Halfway through the season, the Dodgers slip into last place in the National League West.
They lost two out of three to the Angels and two out of three to the Twins... despite beating the Twins 15 - 0 just two days ago.
Talk about inconsistent.
I've managed teams like this, although only on the youth baseball level. But it's funny how, as a manager, you never know which team is gonna show up on a particular day! Is it gonna be the team that hits the ball to all fields and catches everything that comes their way? Or is it gonna be the team that can't get a hit when it needs to and muffs the regular plays?
The Dodgers have played pretty well in the field; I won't fault them for that. Despite injuries and trips to the disabled list, the Dodgers have managed to put together a pretty good fielding team.
The hitting is what's hurting. Or rather, the lack of hitting, especially in key situations.
The Dodgers need some help in the pitching department, too.
The Dodgers right now consist of Kershaw (starting pitcher, for those of you who don't know), Kemp (center field and terrific hitter), Ethier (right field and ditto) and Carroll (shortstop/second base; made the team as a fill-in utility player but because of injuries plays almost everyday and gets on base a whole lot). They have other players with promise: Billingsley (starting pitcher), Loney (first base), de la Rosa (rookie starting pitcher), Gwynn (left field).
But the players with promise haven't fulfilled it yet. So the core of the Dodger team is a thin one.
And with the ownership of the team in question and the issue of bankruptcy still in the air, I don't think this is the year of the Dodgers.
But last place in the NLW?
Sheesh!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Kershaw's Game
The Dodgers, with Clayton Kershaw pitching, defeated the Tigers 4 - 0 tonight.
Kershaw struck out 12, batted in two runs and pitched a complete game.
This is what the Dodgers needed, and what Kershaw needed.
Wow!
News today: MLB rejected Frank McCourt's bid for a deal with Fox TV to broadcast Dodger games into the foreseeable future for $3 billion, and McCourt probably won't be able to meet the team payroll June 30, resulting in MLB taking over the team and looking for a new owner. The Dodgers need to respond to that news by just playing good baseball, and tonight they did.
Wow, he looked sharp tonight!
Kershaw is very young, and a lot could happen. But he sure looked like a star tonight!
Kershaw struck out 12, batted in two runs and pitched a complete game.
This is what the Dodgers needed, and what Kershaw needed.
Wow!
News today: MLB rejected Frank McCourt's bid for a deal with Fox TV to broadcast Dodger games into the foreseeable future for $3 billion, and McCourt probably won't be able to meet the team payroll June 30, resulting in MLB taking over the team and looking for a new owner. The Dodgers need to respond to that news by just playing good baseball, and tonight they did.
Wow, he looked sharp tonight!
Kershaw is very young, and a lot could happen. But he sure looked like a star tonight!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Today's a New Game
Okay, okay. I misspoke last night when I tried to describe what the Earned Run Average meant. I should have said the Dodger bullpen's ERA of almost 5.5 means the relief pitchers have allowed nearly five-and-a-half runs for every nine innings worked.
That's not nearly as bad as five-and-a-half runs for every inning worked, but it's still the worst record in baseball this season.
Dodgers gotta get some relief!
Remember Eric Gagne and Game Over? Man, those days were amazing! And yes, maybe Eric had a little chemical assistance, but in those steroid days so did many of the batters he faced. The chemicals might have made him stronger, but they didn't help him hit the corners more sharply, any more than they helped the batters see his pitches any better.
Dodgers need some fresh relief!
They might need some fresh ownership, too. Dodgers haven't been to the World Series since 1988, when they won it. Back then the O'Malley family owned the team – Peter and his sister, Susan Seidler, who had taken over management of the team when their father Walter O'Malley died in 1979. Walter had owned the team since 1950.
Peter and Susan sold the team to Fox (yeah, Rupert Murdoch) in 1998. In 2004, Fox sold the team to Frank McCourt, loaning him a big chunk of money so he could make the purchase. When Frank didn't repay the loan, Fox foreclosed on the Boston parking lots Frank had put up as collateral.
Now Frank and his estranged wife Jamie are embroiled in a very messy and very public divorce (you can google it; I'm not going there) and Frank had to borrow money to make the Dodgers' April payroll – $30 million. Who did he borrow it from? Fox, with whom he is hoping to sign a $3 billion broadcasting contract.
Now the word is that Frank won't be able to make the third payroll in May. (Players, coaches and team workers get paid every two weeks. May has three paydays.)
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has held up the $3 billion Fox contract pending his office's investigation of the Dodgers' finances. If Frank can't meet his payroll and other financial obligations, MLB will assume financial management of the team.
Meanwhile, this morning the Dodgers announced that Broxton has pain in his elbow.
Dodgers need some relief.
Just getting ready for the new game today. One thing I love about baseball: every game is a new one. Every day is new.
But there are some clouds hanging overhead.
That's not nearly as bad as five-and-a-half runs for every inning worked, but it's still the worst record in baseball this season.
Dodgers gotta get some relief!
Remember Eric Gagne and Game Over? Man, those days were amazing! And yes, maybe Eric had a little chemical assistance, but in those steroid days so did many of the batters he faced. The chemicals might have made him stronger, but they didn't help him hit the corners more sharply, any more than they helped the batters see his pitches any better.
Dodgers need some fresh relief!
They might need some fresh ownership, too. Dodgers haven't been to the World Series since 1988, when they won it. Back then the O'Malley family owned the team – Peter and his sister, Susan Seidler, who had taken over management of the team when their father Walter O'Malley died in 1979. Walter had owned the team since 1950.
Peter and Susan sold the team to Fox (yeah, Rupert Murdoch) in 1998. In 2004, Fox sold the team to Frank McCourt, loaning him a big chunk of money so he could make the purchase. When Frank didn't repay the loan, Fox foreclosed on the Boston parking lots Frank had put up as collateral.
Now Frank and his estranged wife Jamie are embroiled in a very messy and very public divorce (you can google it; I'm not going there) and Frank had to borrow money to make the Dodgers' April payroll – $30 million. Who did he borrow it from? Fox, with whom he is hoping to sign a $3 billion broadcasting contract.
Now the word is that Frank won't be able to make the third payroll in May. (Players, coaches and team workers get paid every two weeks. May has three paydays.)
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has held up the $3 billion Fox contract pending his office's investigation of the Dodgers' finances. If Frank can't meet his payroll and other financial obligations, MLB will assume financial management of the team.
Meanwhile, this morning the Dodgers announced that Broxton has pain in his elbow.
Dodgers need some relief.
Just getting ready for the new game today. One thing I love about baseball: every game is a new one. Every day is new.
But there are some clouds hanging overhead.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Slow Start
The Dodgers are off to a slow start this season. I know the off-season commentators had them picked to finish out of the running, but I had higher hopes.
I'm a Dodger fan, I admit, and I know that colors my thinking.
But I thought they would hit and pitch better than they are right now.
Ethier has hit in 29 straight games right now, and that's wonderful. And Kemp has hit in six straight. But not too many of those hits have resulted in runs. Some of the other guys are doing okay, but nobody's tearing it up.
Fielding has been pretty good. Some nice catches in the outfield (Ethier, Kemp, Gwynn, especially), good infield play by Carroll and Uribe....
But the pitching, frankly, has not been of the quality that we fans were promised before the season.
Starting pitching has been okay. Not stellar, but okay. Kershaw might become the next Koufax, but he's not there yet. And Billingsley is working his way to becoming a good reliable starter. It would be nice to think of them as a latter-day duo similar to Koufax and Drysdale.
But that's just my fan-self talking.
The big problem the Dodgers have right now is the bullpen.
Nominal closer Jonathan Broxton misses the plate too often, walking too many and thereby allowing opponent runs.
And the Dodgers don't have anyone in their bullpen who's any better. Dodger bullpen Earned Run Average is around 5.5! Five-and-a-half runs for every inning pitched!
Dodgers lost 4 - 1 tonight to the Cubs, giving up three runs in the 9th; Broxton walked two and they both scored.
He got the save last night, but tonight he couldn't find the strike zone. He got the loss. I feel bad for him, but at this level, getting as much money as he makes, he needs to do better. I'm sure he feels the same way.
And I wonder what the Dodgers are going to do?
hahahahahahahahaha! The real grinding season sets in!
I'm a Dodger fan, I admit, and I know that colors my thinking.
But I thought they would hit and pitch better than they are right now.
Ethier has hit in 29 straight games right now, and that's wonderful. And Kemp has hit in six straight. But not too many of those hits have resulted in runs. Some of the other guys are doing okay, but nobody's tearing it up.
Fielding has been pretty good. Some nice catches in the outfield (Ethier, Kemp, Gwynn, especially), good infield play by Carroll and Uribe....
But the pitching, frankly, has not been of the quality that we fans were promised before the season.
Starting pitching has been okay. Not stellar, but okay. Kershaw might become the next Koufax, but he's not there yet. And Billingsley is working his way to becoming a good reliable starter. It would be nice to think of them as a latter-day duo similar to Koufax and Drysdale.
But that's just my fan-self talking.
The big problem the Dodgers have right now is the bullpen.
Nominal closer Jonathan Broxton misses the plate too often, walking too many and thereby allowing opponent runs.
And the Dodgers don't have anyone in their bullpen who's any better. Dodger bullpen Earned Run Average is around 5.5! Five-and-a-half runs for every inning pitched!
Dodgers lost 4 - 1 tonight to the Cubs, giving up three runs in the 9th; Broxton walked two and they both scored.
He got the save last night, but tonight he couldn't find the strike zone. He got the loss. I feel bad for him, but at this level, getting as much money as he makes, he needs to do better. I'm sure he feels the same way.
And I wonder what the Dodgers are going to do?
hahahahahahahahaha! The real grinding season sets in!
Friday, April 1, 2011
2011 Season Game 2
Ha! Dodgers defeat the Giants again!
Terrific start to the season!
And what a wonderfully entertaining game!
Dodgers up, Giants take a lead, Dodgers come back thanks to Kemp's much improved baserunning....Dodgers take back the lead and the relief pitchers Guerrier (hope I spelled that right) and Broxton bring it home!
No team goes undefeated, and most teams win 50 games and lose 50 games and it's the other 64 that determine where they finish. And the Dodgers aren't expected to finish above 2nd place this season... New manager, new coaching staff, questions about ownership....
But the first two games have been very entertaining and had, from my point of view, wonderful results. What more could I want? Go Dodgers! Win every one! Hahahahahahahaha!
Terrific start to the season!
And what a wonderfully entertaining game!
Dodgers up, Giants take a lead, Dodgers come back thanks to Kemp's much improved baserunning....Dodgers take back the lead and the relief pitchers Guerrier (hope I spelled that right) and Broxton bring it home!
No team goes undefeated, and most teams win 50 games and lose 50 games and it's the other 64 that determine where they finish. And the Dodgers aren't expected to finish above 2nd place this season... New manager, new coaching staff, questions about ownership....
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
New Season
Give the outfield grass a final trim, the infield a last and very careful manicure. Play Springsteen on the sound system, followed by Bach. (We need good music to work to.) Hose off the bleachers.
Check the snack bar inventory one more time: hot dogs? buns? chips and cheese for nachos? candy? popcorn? soda? paper goods to hold everything? napkins? straws?
Opening day tomorrow! Lots to do, but I can't wait!
It's been a long winter, and a long (though quick) spring. And tomorrow the new season begins. New life for every team!
I can start in the morning and enjoy a full day of baseball, and finish with Dodgers v. Giants (last year's World Series winners) tomorrow at 5:00. Ain't life grand?
I love the idea that tonight, every team is tied for first place!
Check the snack bar inventory one more time: hot dogs? buns? chips and cheese for nachos? candy? popcorn? soda? paper goods to hold everything? napkins? straws?
Opening day tomorrow! Lots to do, but I can't wait!
It's been a long winter, and a long (though quick) spring. And tomorrow the new season begins. New life for every team!
I can start in the morning and enjoy a full day of baseball, and finish with Dodgers v. Giants (last year's World Series winners) tomorrow at 5:00. Ain't life grand?
I love the idea that tonight, every team is tied for first place!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Sheesh! The Season
Dodgers never did get it together this season.
At first it was the pitching. Dodgers' starting pitchers couldn't stay in the game long enough to be convincing, to get the job done.
Since the All-Star break, the starters have been great.... But everything else has broken down. The relief pitchers can't seem to provide relief. And nobody can hit! Dodgers are about 4 for 400 with runners in scoring position, don't have a single player with 25 homeruns, and only one, James Loney, with as many as 80 runs batted in.
General Manager Ned Colletti went out and got Ted Lilly to bolster the pitching staff, and that wasn't a bad move. And he got Rod Barajas to help fill in for the injured Russell Martin. But he didn't find a Manny to replace the faded Manny, who he let go for nothing, and he didn't find a closer, which the Dodgers desperately need.
Although you don't really need a closer if you can't score enough runs to take a lead into the 9th, do you?
The Dodgers started this season with high hopes and big plans. They end it with low results and small returns.... With the owner or owners locked in a divorce/ownership squabble that won't look good no matter how it comes out, and can only have a negative effect on the team for next year.
Sheesh!
At first it was the pitching. Dodgers' starting pitchers couldn't stay in the game long enough to be convincing, to get the job done.
Since the All-Star break, the starters have been great.... But everything else has broken down. The relief pitchers can't seem to provide relief. And nobody can hit! Dodgers are about 4 for 400 with runners in scoring position, don't have a single player with 25 homeruns, and only one, James Loney, with as many as 80 runs batted in.
General Manager Ned Colletti went out and got Ted Lilly to bolster the pitching staff, and that wasn't a bad move. And he got Rod Barajas to help fill in for the injured Russell Martin. But he didn't find a Manny to replace the faded Manny, who he let go for nothing, and he didn't find a closer, which the Dodgers desperately need.
Although you don't really need a closer if you can't score enough runs to take a lead into the 9th, do you?
The Dodgers started this season with high hopes and big plans. They end it with low results and small returns.... With the owner or owners locked in a divorce/ownership squabble that won't look good no matter how it comes out, and can only have a negative effect on the team for next year.
Sheesh!
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