Opinion of Kingman's Performance

Wanna Feel Better...Kershaw's the Remedy

2013-05-20T20:33:00.002-07:00

Clayton Kershaw was just what the Doctor ordered. The slump stopper. The ace. The best pitcher in baseball. It’s a pleasure to watch this man pitch. It’s like watching Rembrandt paint, Mozart compose a symphony, or Neil Armstrong captaining a space craft.

This is a master at work. A perfectionist that continuously is honing his craft and finding another area of his game to improve. 1.35 is his ERA now. He's talied a win in 28% of the Dodgers victories this season, and a bit of better luck would have added a few more positive decisions to his side.

Kershaw picked up his 5th win and second complete game of the season (photo by Morry Gash/AO)

With Greinke going tomorrow, you have to feel good about the Dodgers chances again. This two-some may be the best pitching duo in baseball. They couldn’t emerge at a more crucial time this season. The sharks are circling Don Mattingly’s sinking ship and Clayton Kershaw just bailed out a ton of water. Greinke attempts to plug the holes tomorrow.

As much as we are depressed about the Dodger doings so far this season, they aren't buried yet and an 8 out of 10 streak would put the club right back in the thick of things. With Kershaw and Greinke pitching in four games this week, you've got to feel good about their chances of turning the corner.

Being seven games back on May 21st is not the end of the world at all. This ball club has a lot of games left with the D-Backs, Giants, Rockies and Padres and better results against those teams has to be forth coming. History is on their side too as the Dodgers took the division five years ago after being as much as 7 1/2 games behind early in the season.

There is no doubt that they've dug themselves into a hole and there are a lot of problems with the ball club, but the positives from today at least get us feeling a little better. Matt Kemp homering is a very positive sign. Ethier breaking forward today as well.

Matt Kemp hits his second homer of the season (photo by Morry Gash/AP)

Today, for example, we were all feeling good about things in the 8th inning because we knew that Kershaw was going to finish this thing out. The bullpen was NOT going to mess things up tonight. Tomorrow will probably be more of an adventure as Greinke hasn't been stretched to pitch into the late innings yet. Unless he somehow is able to keep his pitch count low, we can expect the slumping Dodger bullpen to be called upon. Hopefully the Brewers come out and swing at a lot of first pitches.

Who knows? Maybe four months from now we'll look back at May and remember all the crazy talk about firing Mattingly and turning the roster upside down. For now a win feels very good and another one tomorrow night make some forget the disastrous weekend series in Atlanta.

Curious Roster Moves...

2013-05-19T17:41:00.004-07:00

The Braves 3 game sweep of the Dodgers this weekend continues the clubs free fall into the basement of the National League. So rather than dwell on the many faults of this team, I address the latest roster move made today. I sometimes wonder if Ned Colletti really wants to turn this franchise’s fortunes around. Today’s decision to send Tim Federowicz back to Albuquerque with the return of Mark Ellis to the roster is about as perplexing a move as can be imagined.

Instead, the Dodgers kept Ramon Hernandez and Luis Cruz on the roster.

Tim Federowicz started on Saturday, sent back to Albuquerque on Sunday. (photo by Jayne Kamin Oncea/US Presswire)

Federowicz has been playing well. An excellent defensive backstop and solid bat off the bench. The presence of Fedex has been a welcome sight as the Dodgers have been able to afford pinch hitting him with another catcher on the roster. That additional backstop, Hernandez, has underperformed with the bat (.045 BA) and is so weak defensively that the club is reluctant to have him catch such players as Ronald Belisario, as he’s had difficulty handling pitches with a lot of movement.

Luis Cruz is having the worst offensive season in Dodger history, and of late, his lapses defensively have now cost the team games. His poor performance his been discussed continuously and his value to the ball club is nil at the moment. With Nick Punto, Dee Gordon, Juan Uribe, Skip Schumacher and now Mark Ellis on the roster, it isn’t as if the Dodgers are short of infield help off the bench.

What this all possibly comes down to is: 1) Fedex has minor league options, 2) Cruz and Hernandez do not, 3) the club is desperate to produce a player from Mexico, (Cruz), as a marketing tool. To number #2, I say, “so what?” What is there to fear? That another club picks them up? If that happened, it would be borderline miraculous and it wouldn’t make a bit of a difference to the Dodgers because they’d be making outs with another franchise. If number 3 holds any water I find that unfortunate as I find it hard to believe that the club would jeopardize the franchises success for those purposes.

Cruz is so lost at the plate and his approach is a mess. If he isn’t popping up on the first pitch he sees, he’s grounding into a double play with it. I can’t recall a worse hitter ever in the Dodger system and that’s saying a lot, because they’ve had there share of duds over the years.

Maybe they’re just delaying the inevitable and Cruz will be DFA’d or placed on the phantom disabled list when Jerry Hairston Jr. returns. Still, why delay the inevitable and put the club in a weaker position? I know management thinks highly of Cruz. He’s a nice guy and someone that was quite an inspiration to the team last year, but reality has spoken. 2012 was a fluke. He’s not a player of major leaguer caliber and it’s time to cut bait and move forward.

Another Bruising Defeat

2013-05-18T20:59:00.002-07:00

Does it get any lower than this?

Two very winnable games handed at Atlanta. The bullpen ace blowing it tonight and a porous defense the night before. Chris Capuano pitched an inspiring 7 1/3 innings only to see it all go up in smoke when the first batter Jansen faces (pinch hitter Evan Gattis) homers to left.

Chris Capuano deserved a better fate (photo by John Bazemore/Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Fundamentals. Simple baseball fundamentals. They are supposed to be known by players on the big league level. The Dodgers failures to adhere to basic fundamentals is costing this team games. Do we blame the coaching staff for that? How in the world can Dee Gordon be sacrificed to second, when he can steal it alone. Then he makes the third out at third base by making an ill advised attempted steal of third with Matt Kemp at the plate.

That was pathetic in my view, but so goes the 2013 season so far. The only thing missing was someone didn’t land on the disabled list tonight.

Any good news?

Capuano, who looked crest-fallen by the implosion in the 8th.

Most of the bullpen was rested.

Not much else. Oh yeah, Mark Ellis played 7 innings of injury free ball at Chattanooga. (0 for 3, a walk, a strikeout, a run scored and he turned two double plays). Maybe he returns to the squad tomorrow and the club can release Luis Cruz.

The Dodgers collected two hits on the night in a masterpiece pitched by Kris Medlen. The Braves go for the sweep tomorrow against Matt Magill. Can we have some offense infused into the lineup tomorrow? Perhaps a start by Scott Van Slyke would do some good. This is brutal folks!

35 Years Ago...A Rant for the Ages.

2013-05-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

I’m kicking myself for missing the anniversary. I knew it was coming up, but for some reason, I failed to mark May 14^th on my calendar. Shame on me.

35 years ago on May 14,1978, Dodger manager Tom Lasorda blew a gasket.

It was the epic Dave Kingman tirade that will forever be remembered as the”opinion of Kingman’s performance” rant. It was Mother’s Day, 1978. The Dodgers, the defending N.L. champions and sitting a half game back of the San Francisco Giants at the time with an 18-13 record were facing a mediocre Chicago Cubs team that was 15-15 going into the final game of a three game weekend series at Dodger Stadium.

Tommy argues point with umpire Lee Weir. Classic photo by by Leo Jarzomb (courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library)

This Dodger team was stocked with talent. The historic infield with Garvey, Lopes, Cey and Russell was intact. Dusty Baker and Reggie Smith were in their full prime covering the corner outfield slots. There was a solid pitching staff with Sutton, Hooton, John, Rau and Rhoden in place. Up and coming stars like Bob Welch emerged. The bench was solid with Mota and Davilillo serving as a valuable righty/lefty pinch hitting tandem and Lee Lacy was a super sub.

The Cubs? Their only .300 hitter was former Dodger Bill Buckner. They weren’t the worst hitting team in the league, but there wasn’t much to write home about with this team that finished the year with 79 wins. Only one of their starting five had a record over .500 that year. But they had “Kong” that year. “Kong” as in “King Kong” Dave Kingman.

Kingman was 29 years old and a major league veteran of seven years. He could hit the ball a country mile, but if he didn’t, he’d strike out in memorable fashion. Signed as a free agent in the off season, Kingman had spent the 1977 season wearing four uniforms in one year.

He started ‘77 as a New York Met, only to be traded to the San Diego Padres on June 15^th for Bobby Valentine. The Padres released him in September and he was claimed by the Angels who had him on their roster for nine days before trading him to the Yankees on September 15^th. As a Yankee he played in eight games, hitting four homers for the eventual World Series champs, but as a late season acquisition he wasn’t eligible for post season play. He got a World Series ring (the only one of his career) through 8 games of contributions to the Yanks as he homered in his first three games in pinstripes.

Of course, when the season ended, Kingman was granted his free agency and the Cubs snatched him up.

That leads us to May 14, 1978. Kingman entered the game hitting .221, with 4 homers and 10 RBI. His “performance” that day came close to doubling those numbers on the season. It was an epic display of power. Three homers, 8 RBI, 3 runs, 4 hits, 1 walk, 13 Total bases. The Cubs scored 10 runs and he accounted for 8 of them. The kicker in all this was that the Dodgers nearly won this game, but Kingman tied it up in the 9^th with a two run homer off of Mike Garman. Then in extra frames, in the 15^th inning he hit a three run shot off of Rick Rhoden, which proved to be the game winner.

It was a five hour marathon that left both teams pitching staffs depleted. Each team used up 21 players in the afternoon affair. Rhoden was scheduled to start the next day, and he had to be used as the Dodgers ran out of pitchers.

Lasorda argues with Frank Pulli in the '78 World Series after Reggie Jackson stuck his hip into a throw from SS Bill Russell. (AP photo)

So it wasn’t a pleasant site in the Dodger manager’s office after the game.

Paul Olden, a young writer for the Associated Press, was covering the Dodgers at the time. Their exchange went as follows:

Olden: Can you give us just a few basic comments about your feelings on the game?

Lasorda: Well, naturally I feel bad about losing a ball game like that, there's no way you should lose that ball game. An', it, uh, just doesn't make sense.

Olden: What's your opinion of Kingman's performance?

Lasorda: What's my opinion of Kingman's performance!? What the BLEEP do you think is my opinion of it? I think it was BLEEPING BLEEP. Put that in, I don't BLEEP. Opinion of his performance!!? BLEEP, he beat us with three BLEEPING home runs! What the BLEEP do you mean, "What is my opinion of his performance?" How could you ask me a question like that, "What is my opinion of his performance?" BLEEP, he hit three home runs! BLEEP. I'm BLEEPING pissed off to lose that BLEEPING game. And you ask me my opinion of his performance! BLEEP. That's a tough question to ask me, isn't it? "What is my opinion of his performance?"

Olden: Yes, it is. I asked it, and you gave me an answer...

Lasorda: Well, I didn't give you a good answer because I'm mad, but I mean...

Olden: Well, is wasn't a good question...

Lasorda: That's a tough question to ask me right now, "What is my opinion of his performance." I mean, you want me to tell you what my opinion of his performance is...

Olden: You just did...

Lasorda: That's right. BLEEP. Guy hits three home runs against us. BLEEP.

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Where are they now?

Paul Olden is the public address announcer for the New York Yankees, having replaced their legendary P.A. announcer Bob Sheppard. Following his writing gig in the late 70s, Olden, an L.A. native (Dorsey High and LA City College grad) became involved in sports broadcasting, doing play by play for numerous teams in several sports including the Tampa Bay Rays, Philadephia Eagles, California Angels, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets and the New Jersey Nets. He was the NFL’s PA announcer at 12 different Super Bowls before landing the Yankee position that he currently works.

Dave Kingman is retired from baseball and lives off the shores of Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side. His 16 year major league career ended in 1986 with 442 lifetime homers and a .236 batting average. Always a reclusive type during his playing days. Kingman now appears periodically at card shows and has been very giving to his fans in retirement, something that was seldom seen while he was an active player. When I met Kingman at a minor league event in Stockton, CA in 2011, I asked him what his opinion of Lasorda's performance was when he pitched to him that day. He didn't answer, he just chuckled and signed the baseball I had handed him for signature.

Tommy Lasorda remains with the Dodgers as Special Assistant to the Chairman. He has come to poke fun at his Kingman tirade. For years it was a sore subject to him. Now, he can talk about it. "I'm not proud of it...when that guy talked to me, I was as low and depressed and dejected as you can get. I mean, we lose the game in 15 innings, I have to go into my starting pitchers, and it knocked the daylights out of me. Then this guy comes in at the very moment I sat down and asked me 'what is your opinion?' So I proceeded to tell him what my opinion was." He later said, "I ran into Paul (Olden) a few times when he was announcing for Tampa Bay. I told him you didn't do anything wrong. I was the guy who did something wrong. Eventually it got all over the country and I think now it's in Japanese."

The Former Giant Players Keep Marching In

2013-05-15T19:16:00.002-07:00

Jonathan Sanchez pitching for the Royals last year, may soon be wearing Dodger blue as the injuries continue to mount with the Dodger pitching staff.

Juan Uribe, Kurt Ainsworth, Jason Scmidt, Jose Cruz, Ramon Martinez, Bill Mueller, Brett Tomko, Shea Hilenbrand, Mark Sweeney, Roberto Hernandez, Shawn Estes, Jack Taschner, Russ Ortiz, Justin Miller and Eugenio Velez. Most names you are familiar with as members of the hated rivals up north. They also have another thing in common as they each signed contracts with the Dodger organization sometime in their careers. All these former Giant players were signed by Ned Colletti since he came over to the Dodgers to start the 2006 season. That’s 15 guys, and I’m not counting Jeff Kent, as he was a DePodesta signing, though Colletti extended his contract later. So make it 16.

Ned Colletti continues his fixation with all things orange and black by signing Jonathan Sanchez to a minor league contract today. Sanchez, released by the Pirates this year for overall ineffectiveness, will report to Albuquerque and join the Isotopes rotation this week.

Never has there been a former Giant that Colletti won’t take a serious look at. Sanchez has been worse than awful the past two season, going 0-12 with a 9.12 ERA. Always on the wild side, is it possible that Dodger coaching can fix this guy? Let’s hope so because Josh Beckett just landed on the D.L. with a groin injury today just as Zack Greinke came off of it.

That Dodger pitching staff, starting the year at Camelback Ranch with nine starters is now down to two guys that haven't been victim to significant injury so far, and it's May 15th. Casualties include Ted Lilly, Chad Billingsley, Stephen Fife, Chris Capuano, Zack Greinke, and now Beckett. The only guys staying relatively healthy have been Kershaw, and Ryu. That’s an incredible string of rotten luck.

In all honesty, I'm sort of relieved that Beckett has been diagnosed with injury. He hasn't been right since that CG loss at Arizona early in the season. An injury explains his sub par performances. Hoping he heals up and returns at 100%.

In all honesty I can’t remember a team smitten with so many injuries as the 2013 Dodgers. When you consider that the season is only 38 games old, there has to be some sort of record being set here.

The Dodgers certainly aren't out of the woods on the injury front. I watch tonight's game with some trepidation because it is quite the story to see Greinke returning from a fractured collarbone that was quite extensive in a matter of a little more than four weeks. This is a crucial start and if Greinke falls back to injury, be looking for the Dodgers to reach deep into AA and call up someone like Zack Lee well before he's fully prepped for the big leagues.

Clayton Masterful, 132 Pitches Thrown, One Strike Short of Shutout

2013-05-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

In a commanding performance, Clayton Kershaw overcame the narrow strike zone of home plate umpire Ted Barrett who was reluctant to calls strikes to pitches the Dodger ace delivered on the black. Throwing what was a career high 132 pitches on the night, Kershaw came within one strike of pitching his 8th career shutout, but it wasn’t to be.

After battling in the first inning, throwing 29 pitches and loading the bases before retiring the side, it looked like tonight was going to be a short outing for Kershaw. However, the Dodger ace persevered. Striking out the side in the 2nd, and the next two in the third. By the end of the third frame, Clayton had recorded his 7th strikeout on the night.

Clayton Kershaw discusses balk call made by first base umpire Alfonso Marquez, during the third inning of tonight's action. (photo by Reed Saxon/AP)

This was a Fernandoesque performance. A lot of pitches thrown. Hitters swinging and missing and looking lost up there a lot. Kershaw’s curveball befuddling Nat hitters as Fernando’s screwball had batters swinging and missing from the heels. Much like Valenzuela, Kershaw wasn’t getting much offensive help tonight as opposing starter Dan Haren was on his game. It was shut ‘em out or lose tonight, and Clayton knew it.

When the Dodgers scratched across two runs in the bottom of the third, (with Kershaw scoring the first after being hit by a pitch), it almost felt like the Clayton had been handed five runs. There was no way he was going to give one up tonight.

With the same 2-0 score in the 8th inning, Manager Don Mattingly made the most gutsy managerial move I remember him making. He allowed Kershaw to hit for himself in the bottom of the 8th after he had already thrown 111 pitches on the night. Frankly, had I been in his position, I probably would have removed him from the game. It was a surprising move as Don usually goes by the book, but perhaps his decision was influenced by a few factors.

First, Kershaw had been masterful and he deserved a shot at the shutout. It was his game to lose. The only player that had hit him on the night, (3 for 3 Ryan Zimmerman), was coming up first. But even if he homered, Clayton would still maintain the lead. He was due to get him out.

Next, the Dodger bullpen has been inconsistent and is by no means something in which to have confidence. Mattingly also wants his shell-shocked pen to get some rest. They certainly needed it after Beckett lasted only three innings the night before.

Lastly, though Mattingly has claimed that Brandon League is still his closer, there appears to be a "closer controversy" in place. By letting Kershaw finish, he was avoiding the inevitable questions about who his real closer is. Unfortunately for Don, he was forced to show his hand and let the world know who he considers as his current closer now.

Obviously Kershaw was laboring in the 9th as Zimmerman took him to the right field warning track and Ian Desmond followed taking him to the left field track. Both came within an eyelashing of homering. With Adam LaRoche up next, the Nat first baseman worked the count full and fouled off pitch after pitch.

Pitch number 125, 126, 127, 128 was delivered. Unable to put the left-handed slugger away, Kershaw came close as LaRoche’s 6th swing in the at bat resulted in a foul tip that catcher A.J. Ellis was unable to cleanly handle. The crowd reacted with exhuberance, thinking the strikeout was in hand, but it wasn’t to be. Three fouls followed and then LaRoche zinged Kershaw’s 132nd pitch of the night to centerfield, a line drive single.

Clayton was spent. Done for the night. though a few boo-birds were heard as Mattingly removed the Dodger ace from the game, they were obviously coming from unknowledgeable fans. 132 pitches in this day’s game is pretty much uncharted territory. It is seen as borderline insanity and a recipe for injury. Kershaw had given it all on the field. He would have had the CG with a bit more charity from his home plate umpire, but it wasn’t to be.

In came the Dodgers new closer, Kenley Jansen. He retired his lone hitter of the night on strikes. Game over. Kershaw the winner. Good ol’ country hardball at the Ravine tonight. It’s nice to have a legitimate ace.

Kershaw to the Rescue, Dodger Southpaw Surpasses 1,000 Innings Pitched Tonight

2013-05-14T19:20:00.001-07:00

It’s always a relief to have your ace toeing the rubber every fifth game. In the case of the Dodgers, no matter how bad the team is, you know that Kershaw gives them a pretty good chance at victory, no matter who the opponent is.

Today after retiring his first out of the game, Clayton will have completed 1,000 innings pitched of major league ball. I addressed this two starts ago, but Clayton ranks in the top ten in major league history in K/9IP, WHIP, strikeouts, and WAR. Link to April 28th post HERE

All modern sabermetric stats used to measure a pitchers effectiveness far beyond what a Win/Loss record and ERA can do.

I have a sneaking feeling that we as Dodger fans will learn to appreciate Clayton this year more than ever. As much as the Dodgers have locked up some of the young position players to long term deals, it’s time for them to lock up the best pitcher they’ve had in the organization since Koufax and Drysdale.

As I write this piece, Clayton just recorded his first out of the game, a strikeout. That’s 1,031 strikeouts in 1,000 innings pitched. What an amazing pitcher the Dodgers have in this left hander. And he's an extraordinary human being as well. As Tommy so aptly put it a few years back, "To the T.V.!!!"

Monday Night Game Time Musings

2013-05-13T19:16:00.001-07:00

I’m still not convinced things have turned around. Winning two of three from the lowly Marlins isn’t anything to get excited about, but it’s a start. Now if they take this series from the Nationals, I might feel differently.

79% of the season has yet to be played. What the ball club needs to do is not pay any attention to the standings. Just go out there and pay attention to the cliches. Play one game at a time and get the winning ways moving forward. Standing at six games under .500, the first benchmark goal should be to get over the break even mark, from there, picking off each team ahead of them little by little.

‘Tommy Lasorda used to tell his team to try to gain a game in the standings each week. It’s a reasonable approach to take in those marathon season these teams play. These guys just need to stay within striking distance for when everyone returns from injury.

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With Josh Beckett pitching tonight. Expect a three and a half to four hour game. He's the second coming of the human rain delay.

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I don’t know about you, but the Adrian Gonzalez injury is a concern. He hurts when he runs, fields, throws, and catches. The only time he isn’t in pain is while he swings the bat, which explains his .350+ batting average since the injury, but necks are fickle things and tough to heal. Let’s hope that the training staff can work some magic and get that thing under control so he can be 100% healthy again.

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I find it annoying that the Dodgers play the opening notes of Beethoven's 5th Symphony every time a pitcher strikes someone out. That is it supposed to mean? Do the opening notes spell some sort of doom for the opposing offense? Get rid of the track, it's already worn out its welcome.

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I mentioned it, ad nauseum, over at the TBLA.com message board, but I'll say it again. If fans had their way and Brandon League was removed from the closer's spot, that won't necessarily mean things will improve. Jansen needs to be inserted into the game at the most crucial spot for the best relief pitcher. That doesn't always equate to the ninth inning to close out the game. Just my opinion.

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I guess the Dodgers had no choice, but on their website they announce that they have eight players on the All Star ballot, and one of the players noted is .088 hitting Luis Cruz. I guess it would be a little too obvious if they failed to mention Cruz amongst the other seven players. What an embarrassment Cruz has turned out to be.

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Today at work I received some inter-office correspondence in two sealed secure envelopea. Marked as confidential and “to be opened only by addressee.” I was curious what it was. Double sealed as if it contained a confidential file or a series of safe combinations that are required to be secured. After opening the second envelope I found this

Smart aleck Giants fan, highlighted the Dodgers last place position in the standings and wrote, "This is what $240 million gets you." I long for the day that the earth returns to it’s proper axis and the Dodgers are back where they belong in first place. This is brutal! And I can't even address it 'cuz it was sent anonymously.

$230 million for this? The Laughing Stock of Baseball

2013-05-11T09:44:00.001-07:00

(photo by Mark J. Terrill/AP)

If these guys don't turn this around, the entire sports world will be talking about the 2013 Dodgers for many years to come.

They'll be the poster boys for the topic that "money doesn't buy championships." The "most under-achieving team in sports history." The "worst evaluation of talent by a General Manager in sports history."

How else can you put it? They're in the NL West cellar. They're being beat by the worst team in baseball.

Aside from the crippling injuries that have been well chronicled here, it has to be said that Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are killing this ball club with their failures at the plate. Their regression of performance has been astoundingly bad. Their presence in the heart of the lineup is a sucking offensive black hole. There are flashes of their former brilliance, but for the most part, their contributions have been absent this season. Kemp has a .329 slugging percentage and .671 OPS. Ethier's same numbers are .353 and .684. Pathetic. AAA players available in Albuquerque could have put up better numbers while earning the Major League minimum.

(photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

It makes you wonder if the best tactic with those guys would have been to underpay them and keep them hungry. I think it's fairly safe to say that both have underperformed since signing for big money.

Going back to history and the probability that the Dodgers will be remembered for historically negative reasons. The pundits are out in force calling for Mattingly's head. I can't say I'm surprised and even Don has acknowledged it himself. I've never been a great fan of Don's in-game managerial decisions, as I find them to be very conservative and predictable. (Too many Joe Torre tendencies in my book and over using the bullpen to get one batter out at a time in late game situations). But it is my contention that a manager effects the outcome of only a handful of games each year.

During this awful streak, it's hard to place the blame on Mattingly for more than two or three losses. It has been a collective effort of futility. The bullpen hasn't held up it's end. The starters haven't been able to pitch deep into games. Mattingly has been handcuffed with a short bench due to asinine front office decisions to keep injured players on the roster. Kemp and Ethier have stunk. A lackluster bench hasn't performed. Then there is Cruz/Schumacher/Sellers hitting a collective .125. Blame can be placed in many quarters.

Let's cut to the chase. This team isn't as good as we thought. It's certainly not good enough to overcome the obstacles of unprecedented injuries coupled with the tough early inter-division schedule. All the talk of it being early is starting to get old and is utter hog-wash. The season is over 20% complete and there are some tough series' ahead, much tougher than a three game set with the Miami Marlins.

(photo by Reed Saxon/AP)

What will be done? I'm fairly certain that Don Mattingly won't survive much more of this. Ned Colletti might be on thin ice as well. The underperforming players will survive the season, as their contracts are so top-heavy, there is no other option other than to ride their wave of inconsistency. What looked so promising a season a few weeks ago is turning into a nightmare, and one that might last for years as the Dodgers took on so many unattractive contracts in the Boston deal as well as signing their own. The only solace I see in this underperformance is that Dodger ownership won't stand for this much longer. They're an impatient lot, and who wouldn't be after sinking so much money into the purchase, payroll and stadium reconstruction?

The Other Guy at Chattanooga

2013-05-09T20:07:00.001-07:00

Joc Pederson, one of the youngest players in the Southern League this season. (photo by Tim Barber/Chattanooga Free Press)

All of this talk about Dodger farm product phenom Yasiel Puig has made many overlook the best performing hitting prospect in the Dodgers minor league system this season, Joc Pederson.

As a 21 year old in the Southern League, only one player is younger in the league. Despite his youth and lack of experience, Pederson is tearing AA ball up. Through 32 games he leads the league in OPS (1.013), Slugging % (.613), Home Runs (7), Runs scored (28), and Total Bases (73). He’s in the top 10 in batting average (.328, 6^th), On Base % (.400, 9^th), and Stolen bases (8, 9^th). His defense has been nearly flawless (on error, 4 assists from center field) and he has yet to ground into a double play in 135 plate appearances.

The Southern League isn’t known as a hitters league, but Pederson isn’t having any problems with it. Three years removed from high school now, the Palo Alto native is approaching an organizational logjam with the Dodger organization’s upper levels stocked with outfielders. The big three of Kemp, Ethier and Crawford are entrenched with the big club while Yasiel Puig waits in the wings. I hope this doesn’t mean that Pederson will become trading fodder because this young kid will be good.

With the recent troubles in the bigs and a need to shake things up, there’s talk of Puig ascending to the bigs, but it would be interesting to see how Pederson fares in the majors at such a young age. I’m not recommending it, because another two years of minor league seasoning will do him good, but I think he’d hold his own on the big league level. Pederson has thrived at a young age in leagues chalked full of players with more seasoning under their belt. He has the goods to make it to the highest levels. I'm just hoping that it's in a Dodger uniform.

Pederson sweet left handed stroke is often noted by scouts. (photo by Michael Murphy at www.Nooga.com)

Pederson was an 11th round pick in 2011 who has performed at all levels in the Dodger system. Scouting reports praise his patience at the plate and his keen batting eye. They speak highly of his work ethic, speed, base running knowledge, throwing arm, and ability to competently field all outfield positions.

His perfect day 3 for 3 day (with two walks) on the field in Wednesday's action received some Dodger blog coverage. Add to that his fast start and league leading stats and it is understandable that he'll attract some attention. Pederson is definitely a prospect to watch closely this coming year.

As Unbelievable as it Seems, It’s Only May 8th, and the Dodgers Must Win the Next 4

2013-05-08T19:21:00.002-07:00

Clayton Kershaw toes the rubber tonight and the Dodgers follow with three straight home games against the one team in the league that is worse than them, the Miami Marlins.

I’ll say it right now. I believe that these are "must win" games.

They’re must win games because:

* this team is demoralized.

* this ball club is hitting record levels of ineptitude.

* a team with a $220 million dollar payroll is about to get national attention for being the biggest waste of money in the history of sport.

* regardless of the injury problems the Dodgers have, they need to stop using them as an excuse for losses.

Just when you thought the Dodgers couldn’t get any more discouraged, consider how they’ll be if they lose with their ace tonight and then if the Marlins knock them around. Those would be depths of lowliness beyond anything a recent Dodger team has experienced. I’d call it demoralization beyond repair.

Clayton Kershaw being called upon to break the Dodgers out of their slump (photo by Kvork Djansezian/Getty Images)

No Dodger team has twice lost 6 games consecutively and rebounded to qualify for post season play. That’s a lot of history to overcome, but there is so much season left and the team is still within 6 games of first place, that it wouldn’t be unfathomable for them to come back when 130 games remain to be played.

The $220 million payroll fact is bothersome. I hear cackling in the media and on the talk shows here in the Bay Area about the Dodgers failures, but they do that even when the Dodgers are successful. The mocking of this team will spread though if the failures continue. I think it’s only a matter of time before the national media picks up on the Dodgers failures as a top headline whenever they enter a new road city. I can read it now, “The last place $220 million payroll Dodgers arrive in town tonight to face the Phillies," or the "Cardinals," or the "Nationals," etc. You fill in the blank. It’ll be like a broken record, and it won’t be fun to be a Dodger fan.

At the end of the McCourt era, this was a common site at Dodger Stadium. Losses will bring the same result. (photo by Kirby Lee, US Presswire)

Dodger management will soon be seeing the teams failures in their pocketbooks as fans stop coming to games. Nobody is going to watch a train wreck night after night. We're starting to notice it somewhat already. If you think things are bad now, imagine the empty seats if the Dodgers fall short in most of the next four games. Fans will stay away in droves. The clamoring for the removal of Don Mattingly will be much worse than it is now. It'll be nearly impossible for him to make it through the season.

The pressure is on Mattingly early in the season (AP Photo)

So for the survival of this Dodger squad, these games must be won. These are four vital games, and it's not even mid-May. Three of four isn't enough. These guys need to win the next four because they aren't facing any slouches after the Marlins. The Nats come to town for three and then the Dodgers hit the road to face Atlanta and Milwaukee.

It's win or face the consequences fellas. No pressure.

The Dodger Injuries, Player by Player

2013-05-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

You can run through the list of Dodger players position by position and just about everyone has suffered some sort of malady. Take a look and judge for yourself. Do you ever remember a Dodger team with so many injuries? Remember, the season is only 31 games old.

Carl Crawford - Started the season sitting out a few games, a late addition to the 25 man roster due to recovery from Tommy John surgery. This was followed by missing three games with a tight hamstring in May.

Matt Kemp - recovery from off-season surgery has sapped his power and forced him to revert to bad habits as a hitter. Will he ever return to his former form? Only time will tell.

Luis Cruz - I know, we're wishing he had some sort of injury to get him off the roster. Maybe it would explain his awful production, but I believe we are coming to realize that 2012 was a fluke run for him. More on Cruz later.

Hanley Ramirez - tears ligament in his right thumb in the WBC championship game. The injury sidelines him until April 30th. Six days after his return, while playing extremely well, he pulls a hamstring against San Francisco and he'll be out for several more weeks.

Chad Billingsley - undergoes Tommy John surgery after his second start of the season. Out for the year. This injury lingered from 2012 when he was shut down in August, due to a partial elbow ligament tear. This was no surprise, and the loss of Billingsley is huge.

Zack Greinke - in his second start of the year, his collarbone is broken by Carlos Quentin of San Diego, who brawls with the pitcher after being hit by a pitch. Greinke is expected back in mid-June. This loss is looming very large as Dodger starting pitching continues to struggle.

Mark Ellis - at age 36, he was off to a torrid start only to pull a quad muscle on April 27th. The Dodgers kept him on the 25 man roster for nine more days, playing shorthanded the whole time with hopes that he could return in less than 15 days. It wasn't to be. The earliest he can return is May 14th.

Adrian Gonzalez - suffers a fluke injury on defense when he collides with an umpire. He wakes up with a stiff neck the next day and his condition worsens, knocking him out of key series at San Francisco. His return to the lineup tonight is a promising development.

Ted Lilly - first it was the flu in spring training that got him behind other pitchers. Then when he was placed on the starting staff, it was his back, now it's a rib cage, possibly oblique. Who knows? Maybe he's done.

Scott Elbert could really help a depleted Dodger bullpen about now (photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Scott Elbert - starts year on D.L. due to elbow problems. Expected back by June. His return could be a big addition, as the Dodger bullpen has had its problems.

Stephen Fife - he caught a break and was called up to join the starting rotation only to suffer shoulder inflammation and land on the D.L.

Jerry Hairston Jr. - strains groin muscle during San Francisco series. Not placed on D.L. yet but he can't run.

Chris Capuano - suffers calf injury in his first start of the year and is removed from the starting rotation and placed on the D.L. for 15 days. Is ineffective in his return start with the Dodgers on May 6th.

Shawn Tolleson - called up from Triple A, he is ineffective in his outings and reveals that his back is not right. After a visit to the doctor, he goes under the knife with back surgery and will probably be out for the year.

Who's next?

*******************************************************************************

Have you ever wondered what kind of hole Luis Cruz has dug himself into?

Let’s imagine that he goes on a tear and collects hits in record numbers.

A 4 for 4 night will raise his batting average to .135. That’s right, .135. A full eleven points below Don Sutton’s lifetime batting average.

(photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/US Presswire)

Here is what Cruz will be hitting if he were to continue on a perfect hitting run

5 for 5 = .147

6 for 6 = .158

7 for 7 = .169

8 for 8 = . 179

9 for 9 = .190

10 for 10 = .200

That's right, 10 for his next 10 to be hitting a pitiful .200.

Realistically we can’t expect this kind of miraculous production out of the free swinging Cruz. So let's say he finds his hitting stroke and goes on a good run. If he hits on a torrid pace and hits .350 over the next 100 at bats, he’ll raise his average to .241, about where his lifetime batting average sits, six points shy of .247.

I like Cruz and I feel bad that things haven't worked out. He was a great "feel good" story last year. But enough's enough. There are better options in Albuquerque. Players that can contribute more than an .090 average.

More Classless Behavior from San Francisco Fans

2013-05-05T14:53:00.002-07:00

These have been a painful few days of watching Dodger baseball. It has been tough to take these games, realizing that this team is so hampered by injury and that everything just seems to be going wrong. Baseball seasons have those periods when everything goes wrong and I’m hoping that the past few weeks just happen to be the lows of this season and that there are many great moments to come. I have to say though that I simply can’t get past an incident from Friday night’s game that resonates in my mind.

On Friday night at AT&T Park as Hanley Ramirez emerged from third base grasping the back of his left leg in pain, it was obvious that he had just suffered a hamstring pull that would set him back for weeks if not months of playing time. As Ramirez limped his way off the field with help from Sue Falsone and Trey Hillman we witnessed something that showed the epitome of poor sportsmanship and a lack of class.

Following the inevitable cheers from the Giant fan faithful that occurred after Ramirez was thrown out at third, (which was perfectly understandable), there started a swell of noise that rose from the bowels of the stadium. It elevated to a crescendo of applause and then reality hit me. These morons were standing and cheering the fact that Hanley Ramirez had just injured himself.

Giant fans stand and applaud as Hanley Ramirez limps off the field with a pulled Hamstring on Friday night. (Photo capture, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

I can’t tell you how much I can’t stand these so called fans. They don’t deserve a championship team. There just seems something wrong with the entire scenario. Rivalries are rivalries but these people take things too far. The San Francisco Giant fan base is a pathetic lot. They are classless and brainless.

I'm not alone in my assessment of what happened on Friday. Here's what Dodger analyst Steve Lyons had to say in yesterday's pre-game show when talking about the Ramirez injury and the Giants fan reaction:

(photo capture: Fox Sports, Prime Ticket)

"I'm pretty mad about what happened last night. The thing I'm most disappointed in was the fan reaction to Hanley's injury. They basically gave him a standing ovation when he was coming off the field and it wasn't because they were happy about him trying to stretch into third base. They were happy because he was injured. Now we know that there's history between these two teams. There have been some ugly incidents. We all know about the Bryan Stowe incident...but that doesn't mean that this kind of stuff has to continue to move on. I think last night's fans should be embarrassed. It was really despicable what happened. ...they were clapping because they made the out at third at first, then when they all realized that Hanley was hurt, they stood and continued to clap. That was ugly."

I have written about these louts a number of times over the years and just when I think I’ve seen it all, they prove to be worse than ever.

Stuck watching the Giants broadcast as they blackout Dodger feeds up here in Northern California, to no surprise the Giants broadcasters on the Giants feed completely ignored the deplorable actions of their fans. Jon Miller and Mike Krukow said nothing about it. Over the years Krukow has been quite vocal with regard to praising Giant fans and applauding their baseball knowledge. This would have been an ample time for him to stand up and say, “Hey, this is wrong, this fan base should be embarrassed.” Instead, we got crickets. Not a word was said.

I understand the rivalry and I understand that Giants fans not only loath the Dodgers, but you can throw in the Lakers, USC, UCLA, Disneyland, the L.A. Kings, Universal Studios, the Kodak Theatre, the Rose Parade, the Watts Towers and Olvera Street too. Anything SoCal to them is disdained. But there comes a time when you don’t cross a line. An injured player is that. I was in attendance at the World Baseball Classic in San Francisco and I watched Hanley Ramirez get booed every time he stepped to the plate. I understand that. No problem. He’s a Dodger and they hate that. That’s part of the game, but cheering for an injured player of the opposing team? That’s about as bad as having an image of Marichal clubbing Roseboro with a bat as a screen saver. Oh, I forgot, I’ve seen that here too.

(photo capture Comcast SportsNet bay Area)

Stay classless San Francisco.

LOB City

2013-05-03T23:07:00.002-07:00

They call the Clippers “Lob City,” but let me tell you, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the true LOB city team. In a game in which the Dodgers led off the inning with the leadoff man reaching 6 times (and the second batter reaching twice), they only punched through 1 run on the night. Making matters worse, Hanley Ramirez was gunned out at third base in the fifth inning and in the process he appears to have pulled a hamstring and be headed for the Disabled List again.

A.J. Ellis is cut down at the plate in second inning of action (photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Of course the classy Giants fans cheered in glee as he was helped off the field, endearing Dodger fans to their fan base even more than normal.

The Dodgers are snakebit with injuries. Mattingly’s bench was limited as the team could not use Mark Ellis, Adrian Gonzalez and could only use Carl Crawford in an extremely limited role.

I stared at the Dodger defensive alignment of an infield made up of Hairston, Punto, Sellers and Cruz and with Schumacher in left field and realized that that club is really in sorry shape. Luis Cruz is so lost out there that I'm amazed he can even find home plate, even moreso than ever as he came up in at least three crucial situations and went down on strikes twice and grounding into a double play the other time. He was a great story last year but he is what he is, and that's not a Major Leaguer. It's time to cut bait and let Cruz walk. DFA him and if another team picks him up, it's no great loss. Justin Sellers was a boy against men when facing Giant relievers. He's a nice guy and all and he gives it his all, but he doesn't belong in the big leagues.

Hanley pulls up lame after being thrown out at third base. (photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

Look for a series of call ups to be announced soon as the Dodgers can’t possibly continue fielding a team with so many injured players that are simply floating amongst the 25 that can’t play. Alfredo Amezaga Dee Gordon, Scott Van Slyke, Alex Castellanos. Dare I say it? Yes, here it comes, I can't help it...Yasiel Puig.

What do they have to lose? If Crawford can't go, why not? Another possible injury risk I suppose but it's not as if things can get much worse.

With the Giants donning their Orange Friday “Throw-up” jerseys, they won it in the bottom of the 9th with a Buster Posey homer off Ronald Belisario. Enough said. It absolutely isn't a fun time being a Dodger fan at the moment. Oh, and Clayton Kershaw had a no-hitter through five and fought through a very difficult evening in which Joe West refused to call any of his curveballs as strikes. Had he got some calls, he wouldn't have given up a run and had the high pitch total, but Cowboy Joe is a legend in his own mind and a constant Dodger nemesis who will haunt this club until he retires. It was a frustrating night, for everyone on the good guys side. It looks like Matt Magill gets the ball tomorrow night. Poor kid.

The Rivalry 2013 Edition, Part 2

2013-05-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

The Dodgers roll in to San Francisco for a three game set with a chance to get back in the NL West mix. They also can get buried if the series turns disastrous. Even if the worst occurs, it should be noted that the season will be 28 games old when this series ends, leaving a lot of season to be played, but falling behind 6 games in the standings is not an ideal position to be in.

With injuries plaguing the ball club, questions remain on the status of key components of the starting lineup. Notably Mark Ellis’ quad muscle “strain” and Carl Crawford’s tight hamstring. Normally a trip to Northern California brings on frigid conditions that aren’t conducive to muscle tweaks, but a rare heat wave arrived in the Bay Area the past few days and San Francisco was a balmy 85 degrees today, cooling off to the high 60s at night.

San Francisco weather expects to continue on this heating trend throughout Friday and Saturday before finally cooling off on Sunday. This is all good news for the Dodgers and their injured players as Friday and Saturday night games we can expect temperatures in the 60s The Sunday afternoon game will have cooler temps in the afternoon, also in the mid 60s (with some chances of light rain).

Enough with the meteorologist report. Whatever the weather turns out to be, the Dodgers will need quality pitching to go in tandem with some runs this weekend. Facing the Giant trio of Zito (Fri.), Vogelsong (Sat.) and Cain (Sun.), the Dodgers will counter with Clayton Kershaw, followed most likely by Matt Magill, (who’ll replace Lilly), and then Hyun-Jin Ryu. Kershaw returns to the club following a 5 days absence of bereavement leave as he attended his father’s funeral back in Dallas. Our sincerest condolences to Clayton and his family who is undoubtedly experiencing a difficult week.

With the Giants coming off a surprising sweep at Arizona following a disastrous three in San Diego, they appear to have rebounded with a statement to the rest of the division. They’re a force to be reckoned with. What the Dodgers need to do is make a statement of their own. Taking this weekend series in Frisco would be a real start.

The Dodger offense ranks second in the league with a .327 on base percentage at the same time tallying the second to lowest amount of runs, with the awful Marlins the only team lagging behind. Considering the inept run scoring of this team, it’s a borderline miracle that they find themselves only one game under .500 at 13-14. Watch the Dodgers improve significantly as the law of averages evens things out and they score more runs. It is my position that there is no way that the Dodgers current 3.37 runs per game average will continue to be so low. Especially as they reach base at their current rate.

Hanley Ramirez and Marco Scutaro during September, 2013 action (AP Photo)

After 25 games, I see trends with this team scaling up as they are hitting better with men in scoring position and they are working deeper into counts. Mark McGwire got the same results while serving as the Cardinals hitting coach. I said at the beginning of the year in my predictions thread that the Dodgers, with an OBP of .335 would be a force in the league. They are about 10 points short on that front, but the numbers have been trending up the past 10 games in which they’ve won six. Even with the two game losing streak that is currently in play.

San Francisco’s starter on Friday will be Barry Zito who was hit hard in San Diego in his last outing when he didn’t get out of the fourth inning. Hopefully his ineptitude continues and the Dodgers take advantage of it. With Kershaw toeing the rubber on Friday, they may only need two or three runs to pull it out.

Saturday’s starter for the Giants, Ryan Vogelsong is sporting a 6.23 ERA and general ineffectiveness this season so far, also coming off a loss to San Diego where he surrendered six runs over five innings of work. It’ll be another winnable game as Matt Magill and his arsenal of pitchers hit the Bay Area for the first time. I look for Magill to confuse the Giant lineup as they’ll be unfamiliar with his repertoire.

Winless Matt Cain starts on Sunday and he’s 0-2 with a 6.49 ERA so far. I keep expecting Cain to break out of his funk, but aside from opening day, he has been awful this year.

What it comes down to is the Dodgers should take these games and have some offensive production. All three Giants starters are very hittable and they are avoiding San Francisco’s ace, Madison Bumgarner. It’s time to overcome the injuries and break out the bats. AT&T Park has had it’s moments of offensive outbursts and that usually happens when the occasional heat wave arrives. Hopefully the Dodgers hit them like a heat wave and depart the Bay Area on Sunday night after a series win.

Uribe Buys In to the Patience at the Plate Approach

2013-04-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

(photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

“Two years of this guy has been a nightmare. I have a hard time believing that McGwire can turn him around.”

Those were my words about Juan Uribe on November 25, 2012 in the comments section at the ThinkBlueLA.com blog. I had enough, and I wasn’t the only one that felt this way. I wasn't through either. I suggested that bringing up a minor leaguer would be preferable and that eating $6 million plus would be well worth the money lost, because dropping Uribe would be an addition by subtraction equation.

I know he’s only had 43 plate appearances, but Juan Uribe’s approach at the plate is reflecting a miraculous transformation. How else can you explain it than the fact that Mark McGwire is now his hitting coach and he’s reached him and got him to buy in to his hitting approach?

We are talking about a player that has averaged a .297 lifetime on base percentage. A player that in his best year had an OBP of .326. He couldn’t buy a walk before. He couldn’t take a pitch if his life depended on it. Now you can count on Uribe working a full count in a high proportion of his at bats. First ball swinging? Not very often anymore. His approach is a complete 180 degree turn from what he has done his entire career.

I know I’m getting giddy over an extremely small sample size, but I saw enough of Uribe in spring training too and this transformation is now a few months in the making. What is perplexing is how McGwire can reach a player like Uribe but he’s unable to do the same with Luis Cruz who is flailing away at first pitches and popping up at an extraordinary rate. I think it all comes down to reaching rock bottom. Cruz certainly is close to being there now, for Uribe he’s been there a while now.

Coming off consecutive seasons with the Dodgers of on base % of .264 and .258 and a complete power depletion of 6 homers over 470 plate appearances, there wasn’t any other option for Uribe if he wanted his career to continue. He needed to change and adjust or perish. Many of us were calling for his outright release for months now. I have no quotes from Juan but I have to assume that he completely bought in to McGwire’s program. And though he’s not a world beater when it comes to batting average, he’s a master when it comes to getting on base, reaching at a .397 clip.

One thing that you have to give Uribe credit for is his attitude. Many a player in his situation would have sulked their way to that hefty paycheck he receives. They wouldn’t have adjusted. They would have been a team cancer. But Juan has been a consummate team player. He’s been professional for his entire painful ordeal. Relegated to being a cheerleader for most of the second half last year, Don Mattingly raved about his attitude. He came and did his work. He never complained.

It has taken two years. Maybe, just maybe, Juan Uribe will finally contribute to the Dodgers in a positive way.

Guest Post at ThinkBlueLA.com

2013-04-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

I wrote about the Yasiel Puig arrest over at ThinkBlueLA.com. Take a look at it if you get a chance. LINKED HERE

By the way, Puig went 2 for 3 with a home run in his return to Southern League action yesterday.

A True Ace - As Kershaw Approaches 1,000 Innings Pitched, His Legacy Will Grow

2013-04-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

(photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

I hope everyone is enjoying what we are witnessing in this latest era of Dodger baseball because Clayton Kershaw is simply masterful. This is a pitcher as good as any that have come up through the Dodger system, and with the pitching rich Dodger legacy, that’s saying a lot.

Still, with that said, he has a way to go for immortality worthy of Hall of Fame induction. To give some perspective of the where Kershaw is with respect to baseball history, let’s take a look at where his career statistics stand at this point of his career.

As of today at age 25, Kershaw has a record of 64-39, a 61% wining percentage. His lifetime ERA is 2.75. If we were to make a big assumption, and say that he stays injury free, (avoiding catastrophic injury which is so common today). Assuming he pitches an additional ten years averaging 18 wins per year, he’ll still be 56 wins short of the 300 win plateau. That’s a long way to go to achieve a milestone that many consider to be an automatic for Hall of Fame induction, but most of us know that the W/L record is a statistic that often is misleading and doesn’t accurately assess a starting pitcher’s abilities.

In this modern age of pitch counts and pitchers with specialized roles, it’s a lot harder to mount up those amazing starters stats that pitchers in previous decades could accumulate. Those traditional lifetime stats, (W/L, Complete Games, ERA, Shutouts, Strikeouts) are numbers that will never be approached again by starting pitchers in the modern game. Owners have invested too much money in their top caliber arms. The risks that were taken in previous decades are not even considerations any more. When it comes to a players health, 9 times out of 10, a team today takes the safe approach.

So while Kershaw’s traditional pitching numbers aren’t reaching Hall of Fame worthy status yet, he’s certainly on the way. Now as Kershaw is about to surpass 1,000 innings pitched in his career, his name will surface on many all time statistical leaders boards that have a minimum benchmark of 1,000 innings tallied.

K/9

Take a look at Kerhaw’s K/9innings ratio. With 986 2/3 innings under his belt, he has collected 1,020 strikeouts. That’s a 9.3 per nine innings rating. Quite remarkable when compared to other Hall of Famers and potential Hall of Famers:

Randy Johnson 10.6

Pedro Martinez 10.0

Tim Lincecum 9.7

Nolan Ryan 9.5

Sandy Koufax 9.3

Clayton Kershaw 9.3

Curt Schilling 8.6

Roger Clemens 8.6

Cole Hamels 8.5

Justin Verlander 8.4

Bob Gibson 7.2

Bob Feller 6.1

Greg Maddux 6.1

Walter Johnson 5.3

Christy Mathewson 4.7

(photo by LM Otero/Associated Press)

Walks and Hits allowed per Innings Pitched, (WHIP) and Hits per Innings Pitched (H/9)

Kershaw led the league in both of these statistics the past two years. His 0.977 WHIP mark during his Cy Young Award winning 2011 season was historically low for a starting pitcher. His lifetime H/9 is 6.9 which would rank 5th All time behind Ryan, Koufax, Sid Fernandez and JR Richard.

Look for Clayton to be one of the all-time leaders in these obscure but important statistics when his career comes to an end. At the moment, when he breaks through with 1,000 innings pitched, he’ll rank amongst the top twenty WHIP pitchers of all time.

Strikeouts

1,000 Ks by age twenty-five is quite an accomplishment. With five years of service time, that’s a speedy arrival to that milestone. Very few pitchers have done it quicker. Amongst them are: Kerry Wood (853 IP), Sam McDowell (932 IP), Hideo Nomo (937 IP), Pedro Martinez (933 IP). Kershaw arrived at the mark with 973 IP.

The true test for Kershaw in this statistical category will be longevity. If he stays injury free, he has an outside shot at 3,000 strikeouts, a sure HOF worthy accomplishment. It should be noted that he led the league in strikeouts in 2011 and missed out leading the league last year by one K. He’s on pace in 2013 for well over 200 strikeouts and he already has tallied 46 and we aren’t even in May yet.

Wins Above Replacement for pitchers (WAR)

One of the most complex sabermetric stats that determines the value a player brings to his team in wins by factoring in the defense behind him, park adjustments, run scale conversions and more. This may be the most valuable stat that justifies Kershaw’s HOF credentials.

Clayton’s has tallied a WAR for pitcher between 5.7 and 6.5 over that last four seasons. With another ten years of that type of production, he’ll rank in the top 15 all-time in this category. Top ten if he goes 12 years. The only pitchers in history that will outrank him would be guys that lasted a long time, such as Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Roger Clemens, Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson and Lefty Grove. Quite amazing company in which he could find himself.

Longevity and Remaining injury free

This will be the key to measuring Clayton's greatness. Very few pitchers these days make it through a lengthy 15-year career without eventually suffering a catastrophic injury requiring major reconstructive surgery which may require a full year lay-off from the game. You'll notice that even the fireballing pitchers back in history such as Bob Feller and Warren Spahn, had years off from the game for military service, which probably saved their arms from the wear and tear that would have shut them down. Additionally, their K/9 rates are relatively low when compared to the elite hurlers of today.

My point is, a guy like Walter Johnson, who had well over 3,000 strikeouts, had a K/9 ratio at 5.3. This meant that he allowed batters to put the ball in play more often. That resulted in less pitches thrown (my assumption) or possibly, less strenuous pitches thrown, (something for which a statistic hasn't yet been developed, but is an interesting concept).

For Kershaw to reach many lifetime milestones that other pitching greats have achieved, he'll probably have to learn to pitch more to contact and concentrate on spotting and location, much like Greg Maddux did in his later years before his career ended. I think we've all noted that he has already done this to some extent.

Let's face it though. Kershaw won't be able to motor up his fastball to 94 MPH as he was doing today, when he's in his low to mid-30s. There will come a time when he's going to have to depend on pitching smarts over physically ability as his strength and skills diminish when he gets older.

To that I say, let's enjoy it while it's there. Kershaw is at the top of his game right now and I'm hoping that this continues for many years to come. A Hall of Fame career is in the making, but by no means is it a sure thing.

Lose a Key Player, Win a Game

2013-04-27T14:36:00.001-07:00

Mark Ellis injuries quad while running out ground ball (photo capture Fox Sports Prime Ticket)

It’s the latest trend with the Dodgers. Have a key player go down with injury...win the game. Zack Greinke, Chris Capuano, and now Mark Ellis. Same old story, same old song and dance. All three being major components to the roster, with Ellis being the most productive hitter in the lineup. Now would you swap last night's win for a loss if coming out of it, Mark Ellis was healthy?

Today we still wait for word on his Ellis’ condition but based on the post game comments of Don Mattingly last night, it looks like he may be out of action for a while. The Dodger manager said, when asked about Ellis' condition: "Usually when you see a guy come out (of the game), pull up like that...usually it's not something that only be a day or two."

Don Mattingly during last night's post game press conference (photo capture, Fox Sports Prime Ticket)

And speaking of injuries. Why is it that when injuries are announced, it’s always a “strained” something or other? Strained groin, strained quad, strained hamstring. I swear, the bone could be sticking out for all the world to see and the Dodgers will come out that the injury sustained was a strained something.

So just as I’m writing again about the mounting injuries, I "strained" my eyes to read this press release from the Dodgers:

DODGERS PLACE FIFE ON 15-DAY D.L., RECALL RHP MAGILL

Los Angeles-The Los Angeles Dodgers placed right-handed pitcher Stephen Fife on the 15-day Disabled List with right shoulder bursitis retroactive to April 22 and recalled right-handed pitcher Matt Magill from Triple A Albuquerque. Magill will start and wear no. 36 in his Major League debut tonight vs. Milwaukee.

Twenty-three games in to the season and the Dodgers have used nine starters. This is undoubtedly the deepest starting staff in baseball. Someone needs to let the pitchers at Rancho Cucamonga know that there’s a pretty good chance they’ll be in the big leagues this season. Pick the number you want right now, and try to keep it in double digits, because at the rate they're going, they'll be out of those numbers soon.

At least the announcement on Fife wasn’t a “strained” something. It appears that the Dodgers knew something was up with Fife as long as five days ago when they ordered Magill's start in Albuquerque to be limited to four innings. Magill was quoted as saying in Albuquerque that he could have continued pitching but that he was removed early from the game due to orders from the big club.

11 Years Ago Today, Odalis Perez and near Perfection

2013-04-26T20:09:00.002-07:00

I know the Dodgers are currently battling a hot Brewers team at home, but earlier today I received an instant message reminder. It notified me that today was a significant day in Dodger history. This was a game that I won't forget - newly acquired Odalis Perez almost tossed a perfect game.

There was a time that the Dodgers acquisition of Odalis Perez as part of the Gary Sheffield trade looked almost like a steal of a deal. Opening the 2002 season 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA, he had the look of a Cy Young Award candidate. Even more impressive was his attitude. He loved being a Dodger, mainly because he was given a chance to be a legitimate Major League starter, something that the loaded Atlanta pitching staff didn’t afford him the opportunity to do.

Odalis Perez, April 26, 2002 at Wrigley Field (photo by Stephen J. Carrera/AP)

So it was, 11 years ago today, April 26, 2002, Odalis Perez was almost perfect. So near perfect that the game he pitched on that date left an indelible mark on my memory. It was the perfect game that should have been, but wasn’t to be. All because of a silly bounce, a small pebble, a dinky divot. Whatever it was, it caused a day for the ages to become a ho-hum one hitter that few remember on this day.

This was a frigid April late afternoon game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Perez got the start agains Kerry Wood and a Chicago Cub team managed by veteran skipper Don Baylor. The Cubs had a respectable hitting lineup of players such as Sammy Sosa, Mark Belhorn, Fred McGriff and Moises Alou. On that particualr day, Perez was dealing for a Dodger team that eventually would win 92 games on the season.

“He threw strikes, he changed speeds and he kept the ball away,’ said Don Baylor. “It was nothing he overpowered anybody with…a lot of easy outs.” Pinpoint accuracy is how his catcher Paul LoDuca described his performance. “He was throwing his fastball where he wanted to for strikes. It had good movement, good sink…he was dominating.”

Perez, 23 years old at the time, looked to be a promising Dodger fixture for years to come. Another gem discovered by then G.M. Dan Evans. None of us were happy about the fact that Sheffield had forced the Dodgers to trade him and that teams didn’t offer much in return for the unhappy superstar outfielder. Perez looked to be a gem of a find for Evans, though his luster would fade within a few years. On this day though, Odalis would shine as he never ever did again in his Major League career.

Coming off a complete game in Colorado in his previous outing, Perez was completely confident. His pitching coach, Jim Colburn wasn’t so sure though as he watched his pre-game warm-up in the bullpen. “He didn’t warm-up all that well and I was a little worried,” he said.

That worry soon disappeared as the Dodger offense heated up on the chilly day for 10 runs, (three in the fifth and six more in the sixth). All that remained to be seen was if Perez could continue pitching a perfect game as he kept retiring the side in order, inning after inning.

Perez was getting easy outs. He struck out four of his first six hitters he faced, including the side in the second inning. No balls even threatened to fall for hits. This was a Dodger team that was excellent defensively. Izturis at short, Grudzielanek at second, and Beltre at third base. LoDuca behind the plate. Green, Roberts and Jordan in the outfield. It was a slick fielding group that was amongst the top defensive teams in the game.

Corey Patterson broke it up.

By the top of the 7^th inning, Perez had retired the first 18 hitters. Up to the plate stepped a promising speedy outfielder, Chicago’s leadoff man, Corey Patterson. Patterson was a top notch prospect at the time. Many touted that he’d be the next Vince Coleman. The third overall all pick in the 1998 draft (behind Pat Burrell and Mark Mulder), 2002 was to be the year that Patterson was to rise to stardom as a Cub. The centerfield job was his for the taking and he was hitting well over .300 when this game began.

On an 0-1 pitch, Patterson tapped a ground ball up the middle just past Perez’s outstretched glove. “No sweat” I thought to myself, Sr. Gold Glove Cesar Izturis is playing shortstop behind him. ``When I saw it bounce past Odalis, I said, 'Oh, I got it,' '' Izturis said. ``Then it bounced on my chest. It's (ticking) me off because it's a routine play, but it kind of kicked to my shoulder. It was a tough play.''

Izturis recovered, whirled and fired to first base. It was a bang-bang play at the bag, but first base umpire Randy Marsh ruled in Patterson's faveor, signaling him safe. No one argued. Patterson at the time was regularly clocked at 3.99 from home to first base. Anybody else on the Chicago team would have been out.

The next batter, Christ Stynes slapped into a 6-4-3 double play. Perez went on to retire the remaining 7 Cubs that came to the plate in a 91 pitch affair. A 1-hit shutout. 27 batters faced. The Dodgers won 10-0.

This might have been the best pitched game I ever watched, and I’ve seen a lot of them. Not because of Perez’s overpowering stuff. It was simply that nothing even approached base hit status. There were no exceptional defensive plays that robbed the opposition of hits. Just a lot of rolling grounders to infielders and occasional pop ups.

The cold weather helped, but it wasn’t as if everyone offense was non-existent this game. The Dodgers tattooed Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano for 9 runs and 9 hits over six innings of play to put the game away.

All the remained was the question of the perfect game. ”In my opinion, it took a guy with the speed of Corey Patterson to get to first base,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ”Izturis would have thrown anybody else out and it would have been a perfect game. It's tough, but I'm sure a one-hit shutout will not disappoint (Perez), but as well as he pitched, you would have really liked to have seen the hit be a hard line drive or a hard ground ball up the middle.''

So that was it. Perez's chance for the ages missed by an eyelash. or was it a pebble. Maybe a divot in the dirt. Whatever it was, it was an amazingly pitched game.

Link to article Brian Dohn's Daily News article on the Perez 1-hitter

Billingsley’s Value was Amongst the Top Tier Starters in the League

2013-04-26T11:20:00.001-07:00

photo by Harry How/Getty Images

7-0, 2.05 ERA, 57 IP, 46 Hits allowed, 13 Earned Runs allowed, 35 Strikeouts, 16 Walks

Those are some pretty amazing numbers and numbers that would look even better if you threw out the one start in which he had to leave the game because his elbow blew up while allowing three runs to score. Yes, Chad Billingsly was “ace-like” in his final seven starts last year and first two this season. All the while he was pitching with a partially torn elbow ligament. It all makes you wonder what he would do with a perfectly healthy arm.

Sometimes it takes a while for a pitcher to figure things out. Billingsley had electric stuff when he emerged on the Major League scene back in 2006. He was a number one starter in the making. That curve ball buckled hitters. That sneaky fastball would handcuff others. He was soon an all star and a rising major league star. But he never seemed to reach that full potential. There were a lot of hiccups along the way and some disastrous post-season performances.

Joe Torre lost confidence in him during a pennant stretch run and removed him from the rotation in 2009. It was a stunning turn of events and many fans were left thinking that Billingsley’s problems weren’t physical but mental.

There are some guys that never grasp the mental nuances of the game. In no way am I saying that Billingsley wasn’t a smart pitcher. Fact is, he is. But there were some gamesmanship issues. There were allegations that he didn’t back his team and brush-back hitters when it was needed in the NLCS against Philadelphia. There were some failures to execute on the national stage in the biggest games of his life.

Bills isn’t the first to have this happen to him. Burt Hooton was ineffective against the Yankees in ’78 and blasted by Howard Cosell on National TV because of it. Yet, he turned things around and by 1981 was a clutch pitcher in that series. There are recoveries of these sorts and Billingsley has been known to bounce back.

Such was the case last season as he turned around a disastrous 4-9 win-loss record to 10-9 over a matter of 5 weeks work. Those were dominating performances during the dog days of August. He was prepped for the pennant stretch run and the Dodgers were going to make it on his back.

Then the elbow ligament tear was diagnosed. Billingsley was hopeful he could return in time to help, but nature’s healing process didn’t allow it to happen. And then, it confused him. Chad was feeling better. The pain subsided. He started working out and could really air out the throws. Perhaps surgery wouldn’t be needed and he could avoid the dreaded Tommy John surgery.

What followed was a platelet rich plasma injection and programs that built up his arm strength. Bills said the arm felt great in Spring Training and that he’d be ready to go. There were pitchers in the past that had avoided the surgery and been very effective like Takashi Saito. This Dodger team was loaded and he wanted to be a part of a championship season.

Dave Stewart and Chad Billingsley

Billingsley’s agent, Dave Stewart, knows a bit about pitching and he was in Chad’s corner when a decision was made to avoid the surgery. Back in late October last year, while Chad was rehabilitating his arm, he agreed that his client could beat the odds. “It looks like he’s going to be ready to start the 2013 season,” he told L.A. Times reporter Dylan Hernandez. Stewart added that the results were “very promising.” Article LINKED HERE

When Billingsley recorded a win at San Diego in the second week of the season, he was all smiles on the Dodger pre-game show the next day with Steve Lyons. “Aren’t you glad your arm isn’t in a sling and you aren’t thinking about next season?” he was asked by the Dodger announcer. Chad affirmed that he was thrilled to be a part of this season and that he really looked forward to contributing to a very good Dodger team.

Two weeks later to that day, he was getting the Tommy John surgery.

They say hindsight is 20/20, and it certainly is. We’d all prefer to be seeing Billingsley prepping for the month of September this year, and that would have been the case with him had he received the TJ Surgery in late August, 2012, when the elbow ligament tear was first diagnosed. But Chad thought he could beat this thing. He was surely beating the league with a torn ligament, and his stats attested to that fact. Now it’s a waiting game for him. A long and lonely waiting game.

Billingsley enters next season in the final year of a lucrative contract he signed a few years back. He’ll only be 29 years old. He’ll be pitching for his life too. The Dodgers have the option of buying him out following the season for $3 million or paying him $14 million to pitch the 2015 season. All really depends on his recovery from surgery. Who knows, $14 million might be a bargain for a top of the line starter in 2015. The question remains if Chad will adequately fill that role. Many return from TJ surgery stronger than ever and with Chad’s pitching knowledge and a new arm, there is little doubt that he could return stronger than ever. One thing for sure, he’ll give it everything he’s got. That tends to happen when your career is on the line.

So Close to a Real Confidence Boosting Win...Kudos to Ted Lilly

2013-04-24T20:28:00.002-07:00

I had this post already prepared, after Hairston’s amazing catch recording the 2nd out in the bottom of the ninth, I was within seconds of submitting an article to the blog. It was about the amazing resurgence of Ted Lilly and his ability to reach down and out-duel the Mets ace. I started it in the 7th inning and I continued it into the bottom of the 9th. It went like this:

“Who would have figured that Ted Lilly would hold his own against the Mets ace phenom Matt Harvey? Baseball is that way though, you never know how things will turn out.

(AP Photo by Kathy Willens)

There have been a lot of running jokes about Ted Lilly by Dodger fans over the last few years. One is that he’s on the D.L. due to a neck ailment caused by the quick turn he makes after releasing pitches to watch homers being pounded into the outfield seats. The other is the Lilly construction worker hardhat that some LF Pavilion faithful wear when he takes the mound.

It is accurate to say that Lilly was having difficulties retiring Lake Elsinore Storm hitters as little as a week ago. Yet today he gave the big club a quality five innings and earned his first win in 10 months.”

Oops, scratch that. Ted Liily gives up the game tying hit to David Wright. Edit...edit...

“...he was within an out of earning his first win in 10 months. Unfortunately, the bullpen let him down. It was a gritty performance by Lilly, who mixed his assortment of off speed pitches, breaking stuff and fastballs (ranging between 83 and 89 MPH) to constantly keep the Met bats off balanced.

Working himself into trouble in the bottom of the 5th, Lilly yielded a run and three straight hits. Deep inside I was wondering to myself why Mattingly wasn’t bringing the hook with him. It was probably because nobody was warmed up yet as the rally developed so quickly. But Ted gutted it out. Facing the heart of the Mets order, he retired the 2, 3, and 4 hitters consecutively to put a stall into the Mets mini-drive. That was it, Lilly was done for the night. 86 pitches thrown, 5 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 7 SO.

When the Dodgers broke out the bats in the top of the 6th, Matt Kemp delivered an opposite Field home run, his first of the year and Lilly departed the game with a 3-1 lead.

Five innings of 6 hit, 1 run ball was more than the Dodgers could ask from Lilly in his first start of the season.”

What a shame that the bullpen faltered again. I have to wonder why League put anything near the plate to clutch hitting David Wright when he had two bases open and being within an out of recording a save. A win tonight would have been a real confidence booster. Oh, well. Just one of 162. Go get ‘em tomorrow.

Bonds Plaque Stolen at AT&T Park.

2013-04-24T13:55:00.001-07:00

It is reported today that somebody removed the Barry Bonds 756 HR plaque from San Francisco's AT&T Park. Link to story HERE

San Francisco Giants officials are reviewing video tape from security cameras but thus far have not determined who removed it and how it was disassembled and stolen.

Word on the streets here is that the person who removed the commemorative plaque will return it shortly after he welds an asterisk to it.

A Look At Some Triple A Stats

2013-04-23T22:01:00.001-07:00

Two consecutive wins makes the recent Dodger slump a bit easier to take. What a great game by the teams most inspirational player this year, Mark Ellis. In all honesty I was preparing a piece calling for sending Sellers and Cruz back to Triple A Albuquerque and viola, Sellers wrapped out three hits raising his batting average from .170 to .220 in a two hour period.

One game really hasn’t changed my position on Sellers, who I believe is a good team guy that can’t hit himself out of a paper bag, but with Hanley Ramirez’s return apparently a lot closer than we originally thought, I suppose he should stay until his return. He does play good defense providing a steady glove up the middle.

(photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Dodger brass believed that it would be in Dee Gordon’s best interest to go down to Albuquerque and play. That he has, putting up some impressive offensive numbers over 78 plate appearances:

14 runs, 23 hots, 6 doubles, 8 walks, 9/10 stolen bases, for a .397 OBP, .329 BA and ,840 OPS

Those are the types of stats we all hoped Dee to produce, and though it’s a relatively small sample size, it’s a great start from the offensive side. However, Dee’s 7 errors over 17 games show that he still has a lot of work to do as his glove remains to be something to worry about. Perhaps the shortstop position should be reconsidered with Gordon.

Now regarding Luis Cruz. His .087 start over the first 50 ABs this season is a real concern. The league has figured him out and exploited his weaknesses. He’s first pitch swinging constantly. He’s a pop up machine and his confidence is shattered. Blogs have been bashing this guy hard the past few days and I don’t have much positive to say about him either except defensively, he can pick it. Luis might need a trip to AAA to regain his confidence and his swing.

And speaking of Triple A Albuquerque. Scott Van Slyke, a player with no open position option with the Dodgers is tearing up the PCL. I’m almost convinced that the Dodgers could use his bat off the bench as they have no real power threat amongst the current reserves. Van Slyke is not even on the 40-man roster currently.

His stats so far:

69 AB 20 Runs 32 Hits 7 Doubles, 7 Homers, 23 RBI, 10 BB, .512 OBP, .464 BA, 1.411 OPS

Alex Castellanos has had a decent start as well:

68 AB, 15 Runs, 21 Hits, 1 Triple, 3 Homers, 13 RBI, 7 Stolen Bases, 1 Caught Stealing, .373 OBP, .309 BA, .844 OPS

The Mota Bat Has Arrived!

2013-04-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Back in 2010, my third blog piece ever, I wrote about a prized baseball bat that my brother had when we were teenagers. That bat broke and for years I have longed to replace it, as it belonged to my brother and was one of his favorite possessions. I also felt some responsibility for its demise.

I mentioned that it broke while he was away from home after leaving on an overseas assignment and how one day I wanted to replace it for him. Original Post LINKED HERE

The Manny Mota model D143 Louisville Slugger bat was a perfect weight and length. This cone handled stick allowed you to hold it all the way down to the nub. It was everyone’s favorite and frankly I’m surprised that it didn’t crack earlier than it did.

For years I have sought out the exact model. The search came to an end today.

After attempting to buy the exact model from various eBay sellers over the years, I finally found a game used model, un-cracked Mota model D143 Louisville Slugger for a negotiated price of $165. Though it was my brothers birthday last Friday and I had expected to receive it in time for his day, it didn’t arrive until today. But better late than never I guess.

So it’s time to wrap it up and send it. I’m risking that he won’t read this post and know about it before it arrives, but we’ll see. I only wish I could see his face when he opens the arriving package in the mail.

We’re both in out 50s now, but for some reason, opening a pack of baseball cards, or being surprised with a piece of prized baseball memorabilia brings out that same excitement as if we were little kids. Happy Birthday, Taylor. I’m only about 35 years late with this gift.

I just want to take a few hacks with it before sending it off. Knowing my luck, I'll probably crack it.