Baseball is a kid’s game. Men play it as a way of making a living, and for most of them, life is good. Fans on the other hand do not see it that way. To many, it is a lifelong love affair with not the players, but the team. My love affair with baseball began at about 5 and a half. Saw my first game. Did not try playing until I was about 8. We moved too much. But playing all the different variations of a full player game, I came to love it. Over-the-line, three-flies out, hit the bat. It was great fun.
Being a native Angelino, a lot changed when the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958. I had seen a couple of minor league games with my uncle, but this was big league ball! Men getting paid maybe 20,000 dollars to play a game. If you divided LA’s total salaries for 58, 1,000,000, the 40-man roster was earning about 25 grand each. The highest paid player was Duke Snider at 44,000. Only Snider, Reese, Hodges and Newcombe were making 30,000 or more. The starting third baseman, Dick Gray, was making 4,000 a year. That was 1,100 dollars below the average in 1958. One reason why so many players had off season jobs.
How times have changed. The Dodgers payroll this season is 336,254,918.00 dollars. If you split that 40 ways it comes to over 8 mil per player. Of course that is not the case. Guys like Wrobleski, Casparius, Dreyer, are all getting the MLB minimum of 750,000. Other guys are on minor league or split contracts. Ohtani is getting just 2 million. But he will more than make up for it in the 10-years after his contract runs out. We can only speculate what he is hauling in for endorsements.
For a team paying that much money to its players, fans expect a lot more than what this team is showing on the field right now. Therein lies the rub. Fans expectations. Before the season started many were saying this team would set a record for the most wins in a season. Now they are fighting to just make it to 90, and even that seems far away. So, fans look for a scapegoat, or one singular reason. Problem is that it has been a combination of things that have led to LA fighting for its playoff life this September. For the last 12 years, the playoffs have seemed like a pre-ordained destination.
Today, they are up by 2 in their division with 11 to play. San Diego has 2 more against the Mets while LA finishes up with the Phillies and then faces the Giants for four games. The next six are against Arizona and Seattle, both in fights for their playoff lives. So, the Dodgers will be facing some hungry teams, and as we have seen, especially over the last month, teams supposedly weaker, are geared up for the Dodgers.
By the end of the Giants series, we should have some idea of how badly this team wants to win. They will either play like they have been, .500 ball barely, go on another losing streak, or suck it up and play some good old country hard ball and win some games. Either way, this season has been one of the most disappointing to fans in years.
With 4 elite SP’s, but a dearth of reliable high leverage arms and no real closer in the pen, the Dodgers must play to their strength and plan for their SP’s to go at least 7 innings for the rest of the season thru the playoffs (whenever those SP’s are on top of their game) ..just like Snell did last night. There’s no other winning formula for the post season.
Yes there is. Sheehan can boost pen, relievers can pitch better, Roberts can alter usage.
I would trust Vesia more than most. But Scott has had 3 good outings in a row, maybe he has found it, but yes, the starters hold the key.
Much needed win since the Padres beat the Mets. LA had to win to keep their two-game lead. Snell pitched great and other than a walk and a hit in the 9th off of Scott, Philly never really mounted a threat. Ohtani and Freddie with homers, but it was the bottom of the order that got them the 3-0 lead after Freddies homer. Rortvedt drove in the second run. Raliegh now has 56 homers, setting a record for a Mariner, passing Griffey Jr. and extending his record for most homers by a switch hitter. While the Dodgers start a four-game series with the Giants, the Padres finish their series with the Mets, then get the White Sox for three before playing Milwaukee and finishing up against the D-Backs.
And that’s why AF signed Snell. It’s up to the bullpen now. We’ll go as far as they allow us to.
I think they bring Heaney up at some point. He has been nails at AAA.
OKC lost to Tacoma 6-1. They had just 5 hits, Ruiz had 3 of them. But they made 4 errors.
Oh how we are spoiled.!!! ‘The most disappointing season to fans in years’. YIKES in first place. I might say ‘frustrating’, but certainly not disappointing. And the ‘real’ season is not yet started
I would disagree. Disappointing to many, frustrating to many more. This team was built to be a juggernaut. That it isn’t anywhere close to that is very disappointing. The ups and downs they have had, watching them strand so many runners, especially with the bases loaded, that is frustrating.
Considering the pre-season expectations for this team, they have been a huge disappointment. I thought the early season hype of 120 wins was pure crap. But I thought we would win 100.
Their strikeout rate is very frustrating for me.
And the biggest culprit is their 700-million-dollar man, Ohtani has struck out more than last year in less at bats. He has walked more, but still, last night, Freddie got it started, and Rortvedt got a key hit. Then Pages and Kike got the third run. Top of the order did zip until the 8th except for Freddie.
They don’t play baseball the way we grew up playing it. Unfortunately.
No, they do not, like I pointed out the other day, Babe Ruth never struck out more than 93 times in any one season, and he only did that three times. Ohtani approaches DiMaggio’s career number of Ks in just 2 years.
Whew!! Big win last night. Really needed it. 10 games to go for both the Puds and Dodgers. Dodgers definitely in the drivers seat. If we go 5-5 in the next 10, Puds would have to win 8 to take the division. I like our odds. Sure hope the bullpen finds some magic for the post season.
Pads have the Mets tonight while LA plays the Giants, Webb is pitching against Yoshi. But over the weekend while LA is battling the Giants, SD plays the White Sox, 3-7 in their last 10 and on a 6-game losing streak. Then after off Monday, LA finishes with two teams fighting for their playoff lives, the D-Backs, 1.5 games out of the Wild Card, and the Mariners, .5 out of first in the AL West. The Giants are only 2 out of the Wild Card, so the Dodgers next 10 games are all against potential playoff teams. After the Sox, SD plays the Brewers, who have already clinched their division. They finish against Arizona while the Dodgers play Seattle.
Whether this season is disappointing or not will be determined in October, not September.
This team was built to be a juggernaut sure, but the ultimate goal was winning it again in 2024. Once we know that answer, we can come to some conclusion, not before.
Different people see it in much different ways. To me, it has been a disappointing season, and also very frustrating. I expected better, and they have not displayed that. Am I to dismiss the bad baseball they have played against second string teams? Sorry, not in my DNA>
I like Rortvedt more and more. I wish he could hit a little better, but I wish I was in Hawaii, too. If my old eyes aren’t deceiving me I think I saw him last night, hold his breath when he swings. Never seen that.
Snell pitched great. His 62% strikes seemed better. I love it that he lobbied to stay in the game and to get through 7. And Doc listened. I like the fact that Doc trusted his veteran and got talked out of making the switch with Vesia 1/2 way to the mound.
Risky for Doc. If that blows up in his face, clowns like me had more ammo about his mistakes lately. Actually I supported Snell staying in. A 5 run lead didn’t hurt.
Tommy Edman’s catch in center in the 7th was a treat. He got turned around 3 times on his route and caught it off the heal; but he got it done. The guy just competes.
Scott was better but not there yet. A walk with a 5 run lead and 21 pitches isn’t great but at least he didn’t get blow off the mound.
Nice win
Oh Yeah, I forgot to bring up a pretty cool trivia question.
In 1961, Mickey Mantle hit his 54th homer as a switch hitter in game #151 for the Yankees vs the Red Sox. Rookie Carl Yastrzemski was in left field for the Sox
Day before yesterday, Cal Raleigh hit his 55th and 56th homers again KC in game #151, to break Mantle’s record.
Guess who was in leftfield for the Royals?
If you said Mike Yastrzemski you are the winner, winner, chicken dinner.
That is neat. I forgot Yaz was traded to KC. I kept looking for him in the Giants lineup. Yoshi against Webb tonight. What I would like is a win and a Padres loss.
Well, Pads Mets are playing now. I agree, let’s go Mets!
What’s crazy is, we get SF for 4, and the Pads are off to Chicago to play the White Sox for 3. So we need to play some good baseball!!
Mets 6, Padres 1 in the top of the 8th inning. LA should be able to pick up a game on these guys.
Should be playing with house money tonight. Hope we can cash it in.
MLB ordered a moratorium for scouting draft eligible players from October 15th to January 15th. This applies only to US born players, not international players. It is to encourage younger players to get rest between seasons.
Speaking of 1958 Dodger salaries, it’s a hoot and humbling to look at us old timers earnings report on our Social Security statements
In 1958 I hadn’t done any of that yet, got my SSA card when I was 17.
Mets beat Pads, 6-1. LA lead at 2.5. Can make it three with a win tonight. LA hitters have 10 homers off of Webb in his career. SF just 2 off of Yashi.
Announced by the Dodger just now that Kershaw will retire after this season.
Is Knapp next in line as a K-HOF Dodger pitcher or is there a Kname lurking somewhere in the Minors?
This is a bittersweet day for me. All things come to an end. I have been a huge fan of Kersh’s since he hit AA in jacksonville in 2007. I have explained why Clayton Kershaw is my favorite all time Dodger over Koufax. I hope it will be the largest audience in LAD history for Friday’s game vs SF. That will be the last regular season game he will ever pitch at Dodger Stadium. He will go out as a lifelong LAD, and the first since Bill Russell, I believe. Bear will correct me if I am wrong.
Now let’s play and win the WS for #22, a first ballot HOF. Nobody will ever wear that # again.
From beginning to end, Andre Ethier spent his entire MLB career as a Dodger. Was obtained from the A’s. But Reese and Furillo also came from other organizations. Reese was a Red Sox farm hand, and Furillo from a minor league organization as part of a working agreement. Brooklyn had to buy an entire franchise to get him. Kershaw and Russell are the only two LA draft picks who spent their entire career with the team.
I”m so happy I was able to attend that 3,000k game. It was an absolute honor
A great memory to have going forward, Bobby. Any idea how many games you’ve seen CK pitch in his career?
Oh man, zero idea. Etiher way, what a ride.
End of an era, CK to retire. Unable to upload photo of announcement from X.
From LA Times
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There will be a 5:30 presser today.
Kersh announcement
Just heard the news on the radio. What a career. First ballot HOF in 2031. Should be unanimous.
Kersh is the only pitcher in MLB history with 3,000 SO, a sub 3.00 ERA and less than 100 losses. Only four 3K pitchers with a career ERA under 3.00. Pedro Martinez, Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, and Walter Johnson. All have over 100 losses except Pedro who has exactly 100 losses and 219 wins. Kersh is at 222-96, 2.53 ERA.
Kersh pitching tomorrow night. I see where ticket prices just skyrocketed for tomorrows game. Maybe RBI will be there.
And another one!
Kings great Anze Kopitar just announced that this upcoming 2025-2026 season will be his last season as well.
What a day!
Giants line 1 run 1 hit 10 walks 14 strikeouts. Has to be one of the weirdest wins ever. Rortvedt right in the middle of it again.