Thoughts on Kershaw, Roberts and Another Sad Offseason

Published on by Andy Lane Chapman
Dodgers Brewers Baseball
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The end of the Dodgers‘ last six or so postseasons have all ended at varying stages, and all short of the goal. There also have been varying degrees of heartache along the way, but this season seems the most abrupt and heartbreaking of them all.

And yet, somehow, it is exactly what Dodger fans feared most. It could not have been more of a Dodgers’ loss – a lead given up by Clayton Kershaw, a tie lost by the bullpen, and an offense that aside from one or two bats, slept through the postseason again. Same old crap, different year.

And that to me, dear readers, is the most frustrating and heartbreaking thing of all. We’ve been down this road too many times to not have learned from the mistakes of the past.

As you may or may not know, I live in Pennsylvania and became a Dodgers fan because my mother used to go to games at Ebbetts Field, sit in the bleachers, and remained a Dodgers fan her whole life. She passed that love on to me. My first memories are of the 1981 World Series winning team. My first favorite player was Steve Sax. It then transitioned to Orel Hershiser, and in high school I modeled my softball play after Brett Butler. I played centerfield and batted lead off, and loved to steal or be part of the perfect hit and run. But I have never had a love for a player so much as I do for Clayton Kershaw.

From the very beginning, you just knew there was something special about this kid. He so impressed Vin Scully that Vin nicknamed his curveball Public Enemy Number One. His competitiveness and passion for the game shown in every outing. Sometimes, that competitiveness has done him in, as he doesn’t want to give up the ball, and ends up getting burned for it.

I’ve watched, conservatively, 90% of Kershaw’s pitches since 2013. I lived and died with every playoff start and appearance. The names Matt Adams and Matt Stairs and the Houston Astros will forever bring me pain.

But there was some brilliance in there too. Game 1 of the 2017 World Series was an absolute gem. I was present in Washington DC to watch Kershaw close out Game 5 of the 2016 NLDS. But I know that these will always be less, somehow, because of how many times he surrendered the lead, or did not pitch like the Ace he is.

I am also fully aware of his decline in recent years – the drop in velocity, the lack of curve in that curve ball. He’s not the ace of this staff anymore, and that’s ok. Walker Buehler showed he was and more. While he started Game 2, Kershaw really was the best third pitcher on the staff this year and while he wasn’t brilliant, he was up to snuff for that position.

Full disclosure, I haven’t read a single write up or quotes or explanations from any of the players or Dave Roberts, other than what has snuck into my twitter timeline. I don’t understand why no one was warming behind Clayton Kershaw. I don’t understand the lack of rush. I understand that he’s a starter, but after the first home run, you got a start to panic a little. I don’t understand Joe Kelly coming out for the second inning. I don’t understand where Kenley Jansen was, especially after looking so good after his previous outing. I don’t understand why the bats just cannot produce in October. 

But this is what makes me the most upset with the team I love – we all have watched the last few seasons end because of the same things that ended it this year – but nothing was really done about it. Why leave Kershaw in to fail again when you have all these other pitchers? And why was Joe Kelly in there for another inning, when again, you had all these pitchers?

I’ve long been a defender of Dave Roberts. I believe there are few managers out there that could handle what this teams has had in terms of personnel as gracefully as he has. More so in the last few years, with characters like Yasiel Puig and many players with multi-million dollar contracts and rookies appearing all the time. It’s hard to keep a cohesive group when injuries and demotions and trades and routinely changing the composition of your team. He’s mostly done that with aplomb.

But in the postseason, something happens. I don’t know that we’ll ever really know what happens but my personal theory is this – Doc believes in his team and players a little too much. Sending Kershaw out again after the three pitch strikeout of Adam Easton shouldn’t have happened – or in the very least, he should have had backup immediately ready to go if he faltered. Same for Joe Kelly. A two run lead (or a tie game) in an elimination game is too precarious of a position to let the team be set up to fail again.

I’m also so tired of the talking heads (and some fans) that love to place the blame of all these loses solely at the feet of Kershaw. While he deserves some, no player deserves it all, but Kershaw has become the scapegoat for all the Dodgers’ woes. Cody Bellinger had an MVP season – where did he go? A.J. Pollock was their biggest offensive offseason signing – didn’t have a single hit. Corey Seager, who was so hot through September, also nowhere to be found. You cannot win on a few scattered hits and Max Muncy alone.

Obviously, it’s better to be a fan of a team that gets to the postseason every year, as opposed to a team that doesn’t. I get that. And I completely appreciate the front offices quest to keep this team there every year, and part of that may include remaining under the luxury tax. But something has got to change. The Dodgers owe it to Kershaw, the team, the city of Los Angeles, and their fans all over to finally put together the roster that can get them the ring they so deserve.

There will be plenty of time over the postseason to parse what exactly can and should be done to achieve that goal. Unfortunately for know all we can do is wonder “will next year finally be it?”, and are left with yet another bitter pill to swallow.

40 thoughts on “Thoughts on Kershaw, Roberts and Another Sad Offseason”

  3. Well said Andy.

    One of the sadder elements of this is the fact that, counter to what Roberts continues to say, he set up Kershaw to fail and Clayton will wear this one for the rest of his life.

    I was just talking with an old high school friend about this very topic. Isn’t it true for all of us, we recall the agony of defeat far more easily than we do the thrill of victory. I had a great high school varsity career, but the most vivid high school baseball memory I have is that ground ball that went through my legs in bottom of the 9th against our rival Anaheim High School. I was a sophomore on the JV team and it cost us the championship. That picture of Clayton, alone on the bench with his head hung down is how all of us, including him, will remember this year. And it should not have happened. That one is on Roberts.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Great write up Andy. I can feel your pain. I myself is not as enamored with CK as you are. He is a pitcher of his times. But I also believe that his ego is sometimes his worst enemy. He wants to be the CK of the Cy Young years, and obviously is not that player anymore. Why does he get all the vitriol? Easy, he is the face of the franchise, the sure fire HOFer who has never brought home the trophy. Simple as that. This fan base is starved for a championship. The hardest thing for anyone is to watch their hero on the decline. CK is still a very good pitcher, and anyone who thinks he is not is mistaken. What he isn’t is an ace anymore. There was a great line in Top Gun that the air wing commander said to Maverick, son, your mind is writing checks your body can’t cash. Every time I see Kershaw try to push through a jam, I think of that line. He may well make the hall. He has certainly been the best of his generation. But he won’t be the Dodgers all time wins leader, that distinction goes to Don Sutton. Kersh presently has 169 wins, 4 more than Sandy. But
      he needs 31 more over the next 2 years to reach 200. And will he decide to pitch past the next 2 years on his deal? He might, and logic says you want him to retire a Dodger. I am not sure he will get that option. A lot depends on the next 2 years. And one thing is sure, if he is a Dodger past those 2 seasons, he won’t be making 31 million a year. Koufax his final year won 27 games, the most of his career and retired at 30 due to his arthritic left arm. It was hard for me watching Willie Mays in a Met uniform because I thought he was the best player I ever saw play the game. He was electric. Stars on the decline, are never easy to watch. And over the years I have seen so many. Fernando, Orel. Claude Osteen, Willie D, Lopes, Cey. Their time just passed them by.

      Like

      Reply

    2. Alston did the same thing a few times as did Tommy. But Dave seems to do it every year. Darvish in game 7, comes to mind. There have been other occasions too. I just am not convinced he is very good when it comes to critical moves.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I doubt that they trade Seager unless they are seriously considering moving Lux to his natural position which is SS. That would free Muncy up to be the everyday 2nd baseman. Another consideration is probably how close they think Jeter Downs is to being ready. I think the twitter talk is based more on Seager’s bad stats in the playoffs than it is on any sort of an intelligent analysis.

        Like

      3. That’s pretty radical. 2 shortstops for one. I still think it is very unlikely. Of course we need to see who is steering the ship before anything will be done. There is always a lot of off season speculation. Last year everyone was on the Harper train, which of course never happened. They are probably not going to re-sign Freese because I believe he will retire, Gyorko will be bought out. They might consider re-signing Negron, he came in pretty handy a few times. White has no shot, and I am pretty sure they are moving on from Russell Martin.

        Like

      4. I actually think they might seriously consider moving Joc this offseason. He is arb eligible, and will get a healthy raise. Verdugo should be coming back, and most likely will be the regular RF, with Cody in CF and Pollock set to play a majority of games in left. Reasoning would be that Verdugo, 3 years younger, less expensive and he also hits lefty’s really well. He hit over .300 against them this season. And Pederson probably has the highest trade value he has ever had in his career and he could bring a nice bullpen piece and maybe a prospect in return. That could also lead to them keeping Beaty as a bench player and trading either Kike or Taylor as they are redundant.

        Like

      5. I don’t think the team will give up on Seager, but I think you have to consider it for Lindor. He’s 26 next month so he has a few good years in front of him. Hopefully, so does Seager.

        Kershaw – 3 time CY winner, MVP award. 65.4 WAR in 12 seasons. And what he will be remembered for are his failures. Sad but true. I wonder what he’s thinking? Do you think maybe he wants out of here?

        I’ve already traded Joc at least twice. I’d do it again.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Great article. I’ve had a lot of anger towards #22 for his Oct transgressions (’17 WS game 5, ’14 NLDS game 1, ’13 NLCS game 6) but I have to admit that shot of him in the dugout after that 8th inning was tough to see. Plus, I admire him for standing there after the fact & facing the music with the media postgame. Nobody feels worse than him I’m sure.
    Lindor is up after ’21. Do I want him? Do we need oxygen? The kid is an absolute stud. Seager & Downs aren’t going in a trade together, you can bank on that. Would I go Seager, Gray, & an extra piece like Peters? The answer is yes–he is that good.
    And, Scoop, I happen to agree on Cole and giving out multiple years and 200 mill for an arm that’s 29. It’s not smart. It’s just a want & a Buehler-Cole game 1 & 2 scenario is a nice thought for Dodger fans and a nightmare for any foe.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. I am not trading Grey. Kid was lights out and I think he is maybe a year away. Some other piece maybe, but i am also not sold on trading Seager. I think the most logical piece to move is Pederson. He is at his highest trade value right now. For the first time the QO is dropping. It will be 100,000 dollars less than it was last year.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I’m against trading Gray as well. I’m with you on that. Just a hypothetical I was throwing out there. Good thing is we have a lot of young RH coming. I saw Edwin Uceta early in April in the Cal League & he’s every bit as talented as Gray. Slight build, 5’10 165 but he sits in the mid 90s with a good changeup. Same with Andre Jackson, saw him late in the year in Visalia as well & he sits in the mid 90s w/a good slider. Plus, Gasparino spent our 2nd & 3rd rd picks this year on 2 more RH SP. The 3rd rder, Ryan Pepiot, reportedly has the best changeup in the entire draft to go with high velo. In Gasparino’s own words, the 2nd rd kid (Jimmy Lewis) is literally in the same mold of fellow Texan, Dustin May, 6’6 RH … Uceta is the only 1 of these kids as close to the Ravine as Gray but point is they have the ammo & depth in RH arms to make a deal come the Winter meetings.
        So the QO is going from 17.9 mill to 17.8? If 1 of these cats accepts that offer will they be able to sustain such a financial hit?
        Joc?? Assuming Verdugo is healthy he’d be the logical guy to go in a deal. Belli, Beaty, Verdugo, Rios– they have an abundance of LH bat corner OFs if he goes….

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Verdugo over Pederson? He will probably be in demand. But I really think they missed the kids fire. He plays with his hair on fire and I think they might want to see what he can do over a full season. Also he hits lefty’s at over a .300 clip, while Joc can’t get over 200.

        Like

    2. There’s been some chatter about the Dodgers going after a big name. They’ve got some money coming off the books, they’ve got some interesting prospects, they’ve got multiple decent utility guys and a lh thumper. Some or all that could be used to change the makeup of this team.

      Cole has pitched 200 innings 4 of the last 5 years He’s already thrown 228 this year and he isn’t done. He could top 250 this year. Gulp. The guy is a stud, but, he’s 30 next year. He’s a Newport Beach guy. Nobody from Newport is that tough…. right?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I like the guy, but not at a plus 200 mil contract that will be close to what Greinke got from Arizona and probably for at least 5 years. No, I think if they try to upgrade at any of the starters positions they trade for it. I do not see them making one single significant free agent signing unless they re-sign Ryu.

        Like

  6. Andy, thanks for the heart felt article, you wrote this one with your heart on your sleeve, it was very moving.
    I’ll probably spout off some opinions later but right now I don’t know what the dodgers need to do to fix this? Does it need to be changed? Or do we need to have faith that the players will perform to their capabilities next season. Do we need a starter, or do we let mays, Urias, or Gonsolin fill out the starting staff?
    During the regular season the team cut down on all the strike from last season, but during the playoffs they reverted back to their all or nothing approach, and the Ks piled up, so do they fire van scoyac? Roberts did a fine job until the playoffs whether you’re a Roberts fan or not, no one can argue the fact that he has made some bad choices in how he handles the pitchers during the playoffs. So do they fire a manager that has been this successful, but hasn’t won the big one yet?
    I would like to see Roberts step up, and publicly take responsibility for his handling of the staff, he should take the blame from Kershaw, and Kelly, and admit he shouldn’t have put the two pitchers in that position in the first place. Why did we have a twelve man pitching staff if doc was afraid to use them all in the pivotal game?
    I’m so confused!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. Keith, it was stated early in the season that next year Urias would most likely be in the rotation. So right now barring any changes later, that would be Buehler, Kersh, Maeda, Urias and pick em. Ryu and Hill are free agents. May and Gonsolin would both be candidates. They consider Stripling more of a reliever than a starter. So if they are going to bolster the starting staff they will either have to sign a free agent, not likely, or trade for one. As for Roberts, he took responsibility the next day at a press conference. Gyorko will be bought out. Freese will most likely retire, Martin will not be re-signed nor will White. They might take a flyer on Negron and bring him back on a minor league deal, of the pick ups they made to fill in until Freese was back, he contributed the most. He is a good defender and for a older player he has pretty good speed. With Verdugo coming back they will have a crowded outfield. They also are going to have some decisions to make with their arbitration eligible players. A couple of which I do not see them retaining, Barnes and Garcia. They have to decide who to protect on the 40 man of their players who will be eligible to be drafted as rule 5 players. The biggest need is still quality arms and a shut down closer. Jansen has not been that for a couple of years now, and the chances he opts out after the disaster that was a large part of his season are slim. Paring him with another shut down closer makes sense. Ease his load, and have 2 options out there for the 9th. My candidate as the most likely to be moved for a quality bullpen arm and maybe a prospect thrown in is Pederson. His trade value has never been higher. And Verdugo can handle right just as well as he can and he hits lefty’s way better than Pederson. He hit well over .300 against them. RH pop off of the bench is going to be needed with Freese most likely gone. They could conceivably use Joc to get that also. Moving one of the outfielders opens a full time roster spot for someone like Beaty. I think Rios and some like him, Garlick, are probably trade candidates too. But the first order of business, since it is already announced that Roberts is coming back, that was a lock anyway because he just signed a 3 year extension, is finding out if Friedman is going to return or not. Many want him gone. They might also have a coaching vacancy as Geren is in the running for a couple of the managerial posts that are now open. Hiring a new GM is on their list too. They have not had one since Farhan left.

    Like

    Reply

  8. I failed to mention that they will need a back up at catcher for Smith. Ruiz is probably a full year in AAA away from making the team. Of course a really great spring could change that too. I just do not think they re-sign Barnes, who is arbitration eligible to another year. He just has not delivered enough offense to be of much help.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Anybody watch the game last night? I didn’t

      I read that Barnes is a trade candidate. Ruiz and Smith could share catching responsibilities. I also read Friedman is a candidate for the Boston job.

      Keith asks a good question, the team won 106 and many of them are young. Maybe we just go with them again. The periphery players, the ones you just mentioned Bear, are replaceable. Personally I want to see a shakeup. Lose Pollock, replace Jansen (he’s likely not going anywhere), get a #2 to follow Buehler. Kershaw, Gonsolin and May. Ryu is probably gone but I’d like to see him back. I doubt he can start 29 again but 25 and 130 innings out of him for 3 more years would be helpful. I’m sure he’d like to stay.

      What are Pederson and Hernandez going to cost? Probably what Hill did. Both are still arb eligible and will get raises. Both are tradeable, but I’d like to see them back. We don’t need both Taylor and Hernandez, and Taylor put up more WAR. I wonder if Pollock’s contract is movable. Same question for Kelly. I don’t want to see that guy again.

      Van Skyhack needs to adjust his approach. I’ve talked about it before. We need to learn how to avoid strike 3. It can be done.

      Much will depend on what happens with Friedman. If his contract is renewed we can expect more of the same.

      So….. we wait.

      Like

      Reply

  9. I’ve been missing in action the last couple of days but have been following the action here. Glad to see we’ve mostly gone through the grieving process and are now figuring out how to help AF (or his successor) make the team better.
    We live in Porter Ranch and our home is four blocks south of the evac zone for the fire, so I’ve spent my time putting my finger in the air and trying to figure out which way the wind was blowing. It did make me realize that there are some things even more important than Dodger baseball (although very few). It’s calmer today so I figure I can throw in my two cents worth without worrying about evacuating in the middle of my post.
    Kasten needs to figure out who his GM is quickly because no changes to personnel are going to be made before AF is re-signed or leaves. I would be surprised to see him actually prefer Boston over L.A. but not at all surprised to see him use that opening as leverage to get a better deal here. That might delay things a bit.

    Like

    Reply

  10. Gionfriddo (comments above) – I like your takes and your obvious baseball knowledge. Hope to see more of you here. Also interesting that you picked the name of an obscure Dodger whose entire career was defined by one catch, or is that your real last name?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Jeff. Not my last name. Al Gionfriddo ended his career in my hometown (Visalia) playing in the Cal League (’55&’56). My grandfather, like Gionfriddo, being Italian & fluent in their language, befriended him. After ’56 he lived in Visalia for a few years & the friendship continued. I have several pics of them together & signed memorabilia handed down from the ’47 WS 1 catch wonder.

      Like

      Reply

  11. I didn’t watch the game last night, Scoop. Couldn’t stomach to see Miles Mikolas & wonder what we would have done to him, followed up today by an over the hill Wainwright. But, I digress.
    First off, I want to add Rich Hill has been a warrior. Battled through injury after injury & has had some very good playoff starts. But, he’s going to be 40 in March–if they resign him all that does is put May & Gonsolin in limbo for ’20. Let him walk.
    We have 12 arbitration eligible players. The best model out there to search is MLB traderumors (Matt Swartz). He has LA spending roughly 53 mill on the 12. Again, this is projection– imo, Alexander & Garcia will be non tendered. Bellinger & Joc are slated to get the biggest bumps at 11.6 & 8.5 mill. Both Kike &, CT3 are at 5.5 & 5 mill. One has to go in my view since Lux is going to be at the Ravine starting day 1. Seager goes to 7.1 mill. I’ll stop, the list is there for all to see but this guy is reputable for getting it very close.
    Barnes? Arb elg as well. Is he a cheap option as a backup at 1.3 mill or 1.5 mill? I say no. We traded for Jose Lobaton late in the year to fill space @ OKC– he might have more value backing up Smith. I don’t like that idea but that’s how down I am on Barnes.
    Pollock? He’s a Notre Dame guy and I love that but good luck moving the remaining 40 plus mill on that deal. I’ll hold out hope since I thought the same thing about Kemp’s deal awhile back. Might take a bad contract for a bad contract type deal?
    There’s going to be a lot of moving parts here coming up. We don’t even know if AF is coming back. 90% certain he is. If he doesn’t & goes to Boston, where does that leave Dave? Oh well, Scoop is right, we wait.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Good read friddo. Jefe is right, you got good takes. Glad you decided to join in.

      Pollock tradable?I don’t know. I saw him quite a bit in Arizona and one of his strengths then was his defensive. But he was mid 20’s then. He’s a 400 PA guy now and his legs appear to be near gone. Looking at the contract, to age 35, says it’s $15m, $18m, $13m and a $10m buyout. Affordable, but worth it? Not really. Not unless he loses a few pounds and can get back to 2 WAR. Send a prospect or two with him and maybe somebody would be interested. Same thing with Kelly.

      Like

      Reply

  12. One decision was made for them today, Freese announced his retirement. Feels his body cannot take another season. They will miss his leadership and the fact that he is probably one of the most clutch bats they had. If not for his 2 out single through the right side in game 3, they probably do not win that game. It helped open the flood gates. The scope of Dodgers fans displeasure with another Kershaw meltdown was expressed after the game when some fans drove over a Kershaw jersey. I myself would have driven over my Dave Roberts bobblehead…..it was free by the way and I would never buy a Roberts jersey. Speculation about what changes are coming is fun, but nothing can be done until after the World Series which is still more than a week before it even starts. And just think how miserable the weather will be in DC, NY or St Looie come the end of October. If it is in Houston, at least it is a domed stadium. For the fans, Hou-StL would probably be the best comfort wise. Well, Al, I will call you Al because spelling Gionfriddo every time I respond is a little tedious, I read those projections also, and in my mind, a few of those guys are more likely to be non tendered. Friedman’s fate won’t be known until after the Series either unless they reach a deal before. But MLB does not like big splashes during the series. Takes away from the event in their minds. We already know that Roberts is coming back, and the furor around him has still not abated on other blogs and in the media. Barnes is cheap, and they know he is good defensively and he will be cheap, so they might tender him a contract. I think Martin will either retire or try to hook on else where. All things considered, he did a great job and also contributed some clutch hits and out homered Barnes by 1. Joc had his best big league season, so the raise they say he will get makes a lot of sense, so does trading him. Outfield is crowded as it is. Verdugo coming back, and despite what most want, Pollock will be back also. Only Bellinger and Verdugo finished with a higher average among the outfielders. Considering he only played 86 games I am pretty sure management expects a more productive season from him next year. If he can stay away from more hammy problems, hence the move to left, they could hope for at least 120 games from him. His elbow problem seems solved. And accept it guys, Kelly will be back to. Jansen can opt out, but will he? Doubtful with 38 million owed to him. There will be a lot of talk between now and February when pitchers and catchers report. Some moves for sure and some new players in the blue and some old friends moving on. Time will tell what the 2020 Dodgers will look like. But I would guess no matter who is on the roster, that they do not come near the 106 wins this team put up. Their in division competition are not just going to sit on their hands. The Giants, as bad as they were played the Dodgers tough, so did SD and the D-Backs. Only the Rockies played like they wanted to go home and forget the whole thing. Going to be an interesting 4 months.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  14. Good stuff, Bear! Gionfriddo only played 4 yrs in the bigs– .266 & what I like is the little guy (he was 5’6 w/spikes on) walked nearly 40% more than he K’ed in the bigs, 91 BB/39K– imagine that concept?! He was done by the time he got to the Cal league but still put up 2 good years in his mid 30s (.366 & .354)…
    Freese is retiring.. hate to see the clubhouse presence the media says he provided leave. Ol Man Utley provided it & then Freese. Who fills the hole now? Or will it be filled? Guess we’ll find out in time.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I remember a guy named Albie Pearson. Pearson was 5’5″ and weighed 140 pounds soaking wet. Started with the Senators, and then went to Baltimore where the Angels grabbed him in the draft to fill the new teams. Played CF. Best year was probably 1963, he hit .304 that year with 6 homers. Never hit more than 7 in his career, but finished a 9 year career with a 13.3 WAR. Not bad for a little guy. There have been others of course and some have had pretty good careers. I saw Pearson play with the Angels in 1961 at old Wrigley Field that was near the Coliseum on Santa Barbara Avenue, which is now Martin Luther King Blvd. They played Detroit that night. They got crushed. Vic Wertz, yeah, the same Wertz that Mays made the catch off of, hit a 3 run shot that still has not landed. Leon, Daddy Wags, Wagner was playing LF for the Halos that day. They had those caps that had a white halo on them. Kaline was still playing then and Norm Cash PH late in the game. That was way before the DH. Wrigley Field was of course modeled after the Cubs home. The LA franchise in the PCL was a Cubs farm team. They used to train on Catalina Island. One of the last teams before the PCL pulled out of LA when the Dodgers arrived featured a power hitting first baseman, Steve Bilko, who in 59 had a cup of coffee in the bigs with the Dodgers. I have a Topps 1959 Bilko card. As a matter of fact, the only complete set of Dodger teams of any year that I have are the 1959 team. First world championship team in LA. To make sure it was complete, I had to get a Chuck Essegian Cardinals card as he came over at the trade deadline and hit 2 pinch hit homers in the series to tie the mark set by the Giants Dusty Rhodes in the 54 series.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. Here is a head scratch er, then again maybe not. Farhan is going to interview Kapler for the Gnats job. Knows him from his Dodger days.

        Like

  15. I just read a story on ESPN.com that the Angels knew Skaggs was using drugs. I find this disturbing. There was also a club house employee who they knew was using drugs with him. I find that even more disturbing. The kid should have been getting help and support from the team and if they knew he was using, he should not have been on the active roster. The execs, and other personnel who knew this should be canned immediately. I think MLB should punish the Angels franchise in some way also. Maybe I am a hard ass about this, but baseball has had enough drug scandals and it is time somebody took responsibility.

    Like

    Reply

      1. MLB will definitely get involved in this and heads will roll. I wonder if this makes Maddon think seriously about turning and running in the other direction. This could turn out to be very serious on a number of fronts.

        Like

      2. Yesterday:

        “according to Scott Miller of Bleacher Report. Washington is one of four known candidates to interview for the job, joining Joe Maddon, Buck Showalter and John Farrell. It appears Washington, Showalter and Farrell will have to look elsewhere, however, as Miller writes Maddon is “all but officially” locked in as the Angels’ next manager.“

        He may want to go in and help clean it up. I think it’s a good fit. He will help surround Trout with real players. There is no good reason the Angels shouldn’t win.

        Like

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.