – I think it depends on his back. If he can’t pitch like he usta did, he stays. If he comes back 100%, he’s gone.
Norris today, TBD the next two. I think maybe we be the dogs here.
I like our chances. I’m taking the Dodgers and the over for the entire weekend. And I’m going all in, 10 push-ups a day.
Good post Quas.
P.S. That was MT’s remark “Good take Quaz”…
2 games ahead and the bickering beats goes on…
Kershaw will simply in my mind want to remain the highest paid pitcher in baseball and he makes more than enough now…
First of all Oscar my condolences to your family. Yes we fans look more toward heart and soul than the FO does and, as I get older I realize it’s probably more than the players do.
Your whole point isn’t the trade itself rather the timing of it. OK fine. But if it’s going to happen it’s going to happen. So just get it over with and move on.
Nothing for me was more gut wrenching than trading Piazza in May 1998. The team “survived” that incident, we’ll survive this one.
Footnote: loyalty goes beyond this mortal world. I put a Dodger bumper sticker on my dad’s tombstone.
🙂
I put a Dodger bumper sticker on my dad’s tombstone
Now that’s a great son!
Piazza was traded less than 2 months into the season. Lot more time to process that move. Different era, different player, and in Piazza they lost a HR and RBI machine. He was not the heart and soul of the clubhouse. AJ was respected by his team mates. Most of us know as a baseball move it was a good move, but like Oscar said, the timing of the whole thing, and the way it was handled, was lousy. As for Mark, well he does not know me, and I do not really know him. I respect his baseball knowledge, and for the most part his takes are well informed, and insightful. What I dislike, and will to continue to dislike is the manner in which he is compelled to try and make other people look small because he thinks what they are saying is mindless drivel and not worthy of his attention. Well, this is a blog, and those are opinions. Everyone, including those who have mindless drivel to say, is entitled to do so and not be judged by some one like Mark. He may be an astute business man, and he might even be a nice guy, but he is not judge, jury and executioner to ones opinion. And when I said why would anyone with half a brain give a damn what you say, it was because I personally do not give a damn what he says about me. He called me an old man, well maybe I am. But I earned every grey hair on my head, served my country, kept my nose to the grind stone, and did my job. I followed and cheered for the Dodgers for over 60 years through good seasons and bad. And not once has anyone ever told me how to think, or who to cheer for or who to like. I will continue to post what I think and feel as long as I am physically able to do so. It might rub someone the wrong way, and I am sorry if it does. But I earned the right to my opinion the same as all of you here. I feel that the FO was classless in the way they handled AJ’s trade. I think the timing of the trade stunk, and I also think it guarantees that CK walks when his opt out comes. Part of the plan call it.
The last part of your post I fully concur with.
Artieboy,
Thank you for your condolences; much appreciated.
I like what you did for your father’s tombstone.
When my mom passed, we had her buried side by side with my father – both at Riverside National Cemetary, as my dad was a WW2 vet.
Because she was such a big Dodgers fan, my sons placed some Dodgers baseball cards in the box containing her urn. My old man was a big Giants fan, so we placed Giants cards in his.
Baseball sure does run deep.
As a baseball move I like the trade but it does hurt as a fan. I agree the FO could have handled it better and it doesn’t surprise me that the team came out flat/no showed last night. As hard as it is for the fans it’s multiple times worse for the players. I read somewhere that the Phillies wanted Ellis in return and I can understand that as he can help their staff.
Jimbo
Ruiz is the better catcher, but the Phillies want AJ to help there young kids, that says enough.
Reality is that the Dodgers bats were ice cold in the middle game of the series too, but snuck out with a win due to great pitching. I see this game more as a continuation of game two than as Ellis fallout. Time for the offense to reawaken for the Cubbies. I must admit I was quite pleased that Seager broke up the nono – took a tiny, little (but psychologically significant, I think) bit of mojo away from the Giants.
It’s karma small k. Karma is a woman’s name. Karma is no threat to us. Nice lady. From a good, hard working Indian family. I know her dad, Gurinder, good guy. karma, small k, is the bitch. And yes, dumping AJ unceremoniously could come back to bite. karma, small k, is a physical law of the universe. You can’t stop the karma train. You get on board or you get run over. It remains to be seen, but since AJ’s been gone, we have 1 hit and no runs. Maybe it’s a 1 game karma punishment. Sorry AJ. Let’s all move on. BUT MAYBE…… it’s a curse!
Frankly I think the trade makes us better. The more games Ruiz plays in place of that .230 hitting, back handing balls in the dirt, weak armed framer Notso Grandal the better.
Yeah, but Grandal is a leader! NOT.
AJ was leading from the bench. We have someone doing that. His name is Dave Roberts. Kershaw’s numbers are just as good with Grandal.
The timing was sad for AJ but Ruiz is better hitting, throwing, and blocking balls. Honeycutt plays a big part of game planning, Grandal has been mentored long enough, and Chooch will get up to speed quickly. Ruiz has always been clutch.
Time for being sad needs to be over today with the Vagiants playing Atlanta and the Dodgers playing the Cubs.
As Monday was pointing out Grandal’s glaring lack of movement behind the plate during Tuesday’s game, the idea of Grandal being pulled from a late inning game (either September or in the post season) popped into my head.
I don’t recall if the Dodgers have done that with Grandal, but if that is the reason why Ruiz was brought in then OK, that makes sense. Grandal is quite a liability behind the plate. If Ruiz is a better defensive catcher than Ellis (and it seems like he is) then maybe we would want him in there to protect a one run lead.
Is my educated guess way off?
Ruiz has been better defensively than Grandal. He already has .9 dWAR, much higher than Grandal in far fewer games, has 1 PB, and his CS% is 40 this year. Can he frame though? I don’t know. But FAZ wouldn’t get him if he couldn’t frame.
I’m just afraid that this trade will affect the team.
And they had been playing really well, and playing with a lot of confidence lately.
I didn’t see any of that last night.
I just don’t understand why they continue to play this almost all rightie platoon team, when it isn’t working.
They rank dead last in all of baseball, in offense.
Teams platoon, to gain an advantage.
That isn’t happening.
Playing this team, over and over, and expecting something different, is the definition of crazy.
And it looked like they didn’t have a game plan against Cueto again.
Other teams have no problem, hitting Cueto and Moore, but the Dodgers can’t touch either pitcher.
And who got the hit to break up the no no???? A LH hitter…..who woulda thunk??
Michael
Really good point!
I rather have the everyday players, playing against leftie pitchers.
They are the players getting consistent at bats, and it is hard for these part time players, to hit that well, when they are getting so few at bats, and playing time.
And Joc, another lefty, had one of the harder hit balls in his line drive to the CF.
We are not facing Arrieta in this series, but we are facing Lester, another leftie pitcher.
And I hope Roberts has the team running on Lester in this game.
Oscar
Sorry to hear about your mother.
I had something similar happen at my fathers funeral.
We had a car right next to us, that had are family name, on there bumper, on a bumper sticker.
And it was spelled exactly the same way, my family spells our name.
I see my last name, at times, and some people have actually started using my last name, as the first name, for there sons, but it is almost always spelled different.
And me and my bother talked to these people with this car, and that was in fact there last name too.
And there father was buried at the same place, where we were burying my father, so it did seem to mean something more.
Thank you for your kind thoughts, MJ.
Wow, what a story about about your father’s funeral.
Sometimes things really do mean more.
Ethier 2-4 at Rancho last night. Good news. Well let us address the LHP problem. First off, they do not have anyone who really rips lefty’s except SVS and Hernandez. SVS on 60 day, so no help there. Hernandez is a huge drop off as a defensive CF. So I think they should play Joc against lefty’s if for nothing else his defense. A-Gone does so so against them, but the only option of sitting him is Segedin right now, or if Ruiz gets here soon, they could move Grandal to 1st. Strengthens the defense at C, but weakens the inf defense. Segedin usually pretty good against southpaws, Turner for some reason has problems with them. The best solution in my mind is just play the regulars and hope for the best. Only guy I am sitting is Reddick. The rest play the game. Utley played against all pitchers when he was in his heyday. He should not have that much trouble with them now. I say this because playing the percentages has not worked worth spit. A new tact is needed. I sure hope our 2 TBD pitchers are ready! By the way, that Yasiel guy who is at OKC hits lefty’s pretty good, they should call him up…already proved they care less about chemistry…
As I was reading this post I was thinking Puig all the way to the end Michael. That’s why he is with the Dodgers, for is 240 pound right handed punch. We have Turner and Turnover the lineup to get to him again. Puig has an .826 career OPS against LHP. As a 25 year old he is supposed to be improving on that number. If you’ve got a faulty Puig valve you must fix it for the bus to run properly. Everyone knows that.
Michael
I agree with you, and I don’t think Reddick deserves to start much longer.
He isn’t hitting at all, and he is only a rental.
Our loyalty should be with our young players, not a rental, that is not producing.
I, WE?, WANT PUIG.
If Freidman can screw with the chemistry for a small stat advantage then there is NO excuse for him to keep PUIG off the team.
If chemistry is important then Freidman needs to resign, self-deport, go to hell.
I know, I know. He finally pissed me off.
Michael
I think Agone hits lefties better then Grandal, even with Grandal being a switch hitter.
I was as sad to see AJ traded as anyone, but a more reflective view tells me that the Dodgers improved their talent for the stretch run so good on them. I agree with those who opined that the Braintrust handled it badly – to not tell the longest tenured Dodger about the trade in advance and to not tell the team’s best player, who happed to be Ellis’ best friend, in advance was not the way to do things.
I am more interested in the outcome of the last 2 games. What happened to the scorching-hot offense? Cueto is a good pitcher but they only scored 1. The Dodgers’ incompetent right-handed platoon which is last in the NL couldn’t manage even a run (and only 1 hit) against Moore, who hadn’t exactly distinguished himself with the Giants previously.
Now they are facing the Cubs with Bud Norris (!) and 2 unknown guys?
They’d better put their hitting shoes on.
It’s the shoes?
Do they have pitching shoes?
I guess they do. But I think they only fit horses.
Badger
I wish we had a few horses in our starting pitching rotation, that haven’t already been sent to the glue factory.
Rick
Friedman said that they thought about Kershaw, but they wanted to give AJ the most respect that they could do, so they had Roberts tell him.
I don’t know why Friedman considers that giving AJ respect, but that is what he said, on the Dodger pregame show.
I don’t think this move would have been made, if they did the right move, and brought a right hand bat to the team, instead of Reddick.
Just saw where Jeremy Jeffress was arrested this morning for DWI. (Is that the same as DUI?) They mention in passing that MLB doesn’t seem to get excited about that as they do Domestic Violence. Which seems wrong to me, DUI puts everyone at risk. Maybe MLB should suspend offenders.
100% agree.
I made up a saying about 25 years ago – When you do something wrong do it right. In my opinion it applies to the Ellis trade. This FO is colder than any IB that I have ever met. Judgment day is coming.
Wow more victim talk from an insecure bully ROFLOL
Oh and by the way, if any one was Felony Stupid enough to share any personal information with The Arrogant One don’t be Felony Stupid to think that he will keep the information confidential, no he will share it with someone to show his power. Talking to several of you especially you Q.
MN @ 8:559 = Amen
BOB,
You are pathetic. To say you have no clue is like calling a car crash a hic up. I have so much more I could have said, but didn’t.
Yeah, ask Quas or anyone of the other people who call or e-mail me. I only rat out “RATS.”
Really, you should get over your fixation with me and move on to other important things in your life.
BOB
I like that saying you made up.
And that is true when you do anything, you said do it right.
Wow, I’m honestly shocked at how many people on this board are so upset over this trade. I gave my opinions yesterday, so no need to re hash.
I don’t think there’s a right or wrong opinion here; just different. I mean, I could go call you all morons for not agreeing with me, but I haven’t had any alcohol yet, so I”ll refrain.
I guess we’ll see how this deal works out. I think we have enough vet leaders (Kersh, Agone, JT) that they won’t let this tear us down. Not when the Cubs are in for 3, and we’re in first place by 2. If we win the division, chemistry will be just fine! And if Ruiz can get a hit or 2 here and there, even better.
We took 2 of 3 from SF; that’s perfect. Now, we need to do the same vs Chicago. They beat us 3-4 earlier this year in Chicago
Bobby,
You should not be shocked! This board is about 75% FAZ-haters so when anything happens that they can pin on FAZ and make it look bad, they jump! It’s a lynch-mob mentality obviously totally devoid of reason led by a short-legged omnivore in the family Mustelidae, which also includes the otters, polecats, weasels and wolverines.
Obviously, most here do not understand how things like this happen, nor do they want to. Ruiz was put on waivers by Philly because he wanted one more chance to play for a World Championship. He slipped through to the Dodgers and they had a choice: Claim him or not! Then, FAZ has to work out a deal. When should they have told him? They called him and asked him to come in. Should they have e-mailed him, texted him, Western Union?
You criticize how it was done, but how should it have been done?
Mark, You ask how should it have been done? It’s a valid question. I’m not in the back rooms, so I’m not privy to all the info; I just drop my opinion in the hat, the same as most of us.
My first thought would be they could have waited to run out the Giants series before making the trade. Would 24 hours have made that much of a difference? I can’t answer that one because I’m not in those offices. Maybe another team wanted Ruiz and they felt they had to pull the trigger right then, immediately. If so, I probably make that deal too.
If not; if they could have held off for 24 hours, then why overturn the blue apple cart with this trade on that day?
They had to know it would upset the team. As I said in the article, they had the Giants reeling. One more Dodgers win would have dealt a crushing blow to them psychologically, and a very real blow in the standings. In a tight race, with the number of games dwindling, how important will one game in the standings be down the line?
What other way should it have been done? Let the last Giants game play out, ride the momentum rather than trip it up, and then make the trade.
Bobby
I hope you are right, because I think the reason this team is doing so well, is the chemistry that Roberts and his coaches, have used to gel these 25 players, into a team.
They believe they can beat teams now.
But I am very disapointed that they didn’t hit Cueto any better, or Moore.
Both of these pitchers, are not as good, as the Dodgers make them look.
Of course Moore is just another leftie, that this same platoon team can’t hit.
If the Dodgers can’t figure Cueto and Moore out, this may come back to bite us.
We have six more games left with the Giants.
And it looks like they are going to continue to run that same weak platoon team out, any time the Dodgers face a leftie.
And the front office is the one that made this team so weak against lefties.
When Hanley was let go, and Kemp was traded, we lost two big right hand bats.
And this front office hasn’t done a thing to replace these big bats, and that is why the team is so bad, against lefties now.
There answer to this problem is this weak almost all right hand line up, that ranks dead last in all of baseball, in offense.
Hello, that’s part of the reason they got Ruiz!
Hello
Mark
I’m sorry they should have done something sooner.
I know Mattingly tried to convince the front office, that Puig would be part of the answer, but you know that Puig is no big right hand power bat.
I think is Reddick doesn’t do anything soon, they need to let Toles play instead.
Bobby
I think Ruiz will do better then Reddick has.
He got a couple of hits, the last time we faced the Phillies.
Interesting take on the trade from Houston Mitchell of the Times:
“Why trade a guy his teammates love, just for Ruiz, who might give them a couple of extra hits down the stretch? “…
“Grandal is going to get the bulk of playing time down the stretch, so I don’t see how Ruiz’s bat is going to make a huge difference. So, in looking at it from that perspective, this trade is puzzling.
But looking at it from just a stats perspective, it makes sense. And that’s how Andrew Freidman views baseball: totally from a stats perspective. It’s like he’s running the world’s most expensive Fantasy Baseball team…”
“So, from a pure stats perspective: great trade. From a clubhouse perspective: Too soon to tell. But again, if the team can’t handle the trading of a backup catcher, then it’s not much of a team. “
The Dodger writer said that the Phillies were going to target AJ in the free agent market, to have him work with there young pitchers.
Ruiz is the better catcher, so why wouldn’t the Phillies want him to work with there young pitchers?
Exactly.
I hate losing any game to the hated ones. A bad time to phone it in. Kike said the clubhouse was like a cemetery, and the team played like it. If these guys are that distraught over a teammate leaving, then they deserve to lose. I’ll give them one day to figure it out, but the was yesterday. This series is just as important as the last because the giants host the Braves, a patsy. We could easily lose the advantage we gained by up chucking on the almost-as-much hated Cubs. More on point, this series may be Roberts’ latest opportunity to demonstrate his baseball acumen and leadership. To pull this team together…….again. I’m hoping Ruiz takes the team by storm so that the aura of AJ fades a bit. Today I praise Jesse Chavez. He pitched 2 innings yesterday and held the game in check. I’ve seen him play in Oakland, where he was put in some difficult spot starts and long relief situations, and he is an effective guy with a rubber arm. It seems he his always available. With our starters, he and Blanton will be given the 5th and 6th innings a a lot. Maybe the 4th. He is as good a pick up as the others, in my opinion.
Bobbie17
Don’t you hate watching these games, when a leftie pitcher, is pitching against the Dodgers, and they have all of these part time players playing, instead of the regular line up?
I will say this… Freidman/Zaidi ARE THE BIGGEST AND WORST BOZOS that any FO ever had in the history of the game. I hope last night’s game was an indicator of just how BAD this team is against LHP, and they will be facing LHP more and more for rest of year. The Dodger ballon just popped with this trade of Ellis. Not that Ellis was some great catcher on the field but was a great teammate, clubhouse guy and mentor for pitching staff along with assistance he gave to Honeycutt. For that spineless FO to say they got Ruiz, a 37 year old to help against LHP is a big Farce! They should have addressed a need for a RHB at the deadline instead of getting Reddick, who not only is a bust, but will not be retained, and he made this team too LH dominant so now that is what will be the demise of this team now.. No reliable SP’ and no ability to compete against LHP.
Two games ahead of the Giants in First Place.
Maybe I am crazy, but I have seen lots of Dodger teams worse than this…
BTW, what RHB should they have gotten? What would they have to pay?
OK, other than maybe Braun from the Brewers and if Dodgers assumed all his $$ might not have had to mortgage the farm. Anyway, while not sure who else was available, Reddick was not the answer to LHP. and this problem has gone on from the beginning of the year.Dodgers began this year with too many platoon type players to begin with, those who are platooned because they either cannot hit LHP or cannot hit RHP.. And in case you may not be aware, the entire world of baseball knows about the team’s struggles against LHP, not just with last night’s performance of almost being no hit, but also went most of the game against a Red’s LHP without a hit. I will say this, the timing of this Ellis deal was not the best but IIWII. and the demise of this team will be the rseult of a non existent SP staff that other than CK, cannot get past 4th or 5th inning and the LHP the Dodgers will face to be the team’s undoing.
Wow – really? Don’t you remember Paul DePodesta?
And you want the Dodgers to play badly against lefties?
Do you also want Reddick to not come out of his slump?
Really – I am skeptical of some of what the Braintrust has done, but they have done good as well as bad. I distrust some of the Braintrust’s methods and they are too reliant on stats and computers for my taste, but they have made improvements in some areas – and as some point out, the Dodgers are competing for the postseason in spite of Kershaw’s absence for 2 months.
I wonder about the way that AJ was traded and the timing and all of that, but the trade does have the chance to improve the team or to mess up the chemistry – we won’t know until the season is over. Ruiz has stepped up big in the postseason with the Phils as AJ has done with the Dodgers.
Limit the hyperbole if you want to make a credible argument.
I hated DePo from the day he came. He single-handedly let Adrian Beltre walk. What an idiot.
Nice post dodgerrick! A voice of reason.
On Dodgers.com there are those who have pointed out the lack of people skills this Freidman guy has shown and the FO’s incompetency to judge pitching talent began when they took over before the 2015 season and the pitching injuries are a result in part from those pitchers they signed, MCcarthy, Anderson, Kazmir and one other thing we all must remember…baseball is played on the field, not on a damn computer spreadsheet. And Dodgers are in 1st place because of DR and his players who have stepped up. Sorry but this current FO has no credibility with me right now and watch what happens, not because of the AJ trade, but the lack of a reliable rotation and the team’s inability to compete against LHP. I happen to love my Dodger team but at this time despise Freidman and Zaidi. and one other thing. those guys are slowly making the Dodgers a less than desirable team for players to want to gravitate to. Check out the Dodger comment board for more info.
I have no problem with getting Ruiz and I NEVER said I want team to struggle against LHP.. Reddick, however was not an answer to that. Remember, games are played on the field, not on a computer laptop. And also DR and coaches must have the right to constuct daily lineups without FO dictating who plays and who sits.
Don’t give up on the Braves yet, Kemp probably still has a lot of Giant hate in him…
Oh, forgot. Let me sign this… Proud FAZ Hater
I would respect that… IF BIG IF you coulde explain why… and I don’t mean a “Mom, he hit me first diatribe.” Just a cogent argument. That’s all I want to hear!
PLEASE enlighten me!
Well guys, life interrupts. I have to be off here for a while. Room mate is in the hospital where they are trying to control the constant pain he is in. I am in charge of his estate, and right now there is a lot to be done because according to the Dr., the time is getting short. Enjoy the team as much as you can, and enjoy your family’s because there is nothing more important than family. Be tolerant to those who demean you, and aware that life is too damn short for so much bitterness and vitriol. I will be watching from Colorado and seeing how the boys in blue handle the rest of the year.
God bless you and your friend. Hang in there. Many here are also going through hard times and you can get through them.
Michael
Hang in there, your friend has a very good friend!
Take care.
Yes, Michael, hang in there. A lot of us have first hand knowledge of what an ugly disease cancer is, so we can relate. Sadly, the best you can hope for is an end to your friend’s suffering. It is comforting, if you KNOW there is a better place than this world for your friend.
Mark_Timmons: “This board is about 75% FAZ-haters so when anything happens that they can pin on FAZ and make it look bad, they jump! It’s a lynch-mob mentality obviously totally devoid of reason led by a short-legged omnivore in the family Mustelidae, which also includes the otters, polecats, weasels and wolverines”.
Perhaps the following explains the above!!!
“You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead—your next stop, the Twilight Zone”.
I just think there’s more to this trade, which could have happened in a lot of ways that could have made a lot more sense stats wise and people wise. Has anyone considered that for AJ to go out like this is probably the best you could have made him look (i.e. a martyr)?
Kenley has an interesting quote today. He said that AJ would them to carry on because “he knows we have a special team”. From Kenley, who’s been here almost as long as AJ. I don’t remember any player in the last 10 years, much less an All Star, calling our team a special team.
Did you hear the quote from Grant Brisbee about the front office?
The Dodgers front office is either the most confident or callous front office in baseball.
A Giants fan would know!
Everyone has their own agenda.
Me? I am paid by Friedman to write this stuff. Mega-Millions!
Once again, I thought you were going to start your own blog, which most of us will never visit, and quit wasting dead brain cells on us morons. You have no credibility at all…
I am here for the elite few.
“Most” want me gone?
… or you want me gone?
I know some want me gone…. but most?
… or is it you don’t like someone who wants you to back up your baseless accusations with facts?
Take a vote – vote me off the island and I’ll go.
No. You can be here.
Just stfu with the churlish insults and accept the fact that half the people in here don’t agree with your take. I can live with those who are wrong about me, you should be able to live with those who are right about you!
That’s a joke.
Funny thing just happened, I typed “those who” and autocorrect put in “euthanasia”. So the line read “you should be able to live with euthanasia”. I laughed out loud.
Come on man, even you can see the humor in that.
Twisting words again. I didn’t say most won’t you gone, I said most wouldn’t follow you to a new blog. If you don’t follow through on your promises, you have no credibility.
Mark, Wondering is somewhat of a split personality in here where sometimes he is Happy Dwarf and sometimes Grumpy Dwarf. You are responding to Grumpy Dwarf.
Mark
I read that on a Dodger Bleacher Report.
I know you are just joking about being a Giant fan, so I won’t react to that, but I read something else there too.
That Giant reporter that uses an OHenry candy bar, for his twitter account, said that there are many guys being paid by Friedmam, that are complaining about him all the time.
So you are saying the wrong things, if Friedman is paying you!
Einstein and Edison were ridiculed all the time too. When someone comes along and challenges the status quo, ridicule is to be expected. I have been ridiculed for years by other competitors … now they copy us.
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery!
Question: Who was CK’s Best Man at his wedding? Was it AJ or Tolleson?
Mark
But Mad dog brought up what happened when AJ was catching for Kershaw in the post season, like you did.
I don’t know about the Cardinals stealing signs, but I always wanted AJ to go out to Kershaw, and slow the game down, at the begining of those innings in post season, because Kershsw didn’t want AJ to come out, AJ didn’t go out and slow the game down.
I thought maybe Kershaw needed more a catcher, that will take charge.
Sometimes it isn’t good when two players, are to close, in certain situatuions.
At the start of this week, this board seemed calm and the dialog was civil. Mark and Badger were making points without baiting each other. Both were back to using humor. Things sure have regressed.
From my perspective when I first started reading LAdodgertalk, I thought Mark was a big blow hard who found it more important to say he was right about something than anything else. He would throw everything out there. Sometimes to generate conversation and I felt sometimes to be able to come back and say he was right about something. Throw enough shit at the wall and something will stick. I actually went to the blog because of the links to other Dodgers websites. I would read his take and then go to the other sites. Mark calling everyone idiot, morons, and threatening to leave was hard to take. I remember being in the batting cages next to Scott Schebler’s uncle talking about Scott’s future and some Dodgers sites. He brought up Mark and I told him he was a big blowhard.
As the forum on the dodgers.com became unbearable, I found myself reading more and more of the comments on his site. I got a kick out of Badger and usually agreed with him. Always politically. The site lacked something when he was banned.
Having said that, when Mark wants to, he’s an excellent writer with good perspective on the Dodgers. I found myself agreeing with more of Mark’s ideas. He wrote a great piece almost two years ago about how CK would be better off with AJ. I enjoys Mark’s takes even when I don’t agree with him when he isn’t calling people morons and idiots. It got bad around here when Mark and Badger couldn’t make a single post without taking a jab at each other. It used to be kind of funny and then it became too personal and was overtaking every thread.
It seems to me that Mark returned to posting here recently with the best of intentions and I still hate it when he calls people morons because they have a different opinion, but some of these recent attack on him are out of line. Let me be clear, I’m not blaming Badger.
As for the AJ trade, if the national media is debating whether or not this was a good trade, we should be able to as well without such venom. I’ve shard my two cents. I’m sure it doesn’t matter, but I’ve been watching this from a far for a long time and it seems like it is about to get out of control again.
Isn’t euthanasia that little league team from the far east that got eliminated?
Well, yeah Tim, or just a word referring to the kids over there.
Hawk we all hate it when he refers to us as less than. That’s why the counter punching. You can only ignore it so long, and this has been going on a lot of years. But, I appreciate your take on it.