The results today didn’t matter and the Dodgers certainly played like the results didn’t matter. On Vin Scully’s final day the Dodgers did not give him the win that he deserved. The Dodgers had already decided that these final week of games are worthless and not important. So they played like that. The proof is obvious since the club has won just once since clinching the division on the last game of the home stand against Colorado. Getting swept again in San Francisco and letting the Giants walk into the playoffs is still an embarrassment. Final Score Giants 7 Dodgers 1.
Dodgers 1 4 0
Giants 7 16 0
WP-Moore-13-12
LP-Maeda-16-11
All of that was secondary to the tribute given to Vin Scully throughout the day. The Giants honored him by handing out cards to all the fans that read “Thank you Vin”. They had a special meeting between Vin and Willie Mays as they dedicated a plaque to both men. Vin dominated twitter and social media with fans and celebrities alike giving him goodbyes and thanking him. Not surprisingly Vin wanted the focus to remain on the game. The humble announcer doesn’t want any kind of ceremonious recognition. As he told his family in the booth “I love you guys, but I have to go back to work”.
As if Vin’s last day on the job wasn’t sad enough, the Dodgers play was even sadder. I won’t bore you with the awful details of this game. Starting pitcher Kenta Maeda was horrible, allowing five earned runs in the first two frames. The Dodgers were down 5-0 before chairs were warm.
The Dodger bats were flaccid and lackadaisical with little to no energy. The game was littered with terrible at-bats and plate approaches as the Dodgers did nothing but make routine outs against opposing left handed starter Matt Moore who limited the Dodgers to just 3 hits over seven innings. Pop-ups, and weak grounders were the norm. The Dodgers have scored 4 runs in this three-game series. Pathetic honestly. The Dodgers finish the season 91-71 and will open the NLDS in Washington on Friday night.
I guess the only positive notes about this game was a good relief appearance for Alex Wood and the fact the Dodgers scored a run avoiding being shut out. Today was all about Vin Scully, even if he didn’t want it to be. The postseason picture is set as the Dodgers play Washington and the Cubs will play the wild card winner which will be either the Giants or Mets.
Even though Vin didn’t want any attention on himself, the game centered around him. Rightfully so too. Thank you Vin for 67 wonderful years. You have been such an integral part of Dodger baseball and we will never forget you.
We’ll miss you Mr. Scully
Classy ending by Vin
Bobby
Are you concerned about this team?
No…….starting pitching is lined up;….Kersh will face Scherzer no doubt……they have handled the Nats all year…..no reason to think that changes…
We are all better for listening to him.
What a Class Act!
When I die, I will pass this on to my son:
It’s priceless!
That’s an heirloom to keep in the family. There’s a certain decency about Vin that is/was a product of his generation. My fear is that there won’t be another Vin. I hope not.
Dodgerpatch
There will never be another Vin, and that is for many different reasons.
They blew a chance at having some momentum going into the playoffs. Would have been nice to put the Jints away……..but tomorrow is a new day….
Michael
Who do you think will win between the Mets and the Giants?
Toss up..Mad Bum vs Syndergaard. Mets not as bad against lefty’s as the Dodgers are. Mets have home field. They jump on Bum early and they have a shot…..
Thanks Michael!
So far, this is all playing out the way I’ve been thinking it would. Dodgers gave away an edge to both Giants and Nats. They continue to have marginal pitching and continue to lose their way at the plate. These are facts, not Timmons fictions.
Momentum is a funny thing. It can either continue or change abruptly. When someone figures out what momentum is and how to direct it, genius is born. The Dodgers momentum has been more of a case of being a product of other teams losing momentum than the Dodgers own momentum carrying them into first place. They’ve managed to relinquish their momentum, currently. OTOH, the Giants have found theirs, once again, and they match up pretty well against the Dodgers.
The Dodgers will have to win at least one of their opening games in Washington as they are not a good road team. All year, they have been below .500. Plus, our pitching has been getting worse and so is our hitting. This is enough to make them the underdogs. They have difficulty rising up in important games. The sweep by the Giants were important for the Dodgers as well as the Giants. Dodgers couldn’t get it done. We hope things will change, but my question is really ‘how can they?’
The Dodgers lose a couple of games after cinching the division and suddenly all hope is lost. This is the way it’s been all season long. Some of you people are the most reactive, instinctively pessimistic people I’ve ever encountered.
This team has scrapped, scraped and clawed back from all manner of mediocrity, bad luck and injury all year to overcome an 8 game deficit and win the Western Division. It’s folly to make any prediction about how they’ll do going forward in the playoffs, let alone write them off in your doom and gloom ruminations.
Think the Cubs are a shoe in? You wanna know the last time in the NL the team with the best record won the WS? …Mets in 86. Arrieta’s been very mediocre for some time. Playoffs are a different type of game, and the pressure is on them. They’re expected to win. If they lose one of those first two games at home, the pressure rises exponentially.
Dodger patch
I agree about the Cubs because this is short tournament play.
I really think there biggest factor is Chapman.
Please dispense with your judgement of me being a doom and gloomer. If you read my posts, I never said there is no chance they can win. There is always a chance. What I focused on are real reasons the Dodgers ‘probably’ won’t win. I’m a fan. Why wouldn’t I want them to win? I’m being realistic, not a dreamer.
Of course the Cubs are not a shoo-in. Anything may go wrong at any time. Teams choke, but the chances of them choking are much less than not especially when they have the track record of this season. If I was so sure a team would win or lose, I’d be a very rich guy. So just take it easy with your knee jerk reactions, okay?
Grandal winds up the season with a .228 BA
Does anyone think that a player can be happy with this kind of production? I can’t imagine that he feels satisfied with this.
Jeff
Saber metrics doesn’t value batting averages, and that is a problem, especially against good pitching.
Because good pitching like you see, in the post season, stop players, that are valued because of there HR production, and there walks, and OBA.
And HR hitters, don’t make enough contact, to hit with power, against good pitching, and in short series.
But hitters with good batting averages, tend to make better contact then HR hitters, and because of this, they fair much better against good pitching.
I would imagine not, but is it somehow catastrophic? Are there other means of measuring a players value to a team? As far as his defense, it’s actually been pretty good.
BA is an anachronistic stat.
His framing has been great.
His fWAR is 2.9, he’s only bested by Lucroy, Posey, Realnuto and Ramos. Ramos is now injured and out for the playoffs.
His team is in the playoffs.
I’m saying it’s greater than 50/50 that he’s satisfied.
Some posters on this board? I bet the percentage is a little lower.
Bluto
What did you think about the Dodgers last series?
Think it was a nice opportunity to relax and try different players.
Nice to give Maeda that last start for his bonus (even if they said they would pay it anyway.)
Wish I coulda seen Verdugo or even Alvarez, but the 40 is the 40.
Very disappointed. Happy to eat crow but very bummed right now. And this beer sucks.
91 wins. Under 92. I believe I had that. Grandal hit in the .220’s. I believe many of us had that too. And the Dodgers starting pitching was near the bottom in innings pitched. That one was easy to call.
Timmons fictions. I’ll let Jeff and others expound on that.
I was able to enjoy the last few weeks of the season as it played out more or less as I thought it would. Both the giants and the Dodgers are in the playoffs, both start on the road. We’ve got a very good shot at advancing farther than we have the last three years and it’s at least partly because Washington is hurting. FiveThirtyEight has us at 52% to beat them. So, it’s a toss up really. Cubs are at 69% in the first round and of course they are the favorites to win the WS as they are clearly the best team in baseball. It’s fine with me if the best team in baseball wins the Championship for a change. I look forward to that being the Dodgers some year soon.
Predictions and talking baseball with my friends used to be fun. When it was less so in here, why stick around? It became about one person in here kicking sand in everyone’s face and ignoring him became impossible. For me this season was about one thing and that was Vinny.
Now the real test begins. We still have the same issues we always had, and we all know what they are. We can talk more about what is needed to make the Dodgers better for years to come. Hopefully it can be done without having to endure the boorish insults.
Thanks to all who maintained contact with me. W, if you’re here listening, I encourage you to drop a post on us. If not, keep in touch. And, yeah, you called the Ryder Cup.
Tim, who’s Bruce?
May the best teams win.
Badger
A lot of the reason that this team played so well, is because the way Roberts, and his coaches, have made these players, buy into the team concept.
And also the players stepping up, after Kershaw went down, is why this team was able to win the division.
So wait! The first thing you do, then, is throw a few passive aggressive jabs Mark’s way?
…oh nevermind
And Mark continues to call people morons after their gone…
Oh wait………
Man good to see you back…Been reading your posts for well over a decade…Try wearing safety googles to keep the sand out of your eyes!
Grandal gave me 27/72 at or near the bottom of the order and I’ll take that any day…
Yep, he wasn’t Roseboro or Yeager behind the dish, but he did more than I anticipated. I hated trading with the Madres and I knew of his def liabilities, but the man produced…
Now I wait patiently for Kyle Farmer, Keibert Ruiz or maybe Will Smith… For now welcome back Grandal..,
Nice to see you Badger. I agree with you about a lot of things. As for Grandal, I still hate his defense, and a lot of his AB’s are terrible. I would rather see hits than walks, and he still strikes out a lot in the clutch. Yeah he had 27/72, but he had a lot of missed opportunities and a 228 BA……how anyone is happy with that surprises me.
Michael – Grandal is an enigma to me. He doesn’t look that good to me, with a glove or with a stick. I’m reading some stat lines and I see this: Matt Kemp played in 156 games, hit .268 with 35 home runs and 108 RBIs, scored 89 runs, had a .991 fldg % with 9 outfield assists – and a 0 WAR. Grandal played in 126 games, hit .228, 27 & 72, led the league, again, in passed balls yet put up a 2.8 WAR. Makes me question how these algorithms are set up.
That said, he’s a blind squirrel at the plate, yet his nut stash is plentiful. I have no problem with him catching 115 games and hitting 6th. He needs to work on his defensive game, but until someone better is developed, put him in there.
I agree. I think pitch framing is an over rated stat, I also think his pitch blocking skills are lousy. I also think saber metrics are a joke. He strikes out 1/3 of his at bats. Yeah, he walks a lot, but he is not that great a hitter. Rob Deer hit a lot of bombs too. What I see is a so so defensive catcher with some power, a really bad approach at the plate in pressure situations, and not what I would call a leader on the field. Catchers need to be that guy. They control the tempo of the game. Grandal is not that kind of player. He just is not that smart. But right now, they have no other options.
I don’t get your comments Michael.
You basically disregard every stat that the Front Office either values or is perceived to value, and then end with a statement “But right now, they have no other options”.
They value him immensely. You don’t. But you can’t juxtapose your value system onto their decision making tree.
I quite like Grandal, my only foible is his pitch calling. Hopefully that can improve.
Well Bluto that is what opposing opinions are all about. You might not GET my comments and that is cool. I am not the front office, and I am in no way a saber metrics guy, and that is what they use to evaluate the players. And at this point they have no other options. I am not juxtaposing my values, simply stating them. I value a players batting average, not his WAR. Saying that BA does not matter is total horse crap in my view. By saying that you ( not you personally ) say that just because a player like Babe Ruth hit .342 in his career, he is not to be judged by his superior hitting skills but a bunch of stats dreamed up by a bunch of bored geeks who never hit a ball in their lives. This front office operates by using saber metrics. I get it. Does not mean I personally have to like it, or enjoy watching a bunch of mediocre players being trotted out for basically tryouts. They do things a lot differently. They got lucky this year in that this team has come together as a team and has been very gritty. It will be a few years down the road before we see if their plan works. After all it took Epstein, another saber guy, 5 years to get the Cubbies where they are now. I have been watching this team more than 60 years. I like the old ways a lot better. But that is just me. You can like Grandal all you like, but in my humble opinion he has a lot more holes than just his pitch calling in my book. He strikes out too much, he is terrible at blocking pitches and he is no leader on the field. All of that is visible to anyone who actually watches the guy play day in and day out. I believe judging a player simply on some GEEK stats is a mistake….stats do not show heart and passion……
Hey MIchael,
I didn’t mean to say you’re not entitled to an opinion, obviously on a message board that would be a little silly.
What I didn’t understand was saying “they don’t have other option”. Perhaps the reason they don’t have other options is they don’t need them/nor want them?
Why collect ready options/replacements for a position they (and I to a ridiculously lesser value) don’t feel needs replacing.
That’s what I didn’t understand.
Apologies otherwise.
In reply to your last post, They might feel they do not need a better option than Grandal, and I understand that. They felt they needed a better option than AJ, and they traded him. Their best minor league catchers are at least 2 years away. But why then was there all the trade buzz before the deadline about them being in on Lucroy? And I still believe they did not trade for him because Milwaukee wanted at least 2 of their best prospects. So like with Hamels they did not go for it. I get it….does not mean I agree. I am pretty old school when it comes to baseball. I like players who do more than 1 thing well…….Grandal does not strike me as that kind of player.
re: Lucroy
Every report I read was that they were after Lucroy to trade him.
Produced?? .228 means he got 23 hits for every 100 at bats…….that’s 73 times out of 100 he fell flat on his face. Take away maybe 3 of those times a defensive play robbed him of a hit. He struck out 1/3 of the time. Every blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. He hit a bunch of homers and walked enough to raise his OBP. But he is still a lousy hitter in the clutch
But, the reason he is so well liked is the fact that in 126 games and 450 plate appearances he put up 2.8 WAR. At $2.8 mil, he’s a walking talking passed balling bargain.
Badger, where can we find you???
Pete, I am in Sedona. Go to Phoenix and turn north.
Seriously, if you want to get in touch let me know and I’ll tell Scott to give you my email.
I’m ok with what Grandal did offensively. I did not believe he would hit 25, and I was wrong. His OPS was very good. I never thought he was good defensively, that sure played out, and I don’t believe for a minute he wil ever hit close to .275. But he doesn’t have to. He’s a 6-8 hitter and that’s fine with me.
This team will be built around Cory Seager.
Badger, please tell Scott to send me your email.
Wondering
Good to see you back too!
Will do Wondering
He gave me your email yesterday……
Badger
It is good to hear from you.
I am concerned about us letting the Giants get into the post season.
I believe the Mets are a team that wins a lot with HRs, and good pitching, usually ends up stopping HRs.
And that is why I think the Giants might have the edge against the Mets.
Even though I don’t think Bumgarner is the same pitcher he once was, when it comes to stuff.
I still can’t believe that Bumgarner asked to come out of that game, when he had that run in with Puig.
That was when the Giant’s bullpen, was collapsing every game.
Kershaw would have never came out, like Bumgarner did then.
Even though I am concerned about the Giants, it is good to see the team like the Cardinals, are out.
It was about time, that they faced all of there bad karma.
The last time they missed the post season, was in 2010.
The other way I am thinking thanks to Michael, is that everything can change in a week, so these last few games, don’t mean that much.
Because only a week ago, the team took care of the Giants, and then swept the Rockies.
And the Giants had more motivation to win those last few games.
But I don’t agree with the Dodgers giving McCarthy that tryout.
Because except for the bullpen, that was over worked this year, everyone else’s tryout, should have been, what they did all season long, not in the last month of the season.
And with McCarthy, he didn’t pitch that much.
And the same about Anderson!
It was funny that they didn’t give Wood any of these starts, or five innings.
Because at least Wood was pitching well the first two times through the order, before he went out earlier in the season.
The thing I didn’t understand about this weekend, was why did Roberts play mostly the regular line up, against lefties.
That didn’t make sense to me, because he hadn’t let the same part of the regular line up, face lefties all year.
I think he should have done this a lot sooner, if he was going to go with the regular line up, against lefties, in the post season, so those few extra bats, could be better prepared.
Now, can we criticize Seager’s defense? Or, do we have to keep our mouths shut because he’s a ROY or MVP and the best player the Dodgers have? Seager may be worse than Grandal on D. But, with Seager, I think it is partly fatigue that has seen him blow some plays lately. He is a rookie.
I would be much more down on Grandal if he didn’t have his power and OBP looking so good. That was my position in the beginning of the season and he was a real liability at the plate ala Reddick. He slumped for so long I forgot that he could hit the HR. Even Agone’s power supply has diminished but his production did not wane as Grandal’s did. He’s a golden glover, a major RBI machine, and clutch.
On the whole, Dodgers is D is pretty good.
I agree. I think Utley has been the perfect tutor for Seager, and I think he wore down a little the last few weeks. Grandal stinks defensively where it comes to blocking balls in the dirt. He is very average at throwing runners out. Yes Grandal has power and a good OBP. But he strikes out too much…1/3 of his at bats, and is not all that good in pressure situations.
This thread is always about the Dodgers. If anyone is offended in here by anyone, do what I do: skim past that post, and discuss Dodgers with the rest of us. Plenty of other people in here have very valid and insightful opinions which deserve response and discussion.
More importantly, I agree about momentum. We don’t have it now. However, if we win Game 1 in DC, it’s right back in our favor and we take that series without having to come back to DC for game 5. Utley could set the tone leading off on Friday. I’m not worried. I might be late Friday night, though.
Go Mets! As much as I’d like a giants Dodgers NLCS, my health won’t be able to take it. I may have to do double sessions of DDP yoga. And/or visit the legal dispensaries around town.
Bobby
I agree the match up with the Giants, would be a terrible match up for this team, because the Giants have three lefties, to throw at us, and this team still hasn’t figured out, how to hit Cueto!
I just hope the innings they gave to McCarthy, doesn’t come back to haunt us.
Because we had the momentum in that game and that series, until McCarthy was brought in.
And guess what, McCarthy couldn’t handle being hit like that, and he said this after that game.
That says a lot!
Terrible. Disappointing. Pathetic. Lackadaisical. Great way to end the season. I’m tired of this Vin Scully stuff. It was a major distraction and we got one win for the week out of it. I doubt the Mets will beat the giants, and I have some doubt the Cubs will beat them. The jackets and hats are out in big numbers again in the Bay Area. Thank you, team, for “playing” so bad. Maeda is becoming more fragile by the start. I think he’s out of gas. Some of Hill’s magic has worn off, too. Quotes from Kershaw imply that he is not 100%. It’s a good thing that the Nats are banged up. Otherwise, it could be a 3 and out. I was hoping to enjoy this week, but the 1-6 week did me in. Roberts said he talked to some of the coaches and the team has to hit the reset button. That’s easy to do, right?
Everyone please don’t be strangers, it isn’t the same with out everyone!
This site is suppose to be a place, where everyone’s opinions and views, are welcomed.
And really Scott, isn’t big on some of the front offices moves, either.
But right now, this is about watching a team that did play hard, even after Kershaw went out.
And that is the only reason, I have more faith then I would, after this terrible weekend.
But my faith isn’t as high as it once would have been, because of these last few games, and because of our team’s vulnerability against lefties.
And Badger you must have loved seeing Puig comeback, and play better.
And how about Puig’s big HR against Moore, in that second game at Dodger stadium, against the Giants, when the team tore Moore up.
Which team will we get in the tournament? The one that played wonderful ball the 2 weeks when pushing for the NLW. Or the one that was flat as Kansas the last 6 games. Players need to kick their buts into gear. Pronto!!!
Since 1958
I guess we will have to use some wishful thinking, until that first game against the Nationals, is over.
Who knows what team shows up. Kendrick and Utley both look out of gas and our starting pitching is as worse as it’s always been.
But this a gritty bunch of ballers and they seem to have rallied under Roberts’ leadership.
Go Blue. May we see only RH pitching throughout the playoffs.
And I don’t want to see the midgets go any farther than they have. You made the playoffs. Now lose your one game and go home.
Badger
If you ignore it doesn’t mean that it is true, because you know your own truth.
Yeah, I’ve been advised by a few to ignore the blatherskite. I’ll do my best.
I don’t have much to say. From here on out it is about playing the game.
I have my preferences for lineups.
1. Against righties I would put Puig in LF, Joc in CF, and Reddick in RF.
2. Against lefties I would put Kendrick in LF, Joc in CF, and Puig in RF.
3. I would keep Kendrick out of the lead off spot and when he plays, I would hit him 8th.
4. Turner, Seager, Utley, Agon start every game.
5. Grandal starts against righties and Ruiz starts against lefties.
6. Maeda never starts on less than 5 days rest.
7. Stewart starts over Maeda if that start would give Maeda less than 5 days rest.
8. I would not start Kershaw on less than 4 days rest.
9. I would use Wood and Stripling like Larry Sherry was used in 1959.
10. I am running out of steam here but Badger will give me a hard time if I stop at 9 so last but not least I want the Dodgers to run-n-hit more often.
I often disagree with you, especially about the crazy trades, but everything you posted above sure makes a lot of sense to me.
Wondering, it seems to me that most of our disagreements were in the first half of the season and I think we thought alike, regarding the Dodgers anyway, in the second half.
Trade ideas are fun to play with. If I get irritated with a player I don’t bad mouth him; instead I make him part of a trade proposal. And, by identifying good players in return I stay positive. Some would suggest a bag of balls but I don’t do that.
Also, if many (I am not singling anybody out here)keep harping for a righty bat I suggest a trade that might get a righty bat instead of making the same repeated harp of a need.
Bum
I am not crazy about Howie playing, but I know he will.
And even when Howie was hitting a little, I still would have not hit Howie first.
Howie is not a patient enough hitter, to hit in the lead off postion.
I would play Toles over Howie, and I think the team could have used Tole’s energy, in this these last three games.
I didn’t like the way that Roberts broke up our three biggest run producers in the line up, in these games against lefties this week end.
Because Roberts went mostly with the regular line up, but he didn’t stay with the same batting order, and I think that hurt us.
Even though Puig has done better lately, he is still not ready to bat fourth.
And having Puig hitting in between Agone, and Corey, allowed the pitcher, to pitch around Corey, to pitch to Puig.
I like Corey second, and Turner hitting third.
Because Turner is probably are best run producer, and he is always pretty good, when the team needs an important RBI.
In the only time we scored yesterday, the run was manufactured because of Turner, Agone, and Grandal.
Corey and Puig, had at bats in this same innng, but the pitcher pitched Corey tough, with Puig hitting behind Corey, and they both made outs.
And if Roberts, would have kept the first five hitters, batting in the same order, like he did most of the season, I think we might have scored more runs yesterday.
I wouldn’t break up or change, Utley, Corey, Turner, and Agone, even when a leftie pitcher is pitching.
Puig is better batting a little lower in the order.
And I don’t why Stewart wasn’t given a chance either, because they pitched Urias.
And I would think, Urias has thrown more pitches, then Stewart.
This is just another reason why, there was no need to give try outs, to Anderson and McCarthy.
The young kids did more to help this team be where they are, then Anderson and McCarthy.
MJ, Toles had a sprained wrist during the last Giants series.
Bum
I just read that again, I don’t know how I forgot thanks.
But he will be fine for the post season, it sounds like it is to make sure he is ok.
I was looking at the OPS for most of the players that will play in the post season, and Reddick actually has the worse ops since he joined the team, and Howie and Ruiz are probably next.
Do you think it was mainly McCarthy pitching terrible, or the Giants making good swings on McCarthy?
It seemed to me that it was less McCarthy having bad stuff and more that he pitched too many balls waist high down the middle.
I guess with all those OBVIOUS mistakes Roberts will be fired!
Mark
I don’t know why you are saying that to me, I like Roberts.
It was just an observation.
Lotsa strong stuff here.
Not very big on run-n-hit, but I know you were stretching for it.
The bigger question for me is if the team will be still inclined to remove pitchers not named Kershaw and Hill after 5 innings. I’d like to see that continued…
But who am I?
If you have an opinion say it.
I
According to dodgers.com, Roberts says they are hitting the reset button for the playoffs. They should never have had to do that. They should have played those last 6 games as though they had not won anything. Maeda looked very beatable in both his starts. The bullpen was not as sharp. The hitting was pitiful, and they made some questionable plays in the field. So they head to DC with no momentum. They will be rested, but they had better get lots of extra BP. I am totally surprised that Ethier made the playoff roster.
Reset button. If it were only that easy.
Is anyone else going into the playoffs having lost 5 of their last 6?
Run and hit? I’m all for it. There are a couple guys who can run, and a couple guys who can hit. But, kinda late in the year to try something new don’t you think? One thing’s for sure, nobody will expect it.
Have Scott send me your email address too…..would love to keep in contact since I have to move on the 31st of January.
Badger–please ask Scott to send me your email too–
Go to Wondering’s posted address. I’m leaving Scott out of it.
Michael
You gave me some hope, what happened?
We all have hope. But I like it a lot better when you go into the playoffs with a little steam. The fact is, they played those last 6 games like they did not matter. I am not worried about either Kendrick or Utley. They are seasoned pro’s. DC has 1 LH starter, so no way you see Kendrick leading off. But I think that little experiment means Kike is not on the roster the 1st round. Not concerned about Kersh, Hill, or Jansen. All the players seemed to be in mini slumps those last few games. So maybe the 4 day rest rejuvenates them like the all star break did…..12 of the position players are already known. Gonzo, Utley, Turner, Seager, Grandal, Ruiz, Toles, Puig, Reddick, Pederson, Kendrick, and Ethier…..Starters, Kersh, Hill, Maeda, and Urias. I would say they take 11 pitchers to the post season, so that mean 7 relievers and 1 more position player…..Jansen, Blanton, and I would say Dayton for sure. With the other 4 from among, Avilan, Baez, Chavez, Wood, Coleman and Fields ……I doubt either McCarthy or Anderson make it. The position guy will be either, Culberson, Segedin, or Barnes….I do not think Kike makes it.
Thanks Bum I appreciate your opinion!
Don’t worry.
Be positive.
Thanks Bluto
Three things as we absorb this cultural shift.
As Vinny said, don’t be sad that’s it’s over, smile that it happened.
Platschke’s article in the Times is wonderful.
These seemed like our Dodgers from April, May, June.
PS glad your back Badger!
Please no even number miracle for SF this year. May the Dodgers see only fastballs from right handed pitchers in the tournament. May Dodger pitchers induce MANY double plays, and may the hitters hit into none. May the Dodger hitters walk or get base hits after seeing a minimum of 5 pitches. LOL May the Dodger pitchers dominate…all of em. OK that ought to be enough.
First 2 game times are set:
Friday 2:30pm PST and Saturday 1pm PST TV is FoxSports1 and MLB
You guys familiar with noetic science?
no•et•ic sci•ences: A multidisciplinary field that brings objective scientific tools and techniques together with subjective inner knowing to study the full range of human experiences.
Or, as those who don’t believe in science would say – simply a form of woo woo bullsh*t.
Anywho ….. if enough people all think “Giants lose” at the same exact moment, they will feel it. And if you feel it – you believe it. If you don’t believe that’s true smack your thumb with a hammer. You’ll believe it. Im not sure how many people it takes but I would guess a million ought to do it. So – spread the word. As the first pitch is delivered scream it to the corners of the universe (don’t wake up the Sauroids from Alpha Draconis. They are particularly unpleasant in nature so let’s leave them out of it)
GIANTS LOSE!!
If it works, we’ll try the practice again (in reverse) when the Dodgers play. If it doesn’t work, scrap it.
Badger
I think that negative thinking might cause bad karma, so I am going to think more positive, and just think the Mets will win.
I love negativity towards the Giants…..been doing it too long to quit….
Michael
I was just messing with Badger.
But darn it that negitive stuff, hasn’t been working much, the last six years.
It worked for 56 years….has taken a little hiatus.
And my positive thinking, would get the same result.
I hope Cespedes hits a big HR off Bumgarner, and gives the Mets a big lead early, that the Giants can’t recover from.
And that win from the Mets, stops all of this even year stuff!
Bleacher Report has the MLB Post Season Power-Ratings like this (including their record in the last 30 games):
1. Cubs 19-11
2. Red Sox 20-10
3. Rangers 17-13
4. Dodgers 17-13
5. Nationals 18-12
6. Indians 19-11
7. Mets 19-11
8. Orioles 17-13
9. Giants 15-15
10.Jays 14-16
In what can only be called “fiction”, by some the Dodgers were awarded the 2016 Bullpen of the Year, with the best ERA in the game. Here’s some more “fiction” : Before the season, the Dodgers depth in their starting rotation was considered to be a strength! One-by-one starters went down: Anderson, Ryu, McCarthy, Wood, Kershaw, Hill, et al. Before the season started, a guy most of you love (Grant Brisbee) said this:
I know a Dodgers fan who compared the team’s offseason to Jack trading his cow for magic beans. Zack Greinke is the cow in this scenario, and his dominant starts are farm fresh milk, sprayed straight from the udder. Or something. And the magic beans are the 47 different starting pitchers the Dodgers accumulated, most of whom have been disappointing this spring.
Except that analogy is flawed on several levels. For one, Greinke would be the magic beans that worked. Like, you have scientific proof that they’re going to turn into big, freaky vines that you can climb, and they’re so rare that there’s absolutely no way you’re going to get them anywhere else. And the pitchers the Dodgers got instead are beans. Plain, nutritious, unremarkable beans that should keep you alive, though the resulting gas could also ruin your presentation before the board of directors.
Greinke would have made the Dodgers better, and the Kershaw/Greinke combination wasn’t something the Dodgers had seen since the days of Koufax/Drysdale, and it’s something that some teams have never seen. At the same time, it seems like there’s been a rush to suggest that Not Greinke is the same thing as Pitcher Signed After Winning Radio Contest, as if the Dodgers have accumulated riff raff and ne’er-do-wells who can’t pitch.
That’s not the case. If you want an example of how much depth the Dodgers still have left, just look at who isn’t in the rotation. They’re not rushing Jose De Leon or Julio Urias. They’ll trot out Zach Lee, but only if they have to. It takes an impressive roster to go 10 pitchers deep before dipping into the best prospects in the upper minors.
At the same time, the Dodgers’ biggest problem over the last few years has been ignoring the luxury of a third ace, something that would hedge against the possibility of a lackluster postseason from either Kershaw or Greinke. But instead of acquiring David Price or Cole Hamels, they held onto their best pitching prospects instead. And now that the Dodgers might be in an hour of need, they’re going to … play it safe with those prospects? Feels odd.
And it worked just like he said.
Momentum is a funny thing. Did the Dodgers lose their momentum by cruising the last week of the season or can they take up where they left off in the playoffs? I don’t know, but I think we will find out. I really don’t like to discuss things for which I have little statistical or common sense basis.
I still find it almost comical that Yasmani Grandal is still so vilified. Among MLB Catchers he was 1st in HR, 5th in RBI, 3rd in OPS, yet he was 14th in AB’s! Anyone with an ounce of sense knows that Grandal is one of the top Catchers in baseball. A lot of catchers play other positions quite a bit too (Lucroy, Posey), but he only had 390 AB’s. For some reason, catchers batting averages have been going down. Of course there are Posey and Molina, but then we have Russ Martin (.231), Perez (.247), Norris (.186), McCann (.221), Castro (.210) – not sure why that is. Of course, that’s all fiction too.
Some people like to call it fiction when it doesn’t coincide with their version of fact. It’s called intellectual laziness. Whatever…
Yeah, I said 92+wins and we only got 91. I said 25 HR and .275 for Grandal. He didn’t hit .275 but he did hit 27 dingers and I think he will improve next year. So, all the numbers weren’t what I predicted but I did get the overall results right. I am fine with that.
Newly back, after a snit. I still don’t like everybody but I think those of you in that category know that already.
There are many things that can be done on a message board like this but the owner does not choose to do them here. One thing is allowing posters to post pictures from their hard drives. Here the only way to post a picture is to upload it to YouTube or some such and post the subsequent web address. That ability would be nice but Mark is the only one who does it much. His web expertise is greater than most of us I think but his attitude is a big handicap. Another thing I would like is The Ignore List. If a person can’t get along with you or you really don’t like the way he acts, you can put him on your Ignore List and none of his posts will appear on your computer screen. Isn’t that great? I would pay for that! Another possibility is allowing posters to conduct each other privately, off line. And it is a workaround to that that is really the purpose of this post. I have setup a new email address, [email protected] , for the purpose of exchanging email addresses between members here, but only when they want to. I am not in business or anything and have no personal or commercial use for your addresses. The way this would work is for someone would send me an email telling me to forward it to someone else on the board. BE SUR E YOUR USER NAME IS INCLUDED IN THE MESSAGE!! Do not put any other information in it. I will forward the email to whichever member you wanted (assuming he too has sent an email so I could register his address) After that the two of you will communicate together directly, I will not be party to any future exchanges. And your address will NOT be given to anyone without an email from you authorizing it. The only one I anticipate contacting is Badger, and if he responds to this message, I will. This service will be processed impersonally for all, whether I agree with your postings or not.
Set you an email….thanks
Michael’s email received. Anyone who would like to contact him ,just send me your email and tell me it is OK to give him yours.
I still get e-mails from over a dozen people I met on this board, many whom no longer post here. For the record, I have no problem with people’s opinions. Michael says he just doesn’t like Grandal and I fine with that. He can even say that Grandal has some defensive issues and that he doesn’t believe there is any value to his pitch framing. All of that is somewhat objective, and there are a lot of opinions by everyone.
What sticks in my craw is when someone says that FAZ doesn’t have any idea or a plan of how to build a team or things like that. You can say you are not on board with the plan, but you can’t argue with the fact that they have now won two consecutive NL Championships… and I know that’s not enough.
Theo Epstein (who is nearly identical to Friedman in baseball philosophy) took 5 years to put the Cubs in position where they are favored to win it all and here the Dodgers are – in that same position after two years. I think both Friedman and Epstein might have loved to be in each others shoes, but Kudos to both.
The Cubs gutted the team to be competitive in 5 years while the Dodgers had to make some questionable deals to stay competitive during that process. Let’s see where the Dodgers are in three more years. I am not naive enough to predict the Dodgers will win it all this year. The playoffs start a new season. Many say the Dodgers can’t hit the re-set button because they got swept by the Giants and they fear the Giants in the playoffs, but let’s not forget that the Giants were 15-15 in their last 30 games. If they can hit the reset button, why can’t the Dodgers do the same?
Me? I’m just enjoying the ride – I hope it’s a long one.
I think they beat DC…….but lose to the Cubs in the NLCS. I come from an era where BA meant something. And defense was prized. Grandal has a good OBP, and yes, he frames pitches very well, but he cannot block balls in the dirt worth beans, and his .228 BA is pitiful…..360 ABs works out to 89 hits…….that’s pretty weak in my world…..yeah he hit 27 dingers….but he struck out 116 times…….almost 1/3 of his AB’s were totally unproductive……that is pitiful
Lots of goings-in baseball:
Dave Stewart and Chip Hale were fired by the D-Bags.
Barry Bonds and Lenny Harris were let go from Don Mattingly’s staff. (I wouldn’t mind seeing Lenny back in Blue).
Walt Weiss is out in Colorado.
Robin Ventura out, Rick Renteria is in as White Sox manager.
The Twins hired 33 year-old Derek Falvey to oversee baseball operations.
The times, they are a changing!
Rams on pace for 12 wins. Yeah, that’ll happen.
Hale and Stewart no surprise. They just didn’t work. La Russa must not carry the burden of fault.
So, no predictions? I picked the Cubs and Toronto early. Not so sure about that now. I’ll take Bal’more and New York in the Wild Card.
Badger
On the MLB show they said that LaRussa will have a new position.
Has the Ram’s offense got better, since there first game?
My brother assured me it did.
I just hope the Mets beat the Giants, are it is going to be a bad post season for a while.
On the MLB Channel they are already not giving the Dodgers any respect.
They went through all the post season teams, and did a run down on what it would take from each team, to win against the other teams pitchers.
But when it came to the Dodgers, they just gave the way the Nationals could attack Kershaw, but nothing on how the Dodgers could attack Scherzer.
And of course the Giants are the it team.
But let’s hope that the Giants confidence in hitting McCarthy will mislead the Giants, and they won’t be able to hit Snyderguard.
And the Mets will have there best throwing catcher playing, to stop the Giants from running on Synderguard.
Moot point….they can beat the Mets…..but they are no match for the Cubbies
MJ – from what I’ve seen the Rams offensive line is a problem. If they can’t spring Gurley past the LOS, Keenum will have trouble in the passing game.
The SF starting pitching is statistically better than ours. Of course, if one were to base opinion on one’s own opinion, the Dodgers pitching is better than anyone’s. The playoffs are indeed a crapshoot. If the first half giants show up – look out. Last I looked, Dodgers are 10/1, giants 18/1. Vegas doesn’t believe the first half giants are playing. Most the betting lines have the Red Sox and the Cubs. Of course, they are the two best teams in the playoffs. As we know, the best teams don’t win the Championship, the hottest teams do.
FiveThirtyEight has the midgets at 3%, Dodgers at 15%. We are still at 52% to beat the Nats.
I too am still going with the best teams in the tournament- Sox and Cubs.
I’m changing my Wild Card picks. Jays and Mets.
Badger
The Red Sox lost almost the same amount of games as the Dodgers did, in there last six or seven games.
Boston-Chicago world series……that’s my pick. Dodgers get past DC, but lose to Cubs.
I’m friends with Tony Jackson and he wrote this on Facebook. I’ll take the liberty of sharing because it’s just Tony and it’s just Vin:
If you’ll pardon the shameless name-dropping, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on the occasion of this man’s final broadcast today after an inconceivable 67 years as the voice of the Dodgers. As a baseball fan growing up, I was aware that he was generally considered the greatest baseball broadcaster of all-time.
It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to accept a job as Dodgers beat writer for the Daily News, that I discovered just what a larger-than-life figure he was for the fans there. The best part, though, was that I had the opportunity to not only meet him, but to get to know him and spend a lot of time around him, sometimes even one-on-one. And the best thing I can say about him is that he is the same guy in person that he is on the air, warm, engaging, charismatic and elegant. No matter what kind of day I was having at work, it was always made instantly better when I would pass him in a hallway, see that trademark smile and hear him say, “Hi, Tone, how are ya, pal?”
I don’t claim to know him well, but I know him well enough to know he was probably not all that comfortable with all the pomp and circumstance that accompanied his retirement — something the team built much of its marketing campaign around this entire season — and he’s probably relieved that it’s finally over. But I am grateful for the opportunity to have known him. Because there will never be another one like him.
Congratulations on an amazing career, and best of luck in retirement.
These might be in works:
http://www.LAramTalk.com
http://www.LAlakerTalk.com
http://www.LAdodgerTalk.com
Good for you good for us! Have fun with these.
Hi Mr. Timmons,
Can I get your email address. I would love to write for those sites.
Thanks
[email protected]
The Cubs games are on after our games, and I don’t that is right, since we might be the only team, in the West, unless the Giants win.
Our games, should be the last games, unless Washington and Chicago have diferent time zones.
Time zone……Dodgers are playing on the east coast………Cubs in the mid west……you play our game after theirs and it would be on too late for their fans to watch it…
Thanks Michael
I wasn’t sure of those time zones.
Surgery for Liberatore. Pick someone else for the playoff roster!
Libertore was a big part of our team in the first half of the season, I hope he isn’t injured to badly, because he gave his all, when he was healthy.
Vinny had a good run, 67 years. But, to some he is just a short-timer.
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/17671554/phil-coyne-pittsburgh-98-year-old-usher
Very Cool. I like stories like that!
Badger and Michael Norris have been placed in communication. Any other board members who want to communicate offline please register at relay1#snakebite.com and I will put you in offline communication with other board members.
I can make it easier than that. I use gmail and if anybody who can put 2 + 2 together they can reach me at frednaz
What’s with this private email stuff? A bit touchy, aren’t we? Now we need wikileaks to find out what’s going on. GIANTS LOSE. This will be Robert’s biggest test yet, and he has had some big ones. GIANTS LOSE. Too bad about Liberatore, but he stunk the last part of the season. I guess we know why. If it’s TJ, he can’t be back next year, can he? Must not be TJ. Reminds me of Paco. Never to be heard from again.GIANTS LOSE. I guess Kershaw still can’t field his position like he used to, so the back is still an issue.GIANTS LOSE. I was thinking of the remaining teams that are proven tournament teams. There are only 2: giants and Red Sox. That’s my bet of the World Series. GIANTS LOSE.
It’s so they can try to make my ears burn
Wrong Mark. It is simply a way to communicate privately and exchange fun idea’s between people who have connected on here. To think that YOU, rather than the Dodgers would be the main topic of discussion is a wee bit conceited. I personally have no desire to make anyone’s ears burn…