If you looked at the Dodger’s lineup before their game against the Dbacks on Tuesday evening and grimaced then you are probably not alone. When I saw the lineup I did the same. I actually had to slap myself and douse my face with water to ensure I was awake. The lineup resembled one you would see from the Oklahoma City Dodgers. It was a little, ummm whacky.
The lineup had Enrique Hernandez batting lead-off again, Austin Barnes at second base and Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Joc Pederson on the bench. Will Smith batted fifth and did the catching, and Chris Taylor batted cleanup. Despite the unorthodox lineup card, the Dodgers were able to defeat the dbacks 3-2 and even their three game series.
I originally thought that the Dodgers would be lucky to score one run let alone three. Hernandez smacked a lead-off homer, and the Dodgers added two more runs on run scoring doubles from Taylor and Justin Turner. It was just enough to get the win. Tradition be damned.
If these weird lineups bother you, and I don’t blame you if they do, I’m sorry to say that you’re probably going to have to get used to it. The Dodgers now 55-26 have the best record in baseball and a 13 game lead in the National League West. That means they’re playing with house money. They’re so far ahead that they can experiment with strange lineup configurations and constant platooning. Experiment they will.
The Dodgers love multi-positional players. We all know the deep versatile Dodgers love moving guys around the diamond. I guess the game is evolving that way anyways. Dodger’s president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman loves this the most.
Friedman loves the idea of the Dodgers winning with the oddest lineup. If the Dodgers can win multiple baseball games with a lineup consisting entirely of journeyman, utility players and reclamation projects then he looks smarter than any other baseball executive in the game. In addition all of the twitters can crown him a baseball genius.
I jest naturally, but let’s not get too upset about these weird Dodger lineups. At the same time the Dodgers don’t need to go as far as they want to, or as far as Friedman’s fantasies. Logic should always have weight. It’s never ok to punt away a game. But remember until these games start meaning anything and until Corey Seager and A.J. Pollock return from the injured list, expect a lot of bizarre lineups and crazy platoons. It will definitely irritate you. With Tony Gonsolin making his MLB debut in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon, don’t be surprised when Austin Barnes is batting third. Hernandez will bat lead-off again and Russell Martin can bat second and play third base. Joe Kelly can bat cleanup and Yimi Garcia can play short with Matt Beaty pitching out of the bullpen and….alright, I’ll just shut up.
Turner actually hit a game tying homer, then Verdugo and Taylor hit doubles. The rookies were ofer the night and had 2 walks and 5 K’s amongst them. Muncy and Kike combined for a huge base running blunder that probably cost them an insurance run. But the bullpen was nails and Jansen was on the beam and throwing bullets in the 9th. Only hiccup was the single by Ahmed. The Dodgers traded his brother Mike away earlier this year. Barnes did not have a good night at the dish, but he did make a couple of sparkling defensive plays at second. Look for another weird line up tomorrow as it looks like Martin is going to start the game at 3rd base.
Dodgers squeak out another win at the half-way point of the season. Who could ever imagine they would already have 55 wins, with all the lineup changes, injuries, bullpen atrocities, and blown scoring opportunities.
Dodgers struggled against another lefty, this time Robbie Ray, Dodgers choosing to sit Pederson, and rest Bellinger. The Rookies went “0-fer” while veteran “0-fers” Kiké (first pitch, leadoff HR) and CT3 (2-3, with RBI double) carry the team to victory…. “Who Knew?” JT added a HR against Ray, after getting plunked by Ray on his previous at-bat.
Basically a bullpen game, filling in for Rich Hill, and the pen answered the call…. “Who Knew?”
Offense made it a struggle, as they “again” blow many scoring opportunities, going 1-6 RISP, 6 LOB, 10 K’s….”We Knew!”
Scott is right, we have seen many different line-ups, and will no doubt see more of this in the second half. With Pollock and Seager returning and trade deadline looming, there will by many roster moves…sort of a “Who’s on First?” Comedy routine. The Rookies will be racking up many frequent flyer miles, earning a nice vacation flight to Hawaii in the offseason…. hope they don’t go to the Dominican and drink that deadly bathtub liquor.
Rookie pitcher Gonsolin gets the ball tonight, Good Luck, and Go Blue
The Dodgers have used crazy lineups from the time Friedman appeared. I guess he does not care what the fans want. He just wants to tinker. Last night’s lineup was a lineup that really was not necessary. Many of the players will return to the minors when Pollack and Seager return. Many will never play the positions they were assigned in these crazy lineups and one thing is sure, Scott is right, it pisses off many fans and I am one of them. I think he is only concerned about his ego but I wish he was gone and he can take Dummy with him. I despise the both of them.
You are right package, I too, am one of those baseball purists who are frustrated with these Ouija Board Lineups. But as long as it has racked up 55 wins at mid-season, Friedman will continue to do so, and we can cry all we want.
As far as I’m concerned, baseball takes consistency. In order to maintain consistency, both offensively and defensively, you need a stable lineup, and stable defensive alignment.
This type of “roll the dice” baseball is somewhat working now, but at some point or another, it will fail, and “crap out”. I just hope at season’s end, you and I are not saying, “We told you so!”
Blue
I think the thing that gets me is that all these crazy lineups do not create exciting Dodger baseball. The lineup last night only featured 2 of the better players in Turner and Verdugo while the rest were not so exciting in my opinion. I guess I do not have faith in the new ones yet or some of the inconsistant veteran players. Plus the order in which they appear does not excite. Anyway, guess it is just me but I do not care for this type of Dodger baseball.
I have said many times, that this current bullpen configuraton is going to kill us in the playoffs, thus it is time to do some “crazy lineups and use of players” with the pen. You all have mentioned, we have a huge lead, time to experiment, the most glaring neeed to figure players out is in our bullpen, which by the way has blown 15 leads so far this year (if that continues we will blow 30 leads in a 162 game season). The Dodgers are setting themselves up for major disappointment again this post season.
Did anyone else see the report that mentioned the Dodgers talking to the Giants about trading for up to two Giants relievers?
The only amusing thing about that True Blue, would be the possibility of a Will Smith-Will Smith battery.
I would not appreciate the idea of a couple of pesty, hated Gnats, hopping on the Dodger Bandwagon. A bunch of losers riding the coattails of the Blue Crew to the playoffs.
Would not put it past Friedman working out a deal with his buddy Farhan…. FZ stealing a few Dodger prospects in the process, while AF gets a couple of band-aid relievers for the 2019 season.
They know Kike is horrible as a leadoff hitter and yet they still stick him there. It paid off for exactly one at bat. Kike is doing the same thing he did 2 years ago. Trying to hit home runs instead of taking the ball where it is pitched. He is a superior defender, which in my mind is the only reason this guy is still on the roster. He has 12 homers, 6 from each side, but he is hitting under .200 against RHP. Taylor has actually done well as a cleanup hitter. Small sample, but he has 3 doubles and 6 hits in 9 at bats from the cleanup role. Look for another weird lineup today. Belli and Muncy will no doubt be back in the starting lineup against a rookie in a day game, but Turner is going to sit and it looks like Russell Martin is going to play 3rd. I have not read that the Dodgers and Giants were talking about any deals, but I did read a story that said they were not adverse to making a deal for the first time in many years. Problem for me with doing that is Farhan knows the Dodger system better than any other GM in baseball. He has a very desirable commodity, and any chance to weaken the Dodgers by fleecing them of a few prime prospects for a rental, Smith, and maybe a throw in like Watson or Dyson, is just something I would not do. There are other good options out there that do not include dealing with the Gnats. I say just let them rot in their mediocrity and deal with some other team. Pack I know you understand that Roberts is not just making these lineups out on his own. He is getting guidance and info from above. That’s the way AF rolls.
Just out, today’s lineup:
Pedersen, 1B
Verdugo, SS
Taylor, C
Bellinger, 3B
Turner, LF
Baez, RF
Kinke, P
Muncy, CF
Kershaw, 2B
Thank God things are sensible and back to normal
LOL, True Blue but one cannot honestly put it past them to do something similar anyway.
Smith sent down and Lux and May promoted up to AAA.
On oft-repeated note out there that the Dodgers are interested in Felipe Vazquez.
5 straight lefty’s against the rookie the D-Backs are throwing today. Dodger lineup looks a lot stronger than the one the D-Backs are running out there. Lamb at first base instead of Walker. Locastro is hitting second with Dyson leading off. Looks like they hope the rabbits will un nerve the kid if they get on. Smith back to AAA. Have to wonder how long they will keep Gonsolin up here. I look for him to be back in AAA by next week. I would much rather see AF trade for someone like Vazquez who is under control for a few more years than go to the garbage bin and get a rental like Smith, who would still cost a few prime prospects. At least trading for Vazquez would give you some quality time out of the player…I hate rentals. They rarely work out….see Machado and Darvish, Granderson, Reddick and the beat goes on.,
Well that got ugly fast…welcome to the majors Mr. Gonsolin and enjoy the trip back to OKC tonight….
They called Amtrak and told them to hold the train. Poor guy. Offense and defense failed him….” who knew?”
Wait a minute…. he got his first hit! Dodgers could use him off the bench! Quick bat!
Is that Kate Gonsolin? lol. New TV series, “Kate lost it out of the Gate”
Not much help from offense (or defense… 2 errors, 2 unearned runs). 6+ ERA Rockie rookie stymies the Dodger bats. At least Gonsolin was able to get a solid hit and also hard out. Swings a better bat then the big club.
… Did not take long for Bullpen to make it a blowout.?
Leave Martin in the pen, for christ’s sake! Call back Will Smith! … did his train leave yet?
Rookie Gonsolin did not get a fair shake. 2 unearned runs due to shabby defense. No run support from a lame Dodger offense. At least Gonsolin got a solid single and solid contact out. Swings the bat better than the big boys. Another rookie pitcher, this time a rookie D-back, 6+ERA pitcher, stymies the Dodger Bats.
Sad Bullpen cannot stop the bleeding. DR throws in the towel and lets Russell Martin mop up. Heck leave Martin in the pen, for Christ’s Sake…. he does better than the regular bullpen chuckers. Recall Will Smith before his train leaves to OKC.
What a sad performance. Not what you would expect from the best team in the Majors. They better snap out of it… Rockies lickin’ their chops.
Weak, weak, weak!
Seriously, how in the hell does this team lead all of the MLB? Either hot or freezing cold production. This just wont get it done in the post season. I just can’t see this team winning the WS as long as the current mentality in the FO exists, built to win fights but not win the war.
Spot on!
Rockies are a better team at home than on the road, but that pitching staff is still suspect. The Dodgers are 12 games up on the Rocks, and the Coors field effect will benefit them as much as it does the Rockies. Dodgers swept the Rocks there last year as the season was winding down. A split is ok, they still would have a double digit lead. 3 of 4 is great, a sweep puts the Rocks in a very bad spot. They could lose 3 of 4 and still hold a double digit lead. What irks me is that Roberts treated today’s game like a throw away, and the team played like the game had no importance. Do not get cocky, it can come back and bite you. Remember in 2017 they had a 20 game lead and then lost 11 in a row and 16 out of 20. They still won the division, but complacency can be a very bad thing.
Michael
He has done this many times. remember the time he gave a game away to let Kike pitch. Who would wonder why I call him dummy? A team should approach every game with a huge will to win. If the Dodgers had won the game with Kike pitching the Dodgers would not have had to play the Rocks in a playoff game. Enough said.
Bad enough that every day is another crazy lineup, but these “throw away games” are really unacceptable. Fans pay good money to see these games, they should not be subjected to a spring training lineup. Like going to a Broadway play, and finding out that the cast is full of understudies. To top it off, it is asinine to play “throw away games” against your division contenders. This type of management only slaps your rivals in the face, by not putting up your best players, and setting yourself up for a humiliating loss. Uninspiring play can only fuel the opposition, and the Dodgers will be looking back to these loses in September, when the lead has shrunk to none, and the rivals overtake them in the end.
Every game should be taken seriously, and players should always go onto the field with only one thing on their minds… “WIN”
Hell, shake things up, start giving Martin some innings in relief, he cant do any worse than what we have been seeing from the PPP. Don’t forget GasKanley was a catcher before being put in the pen. Is is a perfect solution? No, but maybe Martin will surprise or at least light a fire under some other terrorists in the current pen configuration, fear can be a great motivator. Bring Smith back up, relieve Martin of catching duties and give him a Honeycutt crash course. Send one of the bullpen terrorists down or release outright, there are plenty of choices to choose from. To stand pat with the current bullpen is a total waste and won’t get it done if your goal is to win a WS. Some think just getting to the post season is a great achievement and maybe it is if you hadn’t made it for a while, but to repeat the same stone cold results in the WS is a failure, period! (see Atlanta Braves)
Just so you guys know, according to the rules, Smith cannot be recalled for 10 days unless he is replacing an injured player. So it is being reported this AM that Rios will be called up and Gonsolin sent to OKC. The offense from the catchers this year is pretty close to what everyone has expected. I think the FO is fine with that because both are very good defensive guys and both call a good game. Occasionally they provide some offense. With the lead they have, I am pretty sure no major roster changes with the offense are going to occur. They expect both Pollock and Seager back around the 12th when the second half begins in Boston. That alone improves the offense if both are healthy and ready to go. The bullpen issues will no doubt need to be addressed by trades since there are no real options in the minors who are pitching all that great.
michael, if that’s the case with Rios being called up, it’s just that we are bringing up YET another LH batter. Memo to the FO and Roberts….There is a right hand hitter’s box around home plate as well and IMHO the lack of any real impact RH bat will haunt Dodgers in the PS. although CT 3 and Kike can hit with a little power, they are not impact hitters from the right side. Turner is a great # 3 hitter but in fairness, he cannot be expected to hit 25+ HR’s or drive in 90+ runs anymore. For the first time in many years, we most likely won’t have a single RH hitter to hit 20 HR’s this year.
When is the new “drop dead” trade deadline date?
Like I said (or as Badger would say, “As you all know, I have stated previously…”) the Dodgers are talking privately with the Giants for a reliever and maybe two. The Giants are “hold your nose” hideous but actually the bullpen is their one bright spot, so there is some talent in there. The Great Zandini went to the Giants, he is closely tied to the Dodgers FO so it stands to reason that something may really be in the works. Stand by
I love it, “as you all know..”
trade deadline is July 31
Ok I think I am getting back on the Chris Taylor band wagon now. Good piece of hitting to retake the lead in the 9th. Not sold on Kike however despite the big HR.
Another Wild Coors Field Game!
Got a buck for some gas?
Buehler got a taste of the thin air in Denver. Thankfully, so did the Rockies pitchers. Dodgers put on a HR Derby… 6 HR’s, two by Muncy, and a big PH 3-run shot by Kiké, which provided some insurance runs for Jansen.
Boy, Jansen makes me nervous. Almost blew the game. This is not going to get it done in October. Kenley has to clean up his act. The whole bullpen is a shambles, not just Jansen.
Bend but don’t break. That’s the modern bullpen.
Problem is our bullpen has broken more than most other contenders. We need better (in Vin Scully’s voice) “fertilizers”.
I think it is a mandatory action item in all bullpen contracts: “You will not record an out on the first batter you face in any given game.”
“As you all know” I have stated numerous times that this bullpen will not allow for a WS title. Get busy FO, you have a month to trade for some bullpen help.
I think Kenley was trying to create a save situation, of “saving himself” to pad his save record. Nice try Jansen, but that MLB don’t play that!
Really not much to say.
The team is much better than I anticipated, very balanced, the minors seemingly loaded.
I don’t think anyone feels otherwise that this team will get another reliever.
Then we can just hope the World Series breaks right.
The Puig Wood trade is looking better and better.
I was really pissed when they traded Puig. After all he went through to get to the MLB from Cuba, and all the money wasted by the Dodgers in the process, it all seems a moot point with USA-Cuba relations now changed. He was a player with great ability, and I was hoping that Dodgers would get the psychological help he needed to get his head screwed on straight. Once the trade was made, it opened my eyes to who the real Puig was. He definitely dances to his on beat, and has proved to be one of God’s boo-boos. Puig was gifted with remarkable talents, and unfortunately they were wasted.
As far as Wood, I thought the Dodgers could have gotten something in return, rather than just thrown away as he was.
Both Wood and Puig are not missed. Kemp was not given a far shot. I would have kept Farmer, rather than picking up Martin.
That being said,, the bullpen will be the Dodgers’ dagger in the back, come playoff time, if they don’t do something soon. Only halfway decent pen-pal is Baez. Kenley is not the post-season closer they can count on…. anyone got a buck or two for some gas? Kenley’s gas-can is empty. He cannot even take advantage of a four run cushion, without a bit of drama. I thought I saw everything…. Was that an “intentional wild pitch”? Seems Kenley is borrowing Mr. Felix the Cat’s magical “bag of tricks”!
I think GasKanley is far from carrying an empty gas can, I think it is full and often explodes in many of his appearances. Here’s deal, GasKanley does not throw to any spot that the catcher puts up. He simply does not control the strike zone, if the catcher calls for up and in, GasKanley delivers a pitch low and away, or actually most of his pitchers are center cut over the plate. “As you know” I think our pen is roadkill in the post season. the offense will have to put of huge numbers in every game and hand a 5 run lead to the bullpen each game in order to come out on top. Just watch, if something really fresh isn’t done soon, this bullpen will make it impossible to capture a championship (As you know, I have always said that).
A few will always be satisfied with just good enough rather than great(we went to the WS 10 years in a row but never a ring) then their are others that say the only measure is winning championships, everything else is just second place at best. As you know, I fall into the latter group.
The 2019 Kenley Jansen is the poster child of why “saves” is such a bad stat.
Every pitcher has a game where everything you throw up there seems to look like a cookie to the hitters. Buehler had his last night. The offense bailed him out. The fact is, when they are all hitting this is a very potent offense, except for the catchers spot right now. Barnes went 0-5 with a strikeout and left 5 runners on base. He never hit the ball hard once. As good a catcher as he is, his hitting right now is a huge hole in the order. Since he usually hits 8th, with the pitcher behind him, it is like giving away 2 at bats. What is amazing is that in all that offense the Rocks put up there, they only hit 1 homer. Not their usual offensive output at Coors.
Dodgers start off the wild game Friday night, sending 9 batters to the plate, and only could muster 3 runs, all were unearned. Rockies answer back with a 2-run shot by Arenado. Dodgers add two more by a two-run HR by Verdugo in the 4th. Dodgers lead 5-2.
Not to be outdone, Rockies pound Ryu for five runs in the 5th, starting with a two run homer by a .073 Valaika, forcing Dodgers to bring in Kelly without adequate time to warm up. Not that it really makes any difference. Kelly is like using a band-aid to stop the bleeding, when they should be using sutures. With the help of shabby defense and 3 errors, the Rocks send 12 batters to the plate and tally a total of 8 runs in the 5th. Rocks lead 10-5
Muncy answers with a three-run 464 ft bomb in he 6th. Making it 10-8 Rocks.
… when the dust settled and lightning cleared, it was 13-9 Rockies.
Another pitiful performance by the offense. 4-11 RISP, 9 LOB, a rare meltdown by Ryu, Piss Poor Pen, and another lackluster defensive performance by the Ouija Board, “Who’s on First?” infield. Your defense cannot afford to give runs away in Colorado. Pitchers have enough problems as it is.
Can’t wait to get out of Denver.
Well, another disappointing outcome to a division contender. Three problems that have plagued the Dodgers game after frickin’ game….
Pitcher falls victim to the long ball, and surrenders early lead.
Defense makes little league mistakes.
Offense fails to produce.
Although Kershaw looked good at times, he again gives up a 2-run dinger early on in the contest.
The “Who’s on First?” Defense put on a Keystone Cops performance, with a critical error by Muncy on a routine grounder, right into the shift, that opened up the floodgates for a disastrous 6th inning.
The offense flopping like a fish out of water, again squandering too many scoring opportunities. 2-11 RISP, 8 LOB, 13 K’s.
So the saga continues. Splashes of glory, but many lapses in pitching, offense, and defense, that are not trademarks of a World Series caliber team. Still hard to believe this is the team with the best record in baseball. Feast or Famine…. this team has no consistency.
The constant shuffling of the defensive alignment, the lineup elevator, unpredictable starting pitching , and predicable bullpen will be their demise in September and October.
Here I go again, sounding like a broken record. Sorry Dodger Fans.
No consistency? What?
Sorry Bluto, they are consistent…. consistently bad.???
Lol
Just out of curiousity, if:
The best record in MLB is performing at a consistently bad level.
What would….
The Red Sox at 4 games over .500 team be?
The Angels, a .500 team be?
Or, just for shits and giggles, what would the Reds be?
Boston and Angels are in a tough AL. Boston will be a tough series. I doubt if the Dodgers can match up. Angels spanked the Dodgers in two games so far. Reds?….are you on drugs? Dodgers cannot even beat the Reds, losing 5 out of 6. (LOL)
Dodgers are in the weaker NL, and a even weaker NL West. That being said, it is either feast or famine. They pile on the runs and win a few blowouts, but more often than not, they barely win by he skin of their teeth, or lose outright. Blowing leads, or wasting scoring opportunities.
Today, they escape the thin air of Colorado with a split. “If” they were consistently good, then they would have beaten AZ and COL, thumbs down. Why was Maeda pulled after 4.1? DR playing the matchup crap again, Blackmon is a switch hitter, he had little to gain by bringing in Rosscup…. and it backfired. Maeda robbed of complete innings, and also robbed of a win.
Dodgers have no All-Star reserves. If they were consistently good, they would have more than one position player on the squad. Kershaw not having a great year, but still earned a “token” spot on the NL pitching staff.
Oh well. It is not the end of the world, but it might be another, “Close, but no Cigar” season.
Even you have Gotta admit that’s some pathetic reasoning. It doesn’t even make sense.
I was hoping for better.
Having to see all teams represented and there are only so many roster spots might have something to do with this.
Your arguments was a bit out in left field. Kind of pointless analogies.
Why do I waste my time
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/tu-quoque
Folks, this from Bluefan4Life has merit:
“So the saga continues. Splashes of glory, but many lapses in pitching, offense, and defense, that are not trademarks of a World Series caliber team” Along with the daily lineup and position shuffle, it is working in the regular season as these teams are not the elite ones with superior pitching the Dodgers will face in the PS and WS.
In case you haven’t heard…..
Today is Bobby Bonilla Day in NY! Celebrated every year in NY.
Every July 1st, Bonilla gets $1.2M from the Mets, as part of his deferred payments. Payments will continue through to 2039! The Mets had invested monies with Bernie Madoff to cover these payments, and we all know what happened with Madoff. So, the Mets ate the investment, and are on the hook for the remainder of the deferred payments. Owners did this to circumvent the MLB salary cap.
Just goes to show you why baseball salaries are in outer space, and nobody but the fans are stuck with the bill. The owners are stupid, but they don’t care. They just keep raising the prices to attend a game. NBA is just as bad. The players do not care about the fans, they only care about their wallets.
When will the fans wise up and see they are being taken to the bank. Money has destroyed the game of baseball, as well as basketball.
This isn’t accurate.
The Wilpon’s started investing with Madoff in the 1980s, Bonilla wasn’t signed until 1991, I think. Correlation, not causation.
The Wilpons invested their OWN money into the Madoff enterprise, not the team’s. Further, the Wilpons’ issue was that they leveraged the money with Madoff, not that they simply lost money.
MLB doesn’t have a salary cap, they do have a luxury tax. However….
Bonilla was signed well before the luxury tax threshold was implemented via CBA.
The owners are decidedly NOT stupid, they have negotiated the salary cap that guarantees them profits.
“After his subpar 1999 season, the Mets released Bonilla, but still owed him $5.9 million. Bonilla and his agent offered the Mets a deal: Bonilla would defer payment for a decade, and the Mets would pay him an annual paycheck of $1.19 million starting in 2011 and ending in 2035, adding up to a total payout of $29.8 million. Mets owner Fred Wilpon accepted the deal mostly because he was heavily invested with Ponzi scheme operator Bernie Madoff, and the 10 percent returns he thought he was getting on his investments with Madoff outweighed the eight percent interest the Mets would be paying on Bonilla’s initial $5.9 million. As a result, the payout was a subject of inquiry during the Madoff investment scandal investigation when it came to light in 2008.”
-Wikipedia: Bobby Bonilla-
What the Mets lost in the Bonilla deal, was pocket change, compared to the millions they made in the ponzi scheme, which the Mets’ owner did not have to pay back to the ripped off Madoff investors.
YES!
Well stated and inarguable.
I’m glad to be smarter, and sorry to have been wrong.
No problem Bruno. The worse part of it all is That the Mets owner made approx $120M+, with Madoff, and was only fined about $29M (pocket change]. Mets’ owner was able to keep the $120M+ of dirty money, because Madoff claimed that Wilpons knew nothing about the ponzi scheme… yeah, right. If you believe that, then you are extremely gullible. In the mean time other blind investors were out of luck, and lost everything. Like they say, the rich get richer (with crooked lawyers), while dumb investors took a gamble and lost just about everything (homes, savings, retirement funds). Morel of the story is, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t”., unless you are filthy rich and can get away with it.