My Kindle version of: The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness by Andy McCullough, was just released, and as I started to read it, the opening paragraph in the Epilogue hit me. I am wearing my Walker Buehler jersey today, and right away, I thought of Buehler when reading it:
“Clayton Kershaw once tried to explain to his wife, Ellen, the longevity of his friend Zack Greinke. What made Greinke special, well into his second decade in baseball, was his capacity for reinvention. Greinke could transform himself—finding new pitches, new patterns, new ideas—to stay elite.”
After Clayton made that comment, Ellen asked him: “What about you? You don’t reinvent yourself.”
His response? “I am just trying to figure out how to make what I do keep on working.”
Maybe Kersh did not reinvent himself, but he sure had to adjust what he did to make him elite, and to continue being elite.
Buehler does not need to totally “reinvent” himself, but he does need to figure out how to make what he does keep on working. That may mean finding new pitches, new patterns, new ideas. But he is no longer that 200 IP/200 K, 100 MPH pitcher. Acknowledge it, accept it, and move on. Be an elite 120-140 IP pitcher. Kershaw did.
We fans need to be patient with Walker’s progress, because he has the potential to be the absolute best trade deadline addition. The same with Kershaw. They are both being groomed for October, so let’s let the process work itself out. There will be rough games from both pitchers that we fans have to expect. The trade deadline is needed to pick up assets that will help the team reach and win a WS. What team would not jump at the chance to add a Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw, even if they are not at their old elite of the elite selves.
I just started to read the book, but it sure portends to be one that I will read multiple times. Once I complete the book, I will give a book report.
Miscellaneous Notes:
And yet another setback for the Giants. Keaton Winn was removed from last night’s game because of forearm tightness. He is scheduled to me Dr. ElAttrache for an MRI and another review.
Blake Snell will be making his first rehab start Friday against OKC in Sacramento. There will be too many SFG fans for me to go to that one. If my knees cooperate, I will be going to Saturday’s game.
The Dodgers will be dodging a potentially tough LHSP with the Reds. Damien High School’s (La Verne) Nick Lodolo is off to a very good start for Cincinnati. He is being placed on the 15-day IL. He will miss both series against the Dodgers because of a groin injury.
A longer twitter video on Partick Copen’s last outing.
Patrick Copen turned in another GREAT outing for Rancho.
7 IP
3 H
0 R
4 Ks
1 BB
ERA down to 2.93, 31 Ks on the year to just 13 BBs. 2nd start in a row he has not allowed a run (12 IP). 4S, 2S, Cutter, Slider Curve, change & so big & very explosive mix. Stay Tuned! #dodgers pic.twitter.com/GtDWJ5JoKE— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 15, 2024
22 years old at low A. I would like to see what he could do at Great Lakes. I would hope that he would start at AA next year as a 23 year old.
Bluto asked about LHP I have my eye on. I mentioned one that I like without looking is Robinson Ortiz. See below:
Robinson Ortiz has made a splash on his re entry & hasn't allowed a run in his 3 outings that spans 5 IP. Believe it or not, he's yet to strike anybody out, but the way his ball moves, he's not getting hit. Big prospect back in '21, did not pitch last 2 years due to injury.… pic.twitter.com/wuhB9NYpEu
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 15, 2024
Next – A personal note:
I just spent $400 so that I could add Bear with direct access to my site. I have some fun things coming up and some not so fun things, and I do not want to have the site go partially dormant in my absence. Bear will be writing and publishing in my absence and will have total comment moderation.
I will be leaving July 9 – July 21 for a cruise for our 50th anniversary present to ourselves. I will have my computer, but I really do not want to have to write. I may write something while we are on sea days, but we will be with friends, so the time will be very limited. Our friend Rob Schelling is coming out of retirement to write on the draft and the trade deadline. This should help Bear out as well. There are others out there who follow the draft very well. I looking at you STB. Anything you can offer will help as well.
I will be back a week, then the following weekend (July 26-28) I will be in Simi Valley for a vow renewal ceremony and a 50th wedding anniversary party of very close and dear friends. Actually we were both in each other’s wedding 50 years ago.
When I get back from Simi, I will be going in for knee replacement surgery on July 30. I have no idea how long I will be incapacitated from the surgery. I do know my surgery is scheduled for the final day of the trade deadline.
While I will be in Pismo Beach next Thursday through Sunday, I hope to have enough posts ready to be published. Bear already has one in the queue and we are working on others.
As Bear indicated yesterday, if anyone has ideas for a post you would like to cover, please let him know so he can start his research.
Also, if anyone out there would like to assist with writing a post, please let me know and I can make arrangements. It would be immensely appreciated. Let me know in a response or email me – jeffdominique@hotmail.com.
In the interim, I usually have a high threshold of pain, but I got an allergic reaction to the arthritic cream I was using, and I have not had a replacement approved by my doctor. So there are days that I am lying down with ice bags on my knees and do not have the time to write a new post, or a comprehensive MiLB Game Summary Reports. So please bear with me. Things we enjoy in our youth have a painful impact as we age. And yet, knowing the pain I have now, I would not have changed playing football
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
Sacramento River Cats (Giants) 4 – OKC Baseball Club 1
Ben Casparius had another outstanding start for OKC. He went 6.0 solid innings, allowing 1 run, 3 hits, 2 walks. His strikeout pitch was not there as he only registered 3 Ks. 71 pitches (45 strikes).
Another strong outing by Ben Casparius in his second Triple-A start:
6.0 IP | 3 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 2 BB | 3 K
Ended his day by making Jorge Soler look foolish on a slider. pic.twitter.com/hT8HQy8Xdy
— Alex Freedman (@azfreedman) May 16, 2024
Drew Avans led off the game with his 2nd HR of the season. And that was it for OKC’s offense.
Instant offense courtesy of Drew Avans who leads off the game with a homer! pic.twitter.com/5IDcJcqUit
— Oklahoma City Baseball Club (@okc_baseball) May 16, 2024
Casparius’ lone problem inning was the 4th. He got 2 quick outs, but then walked a batter on 4 pitches. He stole 2nd and scored on Hunter Bishop’s single.
Matt Gage relieved Casparius and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits and a BB, including an inside the park HR for Hunter Bishop.
Drew Pomeranz pitched a clean 9th with 2 Ks. This was Pomeranz’s first appearance since April 20, and he has three consecutive scoreless appearances.
- Drew Avans – 1-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (2)
- Kevin Padlo – 2-3, 1 BB
- Austin Gauthier – 2-4
- Jason Heyward – 0-3, 1 BB
But, let’s look at a little J-Hey D.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Jason Heyward has won five Gold Gloves in his career. pic.twitter.com/3hnx5dEYhx
— Oklahoma City Baseball Club (@okc_baseball) May 16, 2024
Wichita Wind Surge (Twins) 7 – Tulsa Drillers 1
It was a little more of the same negative results in this one. Kendall Williams continues to falter, and falter quite a bit.
The Tulsa Drillers struggles at home continued Wednesday afternoon. The defeat marked the fifth straight home loss for the Drillers, and it dropped their season record at home to just 5-13.
The Drillers took an initial lead in the game with a run in the first inning when Alex Freeland led off with a base hit and later scored on a two-out single from Griffin Lockwood-Powell.
Tulsa starting pitcher Kendall Williams kept the Wind Surge scoreless through the first two innings before Emmanuel Rodriguez tripled with one-out in the third and scored on a double by Jeferson Morales to tie the game at 1-1.
The game got away from Williams and the Drillers in the bottom of the fourth. Wichita loaded the bases thanks to a pair of walks and a hit batter. That set the stage for a two-run double by Kyler Fedko. After another walk, Sauryn Lao replaced Williams.
Lao was greeted by consecutive run-scoring singles before an infield grounder brought in the fifth and final run of the inning, giving the Wind Surge a 6-1 lead.
Wichita’s Jake Rucker closed out the day’s scoring with a solo home run in the top of the seventh.
Williams suffered the loss, dropping his season record to 1-4. The right-hander was charged with six runs on six hits in 3.1 innings.
Tulsa had only one hit after the third inning. It was a single from Austin Beck in the eighth.
Great Lakes Loons 8 – Dayton Dragons (Reds) 5
Maddux Bruns continues his mastery of the Midwest League batters. He pitched his second consecutive 4.0 scoreless inning start. He has not allowed a run in his last 11 innings. In those 11 scoreless innings, he has allowed 6 hits, generated 19 Ks, and amazingly allowed only 4 BB. However there is still work to do as he threw 71 pitches (45 strikes), almost 18 pitches per inning. Bruns’ pitch counts:
- 1st inning – 11 pitches
- 2nd inning – 16 pitches
- 3rd inning – 22 pitches
- 4th inning – 22 pitches
Maddux Bruns has been a man on a mission in 2024, and he delivered again, lowering his ERA to a microscopic 0.71 with another fantastic, scoreless outing for Great Lakes today:
4.0 IP
2 hits
0 runs
1 BB
7 Ks ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/vIwwI8zAkN— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) May 16, 2024
Great Lakes got out to a 5-0 lead in the 6th. Dayton got within 1 run in the 7th. Great Lakes seemingly put it away in the 9th.
In the 2nd inning Jake Gelof reached on a BB and moved to 2nd on a Thayron Liranzo single. Chris Newell singled home Gelof, but Liranzo was out at the plate, with Newell moving to 2nd. Luis Rodriguez doubled home Newell.
In the 3rd, a Dylan Campbell BB and a pair of doubles by Gelof and Newell plated 2.
The Loons got one more in the 6th. Sam Mongelli singled, stole 2nd and scored on a Kyle Nevin single.
Franklin De La Paz relieved Michael Martinez in the 6th. 2 singles, a WP, and sac fly and the Dragons got on the board.
The Dragons got close in the 7th. With Livan Reinoso on the bump, a BB, HBP, triple, and single got 3 on the board and the Dragons were within 1.
Great Lakes put up 3 in the 9th. A walk to Dylan Campbell, Jake Gelof single, and a walk to Chris Newell loaded the bases. Campbell scored on a WP and Gelof and Newell both moved up. Sam Mongelli singled and both runners scored.
With Lucas Wepf back on the mound for his 2nd inning, he allowed a solo HR, but then retired the side, and recorded his 5th save.
- Jake Gelof – 2-3, 2 BB, 3 runs, double (3)
- Thayron Liranzo – 2-5
- Chris Newell – 2-4, 1 BB, 2 runs, 3 RBI, double (7)
- Sam Mongelli – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI
- Luis Rodriguez double (3)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5 – Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) 2
The Quakes struck in the 1st inning. Wilman Diaz singled and stole 2nd. Jeral Perez drew a BB. Diaz and Perez pulled off a double steal with one out. Diaz scored the Quakes’ 1st run on a fielder’s choice ground out.
Jose Rodriguez followed up a very poor outing with a very good one. He started and completed 5.0 innings. He threw 77 pitches (53 strikes). He allowed 2 runs (1 earned), and once again the strikeout pitch was working. He struck out 9 in his 5.0 IP.
Jose Rodriguez went with a different plan of attack today, primarily leaning on his secondaries (perhaps by design?), but he racked up a strong number of whiffs anyway, picking 19 in his strong outing for Rancho:
5.0 IP
5 hits
2 runs (1 earned)
1 BB
9 Ks pic.twitter.com/hJeWiZo1rr— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) May 15, 2024
In the 2nd, Rodriguez gave up his only walk of the night to the leadoff batter. He then threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt. A 1-out single scored the tying run.
RC picked up 2 in the 3rd. Diaz reached on an error and scored ahead of Josue De Paula’s 1st HR of the year.
Josue De Paula, Baseball America's top ranked prospect for the #Dodgers, just hit his first homer of the 2024 season: pic.twitter.com/cCL0CiQHmy
— Josh Thomas (@jokeylocomotive) May 15, 2024
In the 5th, a pair of singles, a sac bunt, and ground out gave the 66ers their 2nd run.
In the Quakes’ 7th, Juan Alonso and Wilman Diaz hit 1-out singles. Josue De Paula walked to load the bases, and Jeral Perez singled home Alonso and Diaz.
Three Quakes’ relievers shut out the 66ers over the remaining 4.0 innings. Reynaldo Yean picked up his 3rd save.
- Wilman Diaz – 2-4, 3 runs
- Josue De Paula – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (9), HR (1)
- Jeral Perez – 1-3, 1 BB, 2 RBI
LAD ACL team did not play.
Copen – if he continues like this he could definitely head to Great Lakes by July and start next year at Tulsa.
Ortiz – when I look at him, he reminds me of Urias out there on the mound.
Rodriguez – He’s 6’6″ and with that wrap around windup I can imagine that the ball is very hard for hitters to pick up. Got to keep our eyes on him. He might be a sleeper.
Yean hit 104 on the radar gun yesterday, I believe.
Happy anniversary!
An article from SI.com on our prospect Reynaldo Yean:
https://www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/news/the-dodgers-might-have-the-next-superstar-flamethrower-in-single-a-01hy1h8sy0pj
Dodgers lose Sheehan for the year with TJ surgery. Reds have shut down the Dodgers offense tonight on just two hits, a single by Taylor and an infield hit by Teoscar Hernandez. Last time the Dodgers were held to two hits, was last year by the Reds. Ohtani went 0-2 on his bobblehead night with a strikeout and a walk. 1300 of the 40,000 bobbleheads that were given out were in the team’s road greys. They will be rare and fetch a high price on Ebay.
The most disappointing game of the year. Our ace against their bullpen and we lay an egg. A pathetic effort.
Great life events! Have fun on your cruise! Regarding the knees, I’ve had both done 18 months apart. I play pickleball 4-5 times a week now. Here is good advice from a knee vet. The first 3-5 days are crummy, just expect it. Sleep as much as you can, via pills if need be. Pee in a bottle as much as possible. After day 3 the sun will begin to shine! Mine work great, bet yours will too! Good luck!