The Dodgers have an uncanny ability, a knack if you will for finding unrecognizable players from obscurity and turning them into productive regulars. Players like Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, Rich Hill, Matt Beaty were all toiling in relative obscurity before the Dodgers found them and transformed their careers around. Muncy was a .190 hitting bench guy with the Athletics before the Dodgers turned his career around. Taylor was a part time pinch-hitter and utility guy until the Dodgers worked their magic. Hill had a similar transition.
The latest Dodger player to go from nobody to somebody is outfielder Kyle Garlick. The 27-year old Southern California native just hit his first MLB home run on Wednesday night against the Giants. Garlick then connected again for his second major league home run (off of Bumgarner) in Thursday night’s 9-8 victory over the Giants. He tallied three hits in that game, and scored twice. Garlick is now 7 for 20 since his promotion to the Dodgers. The question is, where in the world did Kyle Garlick come from?
The Dodgers originally drafted Garlick in the 28 round of the 2015 draft. Garlick has always been a good hitter in the minors. He batted .284 with a .342 OBP and slugged 80 home runs during his five minor league seasons. But he never got a chance to prove himself until this year. The Dodgers invited him to spring training as a non-roster invite. Garlick performed well in spring but was sent to Oklahoma City to start the season.
Now with the Dodgers dealing with some injuries he’s getting the chance to prove himself and boy is he. So far through 14 games and 22 plate appearances Garlick is batting .350 (7 for 20) with 2 home runs and 4 runs batted in. He was hitting .290 with 12 home runs in 166 plate appearances with the OKC Dodgers.
Garlick’s success is actually a testament to the Dodger’s system. It seems as if the Dodgers are quite adept at finding these under the radar players who are then indoctrinated into their system before becoming regular contributors. The Dodgers have a good coaching staff, but there still has to be skill and ability in these players to begin with.
Kyle Garlick is just another example of this incredibly unique gift the Dodgers have. They can take any player and magically transform them from bum to hero. Garlick is the latest project to turn into success. To make things even better, he’s got one hell of a cool name. Doesn’t he? Go Garlick!
Michael mentioned that GasKanley is unavailable for tonight’s game, to that I say THANK YOU JESUS! Can we survive the regular season with such a below par closer? Yes. Can we survive the post season with such a below par closer? No.
I have noticed that the quality of baseball is bad all over the MLB not just the NL West. It really is pretty bad everywhere, even the first place teams have some glaring weaknesses. Why is that? I have some ideas, but I will throw that out there for others to give their insights before I comment. I love the Dodgers winning but the game of baseball with it’s new style of play is really lacking in quality. I think if you stacked the teams of today against the teams of the past (I know impossible to do) it would be a complete eye-opener to how bad things really are today. Just think back the Dodgers, Yankees, Cardinals, A’s (and a few others) teams of the 70s and 80s, wow what a shame that this game has eroded into.
I wouldn’t agree that baseball overall is a worse game than the 70’s & 80’s. I’m 64 so I was there. The STYLE of play is certainly different. Shifts, different usage of relievers, etc based on more/better use of statistics, PERHAPS MLB is using a “juiced ball” – however that would be done – as was the contention in 2017 but I don’t assign that to lesser players. If anything players of today are better conditioned; and you could argue better coached, than ever before.
Yes, I am concerned about Kenley. I don’t subscribe to calling him names – the guy has done tremendous things for the Dodgers – so respect is due despite some struggles. Getting him some real help whether in house or out of house is due.
I like Scott’s article except the line, “They can take any player and magically transform them from bum to hero.” Ugh no, not ANY player. They have demonstrated a tremendous ability to find heretofore overlooked gems but ANY player? No.
This front office cannot be faulted for finding talent nor trading for talent. All the naysayers are just that. They wouldn’t be satisfied unless the World Series was won EVERY year, and frankly folks that’s never happening for any team.
Geez!
Did not take long for the “0”-fer Gang to return to form. 0-11 with Pederson electing to join the cast, and jeopardizing his bid to be voted a All-Star starter. Even Buehler went 1-3. All kidding aside, the entire Dodger offense fell victim to the incredible pitcher’s duel. It was the lone 3, in the middle of the lineup, that were able to muster up 4 runs. CT3 did, however, contribute a SAC… traded an At-Bat & an out, for a run. Beaty is back! Belli continues his MVP performance. Muncy campaigning for an All-Star birth.
Sad to see an umpire eject JT so early. Ump made some bad calls behind the plate, and let his ego take precedence over logic. Umpires can really change the complexion of a game, with outrageous strike zones, and egotistical behavior, and vendettas against certain players.
Buehler…. what a gem of a game he pitched. A complete game, 4 hit, 16 strike-out, shutout of the Cubbies. This could solidify his chances of making the All-Stars’ pitching staff. He definitely got the memo…. “you must pitch as far into the game as possible, to avoid the hapless bullpen.”
Where in the World is Kyle Garlick? I guess Dodger protocol is to sit a player, who tuns in a remarkable performance the day before. …. go figure.
Roll on Dodger Blue! Ryu…. I do not think he needs a memo.
Well, All-Star final ballot vote is in. The best team in baseball was able to secure only two players on the final ballot. A “No Brainer” selection, Cody Bellinger. The surprise to the Dodger brass was the inclusion of part timer, Joc Pederson. Joc will probably not make the final three starting positions, but it is a testament to his abilities. I wish the Dodgers would stop playing games with his career, and let him play. Looks like the Dodgers will only have one position player on the vote in roster.
All other Dodgers on the ballot are below the top three in voting. I blame not just injuries, but mainly Spectrum Sportsnet LA for monopolizing Dodger TV broadcasts, depriving many of the ability to see them play by blacking out local broadcasts, thus minimizing fan interest in voting. Also blame the fact that due to time change, West Coast teams are not widely seen on TV. Who on the East Coast will stay up from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM to watch the Dodgers?
So, All-Star games mean little to nothing, to me anyway. It is a farce, as far as I am concerned.
I would stay up and watch on my computer till 2am. I happen to live in Florida as do many Dodger fans. I’m sure they do the same.
First off, great game by Buehler. Reminiscent of the days of yore. Pitchers do not do complete games anymore unless their pitch count going into the 9th is extremely low. As Yueh pointed out, today’s game is much different than the game many of us were raised on. Hitters are hitting the ball further more often than ever before. The ball is different, that is obvious. The players are much more into nutrition and working out. Yesterday Mazara of the Rangers launched the longest homer in stat cast history, 505 feet. Pales in comparison to Mantle’s 562 foot shot in old Griffith Stadium in DC. But still quite a shot. Today’s hitters are coached differently than years ago. I was taught straight path to the ball and try to hit line drives. Today they incorporate launch angle. We were taught to go the other way when the pitch was thrown where you could do that. Today, they do not do that so much, which makes a lot of the games infuriating to me, when a simple poke the opposite direction instead of trying to muscle the ball past the shift would probably get you extra bases. Verdugo did that last night. As for how good baseball was in the 70’s and 80’s, well I thought the game was better in the 50’s and 60’s. Having seen all of those eras, they all had their own heroes and goats. Power teams won and the teams that were not so good lost. Different game. 8 teams in each league in the 50’s. 10 in the 60’s and early 70’s. Harder to win with no playoffs and 7 or 9 other teams to beat. Just look at the winners in the 50’s Yanks in 50-53, 56, 58, Dodgers 55, 59, Giants 54, Braves 57. 4 teams won all the titles. No one else came close except the losers of the 54 series, Indians and the Chi Sox who lost to the Dodgers in 59. Baseball is a lot different now so comparing it to those eras is a waste of time. Fun maybe, but a waste. 162 game schedule, 2 tiers of playoffs before the series, different breed of cat altogether. As for where Garlick came from. 28th round pick in 2015. Has shown power in the minors, just never was high on the prospect list. Not unusual for a pick that low in the draft. Also playing for an organization that has had a logjam in the outfield for quite a few years. In his case this year, right place, right time, oh, he is 27, not 30 as stated by a poster on an earlier stream. Since they no longer deem home field for the winning league it has returned to being what it has been since the beginning, an exhibition. A huge money making exhibition. Winner of the HR derby this year gets 1 million clams…..
Thats a lot of chowder and clam dip
Michael, I concur and I saw games in the 60’s, well beginning with the 1966 season to be exact and went to many games in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s and the one thing that does irk me is those defensive shifts. They have gone too far for my liking, and especially allowing teams to have a 4 man OF in some cases.
I think this might be a good team.
Possibly good enough to make dinner with predictions made here look goofy.
The Joc Pederson experiment might have to end soon ….
Verdugo is an excellent hitter. It’s close to July and he seems to have worked his way out of his first slump.
Meanwhile, Muncy is about two games away from breaking Puig’s 33 game on-base streak from a few years back.
A core of Seager, Bellinger, Muncy and Verdugo is an excellent base for the next ten years.
Pederson did OK at 1st. Has a great arm. Too soon to end the experiment. Give him some time.
Ryu was robbed of a win last night. I thought runner was out at second. Should have been a fielder’s choice. That was an excellent throw by Pederson. Ball came out on transfer otherwise a DP. Still a quality start… kept the Dodgers in the game, with just one earned run.
All I can say about the game last night?… “LET THE KIDS PLAY!!!”
According to NY, his foot was not on the bag. The in the area play is no longer allowed. They have to actually touch the base. Shoddy defense cost Ryu the win. 3 runs, 1 earned. Freese to the IL and Smith recalled. And it is only chowder and clam dip when served properly…….
3 walkoffs in a row by 3 rookies. Amazing. We need to trade some riff raff in the next few weeks.
Right on YF!
DR look d like a genius, PH’ing CT3 for Barnsey.
Like we all have been saying…. “LET THE KIDS PLAY!”
Good quality start by Maeda. Seven strong innings, and leaving game with the lead. A remarkable comeback, after Baez meltdown, which stole the win from Maeda.
Keep Rollin’, Blue.
Don’t think Baez melted down. He allowed one run. Bellinger was playing way over towards center so when the ball went down the RF line, he really had no shot at getting Murphy at the plate. I blame it on the shifts. This is becoming ridiculous. They won the game, that’s all that matters. 13 game lead before the mid way point of the season.
Hate the shifts. Looks good when it works, looks bad when it doesn’t. NBA does not allow the zone defense, MLB should consider not allowing the shift.
But Pedro allows a sharp single to leadoff batter then with two outs, he allows the line shot double down the line. Murphy was out by a mile, had Martin caught the ball… was not the best throw, but got there in time.
You are right, however…. A win is a win.
Wrong.
The NBA does allow the zone defense.
But the two have nothing in common.
How is the shift any different from throwing curves to a batter who you know prefers fastballs? Both are simply adjusting to tendencies.
Where’s package? Where’s Oscar?
Wrong Again, Bluto, Wrong Again.?
Shift and curve balls, like comparing apples and oranges. Curves are a vital part of pitching…. Always has been. Shift is not how game was intended to be played.
NBA “does not” allow the zone coverage.
Bluto, just for clarification. Zone defense was banned in NBA for a brief period. But NBA instituted the three-second violation rule, which makes it almost impossible to play a zone. So it is rarely used. So I stand corrected…. my bad (not my first time).
As far as the shift….Now, four outfielders, or four infielders between 1st and 2nd, or 2nd and 3rd…. that is ridiculous. Nobody of the left or right side of the field?… Ridiculous. Only way to beat the shift is for players to “hit it where they ain’t”. But batters continue insist on hitting right into it. As long as hitters continue to hit right into the shift, it will never go away, unless MLB bans it. Games would be far more exciting, if players were mandated to hold their positions within a reasonable radius of the natural position. Just my opinion, of course.
I concur Bluefan4Life. These defensive shifts IMHO have gone way too far and correct, it’s not how this game was intended to be played, especially allowing teams to put 4 OF in certain situations when an impact hitter comes to bat.
Totally agree!
100%
But why penalize the defense for something the offense can’t do?
Let’s not claim to know how the game was “meant to be played”
It’s presumptuous, silly and automatically wrong.
Also, on the subject of being wrong, the Raptors played a zone in the just completed finals.
Bluto
Here I am. I figured I did not have much to add to the shift question but I will say that I do not like it much but I don’t like all the sabermetrics and the way Dummy manages either. To put it another way, what if there was a player who could hit the ball anywhere at anytime and had a huge batting average, would you ban him? I think not but if he was not on my team I wouldn’t like him much. It doesn’t appear to be true baseball by traditional standards. I like just good ole country hardball.
That makes no sense how can you bad a player? For being good? Had anything discussed banning Trout?
No need to ban Trout, or any other power hitter…. nobody said that, Bluto. Belli, Bonds, Ruth, Mays, Pujols… you pitch around them. Don’t give them anything to hit. Make them chase bad pitches, or intentionally/unintentionally walk them if you have to. That is part of the game, “as it is supposed to be played”. If the ridiculous shift will not be banned, the players are stupid to not hit to beat the shift. With the shift, why assign positions? If the shift is acceptable, positions would be meaningless.
I’m just sayin’…
Bluto
I was comparing the use of a shift to a hypothetical situation with a player who could hit a baseball anywhere at anytime. In other words, you wouldn’t ban a player for the ability to hit for a huge avg I feel so why wouldn’t you use the shift? Do you get it now?
No, I don’t get it at all. One is taking data about where players hit the ball and placing fielders there.
The other is arbitrarily setting a threshold of quality and banning any player who surpasses it.
How are the two at all related?
Bluto
Data has nothing to do with this situation. One team moved players to various locations on the field based on where they thought another player may hit the ball to be successful whereas in the other situation a player has the ability to control where he hits the ball to be successful. SIMPLE My point was that both are trying to have success and not be penalized . My point was they should not eliminate the shifts just as they would not ban a player for having the ability to have success hitting.
Shrug.
Maybe we are saying the same thing?
Scott I think the players that can be involved in trades Barnes, Taylor, Peterson, picher Garcia, baez, and Jansen.we can get somebody that can closes games.
Wow, so you are going to trade a 20 homer outfielder, your closer, your best setup man, to get someone who can close games when your closer has saved 22? Barnes is probably expendable, but has little trade value. Garcia has been much better lately. Baez has been nails out of the pen and the run he gave up yesterday was the first in quite a while. Taylor is about as hot as any hitter they have right now and the best option at SS until Seager gets back, and he does not PH and hit that 3 run shot, they lose that game. Astute thinking there bud. By the way guys, the best way to make the shift irrelevant is to beat it by going the other way. All it takes is a few pokes down the line and the other teams defense has to take that into consideration. All those little charts they carry in their pockets would be meaningless if guys used the whole field instead of trying to pull all the time. One reason Bellinger’s average has dipped as much as it has is that he is pulling the ball most of the time.
Michael a while ago when they put 4 guys in the OF (like in a soft ball game) that is where I draw the line on some of these permissible shifts. Baseball IMHO was NOT intended to be played defensively in this manner.
Agreed. Kasten announced earlier today that the Dodgers are now going to extend the netting down the lines following yesterday’s incident where a lady was hit by a Bellinger foul ball. Expect every team in the majors to be looking into this soon.
I would be fine with flipping Barnes and a prospect or two for a reliable reliever. Someone, anyone who can get outs. Righty or lefty, doesnt matter. Don’t trade Joc please.
Scott
This is the 1st year I have said that the Dodgers need to keep Joc. In past years, I could not see keeping him but this year I think he has grown up and I think he could really blossom into a very good player. I think he could hit left handers if Dummy would give him a chance. When he was hot was the time to leave him in but alas Dummy pulled him away from leftys. Oh well, such is life for the Los Angeles Dodgers and their fans.
Is Scott teets up?