I was driving to work yesterday morning and I decided to take an alternate route. I got on the 405 and it was a bad decision. Normally I don’t take the 405. I take a route that avoids that hellish freeway for obvious reasons. But I made the split second choice to try a route that I wasn’t familiar with. I don’t normally drive the 405. I’m not good at driving on the highways and especially not good at driving down roads I am unfamiliar with. As you would expect the results were poor as I was late to work.
I can use this same analogy with the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers asked him to do something he’s not good at. They asked him to pitch in the postseason after the seventh inning. My boss never asks me to do something I’m not good at because it’s not in my skill set. The Dodgers did that with Kershaw and they should not be surprised at the poor results. If you ask someone to do something outside of their skill set then you will get terrible results.
Look, I have no idea why Kershaw is so bad in the postseason. There are many theories but it’s something we will probably never be able to answer. It should never been about getting him that chance to erase his ungodly playoff failures and instead been about the team winning the World Series. The needs of the team have to outweigh the needs of the one player, even if that is Clayton Kershaw.
A few other things I would like to talk about. Let’s talk about Dave Roberts. A lot of people believe that Baseball is slow or moves slowly and that couldn’t be further from the truth. You see baseball actually moves quickly (most of the time) and especially moves quickly in the postseason. You have to be able to react quickly when the results are not going your way or are beginning to go south. That brings me to my point.
Dave Roberts is unable to react quickly in games.
I think the game moves to quickly for him. It’s a problem that befalls many other managers throughout baseball history. He was not able to react. I didn’t mind the strategy of bringing in Kershaw to get a couple of outs, but if he starts to get into trouble or give up dingers than you have to react quickly. YOU HAVE TO STOP THE GAME. As soon as Anthony Rendon hit that lead-off home run in the top of the eighth Roberts should have gone to the mound and stopped the game. I mean he literally should have Bob Newharted the situation, put up his hands and yelled “STOP!” and ran to the mound to give whomever was warming in the bullpen enough time to prepare to enter the game. He just stood there with that weird look on his face and the game passed him by. Lesson learned for all managers…..REACT. When your team is getting into hot water or the opposing team is starting to gain momentum, for god’s sake stop the game.
One of the posters here said something very observant. He talked about Roberts announcing the Dodger’s pitching plans for game 5 before the game began. I have no idea why he would do this. He announced to the Media, the Nationals, and the entire world what exactly the Dodgers would do for game 5. That brings me to my next point…..
The Dodgers are predictable
One of the great things about those old-school Dodgers was that they were never predictable. Tommy Lasorda and those champion Dodgers constantly kept the opposing clubs guessing. Tommy would never reveal their game plans to the media or the opposing team. The Dodgers are way too predictable. The Nationals knew exactly what the Dodgers were going to do. It trickles down to the players too. Clayton Kershaw hangs the same pitches every start. He gives up runs in the first inning of every start. Kenley Jansen throws the same pitch (cutter) every time out. Cody Bellinger swings at the same pitches. Corey Seager whiffs at the same pitches. The Dodgers deploy the same shifts defensively, and on and on and on. Stop being so predictable. Shake things up. Because if you manage the postseason like it’s the regular season or announce your game plans to the world then you are probably going to lose.
There has to be some accountability
Early in April I saw the writing on the wall as did many posters over here. I noticed how poorly constructed and thin the Dodger’s pitching staff was. The relievers were terrible. The pitchers threw the same pitches in the same spots. None of them could pitch more than an inning, etc. etc.
I have never liked Andrew Friedman’s formulas. Guggenheim brought in a bunch of bean counters to cut costs and save money. There is a reason why accounting departments don’t run companies. Despite being so beholden on analytics and date, Friedman has historically spent unwisely, drafted terribly, and rolled the dice on below average and injury riddled pitchers. The first free agent signings of his Dodger career were two of the worst signings we’ve seen. Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy were horrendous. Neither were top tier arms, and both had long and established histories of injuries. The Dodgers needed a top tier arm to replace Zack Greinke and instead Friedman inked two backend starters who were never healthy.
What really frosts my cookie is Friedman’s foolish and unnecessary trade of Howie Kendrick. Sure Kendrick may not be a great defensive player anymore and yes he is older and injury prone, but he’s still a very good hitter. He was supposed to be the guy the Dodgers had long coveted and then Friedman dumped him to the Phillies in favor of bringing in a far inferior second baseman (Logan Forsythe) Those are just a couple examples of Friedman’s mistakes and poor judgment over the years. Answer me this question. Name one player not named Walker Buehler that Friedman has drafted over the least five years that has turned out to be more than a bench player or marginal contributor? I can’t name one. He can’t sign free agents, he can’t draft well, relies too much on brainless lefty-righty matchups and he can’t build a championship pitching staff. He’s a terrible evaluator of talent, (Most of the time). The lack of importance put on pitching is what’s most irritating. It’s beyond time to move on from him.
If the formula is for the Dodgers to make the postseason every year but never win the World Series then mission accomplished. Some people believe that if the Dodgers just make the postseason every year (or let’s say 10 consecutive years) that eventually they will win the World Series. If you have been watching baseball then you know this is wrong. Look at the Twins, A’s, and yes the Nationals. You can lose in the playoffs every single season. The Dodgers have now lost for seven years in a row. It’s conceivable that they could continue to lose until changes are made and different players are brought in.
These guys don’t have the killer instinct
That’s because these players simply just don’t have it. The Dodgers will probably never win a championship with this group of players. It’s sad because we all like them. They’re nice guys and we want nothing more than to see them win the World Series. But we have to face facts. The current core group of Dodgers are losers. Clayton Kershaw is a great regular season pitcher, but he’s a loser. Cody Bellinger is a good player, but he’s a loser. Corey Seager is a loser. Kenley Jansen has been a great closer, but he is also a loser. Andrew Friedman is a loser. Dave Roberts is a loser. They’re all losers. They just don’t have it, and the skill is not something you can quantify with numbers. The Dodgers need an organizational cleanse and it should start from the top.
Verdugo, Gonsolin and May are from his drafts, but the heart of the team, Turner, Belli, Seager all from Ned’s watch, and AF’s international signings, especially his Cuban signings have been duds.
Verdugo was drafted in 2014 under colletti and Logan white.
I fully hope (and believe) that Chili is correct. Roberts cannot and will not be the manager come Spring Training. The last four innings of the last game still have me thinking….
I can’t tell if Scott’s last paragraph is a joke, or just stupid. If not a joke, I’m somewhat distressed you didn’t use terms like: “Grit”, “that competitive edge” or “junkyard dog mentality.”
Quick follow-up: Is Josh Reddick a loser? Is Joe Kelly? Is Kendrick?
Friedman not only kept the key pieces he inherited, but he blended in remarkable talent, while drafting at the bottom of every round, like: May, Lux, Buehler, Smith, Muncy, Kike
They not only represent the future at key positions, but also one of the team’s top hitters and one of its most important bench players.
The future rotation is sure to pivot around: May, Gonsolin, and the aforementioned Buehler.
The 2016 Dodger draft class is mind-boggling in how good it looks.
Is this really a road you want to travel, Scott?
BLUTO, the man can’t build a great pitching staff. He just can’t do it. Maybe it’s some kind of mental block, I dont know. Shall I find that list of loser and injury riddled pitchers hes signed over the years?
Small market mentalities dont work here. Hes acquired a few good players like Muncy and Taylor sure, but the bad ones far outweigh the good ones.
As for his drafts, please. Those are nothing like the Logan white players drafted under the last administration. So far none of them look to be super stars. Solid regulars? Possibly. But Lux batted .230 and got owned in the postseason. Smith was awful not getting a hit in the entire NLDS. May looks promising but who knows. And yes Joe Kelly is a loser.
Whatever gets you through the 405
Lolz Bluto,
So Roberts you dont want to see return but Friedman gets a reprieve for building terrible pitching staffs? Interesting.
I’m pretty sure as many people will call the Dodgers starting pitching terrible as will sign Mexivan’s “petition”
Very, very few
Sorry Bluto. I meant mediocre. Lackluster. Below average.
Roberts will be back. That has been said on many outlets this morning. A class looking mind boggling and actually becoming that way are two different things. Only time will tell if those kids are going to contribute much. Muncy and Kike were not drafted by the Dodgers. Muncy was a free agent signing and Kike came in a trade, Buehler was not a low round draft choice, but a first rounder and selected # 24. He immediately was lost for close to a year to have surgery. Anytime you are a first rounder, you are not drafting low, and if Buehler had been healthy, all of the teams knew he was ready for surgery, he would have never dropped in Friedman’s lap. Reddick did nothing as a Dodger, but has done well for the Stros, but he definitely was not that great a deal in LA. A loser? Probably not. None of those players are losers. All of them actually have rings except Kendrick. Friedman has made some astute moves to be totally fair. He has struck gold a few times, and he has made some stinkers too. Quick Bluto, best Dodger draft ever? Off the top of your head, you can’t be sure. Neither can anyone else until you see that class’s career body of work. Most point to the 69 draft, which yielded the infield. Cey, Lopes, Russell and Garvey. But Scott is absolutely right that there needs to be some sort of organizational shift in philosophy. The plan is great in the regular season where they have dominated a relatively weak division. Braves did the same thing for 14 years. Friedman has won nothing. He has built a team that is posed to win in the regular season. But getting over that hump to the championship has eluded them. Question is why? Beane has been a proponent of analytics a lot longer than AF, and he has no titles to show for it either. Dodger championship teams have been built on pitching and defense. Just check every single one since they moved to LA. The only championship team in Brooklyn had great sluggers, Good relievers and decent pitching. I cannot think of any here in LA that had that. They had some good hitters, astute mid season pickups and some kids who came through. 59, Essegian picked up from St Louis with 2 pinch hit homers in the series. Sherry winning 2 games and saving 2 and a kid named Wills, coming up and claiming the SS position. 63, Best pitcher on the planet at the time won 2, his buddies, Big D and Podres shut the Yankees down. Bats just good enough to win. 65, after losing the first 2, Osteen beat the Twins, Big D and Sandy won 4 & 5, sending them back to Minnesota, Osteen loses game 6 and Koufax shuts down the Twins big hitters on 2 days rest for the win. 81 the same thing, they lose the first 2 but their pitching shuts the Yanks down over the next 4. And we all know about 88. A bunch of scrubs beat the mighty A’s behind some great pitching. These last 2 world series were not paced by that kind of pitching. The Astros bludgeoned Dodger pitching in 17, including our ace. And the Red Sox showed us exactly what the best team in the majors was made of. The Dodgers were the best in the NL and defeated by a wild card team. No matter how you spin that, it is not palatable to Dodger fans. There has to be some accountability. I give Friedman credit when he does something right and he should also get the blame when it all flames out.
Right on Michael! Excellent post with a accurate and true facts indeed. Especially the part about a need for an organizational shift in philosophy, which works in a weak division and playing other sub par NL teams but like in this year’s NLDS, Dodgers were exposed as inferior to all the other PSteams, and that is because this shuffling around, lack of RHB, hitting problems with LHP and sub par pitching DOES NOT AND WILL NOT work in the PS. and the fact that Roberts will return means that the 2020 season as far as I am concerned is already over before it get here.
“I feel that my job is to put guys in the best position to have success and if it doesn’t work out…”. -Dave Roberts
When I read this, I just had to laugh. Roberts screwed up. Roberts has done this all the time. This type of philosophy may be OK when the outcome of the game is not important. When it is crunch time, do or die, winner take all, you do not throw players out there, just to hope they can resurrect themselves and succeed. No time for loyalty, faith, and belief. You do not gamble, at the expense of the other teammates. I like Dave Roberts, I have always given him the benefit of the doubt. But, this Game 5 loss to the Wild Card team was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Bottom line, he managed this team like a Little League team… the shuffling of lineups, and batting orders, was like managing a bunch of kids, and giving every kid to experience playing a different position, or get the opportunity to lead off, or bat cleanup. A poor kid is having a rough time, so he throws them back out there hoping he can break out of his slump, and succeed…..Just had to chime in on that.
Now to the topic. Definitely they need a cleansing. It has to start at the top. Friedman and his cronies have got to go, Roberts too. I think Honeycutt has to consider retirement. A new direction requires a complete cleanse, so entire coaching staff must go…. No survivors from the old regime. Major players who should leave, are Kershaw, Jansen, Pollock, Kelly, Hill, Stripling, Barnes, Garcia, to name a few.
Start the new regime with the kids, and run with them, not just demote them. Bring in a few proven veteran leaders who can balance the ship. Definitely starts with pitching, both relief and starting. Offense is basically there, just need to find a combination that works and stick with them. Cut down on playing matchups and lefty/righty crap. Let the lineup gel into a well oiled machine.
Right on, Bluefan! But this from Scott here covers a lot of how many feel about what has taken place with expected result:
“The Dodgers are predictable
One of the great things about those old-school Dodgers was that they were never predictable. Tommy Lasorda and those champion Dodgers constantly kept the opposing clubs guessing. Tommy would never reveal their game plans to the media or the opposing team. The Dodgers are way too predictable. The Nationals knew exactly what the Dodgers were going to do. It trickles down to the players too. Clayton Kershaw hangs the same pitches every start. He gives up runs in the first inning of every start. Kenley Jansen throws the same pitch (cutter) every time out. Cody Bellinger swings at the same pitches. Corey Seager whiffs at the same pitches. The Dodgers deploy the same shifts defensively, and on and on and on. Stop being so predictable. Shake things up. Because if you manage the postseason like it’s the regular season or announce your game plans to the world then you are probably going to lose.”
You are right Paul,
Scott was spot on. They set themselves up for failure.
Well, it looks like those cocky SOBs at Dodger Headquarters have already decided to bring back Dummy. WOW what arrogance. Guess we will live with these jerks.
Stunning
Yeah we will. Roberts is Friedman’s guy. It’s up with the flags or up in flames with this group. It won’t be the fan’s call. Most of the louder voices in the blogosphere want these guys gone. Who knows what the group ownership will do. Frankly I think we would be better off with 1 incredibly wealthy owner interested only in championships instead of selling of pieces to investors interested only in return.
Yeah, Doc screwed the pooch, again. He went with his gut that went against the data. Obviously the man had no faith in the bullpen Andy handed him. Can’t say I blame him for that, but announcing the piggyback plan the day before implementing it was … well, dumb. Bringing back Gas Can Kelly and his 8+ consecutive inning ERA was… well, incredibly dumb. This is an organization built on analytics. In the end, Doc didn’t use them. Was this a Friedman dictate? Who knows, but until change is made I figure we are in for more of you ain’t seen nothing yet. This IS who the Dodgers are.
I heard that on MLBN this AM and upon doing so, I knew already that the 2020 season , that is not here yet is still already over as far as I am concerned with no better results AT ALL from this year.
“If the blame falls on me, I’ve got no problem with it,” Roberts said after the loss. “I feel that my job is to put guys in the best position to have success and if it doesn’t work out, there’s always going to be second-guessing, and I got no problem wearing the brunt of that. That’s okay.”
Well, aren’t we glad that Daisy Roberts takes it so well. Note to Daisy, I actually think your job is to win championships but hearing you say otherwise really makes me realize that you are being fed a bunch of crap from the FO on what the definition of success is. The Brass obviously are being put into a position to have success, yeah the seats are full and the cash is rolling in, that is a position for success for the bean counters, however it is a complete betrayal of measuring success for a baseball team.
I actually think this group of players (everyday players not most of the pitchers) is good enough to win a championship, it’s the manager that is not good enough to win a championship. At least Daisy takes it so well. I think the FO takes it very well as well.
If Roberts is retain by this FO (which I still do not believe that will happen) this could become very interesting. Wow!
I’m guessing that many in the organization have no idea as to the level of disappointment and frustration being felt by the Dodger fan base.
I wonder if AF knows how it ended for General Custer?
Chili, as I post you and as I just said, Roberts will be retained and the Dodger’s 2020 season has just ended before it begins.
I figured he would return. He is likable, the Fans with Blue Goggles like him, and he is just what the Dodgers want. A Manager that makes no waves, and does whatever they say.
Scott. Where can I sign on to your petition?
It seems like the team is sliding backwards. Management can make a case that the results afford them some patience from the fans. But the frustration of those who have seen this coming is much less than the frustration of those who have just come around. The Dodgers will highlight these newly frustrated fans and paint them as knee-jerkers.
If Scott does have a petition, do we think the total number of signees (real people) will be greater than 20?
Bluto. You are gonna have to use better bait than that if you want the fish to bite.
?
I do not have a petition Bluto. But there would probably be 20000 not 20 that would sign that to support firing those two losers.
Don’t think so.
And I don’t want to see Roberts return.
Scott
18 more votes get you to Bluto’s goal of twenty votes.
You now have one from Bluto and one from me.
Let’s keep this going.
Mexivin,
Seriously, there are seven or eight guaranteed signees on this board alone!
So maybe 20 was low, but assuredly not by much.
And definitely closer to 20 than (giggle) 20k
I think it important to remember this ownership group is motivated by making money, not by making friends. The stadium fills up every year. The tv contract is in place. Winning championships obviously has nothing to do with that. As long as ownership remains the same, it’s naive to believe anything will change. I say again, I’d like to see a single wealthy owner that is motivated by championships, not making money. Will that happen? I know some who believe it will.
You are absolutely right, Badger,
I have been preaching this from day one, 10 years ago!
As long as these owners see green flowing into their bank accounts, they have no need to do anything. Their stadium and parking lots are full to capacity, the Suds are flowing , the hot dogs are flying, fans love to purchase and wear Dodger shirts and hats. Their cup runneth over with Fan’s hard earned money. They got their big TV contract. They do not need a championship…. that is the least of their concerns. I heard they are raking in over 1/2 a billion dollars in revenues, year after year. They got some deep pockets (and probably some humungous Swiss bank accounts).
Fans just have to stop feeding the piranhas. I bet these owners don’t even go to many games, so they do not have a real idea what is actually happening in the games, and do not have to deal with hearing the Fans boo their team.
Things will never change, until the paying fans wise up, and demand a winner. Just a few disgruntled fans like us, makes no matter. For every fan like us, there a 1000 fans who really don’t care, as long as they can afford to go to the games, feed their faces, throw paper airplanes, bash beachballs around, and “Wave” at the inappropriate time.
Damn it, I’m sounding like a broken record, again.
ITOLD YOU SO!
Bluefan, AWESOME POST and absolutely true on all accounts!. the last paragraph from Scott here says it all for me and I am sure you, True Blue and others as well:
“That’s because these players simply just don’t have it. The Dodgers will probably never win a championship with this group of players. It’s sad because we all like them. They’re nice guys and we want nothing more than to see them win the World Series. But we have to face facts. The current core group of Dodgers are losers. Clayton Kershaw is a great regular season pitcher, but he’s a loser. Cody Bellinger is a good player, but he’s a loser. Corey Seager is a loser. Kenley Jansen has been a great closer, but he is also a loser. Andrew Friedman is a loser. Dave Roberts is a loser. They’re all losers. They just don’t have it, and the skill is not something you can quantify with numbers. The Dodgers need an organizational cleanse and it should start from the top.”
Badger
Why should the current ownership sell? I think they are making too much money.
Why sell? Easy. To clear over a billion. The end of civilization is coming. Might as well cash out.
But they won’t. This is a cash cow. They will continue milking the fans as far into the future as possible. Fans are quite gullible. Just tell them what they want to hear then lead them the direction you want them to go.
Package206, not only that but we would not want another McCourt type ownership and then this year would look like a cake walk compared to the ownership before Guggs took over.
Of course businesses have to make money, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would think otherwise, but there has to be some balance when it comes to a sports team, there has to be a profit motivation but there also has to be a balance of trying to win rings. You are correct Badge, the Dodgers need to get a big, fat cat, egotistical money man to come in and take over. This guy or gal has to be motivated more by his/her ego in wanting to have bragging rights by the number of championship rings he wears to the cocktail parties, I hate to say it but Jerry Jones (yes he is a dickhead) type of owner is that kind of guy. The Dodgers need to be his crown jewel in his/her jewelry box. Will that happen? Seems highly unlikely. Damn what a position to be in as a fan, wanting to get rid of some dickheads that really don’t need a championship, in order to gain a dickhead that wants to rack up championships. I guess if you have to choose your dickheads, I’d take the one that wants to win at all costs.
The Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game in nearly a decade.
That’s because Jerry Jones didn’t want to be the owner only, he wanted to play GM of the team, and he doesn’t have any idea what he is doing
Jones has 3 Championships and was Executive of the Year in ‘14. His history is…. colorful…. Not my kind of guy (OPM user with a couple of bankruptcies) but your point is well made. I’d like to see a Ballmer type personality, wicked smart (magna cum laude at Harvard, business graduate degree from Stanford) and a sports fan. I don’t know who that guy, or girl, is, but put the team up for sale and see who steps up. You know the bidding would be high. Forbes has them valued at $3.5 billion. Yeah, sure. They also said $800 million just before the sold for $2.5 billion.
Like I said, not gonna happen. But I can dream.
If any of you watched that Astros/Rays game yesterday you should at least be thankful that the Rays were the ones facing them and getting punished rather than what would obviously happen if the Dodgers were facing them again in a WS. And IMHO, EVERY team still standing in this PS has an offense that is much much better than the Dodgers when it matters the most …Fact!
Badger commented about the Dodgers being a cash cow and he is absolutely right. Now, if you think they made a lot of cash this year, just wait until next year. 100 million in renovations to the ball park. Making the outfield, specifically the CF area the entrance to the park. A lot of new additions for the fan experience and the All Star game there in July. They are going to make massive money. Now, my thinking is that if they want the whole thing to be a huge success, they are going to have to be pretty astute in their building the 2020 team this winter. Now a huge attendance boost would be a major free agent signing. That’s not Ol Andy’s style. Nor does it jibe with keeping the payroll under the luxury tax. They have a lot of personnel decisions to make. Freese, Gyorko, White, Negron, will probably not be retained. Gyorko can be bought out. They might bring him back on a lower deal and he could be next seasons David Freese, but I doubt it. I do not think they bring 40 year old Hill back as a starter. But he could be a bullpen piece which I think he has the makeup to do and it would be less stress on him physically. Ryu is another question that they have to answer. He loves LA, but his agent is Boras and we all know he will want the best deal out there and Ryu is going to have a bunch of suitors. I think, and I honestly believe this, if they make a big splash anywhere, it will be in the trade market at the winter meetings. Everything will have settled down by then, and if AF is still in charge, I see maybe a 3 team deal like he pulled off at the deadline a couple of times, to bolster the reliever corps, and maybe even the bench. Just my opinion but I think that is more likely to happen than a free agent of any note.
Dave Roberts committed managing malpractice in game 5. But he gets a pass and will be back. That is because this regime doesn’t care about championships. They’re content with 3.8 million sold tickets and winning a shitty division and losing in the playoffs. While staying under the tax threshold. That’s it. End of discussion. They’ve punted the last two winters and punted the last trade line. You are on crack if you think they’re getting Cole or Rendon. Clayton Chokeshaw is a nice guy but a loser, and I firmly believe his choking rubs off on some of the other players. Cody Bellinger and Seager play and hit like they’re deer in the headlights. Pathetic. The dodgers will never win a title with Chokeshaw on the roster. And the fact their moron manager thinks of him as some savior out of the pen when his fastball is 89 mph goes back to my first point. Managing malpractice. Enjoy the winter.
Kershinger or Bellshaw, both have a nice and familiar ring to them
mediocre, lackluster, below average are just as poor of an analysis as terrible.
IT’s all hyperbole and not based in reality.
But I think you’re going for hyperbole, TBH.
In reality neither of those is correct. Get real, they got to the World Series last year with only 1 pitcher in double digit wins, Hill. They led the NL in most of the pitching departments and the pen was the best in the league the second half. They lost this series for a couple of reasons, starting with a sputtering offense beyond Turner and Muncy as starters. They only other guys who did anything were Pederson, Kike, and Martin. Clutch hits were few and far between. The struck out 64 times in 5 games, their top HR and RBI guy did neither in the series, zero homers, zero RBI’s. You can’t win if you do not score. The bullpen except for Maeda, was not what it was for most of the second half. And then there is Roberts. Sorry, but in critical situations Ol Doc pushed all the wrong buttons. But after the fact, it is easy to place blame. The expectations for this team from the first day of spring training was winning the World Series. Anything less was going to be a huge disappointment. And that is where we are today. Disappointed, angry, and just plain shocked that they were knocked out in the first round. That was not the plan, but that is what happened, and no amount of spin doctoring by the talking heads nor the powers that be can make that up to the loyal fans who came out over 3,000, 000 strong in LA alone to watch this team fail in the end again. 32 years and counting.
Personally I think Fugazi makes some good points. As that intolerable loudmouth Jim Rome used to say “have a take and don’t suck”.
This team has blown tires in 7 straight years of playoffs. Why? What you say about the offense is true Bear and what Fugazi says about Roberts and Kershaw is also true. Kershaw coughed up another playoff hairball and Roberts just flat out f***** up.
Why does this continue to happen? We can all speculate (make sure you hit the bucket) but it seems clear to me some kind of change is needed. 64 strikeouts in 5 games? That’s just nuts. We need to learn how to avoid strike 3. It can be done. Think old school – protect the plate. What a concept. These guys appear to have no idea what that means.
I think we need to fall back and regroup. There will be a lot of talk over the winter, much of it darts being thrown all over the wall. Its already started. Lose Pollock and Kelly, demote and replace Jansen (he’s not going anywhere) trade Barnes, and trade either Taylor or Hernandez, we don’t need both, get a #2 to insert behind Buehler, Urias, Gonsolin and May, Smith and Ruiz share catching., Muncy is first base, own it Max, get a legit veteran field leader, I don’t know who that is, but it isn’t Turner…. more will come but I’m out of coffee so I’ll stop there.
I was thinking that maybe they ought to have the All Star game at season’s end. They have plenty of covered, temperature controlled venues to host the fiasco. Or, better yet, shorten the season, and start the season earlier, so the “show” would by the end of September. The players can perform their weeklong circus after all the dust settles, and the Champion has been crowned. HR derby to their hearts content. The elite players “AFTER” season’s end can proudly strut their stuff, and players that fizzle out in the second half and the playoffs would not be showered with premature accolades.
Just a thought.
???? Cardinals say the balls are dead. Playoff baseballs are traveling 4 1/2 feet shorter than the regular season baseballs….
I don’t think Kershaw would agree. I don’t think Muncy would either. Belli did not get a chance to test them, unfortunately.
Freese announced his retirement today. So one decision already made. The balls traveling less might have something to do with the weather, unless they put a humidor in St Louis. They got shut down by Sanchez, who did a pretty good job on the Dodgers, One forgets he has a no hitter to his credit.
Honestly, I was hoping that Turner would go to the FO and tell them once again they need to bring him back. But of course it’s a decision that Freese makes himself. IMHO that is a real loss as far as a guy with the playoff and Ws experience he has. But of course it would not matter if he isn’t allowed to play much because of all the lineup shuffling that takes place daily.
If Freese felt he had another year in him, he probably would have stayed with LA ala Utley. It is as much a clubhouse presence lost as it is a clutch player on the field. First domino to fall. Zaidi to interview Kapler for the Giants manager job. Makes some sense since Zaidi knows him well from his Dodger days. Advisor to the GM, Raul Ibanez has stated he will not interview for any of the managerial openings. Since they do not have a GM and have not since Zaidi left, I wonder just who he is advising. Talk about a cushy job!