No sooner did the Astros finish off the Yankees in the ALCS, then old friend (?) Josh Reddick decided to shoot off his mouth and declare war on the Dodger Blue faithful. You remember Josh Reddick, right? I used to refer to him here as “Ol’ Smoke n’ Mirrors”, because I couldn’t figure out why the Dodgers kept inserting this guy’s swiss cheese bat into the lineup night after 0 for 4 night. He sure had somebody fooled.
The Dodgers went ahead and did the same kind of thing with Curtis Granderson this year. It’s no surprise that the only game the Dodgers lost to the Cubs in the NLCS was the one Granderson played in. I suppose every year we’ll have a player who gets the “Reddick treatment”. you know, a player who holds a spot in the lineup no matter how poorly he’s playing. Which brings me back to Mr. Reddick.
Good ol’ Joshy came to the Dodgers from the Oakland Athletics, as part of the Rich Hill trade. At the time, the Dodgers weren’t exactly in love with Yasiel Puig, and they plopped Reddick out in right field and batted him in the clean up spot. Aside from an occasional hit, which was enough to fool the Dodgers brass, he was anemic batting fourth. Here’s an article I wrote last season, pleading the Dodgers to drop Reddick down in the batting order. The man was costing the Dodgers nightly, and he sure as heck wasn’t fooling me.
I wasn’t the only one who noticed Reddick’s weaknesses in the game of baseball. All you needed was a ticket or a lucky TV that actually broadcast Dodgers games to see the truth with your very own Dodger blue tinted eyes. The man was a lineup liability, a baseball bust, a traded traitor to our team – and plenty of us saw right through the Reddick charade.
Of course Reddick heard boos from the stands at Chavez Ravine. What did he expect when he regularly failed at the basic task of rapping out a base hit? Did he expect kudos for making a ridiculous miss in the outfield long before Jason Werth made it fashionable? He thinks we booed him because he “didn’t fit in”. There is a bit of truth to that. Anybody who dons a stars and stripes speedo wouldn’t fit in to any gathering that I want to be a part of.
Suffice it to say, Dodger fans were glad to see Joshy run off to Houston. There he pulled off his old smoke and mirror tricks and convinced the Astros that he’s a bona fide, real deal, hitter.
Then the ALCS happened and Reddick slipped back into the sloth at the plate we in LA know him to be. He entered Game 7 with an ALCS record for batting failure of 0 for 21. The Astros batted him ninth (which is where he should have batted in LA). His slash line for the series (going into Game 7) was an abysmal .000/.045/.000/.045. Lots of folks say the Dodgers fan base isn’t very baseball savvy, but I’ll tell you this much, we sure know an automatic out when we see one.
After tonight’s Game 7, feeling all puffed up from everyone else – except him – beating the Yankees, he tossed these gems at the fans in Los Angeles…
Josh Reddick said he wanted to play the Dodgers in the World Series because of the way fans treated him in his two months there last season. pic.twitter.com/FplDH3odBm
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) October 22, 2017
“Personally, I wouldn’t rather do it against any other team. I wasn’t really a fan favorite there. I got booed a lot as a home player. I didn’t really fit in, it seems like they thought…Nothing against that team, that organization. But the fan base, I think it’d be more personal for me to win.” – Josh Reddick
The man wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve got news for you, Whiffer (this is my new name for Reddick – Whiffer.) We LA fans love it as well. We’re very happy your dead zone bat is coming to town. We’ll lay out a blue carpet leading to your personal twilight zone – home plate.
Do you remember how it felt to strike out and hit weak grounders at Dodger Stadium? Those days are coming back again. I can’t wait to hear the familiar Reddick sounds of “Whiff!”, “Strike three!”, and “Reddick bounces into another double play.” Hooray for nostalgia!
The good news, Whiffer, is you won’t have to hear too many more boos from the Dodger faithful. After you catch some richly-deserved initial boos for your statements against the Dodgers faithful, you’ll be constantly serenaded through the rest of the series by Beethoven’s Fifth and plenty of cheers from the stands.
One more thing, Whiffer. Just between you and me – go ahead and leave those ridiculous, non-flag-respecting skivvies of yours back in Texas. They’ve had their last champagne shower.
Oscar Martinez
I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.
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Talking smack before the Series even begins is not too smart. I hope Reddick gets embarrassed by a Kershaw curve ball and strikes out with runners in scoring position just like he did here. The guy deserved the boos, just like Gas Can Baez did. He was playing so poorly that no one could really get to like the guy. Lots of Astros fans on facebook talking trash too. This series is going to be hard fought for both teams. Who ever wins, Dodgers or Stros, is going to earn it.
It’s gonna be a dogfight.
Astro’s pen can be had. Get the pitch count high and go from there.
I hope Reddick plays defense in right field at Dodger Stadium, this year, much like he did, last year!
His bad defense, will probably help us, get a couple of easy runs.
And I don’t think we have to worry to much about Reddick getting on base against us, just look at his numbers, in this last series!
But if he does manage to get on base, he won’t be there to long, because one of our pitchers, will probably be picking him off, since he seems to fold, under any little pressure!
I think the only reason Reddick was able to put up some good offensive numbers this year, is because he is very familiar with the pitchers, in the American League West!
He was also in a line up, with a lot of really good hitters, so he got pretty good pitches to hit!
The Astros will soon regret, giving Reddick that multi year contract!
Mark any Dodger fan’s, good words!
And if Reddick couldn’t handle the way that Dodger fans reacted to his terrible play last year, he will regret every word he said after last night’s game, about Dodger fans, on Tuesday, trust me!
Food for thought:
Reddick’s 2017 slash line was .314/.363/.484.
He had a fine season. That what was FAZ was hoping he could do for us. Obviously he didn’t but he is a good player. I saw last night he was 1-21 in the series, which is horrible. But he is a good player. I could care less what he says, but he is a very good player on a very, very good Houston team.
Should be fun!
I don’t have any ill will towards Reddick. The Dodgers got him to provide some maturity and stability at right field because Puig wasn’t. He just didn’t perform. It doesn’t mean it was a dumb move or that he’s a bad human being. …. He just didn’t perform.
I think he’s more comfortable in the American League and has more experience with those pitchers, and the playoffs might indicate he has trouble in high pressure environments. I think the Dodgers pitching staff can continue to neutralize him.
Houston scares me. They were the superior to the Dodgers in offense, and Verlander was the best pitcher in baseball after Houston acquired him. I hope Seager’s back isn’t serious, but the rumblings I’ve heard don’t look good.
Houston had a good relief core during the season, but it’s shown itself to be vulnerable during the postseason, while the Dodger’s relief has solidified and the roles and the overall plan are in place and have worked flawlessly so far. Starting pitching has the advantage going to Houston. The same game plan should apply to Houston as it did to the Cubs. Be patient and drive up pitch counts on the starters and then pounce on the relievers.
Don’t know what magic the Houston FO and their manager Hinch conjure up to make Reddick a good player this year. He was terrible last year and still looked bad to me in the ALCS.
YF
I agree!
He only had one season, that is comparable to the season he had this year, and that was in 2012.
And he is age 31 now, so I see this season as an outlier season, for sure!
Puig is a much better player, on both offense, and defense
Puig is a better player right now, but he wasn’t last August when he was demoted to AAA. At that time, Reddick was hitting well was a consistent if unspectacular glove. He was brought in to provide some offense and maturity heading into the playoffs. It wasn’t a bad move. It just didn’t pan out.
He was terrible when he came over to the Dodgers, but was actually having a good year with the As. IDK….what did Houston do to Verlander to make him invincible? What did the Dbacks do to JD Martinez to turn him into an offensive juggernaut?
Those things go in reverse, too. Reddick was a solid player for the As, just as he’s been a solid player for Houston. He just flopped when he came to LA. There’s really no blame to assign.
Like MJ said, Reddick only had one good year before we got him. Comparing Verlander who’s a first ballot hall of famer to Reddick is not persuasive. But actually we known one reason why he improved – there are several articles reporting that after he got to the Astros, he said there was a lot more data available to him and he made use of it. Imagine what Verlander could do at with the data we have and pitching at a pitchers park like Dodgers stadium.
Why is anyone even talking about the Reddick trade? …or Reddick?
Ancient history and no relevance to today.
Yesterday at Dodgers Stadium Merchandise Store, instead of the usual ten fans in there buying stuff, there was 300 fans in there. World Series Logos painted onto the grass looked beautiful too.
RedDICK won’t even be a factor unless you count his ineptness, then he will be a factor, but not a good one for the Houston. Hey, come to think of it, during this series he actually will contribute to the Dodgers winning for the first time in his career.
True
I like, and agree, with your last sentence, good point!
Did you personalize your shirt, with Ed Dinger?
That’s a genius thought, I totally whiffed!
True
You can always do it by mail!
Seager did a full workout with the team. He’s ready.
I think we keep Seager off the field as SS is a tricky position. So we need Son of Culber. Keep Seager as a PH for the first two games and a DH (wow) for the away games. I don’t think we need both of Joc and Granderson. Joc plays center so I think he’s got to be the guy for Game 2 against Verlander since Taylor will move to short. This means a Kike – Taylor – Puig outfield against Kueschel, and a Ethier – Joc – Puig outfield against Verlander.
However this also means we carry one less reliever. But our options are Baez/Avilan for that last spot. Do we really need them? Remember the last 2 games are all hands on deck anyways and Wood can soak up innings as a swing man in relief in Games 6-7 (if we go there) even if he starts Game 4.
So, for me, the WS roster is a no brainer. Activate Seager and drop Granderson. Keep everyone else the same as the NLCS. Go Dodgers!
YF
It depends on how well Seager feels, but I saw where Roberts said that Corey was starting in the first game, hitting second.
But since shortstop is such a defensive position, Corey better be able to play on defense, if Roberts intends to start him in the first game, like he said, so I do agree with you YF.
By the way, the SI writers picks are very interesting. I suggest you compare their picks before the postseason started vs their picks now. The difference is our bullpen.
https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/10/22/world-series-predictions-los-angeles-dodgers-houston-astros
Again, can 2 aces beat a K high straight?
Great FanGraphs article on the bullpen construction:
In the last three offseasons, 31 free-agent relievers have signed contracts of at least $10 million. Despite running the league’s highest payroll and possessing plenty of assets, the Dodgers are responsible for only one of them.
https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/how-the-dodgers-made-their-great-bullpen/
Thanks Bluto that was a great read. Though I think the article was a bit lazily done.
I think the first three paragraphs pretty much validated the non-Dodger fan bias about our FO and our roster. We were able to absorb $50 million in players not on the roster (and I think even more than that in wasted international and minor league depth signings and bonuses). Not many teams could do that. Dodgers fans downplay and forget this, and other fans complain and cry foul.
For me, the Dodgers have clearly been the better team in the playoffs than Houston. I’m not saying Houston is not a very decent team, but I think we should match up well and we are better in every major category, ie., Fielding, Pitching, Batting. Houston were hogtied by the Yankees. They couldn’t hit or score much, similar to the way we had Chicago on the ropes, but Houston is a better team than Chicago.
The main point I want to emphasize about our pitching is that it is dominant except for the giving up of HR’s. This is our Achilles heel. If they allow runners on the bases, sooner or later, the errant HR is going to get us. It is not a matter of if they hit HR’s, it’s when they do it. With no one on, it’s a lot easier to come back. Every Dodger starter is vulnerable to this. It is vital to keep runners off the bases. If we can do it, our bats should keep us ahead of the game. We’re hot and this team is hungry now. Destiny is on our side. We overcame an horrendous slide before the playoffs. I think they got it out of their systems.
Let’s go boys! Bring it on home.
I think this could go the distance. Houston has an all time great offense that went through a mini-slump. Their whole team has a WRC+ of 120. And they have a very low strikeout rate. And they hit lefties very well. So overall, it’s really hard to keep the Astros offense down because they are a contact oriented, non-three-outcomes lineup that’s perfectly suited for the postseason, and I feel our starters will have trouble and we may be down early in every game.
However we have home field and they have to figure out how to produce with their pitcher hitting at Dodgers Stadium. So I think if we grind this out, the longer the game goes, and the longer the series goes, we have a good chance at prevailing.
I am fine as long as Granderout is not on the roster. The guy is way worse than Reddick, and speaking of whom, did the poor little ball player have his feelings hurt by the mean and nasty Dodger fans who expected more than they got from your lame ass? Suck it up cup cake. You think that was bad, wait until you are introduced before the 1st game. They are going to crucify you for that big mouth of yours, so enjoy!
You don’t even want him as a backup catcher? In spite of the fact that he’s worked with the entire pitching staff for the last two years?
That’s just not rational.
This is case where your irrational dislike of a player for whatever reasons – maybe you just don’t like his face – lead to you wanting a team that would be demonstrably worse heading into the World Series against a strong opposing team.
You can make a rational case that Barnes should be starting, that’s fine, but to say Grandal shouldn’t even be on the roster? That’s just crazy talk.
Kyle Farmer instead of Grandal? ….*shaking my head*
Granderout is Granderson not Grandal……and believe me, not having that slug on the World Series roster is totally rational….unfortunately Grandal and Granderson both start Grand and do not finish that way……..
The reality about RedDICK and Dodgers isn’t really about RedDICK, it really is about Roberts, why the hell keep playing the loser? Roberts made us all shake our head about RedDICKson this season as well, why the hell keep playing the loser? I like Roberts in so many ways but he does have a chink in his armor, he doesn’t watch and learn too well. He pulled the same thing for a vast majority of the last two seasons with Grandull too. It’s like the evidence of Suck has to be so overwhelming that Roberts won’t pull the trigger on player decisions of this nature. Now, the question of RedDICK and getting what he deserves in the WS, he deserves to get booed mercilessly for running his mouth not for being a total bust last year.
EdDingerEDDingeredDingerEDDINGERedDINGEReDdingereDDinger (oh it’s working)
Another insightful and delightfully clever post by Ed Dingleberry, formerly known as Tru Poo Thru and Thru.
Statistically, Grandal has been one of the best catchers in baseball the last couple of years, particularly last year.
He hit a paltry .216 in August and .156 in September. That is not what the best catchers do.
Are we going to have a problem DP? I hope you aren’t looking for a fight
LOL
The FO traded for those guys to make the team better………supposedly. Roberts feels and obligation to keep playing the FO’s mistakes. Look how long it took the FO to figure out how out of place and really bad Chris Hatcher was. Grandal for all his power and framing skills finds his ass on the bench. Why? Inconsistency has finally caught up with the guy that most people I know have seen for years. He just does not make consistent contact. Oh yeah, he can get hot and seem like the next Johnny Bench for a couple of weeks, but then his old habits kick in and he is slumping again. Roberts said earlier in the year that Grandal needed to swing at strikes. When he did let the bad pitches go, he was a better hitter. Over the last 1 1/2 months of the season, he was nothing but a rusty gate swinging in the breeze. Note to Patch…….maybe he has, but the last 1 1/2 months that slug has been painful to watch. He has been swinging at balls he cannot hit, and his defense has not been all that either. He still is at the top of the league in passed balls. He has showed no power since July…..Sorry he really is Grandull.
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=c&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=400&type=8&season=2017&month=0&season1=2017&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0
“Note to Patch…….maybe he has, but the last 1 1/2 months that slug has been painful to watch. He has been swinging at balls he cannot hit, and his defense has not been all that either. He still is at the top of the league in passed balls. He has showed no power since July…..Sorry he really is Grandull.”
Ok. So, now, Austin Barnes is now getting more playing time and he’s delivered. Over the course of the year. and last year…Grandal was the team’s best catcher, but in the last month Barnes has proven himself and has gotten playing time. Sounds to me like Roberts has been pretty adaptable and is willing to reward merit. You have to give your veterans a little bit of the benefit of the doubt based on past performance, which means you allow them the chance to play out of slumps, but at some point a good manager has to be willing to recognize talent and the hot bat. Roberts has done exactly that.
I don’t know what all the complaining’s about, by you and Tru Poo. Roberts has made the right moves here.
Point taken, but I happen to like Barnes as the primary catcher. I cannot understand at all why Roberts keeps running Granderson out there since he has pretty much done nothing since the first week he was here. Grandal was good until the beginning of August. His slide coincided with the teams tank job in late August and September. My point is and always has been that the guys inconsistency is a problem. If he were to hit .260 with the power he has and be somewhat consistent, then no problem. I still think his game calling borders on dumb. And the passed balls are a problem. Especially with Kersh out there who loves to bury that back leg slider. I give a crap less about his pitch framing. He is what he is, a mediocre defender with some pop and little consistency. I saw him call 9 straight fastballs up in one at bat earlier in the year. The hitter kept fouling them off and finally on the last pitch drove it over the wall. I personally think he is over rated. But that’s me. I have never cared for him as a catcher and I probably never will. I think they could trade him and not miss a beat. You are the saber guy Patch, me, I do not believe all that fan graphs BS. Just a bunch of stats that mean very little to the every day fan.
Zactly, Michael. I don’t know why some have been so high on Grandull, he is so streaky, batting .350 for two weeks then batting below .200 for 6 weeks is no bueno. Sure it makes his batting average overall look decent but when you take a close look you realize he has been killing you for the six weeks that he sucked and killed as many rallies as he could possibly be involved in.
For me, Grandull stays on the roster and serves as a backup catcher and possibly a left handed bat off the bench and maybe a DH in the AL ballpark. However his days of starting and being the primary catcher should be history. In the off-season you put out the feelers and see what he can fetch in a trade.
The fact that SABR loves Grandal means he can be traded for some nice prospects. I’d go with Barnes and Farmer next year. We are so loaded at the catcher in our farm system.
And that’s not a bad strategy, and i wouldn’t be surprised if they did that while his trade value is high.
This.
And YF doesn’t even mention the arb years are about up with Grandal.