We’ve been looking back on the incredible career of recently traded veteran Adrian Gonzalez. With 2017 ending and a new year beginning it’s a good time to take a look back at some of the most memorable moments of the Dodger’s 2017 season. It sure was an exciting year for Dodger baseball with the club winning their first National League pennant in 29 years.
So today we’ll start counting down the top ten moments from the Dodger’s 2017 season. We’ll begin the countdown with a top moment that not only was exciting but also doubles as another highlight from Adrian Gonzalez’s illustrious Dodger career as well.
On April 29th the Dodgers were playing the Phillies at Dodger Stadium in the second game of a three game series. The boys in blue had gotten off to a slow start in the first month of the season and they needed some kind of spark. This was exactly the right kind of game to give them a jolt.
Brandon McCarthy was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers on this night and the lanky right hander allowed four earned runs on eight hits over five innings. To make things worse, the club was unable to hit Philadelphia starter Zach Eflin through the first eight frames. The Phillies had a 5-2 lead entering the bottom of the ninth. Things looked bleak. The ensuing four run ninth inning rally turned into one of the most exciting moments of the regular season.
The Dodgers hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to tie the game. Yasiel Puig hit the first bomb of the frame. Cody Bellinger followed with another solo shot that put the Dodgers within one run. That was Bellinger’s second long ball of the year. Justin Turner immediately followed with a home run of his own to tie the score and send Dodger Stadium into Pandemonium.
All three home runs were hit off of youngster Hector Neris. After Chris Taylor struck out, Austin Barnes singled. The Phillies made a pitching change but that didn’t stop the big blue steamroller, as Oscar would say. Corey Seager’s line drive single advanced Barnes to second. Then Gonzo stepped to the plate with two outs and the winning run in scoring position.
Adrian Gonzalez’s chopper to third deflects off of Philadelphia third sacker Maikel Franco’s glove and rolls into left field. The RBI single scores Barnes from second base to win the game for the Dodgers. Final score : Dodgers 6 Phillies 5.
The three consecutive home runs in the ninth inning brought back memories of the four plus one game against the Padres back in September of 2006.This was just the first of many incredible come from behind wins for the Dodgers during their pennant winning season. It was also one of the final walk-off hits for Adrian Gonzalez’s Dodger career.
Found this on Dodgersway. Maybe you’v already read it, it’s a good explanation of how the money is allocated;
https://dodgersway.com/2017/12/26/dodgers-the-competitive-balance-tax-huh/
Those who have been saying since November of ‘14 the Dodgers would get under the cap (you know who you are) are finally correct. Thank you Alex. An interesting point – players qualify for lifetime benefits after 43 days of service. Damn. Sounds like Congress.
It doesn’t sound like Congress at all, Badger, there was no indication of any sexual harrassment accusations.
Good point True.
I would like to be vested for life after 43 days on the job.
I had a friend on the faculty at JC that played 7 years (84 games) in the NFL. I think he told me he was making $1800 a month in retirement pay, plus some medical. That seemed like a lot of money in ‘76.
Badger
I believe after baseball players get the time in, that you talked about, they will automatically be eligible for a 25 thousand a year, retirement pension too.
How goes it in Dodgerville during this cold stove winter?
Other than getting under the CBT threshold, do you see the Dodgers doing anything else? Any juicy rumors?
How about the Dodgers going after Yelich? Yelich and Realmuto with a Ziegler thrown in?
They’ve certainly got the prospects and a regular like Pederson.
Not much going on Rye. The Dodgers are trying to stay under the luxury tax. Maybe we see some movement after new years. They’re trying to dump Kemp but can’t find any takers.
Can’t Kemp just be the 2018 Gutierrez? At higher cost.
What do you have for OD lineup?
Taylor CF
Seager SS
Turner 3B
Bellinger 1B
Forsythe 2B
Puig RF
Barnes C
Pederson LF
P
Hey Rye,
That could be the opening day lineup. Joc, verdugo, or toles could be the opening day left fielders. I would be surprised if Kemp opens camp with the club.
We’ve talked a bit about Yelich Rye. I say go for it with Verdugo and a Top 10, but not our best, young arm. If he’s available somebody might outbid that but in my opinion Verdugo is the real deal with 5 tool ability. He can do it all so I think that’s a good offer for Yelich. But honestly I don’t know we NEED him. We have several LH options already here.
As for rumors it’s been kinda quiet.
I think they can get Yelich without Buehler or Verdugo. The Cuban’s Alvarez and Diaz would frontline.
Old sit on my thumbs FAZ at it again, sleeping while the best relievers sign elsewhere. Colorado signs Davis…..3 years……and their BP is now as deep as the Dodgers was last year. With that lineup, they are going to be trouble and now that they have the guns to shut you down in the late innings they are even more dangerous.
How about the Machado to the Cubs rumor? That would be fun ey?
Unless our young studs have a collective regress, we are still easily the best in the West. That’s been true for 5 years, The Dodgers don’t HAVE to do anything, and they know it. They will still patrol the outer markers looking for something to fall out of the sky, but we remain pretty deep.
Bowl season flying by and the PAC12 is sucking the ruby begonia. 1-4. All 3 teams left are underdogs.
Who knows what those bonkers Rockies are doing.
All three of the relievers they signed have an aggregate of their AAVs over $35 million. Adding Dunn pushes that to nearly $42 million, or about 30 percent of their expected payroll! That doesn’t even mention the much money going to Desmond, who was below replacement level last year.
Thank god we have our front office.
As others know, I’m loathe to discuss politics here, but some of this stuff is too good to pass up.
I case you missed it, Roy Moore denies that he lost the U.S. Senate election, even after Alabama’s Republican Secretary of State certified his opponent as the winner.
Kind of puts his other denials in perspective.
Bluto
I also said he took a polygraph test, and passed it, after the election was over.
I hope I don’t have to intervene. Just look at the economy, I know my stocks are doing great
If you could intervene with useful commentary, please do so!
As the world renown intellect and seer Obamadamus once so eloquently said “the stock market is not the economy stupid”.
You mean thank God that Kershaw was already here and signed his large contract under the previous regime.
You mean thank God that Jansen and Turner wanted to stay in LA.
You mean thank God that the farm system was loaded with the likes of Seager, Bellinger, Puig, Pederson, Urias, De Leon, etc prior to Friedman accepting his $7M per year job.
You mean thank God that the Dodgers have the necessary resources to re-sign any of their or other teams free agents if wanted, hence the fact that they have led the league in payroll every year that Friedman has been here.
Give most other GM’s/FO’s the same starting point that Friedman & Co was given and they would perform up to and possibly exceed what we have seen so far from this one.
No, that’s not what I meant. But some of those are really good to remember.
Thanks.
Well said Chili.
Where you been man?
I’m glad Wade Davis went to the Rockies. They’ve got too many multi year BP contracts and they will have to rely on their kids to put up Good years. I’ll be surprised if it works.
YF
I agree, and the fact that the Cubs went out and signed Morrow so fast, says a lot too.
The Cubs also rode Davis hard, in the post season, and I think they rode Davis harder then we rode Morrow.
And signing three relief pitchers in there thirties, is not a very good bet either, especially with the altitude the Rockies play in.
While I don’t think the Rockies will break out, I know what they’re thinking. Relievers are movable at the trade deadline for middle prospects and some cash. A top reliever could land more. It’s a gamble for sure. But less of a gamble than signing a middle rotation starter for 4-5 yrs, especially at their park.
YF
I too, understand there reasoning, but Davis didn’t look that good, at the end of the post season.
And I still think the altitude there, will not make it very easy for Davis.
At least he isn’t another Brandon League, that guy was a painful three years.
League gave more decent innings to us than Hatcher. Hatcher was such a disappointment; he had good stuff.
Davis has the lowest ERA of any pitcher since 2014. He replaces Holland. The Rocks BP is significantly better than it was last year. They do not have to worry about the luxury tax so they can pretty much spend what they like. Their young players are pretty damn good. And they will get one of their outfielders back who was injured all of last year, David Dahl. Do not under estimate these guys, they made the playoffs and almost beat AZ. And they did a decent job against the Dodgers. They were 10-9 and the Dodgers won most of their 9 games in the 2nd half. The Dodgers had a losing record against 2 teams, AZ and Colorado.
The Rockies could break .500 next year. Fangraphs projected less than, 76 wins I think. With a few more good moves they might could make the playoffs. Making the playoffs is everybody’s goal, right? I like the Rockies, I just really dislike Denver.
YF
I totally agree about Hatcher, but I brought up League, because he was also given a three year contract.
Hatcher really only had one good month, at the end of his first season, with the team.
But at least they finally got rid of Hatcher.
But the way they held on to Hatcher, and every player they have brought to the team, doesn’t make me think they won’t give Matt Kemp a chance too.
And they have already won with this deal, and if they are able to get anything out of Kemp, it will be an even better deal.
If it were me, I’d be monitoring Kemp’s off season very closely. What demands, if any, are they making on him. He’s only 33. There are numerous examples of players that age having productive years. Anybody can look at pictures of him in Atlanta and clearly see the man was at least 25-30 pounds overweight. Coming back from a back injury means one must slim down to heal properly and prevent further damage. Kemp has to know that. If he doesn’t care to put the time and effort into his career then F him, cut him loose and just absorb the contract. But if he comes to camp in shape, a 30 home run presence between Seager and Bellinger makes the lineup that much better.
Badger
I didn’t think Kemp had a back problem, I thought he had a hammy problem last year.
And I much rather have a hammy problem, then a back problem.
Because even guys that had there hammy rip off the bone, have come back to play with not many problems.
But any time you have a weakness in any part of your body, it can cause an in balance in your body, and can effect other parts of your body.
But if Kemp loses weight like Puig did, I don’t think he will have any hammy issues.
Kemp has to know the score, so like I have already said, if he has any pride, he will come to spring training in shape, ready to prove to everyone, he is not that guy.
You’re right. His two crashes into the wall were shoulder injuries, and it’s been hamstrings ever since. Getting fat helps neither, but especially your hamstrings. He was an iron man before that. If he can get back to 210, he could be very effective for 125 games, which is all that the new baseball metrics require to put up what is necessary to earn his contract. Best estimates of dollar per WAR point on Free Agent Market for 2018 is $11.1 (Fangraphs) so 2 WAR and he’s in like Flynn.
Davis might have the lowest era since 2014, but he has never pitched in Colorado, like he will, in the next three years.
He looked even more burned out then Morrow looked, in that one bad game he had in the post season, because he had pitched so much.
And we all know how Colorado will test the will of any pitcher, after a while.
I think the Rockies are right about having mostly young pitchers, to pitch in there rotation, like they did last year.
And I know the Rockies have to pay pitchers more, to bring them to Colorado to pitch, because of what the elevation can do to pitchers.
Badger
I think if he gets out here on the west coast, a month before spring training, that will help his diet a lot, not to mention, give him much better conditions, to get in shape.
Because I think people that don’t live on the west coast, tend to have breakfast, dinner, and supper, and bread, at every meal, especially when the weather is so cold.
I would hope he got out to the west sooner, but I think a month might get him close.
I don’t know if he sold the house he had in Arizona, but if he didn’t, that would help.
And like I said, this front office loves to find that once and a million deal, and if they give Kemp this chance, and he runs with it, this will be an even better deal!
Well, there is organic produce everywhere, so it’s on him and his personal advisors to get his lifestyle changes in place. Without reports we have no way of knowing what he’s doing. Hopefully he’s getting his act together.
His camp has sure been quiet since all of this happened.
The point is this MJ, they do not play all of their games in Denver. He will be very effective in other ball parks. Most pitchers when over used burn out at some point. And their BP did get better. Our good pitchers get lit up in Denver, up to and including Kershaw.
Greetings again Dodgerville (hey I grew up down there):
I think the Rockies are going to place 2nd in the division and be a strong contender for a WC. Dodgers are still tops in the NL, as is. But what is up their sleeve?
It looks like they have 13 million to spend before the CBT. Could they clear more cash with a jettison of Grandal and bring back Darvish or another starter? Get Kemp moved and get some savings while paying most of freight? Slowest, coldest, most locked up hot-stove ever.
Personally, I could see them moving on Yelich and potentially Realmuto at the same time.
I would love to see them dump Grandal, Hernandez, Segedin, Pederson and Fields. Kemp will most likely be DFA’d if he is not traded. Yelich would be a nice add on.
Red Sox and Orioles discussing Machado…..
Michael
That brings another demsion, to the Red Sox’s, if they get Machado this year.
That might be the move for the Yankees getting Stanton.
But I know it is only for one year, but it will be a lot cheaper, since it isn’t on the free agent, market.
The Sox hate Machado.
The Orioles won’t trade in division.
The Sox have Bogaerts and Devers on the left side of the IF.
I suspect this is to get leverage on JD Martinez.
Did not say they would get him…..but they are talking trade and the reason is the two GMs used to work together…just like FAZ and the braves GM. And the O’s are no where near being competitive. So, it makes sense to trade the guy.
Totally agree Michael, did not mean to disparage.
I love you (and others) sharing news, especially well-sourced news (as this was.)
Does make sense to move Machado, Orioles don’t always make sensible moves.
That’s a good take Bluto. JD Martinez is what the Red Sox is after I think.