A couple of days ago, Scott wrote:
He’s (Mookie) getting a CT scan and not playing the entire weekend, it’s more serious than they are letting on.
No chance of winning a title this year, NONE
Looking forward to 2024 Spring training and seeing the young kids develop.
I’m assuming getting a CT scan is not good.
CT Scan – Technically it is called Computed Tomography. It is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce images of the inside of the body. It shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, organs and blood vessels.
Scott, I have to assume that you have never had a CT Scan or you would have known that it is not as big of an ordeal as you seemed to let on. An X-ray will tell you if a bone is broken, but nothing on tendons or ligaments. Mookie’s X-rays showed no broken bones. A CT scan gives an image of the entire injured area to determine if there is additional damage. I have had multiple CT scans, including one looking for kidney stones.
My first experience with imaging came with a football injury to my knees. Two knees taken out on one play. For reasons that are not important, I was not taken to the doctor right away, but have suffered with severe knee pain since that injury. 14 years later I was on an exercise trampoline and my left knee buckled. I went to the orthopedic doctor the next day and was given an arthrogram, which is a lot more painful than a CT scan. Dye is injected into the knee so that an image of tendons and ligaments can be seen. Then the dye is drawn out the same way.
The doctor could see that there was a new meniscus tear, but was not sure what other damage there could be. A lot of scarring. After he went into the knee to repair the meniscus he learned that the knee suffered significant damage in 1968, and by using my knee, it never properly healed and would give me problems the rest of my life. It has!!
If I had the arthrogram in 1968, my knees my be better today instead of waiting for dual knee replacements.
Imaging is a great piece of medical science. So NO, a CT scan is not a procedure to be feared that something is wrong. It certainly could be, but it is quite often given to allay fears and let the player know when they might continue without further damage. And as we know, Mookie was not out for the entire weekend. So it really wasn’t more serious than we were led to believe.
Scott, you were wrong about the CT scan being a forebearer of bad news. You were wrong about Mookie being out all weekend. And you are definitely wrong that the Dodgers have “No chance of winning a title this year, NONE.”
And IMO you were also wrong about Miggy Rojas, and Austin Barnes.
But you are not alone with that belief. So many LAD fans have already quit on this team throughout the blogosphere (including my son). He learned from the most stubborn hard head, and he and I have had some loud conversations. I admit I am a Pollyanna with rose colored glasses while following the Dodgers. I will always believe they will win it all…until they don’t. Not only you, but all of us Dodgers fans have been disappointed with the playoff losses.
I can remember them all as if they were yesterday:
- 2013 – Lost to St. Louis in NLCS
- 2014 – Lost to St. Louis in NLDS
- 2015 – Lost to NYM in NLDS – I still have nightmares of Daniel Murphy
- 2016 – Lost to Chicago Cubs in NLCS
- 2017 – Cheated by the Asterisks in the WS
- 2018 – Lost to Boston in WS (Beat a better Milwaukee team to get there)
- 2019 – Lost to Washington in NLDS – This is one I will always blame Dave Roberts for.
- 2021 – Lost to Atlanta in NLCS
- 2022 – Lost to San Diego in NLDS
But that does not mean we should quit on them this year. They aren’t quitting. There are no Max Scherzer’s on this team.
I often wonder why fans dismiss the current year so easily and so early. Is it so the disappointment will not be as painful? I would rather believe that the Dodgers will win and suffer the painful disappointment.
It isn’t just the Dodgers. USC beat the snot out of Stanford, and SOOOO many alums/fans were still not happy.
Over the years, I have developed a true fondness for Dodgerrick who I have often respectfully battled with. He would continually tell us why the Dodgers would lose, while I would continually write why they would win. Dodgerrick is a 100% died-in-the-wool true LAD fan who looks at results differently than I did (do).
I was glad that Rick did not disappoint when I wrote positively about Emmet Sheehan, and he did not agree with my outlook. I was fully expecting him to comment on Sheehan’s last start. Contrary to many (not all), I did not believe his last outing was that awful. He deserved better with at least average 3B defense.
The Dodgers might not win it all. But they certainly have a better than zero chance. The Dodgers could have 5 rookies on the NLDS roster, including 4 pitchers. James Outman will be the CF. The rookie pitchers are sure to include Bobby Miller and Ryan Pepiot who will almost certainly be in the rotation. Emmet Sheehan and Michael Grove could join Ryan Yarbrough as bulk inning relievers. It is entirely possible that we will see multiple piggyback games for LAD. That could give them their best chance at winning. Many will disagree, but so many LAD pitchers are good in 3-4-5 inning outings.
The offense is full of seasoned veterans who have battled. The stage will not be too big for Mookie, Freddie, Max, JDM, J-Hey, David Peralta, CT3, Kiké, Will Smith, Miggy Rojas, Austin Barnes, Amed. Their test will be as it was last year: hitting WRISP. Will we see more Freddie approaches?
Then again, maybe the rookies will fall apart in the playoffs, and the LAD bats will freeze WRISP. As Doc said, they are not worried about the rookie pitchers’ “stuff”, just whether or not they can handle the pressure of the big stage. They have never done it, so there is no history to reflect back on. We will not know until we actually get to the playoffs. But before then, why assume they will lose?
Scott, you may have been the impetus for this post, but I am not trying to single you out. If I did not respect your POV or your affinity for LAD, I would not comment. I know you love the Dodgers, and I have never thought otherwise. You believe the way a lot of LAD fans do. I and others simply disagree. You are always welcomed to come here and disagree with anyone. If you want to believe the Dodgers have no chance, that is fine. But if we disagree with you, and do not attack, please show the same respect to us. Rick would always support his beliefs. They were well thought out and articulated. There has never been a venomous attack made by or to Rick (that I can remember). I cannot say the same for me.
The above picture is from Kim Dettmer, an artist whose mission is for her art and writing to bring a little bit of HAPPY into the world one piece at a time. With the article’s picture she wrote:
Permission to Wear Rose Colored Glasses
See the positive.
Surround yourself with good.
Look for the bright side.
Be generous to others.
Change negative thoughts.
Observe the beauty all around you.
Walk away from bitching and complaining.
Be grateful.
Ignore the cynics.
Have a gracious heart.
Rid yourself of toxic people.
Give grace.
Live with love.
Believe that good always wins.
When it comes to the Dodgers, USC (3-0), Green Bay (1-0), and my grandsons soccer and hockey games, I will always be wearing my rose colored glasses.
BTW – Sorry Bobby that my Pack beat your Bears. Okay not really sorry.
09-10-2023 MiLB Game Summary Report
OKC Dodgers 4 – Sugar Land Space Cowboys 1
Mike Montgomery threw a scoreless 2-hit 6.0 innings. It was the longest outing of the year for Montgomery. Trevor Bettencourt allowed the Space Cowboys lone run on a WP. Alec Gamboa pitched a scoreless and hitless 1.1 IP to earn his first AAA save.
In the 3rd, OKC got three singles from Hunter Feduccia, Pat Valaika, and Drew Avans to load in the bases. Feduccia scored on a DP and Valaika went to 3rd. After Michael Busch was HBP, Jonny Deluca hit into a fielder’s choice with Valaika scoring. Ryan Ward drew a BB to load the bases again. Óscar Mercado got an infield single to plate Busch for the third run.
Hunter Feduccia singled in a run in the 6th. Hunter Feduccia was the lone OKC batter to have two hits. All OKC hits were singles (7).
This was OKC’s 84th win of the season. It is the 3rd time OKC during the Bricktown Era (1998) has recorded 84 wins. The other two teams were 2015 and 2022. They also set a new Bricktown-era single-season team record for road wins with 45. They also have recorded the most road wins in all of MiLB.
Springfield Cardinals 4 – Tulsa Drillers 3 m 10 innings
This extra inning loss gave the Drillers 9 consecutive games, a feat they have not accomplished since 2002. It is the first time Tulsa has been swept in a 6 game series since the format changed in 2021.
Tulsa scored the first run for the fourth time in the series in the third inning of Sunday’s finale. With two outs and a runner at first base, Austin Gauthier singled down the first base line to score Ismael Alcantara.
Gauthier and Alcantara connected again in the 5th to put the Drillers back in front. Gauthier singled to right to score Alcantara from second base to give the Drillers a 2-1 lead.
Tulsa starting pitcher Kendall Williams exited the game in line for the win with two outs in the sixth inning. Williams allowed one run, issued just two walks and struck out four in his seventh start for Tulsa.
Springfield scored the tying run in the 7th of Antonio Knowles to mark his 2nd blown save.
In the 10th, the Drillers managed to score the placed runner in extra innings when a sacrifice bunt and a throwing error plated Tulsa’s fourth run.
Drillers pitcher Kevin Gowdy began the Cardinals half of the tenth by issuing two walks that loaded the bases. Chandler Redmond matched Tulsa’s run by tying the game with a sacrifice fly. Gowdy struck out the next batter before Manager Juan Apodaca turned to Ryan Sublette out of the bullpen. The first batter Sublette faced singled down the third base line to score the winning run.
Tulsa had 8 hits, all singles.
Key Offensive Performers:
- Austin Gauthier – 2-5, 2 RBIs
- CF Ismael Alcantara – 2-3, 2 runs
Great Lakes Loons 4 – West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit) 1
In what was the Great Lakes final regular season game, Jared Karros (4.0) and Peter Heubeck (2.0) combined for 6 scoreless innings on 5 hits. Three Loons pitchers finished the game and each pitched an inning in relief with only 1 unearned run in the 9th. In 13.0 IP, Karros has lowered his Great Lakes ERA to 0.69. In 70.2 IP with Rancho Cucamonga, Karros compiled a 3.95 ERA in the extremely hitter friendly Cal League. Karros has had an excellent 2023 season.
The Loons beat highly regarded Detroit RHP Jackson Jobe for the 2nd time in 5 days (September 5 and September 10). Jobe is Detroit #3 and MLB #54 top prospect.
GL scored their 4 runs (1 earned) on 9 hits (8 singles).
On Tuesday, Great Lakes begins their quest for the Midwest League championship against Fort Wayne TinCaps (San Diego) on the road in game 1 of a best of 3 series for the East Division Championship. Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) will be played in Great Lakes on Thursday and Friday.
Key Offensive Performers:
- Taylor Young – 2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, double (21), sacrifice fly
- Dalton Rushing – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 8 – Visalia Rawhide (Arizona) 6
Jake Gelof continued his amazing week, as the Quakes completed the 2023 regular season with an 8-6 win over Visalia, giving them three straight wins and five of six in the series as they head into the Cal League Playoffs.
Gelof, who slugged four homers in the series, drove in five runs and put the Quakes on the board in the first inning, giving the Quakes a lead they would not relinquish. He finished with two hits, with his other hit being a two-out, bases-clearing double to put the game away in the sixth.
For the month of September, Gelof took off as the prospect the Dodgers thought he might be. He batted .308, .341/.744/1.085 in 41 PA for the month. For September, Jake had 5 HR, 2 doubles, and 17 RBI. Far from a finished product, he struck out nearly 30% in September and for the season.
Joe Kelly, who was credited with the win, faced two batters and retired them both, using just four pitches in his second and most likely, final tune-up in a Rancho uniform.
Rancho collected 12 hits, with Jordan Thompson leading the way with a season-best three knocks on the day.
Liam Doolan was solid in relief, as he allowed just one run over three innings, while Livan Reinoso closed out his third save in the ninth by striking out the side.
Rancho starts the California League Southern Division Playoff round. They will play Lake Elsinore 66ers (LAA) in a best of three series. The series starts in Lake Elsinore on Tuesday and Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) will be at Rancho on Thursday and Friday.
Key Offensive Performers:
- Jordan Thompson – 3-4, 1 BB, 2 runs
- Jake Gelof – 2-5, 1 run, 5 RBI, double (8), HR (5)
- Luis Rodriguez – 2-4
Lo and behold! Joe Davis was the Fox announcer for the 49er/Pittsburgh game. It was as it he had replaced his Dodger mellow Vin persona, with one that was on some kind of speed. Strange to say the least, and telling, too. A chamelion. What a machine the 49ers have!! It reminded me of the Braves this year, playing at a level above the rest of the pack. Even my rose colored glasses changed their hue! It’s not that the Dodgers have a bad team, but without Kershaw to lead the staff, there is no playoff experience in our rotation. Our pitching staff is under construction. Of course I want them to win but in the face of reality, it’s hard to believe in this team going all the way. Must I remind you, Jeff, of what happened last season?
Lance Lynn has pitched in 27 postseason games.
Somehow, I fail to be impressed.
Am not forgetting. I am remembering. The best team does not always win the tournament. Let the games play out.
Sheesh, get over it already. Last season was last season. The Padres are not making the playoffs. My only bitch is the 5 days off. They need to make better use of that time. You worrying about what happened last year is akin to me being mad about 1962!
Rose colored glasses. Unless they are dark to protect from glare, or they can magnify print, I don’t believe they would help me much.
From rose colored glasses to crystal balls:
I don’t believe this pitching staff is good enough. That’s my brutally honest opinion. I doubt we score 8 against the better pitching we will see in the postseason. We know from past experience that anything can happen in the playoffs. The teams with the best record will be there, and the money will likely tell us Atlanta and Baltimore/Houston, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
I still like our chances because of of our offense and our bullpen. I still view starting pitching as our Achilles heel
No need to apologize. I had already assumed Jordan Love would continue the trend, and he did just that. But Chicago is a fun city with good pizza, so I continue to go once a year and have a blast.
I think I read yesterday that Gelof has 4-5 errors this month. Is this just a growing pains thing? Wasn’t he supposed to be a good defender at 3b?
Kendall George looks like a nice pick. So far. Be fun to see how these guys do in the playoffs.
*sandwiches
I do not believe Jake Gelof is considered anything more than an average 3B whose position is more likely to be 1B or LF. For 2023 MiLB – 4 errors in 240 innings and 67 chances. .940 fielding percentage. Here are three scouting reports on his defense:
Prospects Live: Gelof is very capable at third, with good hands, a quick transfer, and a strong, accurate arm. He doesn’t have much side-to-side quickness, however, and may fit better at first or an outfield corner.
Baseball America: Gelof is a below-average runner and workman-like defender at third base, though he has average arm strength and has done a nice job on in-between plays and throwing on the run on difficult slow rollers.
MLB Pipeline: The jury is out over where Gelof will play defensively long-term. He has more than enough arm to stay at third and some feel he moves well enough to stick there, but he has seen time at first and some see a move across the infield in his future.
Oakland was hoping his brother (Zack) would take over for Matt Chapman at 3B, but he has transitioned to 2B and done very well there.
Believing they will win it all or expecting them to win it all is different than hoping they win it all or knowing they could win it all.
My definition of wearing rose colored glasses is being blindly optimistic instead of being realistic.
Do I hope we win it all? Absolutely! Do I expect we will win it all? No. Do I believe that once we get into the playoffs we might win it all? Yes of course. Miller and Pepiot might pitch great and we win games by scores of 2-1 or 3-2. Roberts might masterfully mix Lynn/Yarborough and Kershaw/Grove to win their games. Or not. Nobody knows, that’s part of the fun.
I love this team and the front office( except for one marketing faux paus). I’ve been a Dodger fan all my life starting back in the late Koufax/ Drysdale era, so there’s that!
So much stupid stuff has happened in postseason series over the years that anyone who goes with chalk is just guessing like the rest of us. It’s a coin-flipping contest that someone, by definition, will win.
It’s hard not to be optimistic with this management.
It’s also hard not to get attention in print with positivity. This has been examined many times, but the Facebook algorithm and Twitter’s new one. Antagonism breeds response, and for some responses are the same as validation.
There’s also a very weird subset of Dodger fans who have an innate antipathy for Friedman. First it was the Tampa thing (small market mentality) now it’s an over-reliance on stats (even though every single successful team is analytically driven.)
I think that last point may just be nostalgia.
On the subject of nostalgia:
Enjoyed this, thanks. The ultimate pitch.
Hey Jeff. As long as you are mentioning my POV…
The Dodgers of the 40s-50s (The Boys of Summer) were characterized by great offense and so-so pitching. 5 Hall of Famers among the starting 8 position players, but no pitchers. The manager de jour (Burt Shotton, Charlie Dressen, Walter Alston) would find a few pitchers he liked and pitch him until his arm fell off, so by the post-season, their pitchers were mostly ineffective or over-tired.
The Dodgers of 1959-1966 had mostly so-so offenses but good to great pitching, with one of the best post-season pitchers of all time (Koufax) riding to the rescue. As a result, Boys of Summer were 1 out of 6 in the Series , but the Koufax Dodgers were 3 out of 4.
The Dodgers of 1988 were inept offensively but had good pitching with Hersheiser being other-worldly.
In short, good pitching gives you a chance to win in the post-season. Bad pitching makes it really hard.
The Dodgers this year have had maybe the worst starting pitching that I can remember since I started following the team in 1965. Lance Lynn has allowed 12 HR in 40 IP since joining the Dodgers. There is no way I want him pitching in the post-season. May, Gonsolin and Urias won’t be available. All of those guys have been high-quality SP, and Urias has been good in the post-season in the past. Kershaw is a warrior, but I don’t know how much he has left in the tank. That leaves a group of mostly unsuccessful rookies.
Bobby Miller has ace-quality stuff. He still suffers from growing pains on occasion, but he has to be in the post-season rotation. Pepiot has looked great in a very small sample size. Sheehan has had a large enough sample size to tell me he’s not yet ready. Maybe next year? Grove has been mostly bad all year. And Stone has had 1 good start in 5.
If pitching gives you a chance to win, the Dodgers don’t have enough of it this year.
Thanks for responding. The Dodgers do not have starting pitching. Because of that they could try something different…like piggybacking. I am not predicting they will. This organization does not always go with what has happened in the past. They will try different strategies. They did not come up with the shift, but they perfected it. They may not have come up with piggybacking, but they have the arms that can succeed in a short series with that strategy. LAD management is not stupid. They know they do not have stellar proven SP. How to get around it?
Will it work? Probably not. But is there a zero chance that they will succeed? No.
I remember last year when the Dodgers were favored, but so many would have taken the field. It is hard to win the pennant much less the World Series. The Dodgers have won 3 of the last 6 NL Pennants, and should have won two WS if not for the cheating.
The Dodgers should not have won the 1988 pennant or World Series. They were not the better team in either series. The Mets owned the Dodgers in 1988. LAD lost 10 of 11 to NYM that year, with 18 runs scored and 49 runs against. And yes it was because of one guy…Orel Hershiser in both series. Just like MadBum carried the Giants in 2014 and Matt Cain did for SFG in 2010.
Do the Dodgers have an Orel or MadBum this year? Do they have a Stephen Strasburg? I am not omniscient to know if they will. But I cannot say they will not.
Sheehan for 4-5 innings? You sure he can’t?
Stone has turned his season around. I choose to see what he can do tonight against San Diego before I say he cannot help this team this year. The same with Grove.
You may be right that none of them are ready for the 2023 playoffs or good enough to be on the roster. But what if they are?
the Playoffs:
Yoiks and Away
Good one.
The Cubs, Reds, Marlins, Phillies, Giants, Dbacks and Brewers are the trees.
The Braves are the boulder.
I know what a CT scan is yes. I guess I was wrong about Mookie’s injury. I just through it might have been worse than they were letting on. I’m glad he’s ok. In regards to Rojas and Barnes, I’m not understanding how I was wrong about them. I said before, they are both terrible hitters and they still are. That has not changed.
Rojas is batting .235 and has a 64 OPS+. Barnes is one of the worst hitters in MLB, batting.171 with just 5 extra-base hits in 175 plate appearances and a 24 OPS +. they’re not good hitters. I understand why they are there, they are both very good defensive players. Which is great, but doesnt change the facts above.
I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s parade. I’m basing this on two reasons. One is past results. They lose in the playoffs almost every year, with 2020 being the only exception. Even when they have had very good teams, they just don’t ever seem to have the ability to get all the way through.
The second reason is based on this year’s team. That reason is a simple one, they don’t have the pitching to get all the way through. What Rick said above is correct. This is the worst pitching staff they have had in the Friedman era. They had much better staffs in years past and lost, so I don’t see them getting through with an injured Kershaw, and a bunch of rookies that can’t go more than 5 innings or 80 pitches. Experience is very important in the postseason, these kids have never played in October before. It’s likely they could get lit up in the playoffs, and the offense is going to be facing very good pitching. The playoffs are a different animal entirely.
I haven’t completely given up, but it’s just really hard for me to believe that they can win the World Series with the weak pitching they have. I just don’t want to get all excited only to see the same ending that we’ve seen almost every year, 8 out of the last 9 years. Why should I drink the swill this time again?
I sincerly hope that I am wrong and they win the World Series and I would cry as I did in 2020. One thing I want to make crystal clear here is that I still think the Dodgers are very good, they are a very good club obviously. Even with the weak pitching. You don’t get to 30+ games above .500 unless you are very good.
But the playoffs are a different environment, and you have to have very good pitching, especially starting pitching to win the World Series. I just don’t want to get my hopes up again only to have them horribly dashed and disappointed.
well-written
Agree with Sandy. Well thought out and articulated.
No matter what we might think or believe, we have to wait until they play the games. The three best teams in the NL, Atlanta, LA and the Mets, ALL LOST LAST YEAR! The only 100-win team left standing was the frippen Astroholes. The BEST team does not always win. One thing you can bank on, there is no quit in this team. It is flawed and short of starting pitching. But it has one of the better offensive teams in baseball, and depth. I am so tired of all of the Negative Nelly’s and Debbie Downer’s out there. Yarbrough to the paternity list, Stone will start tonight. Kersh’s next start pushed back to Friday against Detroit.
The Cubs are calling up uber CF prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong. I do think this is a short audition to see what he might be able to do before Cody Bellinger goes to the highest bidder. He was a steal for Chicago in the trade with NYM for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams.
NYY’s super OF prospect Jasson Dominguez has a UCL tear and will undergo TJ surgery. The Martian was having a good start to his MLB career. He will be replaced by previous top 100 prospect Estevan Florial. Estevan has been on the top of the NYY prospect list forever it seems.
David Peralta seems to have avoided serious injury. He may get some time off, but it has been reported that he could be in the lineup tonight. Take some time DP.
Here is a good article as to what Mark Prior might think the problem is for Clayton Kershaw:
I do want to reiterate, I am sorry for the comments from the other day. No disrepesct was intended towards anyone. I appreciate your outlook and opinion Jeff. I will never attack anyone over here. I respect everyone’s opinions.
I truly believe that starting pitching is the name of the game, and the key to winning championships. Experience helps, clutch hits help, and yes a little luck does too. I do understand as Bluto has pointed out that there is a little variance in the postseason that can’t be predicted, especially in the short series.
I will say this, I am hoping the Dodgers find a way to do it this year. It would make me very happy (and all of you as well) to see them win the World Series this year. It’s been a bit of a rough year for me and my family, and seeing the Dodgers win it all would lift our spirits a lot. (my entire family are Die-hard Dodger fans)
“we’ll see how the games play out” -This is a very fair statement, and something I can get behind. Championsips are incredibly special.
The Dodgers are without quality SP. I cannot spin it to make the SP better than it is. As it is now, only one pitcher who started the season in the rotation is still there, and I am not sure for how long.
Lance Lynn is HR prone, but he will be in the rotation. That leaves Ryan Yarbrough and the kids. What is the best way to utilize these assets? I am not sure conventional works, but maybe it will. If not conventional, then more innovative? I am sure the nerds will be working overtime to figure out the best way to win.
BTW – there is no right way or wrong way to be a fan. Just different.
Agreed.
Cheers Jeff.
Stone isn’t quite ready, but you can see the stuff.
Hopefully he makes the final adjustments and can be relied upon to a greater extent next year.
Urias’s locker removed from the clubhouse. Stone did ok, he just left a couple hanging. Damn, I despise Machado.
We all despise him Bear
Stone got clobbered. So did Phillips.
But, nothing to worry about, right?