The Dodgers are having a fantastic season. They have the best record in baseball right now and are on pace to win 111 games. They’re arguably having one of the greatest if not the best season in franchise history. They have a 9.5 game lead in the NL West. They have the best starting pitcher in baseball (Clayton Kershaw) and the best closer (Kenley Jansen) in baseball.
Their second best starter (Alex Wood) is 11-0. They’re on a super human 29-4 stretch. Their top rookie (Cody Bellinger) is doing incredible things. They have a forward thinking front office that values youth over veterans, and they have a great manager. They also have the most beautiful stadium in baseball and a bunch of fanatics that follow them around on road games with a gigantic Dodger banner.
But the Dodgers aren’t perfect. There’s one thing that they don’t have that hangs over the franchise like a black cloud or a monkey on their back. It mars the organization and keeps me up at night like a bad case of acid reflux. It’s that nasty 29-year World Series drought. The Dodgers haven’t won a pennant or a World Series since 1988 and it’s about damn time they end that awful thing. They’ve had four consecutive playoff chances end in soul-crushing defeat. This has got to be the year that they win the damned thing.
Everything seems to be pointing to that ending this year. The universe seems to be unfolding in this direction. The only competition in the NL West (Dbacks and Rockies) have fallen way off the pace. The Giants are mired in last place which is wonderful and the Cubs are a mediocre mess. The only legitimate threat in the National League this season could be the bullpen challenged Nationals. Even they don’t look like a challenge to the mighty Dodgers.
It’s got to happen this year. We’re all not getting any younger and neither is Kershaw. Last Postseason was a total mind screw. The Dodgers came from behind in the NLDS to knock off a very talented Nationals club only to fall to the dominating Cubs in the NLCS. They had a ton of injuries but they weren’t favored to win the NLCS. They were heavy underdogs. Unfortunately they teased us by winning the first two out of three games in that series. But again they weren’t supposed to win. The stupid Cubs were heavily favored to win the whole thing, which they did. This year the Cubs are out of the way and the Dodgers will likely be the favorites by a large margin.
Imagine what would happen if the Dodgers won the World Series this year? Other than the incredible joy it would bring us to finally see a Dodger championship for the first time in nearly 30 years. Many of us who grew up in the post Kirk Gibson era have never seen the Dodgers in the World Series. Everything would change for the better and we would finally have all of our dreams come true.
I can see it now. Kenley Jansen recording the final out in the ninth inning of game seven over the upstart Astros and watching the Dodgers jump all over each other in celebration. If the Dodgers finish with the best record that game seven would be at Dodger Stadium and all of Los Angeles would be awash in drunken happiness. The champagne shower in the clubhouse and the trophy presentation would be unreal. Somebody would be the World Series MVP. Clayton Kershaw perhaps, or Cody would probably win it. Maybe they could have something like the 1981 club and three players take home the award. Wouldn’t that be something?
Us Dodger fans could finally have something to brag about on twitter all throughout the winter. Imagine the Giants fans twisting in the wind having to watch us win a championship for a change. Sure they’ve got their three disgusting championships to reminisce about, but that’s old news. This is right now and they would be forced to watch us revel in our joy. What have they done for you lately? Giants fans would be forced to contemplate as they try to forget about their awful season. Grant Brisbee would be unable to write any of these stupid articles anymore. You know he writes those every damn season the Dodgers are eliminated? Please don’t let him write any of those yucky posts again Dodgers.
The championship parade through downtown Los Angeles would be huge. The now defunct dodgerblues.com website could finally stop the Gibson clock. Our enemies would hate us even more. What if this was the first of many championships across a new Dodgers dynasty? I can see all of the future articles now: The Dodgers are back, they would write.
Everyone could finally say Yankees west and really mean it this time. The air would become crisper. Your food would taste better. World hunger would end and peace would break out in the middle East. Your life would be better if the Dodgers won the World Series. The Earth would be a better happier place for all of humanity.
I can see the good times ahead and a future filled with winning seasons and exciting Dodger championships. They’ve just got to get that first one out of the way. Many more can come. I would no longer be able to make those “boy they stink” tweets anymore. I can’t wait.
I want a Dodger World Series championship more than ever. We would be able to look back on this 2017 season and re-watch World Series highlights late at night when we can’t sleep. I can close my eyes and see it all coming together now. Please Dodgers make it happen this year. Just win the damned thing because we’re not getting any younger.
The Nationals are better this year, and it will be a hard fought series if we play them. Let’s hope for the best but be prepared to grind it out and come back again and again.
The Dodgers never do anything easy.
Just enjoy the moment.
Too many variables.
Long term, high performance is enough for me.
But the suffered a real championship drought with the Red Sox.
Cubs was longer. Red Sox was 86 years.
Bluto
Every team in baseball play, to make it to the World Series, and that is the ultimate goal, of every team.
And since we might only need a good leftie reliever, that will not cost the team from continuing, to have long term success.
If not now when, that is a rhetorical question, because this is the time to add the final piece to the puzzle to get the Dodgers to the World Series, just like Theo did for the Cubs last year, when he traded to get Chapman.
And if they don’t do it now, then there may never be the right time, with the way this team is dominating this year!
There’s the rub MJ.
There is never the singular “right time” nor is there ever one move “to get you to the World Series.” Bumgartner has a remarkable run, Daniel Murphy goes bonkers at the bat. Bucky Dent his a HR, Mike Hargrove manages, a grounder goes through someone’s legs. Weird things happen, poorer teams beat much better teams.
That said, I think you do as much as you can without sacrificing. But you never just assume that it’s a lefty reliever from a WS win. Nor do you start writing a prelude that a team is cursed or player X can’t lead a team to win it all.
The MLB playoffs are a great mix of skill, luck and random events.
Don’t overthink it
This has been a pontification by Bluto. All contributions welcome.
Yeah, like last year, we were told we “might only need” a #2 starter. We got him, but our #1 forgot how to pitch in Game 6 against Chicago.
“That said, I think you do as much as you can without sacrificing”. Agreed!! Seager and Urias for Hamels, like some wanted, would have been a catastrophe.
Bluto
Why did Theo go get Chapman?
And from what I have heard, he gave up a lot for Chapman.
I don’t think one incremental move to get a good leftie reliever, is risking the farm.
That’s why I don’t understand your last statement about long term success, when this is such a small move.
Bluto
But I do know your right, anything can happen, in such a small sample size.
Because they had no closer before Chapman? Unless you over-value Rondon.
Bluto
Rondon was there closer, but Theo wanted a dominate closer!
And he gave up a lot to get Chapman, to get them through the post season.
Because the Cubs already had a huge lead before Theo traded for Chapman.
That’s my point.
Case in point. 1959 White Sox had better starters and the Dodgers were made up of kids and vets on their way down. Dodgers had to win a playoff against the Braves. Game 1 Sox hung a 11-0 ass whuppin on the blue. But they came back and won 3 of the next 4 losing only a 1-0 game pitched by Koufax. They then clinched the very next game in Chicago. A’s in 88 on papers a far superior team to the banged up bunch that ended up beating them in the series. Best team does not always win the big prize and that goes on all through MLB history.
I was at that 1-0 game. Sat right in front of Joe DiMaggio. Won’t ever forget that.
I think the team that is playing best always wins a series. Best team? That can be subjective. Best record over 162 can certainly be considered best team. How many of them actually win a title?
Everyone knows the any team can win on a given day, the doesn’t stop teams, from trying to get better, at the trade deadline!
One of the best plays in that series came in Chicago when Moon faked catching a fly ball and the deke made Sherman Lollar, not the fastest man on the planet to slow down, and he was cut down at the plate. It was also the series where a fan dumped a beer right in the mug of Sox RF Al Smith while catching a Dodger HR. Great picture of that incident.
I was listening to Vinny on the radio. Was enthralled by the whole world series thing being 11 years old at the time. I loved Maury Wills and what he brought to the team, and for a time, Larry Sherry was a neighbor. Lived 2 houses away and Norm was about 5 houses away….
All of that is true, but right now, we only have a little time before the trading deadline will be over.
And we only have one healthy leftie right now, and Avilan has had problems at times, getting hitters out!
We all know the deadline is near. We also know FAZ is not one to do megadeals. I do not expect he gets one of the biggies for the prices being asked. Nor is he going to be able to unload the flotsam that is floating around the organization. Padres are asking a king’s ransom for Hand. Tigers want top prospects for Wilson, but they want you to take Verlander too, with that albatross of a contract of his, I would pass, but that’s me. I think they would be better off targeting Pittsburgh’s Watson. Price might not be as high and if the Pirates make Cole available, they might be able to swing a good deal.
Bluto
That is my point about getting someone like Britton!
Cool
McCullough’s latest mailbag should be required reading for anyone seriously entertaining wants for Verlander.
It also should be required reading because the writer is awesome, or at least Bluto thinks so:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-mailbag-justin-verlander-20170717-story.html
And this from Rosenthal:
Sources: #Dodgers open to trading Morrow and/or Romo. Idea would be to clear spot for LH acquisition, create greater L-R balance in ‘pen.
Morrow (20 Ks, 2 BBs, 0 HRs, 15.2 IP) pitching better than Romo (31 Ks, 12 BBs, 7 HRs, 25 IP). Romo owed balance of $3M, Morrow of $1.25M.
Yeah, good read. I had to google G1 because the only G1 I’m familiar with is the G1 regulatory sequence for the insulin gene, and I was fairly certain he wasn’t talking about that. I don’t want Verlander. I’d rather get a starter like Cole or Archer, but I don’t think they’re available. Darvish might be, but I don’t see that happening either. If Hill or McBrittle take their yearly dump before the deadline, then, yeah, maybe a quality starter will be added. Otherwise, no.
Michael
Like I have wrote, I am not talking about a big deal!
I am only talking about a good leftie for pen!
I get that MJ, but do you want to mortgage the farm to get one? The Padres are over the top with what they want for Hand. Tigers would probably part with Wilson, but will most likely want to package Verlander with him and for that contract, no thanks. That’s why I suggested Watson. I am pretty sure that Britton will not come cheap either.
Michael
Just because a team is asking that, that doesn’t mean they will get that!
Any team is going to try get the more then their player or pitcher is worth!
That is a given!
And I don’t think the Nats gave up to much for the two pitchers, they traded for.
And most of the baseball people I have heard and read, don’t think the Nats gave up to much either!
Nobody said they would get their asking price. But they are in the drivers seat because the player wanted is theirs. The Nats made a good deal, and Oakland did not overplay their hand. But that was that deal, any team dealing with the Dodgers knows the farm system is loaded. They are going to ask for a ransom if they feel their player is worth it, especially if there are years of team control involved. Guys like Martinez, who would be a rental, are not going to get as much as a guy who is under team control like Hand. Rich Hill and Reddick undoubtedly would have cost the Dodgers more had they been under control for say 2 years. In one sense, we have been lucky because for the most part FAZ holds on to the top picks. But who knows, he might lose his head and overpay for someone. Just stating the obvious.
I keep having to check in and read Grant Bisbee, both for the schadenfreude of the Giants sucking, but also because he’s awesome.
https://www.sbnation.com/2017/7/13/15949378/the-marlins-have-always-been-as-weird-and-mesmerizing-as-their-home-run-sculpture
He is so awesome.
Dodger patch
Thanks he is always so good!
Bluto, I really like McCullough, and it is a good mail bag.
On Verlander, he compares him to McCarthy, whom he calls our number 4 starter, and actually it is a good comparison and an inadvertent illustration of his myopia on this issue. McCarthy is in fact doing better than Verlander is, at this stage of the season. So the conclusion drawn is that Verlander is not as good as McCarthy. However, recall that our problem with McCarthy in the first place is that we signed him to a big contract based on half a year’s performance. What happened in between his last first half season, and the first half of this season, not so pretty. Maybe we want to stop this guy based on half seasons.
We can play this game too with the starters that McCullough has ranked 1-3. Namely Rich Hill. For the same period, Verlander is better than Hill. So for Hill, we are going to use his best 5 game stretch and project that through the post-sesaon. But we don’t do that for Verlander.
Again I like McCullough, but he shoudl have just come out and say that Verlander is old and paid too much. That is essentially all the arguments against Verlander boils down to.
However, the point of signing Verlander is not a 1 to 1 matter, I would look at what packages are given up and what else is gained. Verlander’s contract is precisely why we can get their lefty closer at a cheaper price, since Tigers are rebuilding, and we may even be able to dump Kazmir’s contract on them.
I would rather have Britton in any case, but I think we can get Verlander and Wilson on a very reasonable deal without hurting us long term, and I think Calhoun can headline that sort of deal, with some good prospects. Taking on Verlander’s contract does that, and we have money to spend. I don’t think there is any other trade scenario where we end up with a good lefty closer where we won’t have to give up either Verdugo or Alvarez.
I like McCullough but the mailbag is just an excellent example of framing an argument and
Interesting take YF.
LA may be the perfect place for Verlander. In Detroit he has gone 6 or more innings 11 times this year. He’s pitched 110 innings. If we bring him here and turn him into a 5 inning starter his numbers may improve and he can earn his contract. And he can do it for 3 more years. At the end of his contract he will be the same age as Hill is now.
There’s still almost an entire half season to go. Do NOT jinx this wonderful start by “counting our chickens”
Revel in their success, but be mindful that in baseball weird things happen all the time. GO DODGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
uh Dan, there are 69 games left. Not even close to half a season. The good news is they can play .500 ball the rest of the way and end up with 98 wins which by all accounts lets them cruise to their 5th title.
69 is close to 81. Maybe not in years, but in seconds. 12 games? We could be in second place in 12 games.
69 games? Much can happen in that many games.
yeah, but in reality do you see this team pulling a SF and going into the tank? I do not. For us to have that kind of blow out Colorado and Arizona have to go nuts, and so far both are heading the other direction. The whole thing from the beginning was the youth in the Rockies rotation and the depth questions for the D-Backs. Yeah, I guess it could happen, but I tend to lean the other way. This team is loose, has 2 stoppers, Kershaw and Wood, and is getting decent pitching from the other guys. May not be perfect, but a lot better than the rest of the league at this point, especially when you consider the fact that 27 of the next 33 games are against sub .500 teams. They can really make hay the next month.
No, I don’t see a collapse. That’s why I’ve said all along I think we will win the West. But with that said, every year there is a starter or two that blows a rod, and frankly I believe a lot of bounces have gone the Dodgers way. Turner won’t hit .374 this year, I doubt Taylor and Barnes finish over .290, Grandal .267? I don’t think so, Bellinger has to cool off – right? Hell even the career .225 Pederson is hitting .250. This team is not going to win 111 games. It’s just a question of how many get some water thrown on them. I’d rather finish like this than be on fire in June and July.
Dan
I agree I don’t like to tempt fate!
Do not worry MJ. This team right now is on a roll. They can really put teams away the next month or so. 27 games of the next 33 against sub .500 teams.
Michael
I know but we have seen before, the seemingly impossible, can happen.
How far behind were the Reds in 1973?
But you are right, there are not many teams in the National League, playing very well.
Only the National League Central , has a close race right now.
After we swept the Rockies and the Dbacks, those teams took a dive.
Badger
I must admit I was thinking almost everyone is having a career year, too.
I assume you’ve heard Hershiser count the chickens before they’re hatched almost every game. One game I was sure he had blown it, you think he’d know better being an ex pitcher with all the taboo surrounding no hitters
Here is the problem with the trade deadline. There is no guarantee that getting any one player is going to get you to the World Series. We all bitched and moaned when they did not get Hamels a few years back. Hamels helped the Rangers get to the series, but they got beat. You look back over the last few years and rarely does the mid season pick up mean a championship. Chapman last year did help the Cubs get over the top, but they had the best team in the game most of the year and they still almost lost to Cleveland. Queto helped the Royals win a series, but those are not the norm. I think the main thing is to get there healthy and hitting on all cylinder’s. Pitching, hitting and defense all being at the top of their game. Playing well going into the playoffs and not cruising is also a plus. I think this team at this point is definitely a playoff team. A tweak here and there and the big prize might be in reach.
In fact, Chapman single handedly almost handed the world series to Cleveland in game 7.
Affirmative. Makes me wish Larry Sherry was reincarnated.
Bobby
I wanted to tell you that they had a little write up, on Buehler in Think Blue LA today.
Bobby
Thanks, as you know, I already said that!
Del Taco Field at Dodger Stadium???
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/07/17/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/The-Lefton-Report.aspx
That is so horrendous. Nobody will ever call it anything but it’s rightful and true name which is Dodger Stadium.
How about Naugles?
Dodgers signed LHP Jason Richman to a minor league deal……who???? Cute story out of Houston. The Astros held a funeral for Carlos Beltran’s glove. Since he has been the DH almost the entire season and really has no use for the leather. Cardinals interested in Yelich and Osuna should the fish decide to trade players. Good thing the Dodgers left Miami, Stanton went deep twice, one hitting the scoreboard. Rockies beating the Pads, looking to trim a half game off their 11.5 deficit. Lots of rumors, mostly unverified floating around.
MJ, great call with Naugles. Not sure how many will make the connection.
There is a Naugles in Fountain Valley, for those who are craving the good ol days!
Mark Walter has to be worth 10 times more than Dick Naugle. He should buy the rights and then stick them in his pocket. Or better yet, stick them up his ass. It’s an embarrassment to every LA Dodger fan, living and dead. Guggenheim Investments is willing to sell out for $12 million? That sellout isn’t worth $100 million. There’s no price that makes it worth it. Well, to some. Apparently Bluto doesn’t mind.