Merry Christmas from Think Blue Planning Committee

Published on by Dennis Schlossman
6-los-angeles-dodgers-joe-hamilton
(Joe Hamilton)

As 2019 has passed us by at such a quick pace, both Andy and I would like to take a quick moment to wish our entire viewing audience a very Merry Christmas and the happiest New Year.

More importantly, we’d like to thank all of our readers for their constant support. Without our dedicated following, Think Blue Planning Committee would have fallen on its face a long time ago. Because of the commitment from our audience, we continue to rapidly grow, establishing new viewing records with each passing year.

Special thanks is also in order for our partner sites, who generously include our insight and reporting while unselfishly spreading the word of the Dodgers to thousands of readers across the planet.

In addition to providing added comprehensive coverage of the Dodgers, we plan on conducting several more interactive reader giveaways in 2020. Last year’s giveaways were highly successful in our growth on the social media fronts, while also allowing us to show our appreciation to our beloved reader base.

Moreover, we’ll try our best to bring you more interviews from a few of the most popular players in the organization.

Furthermore, a few changes to the site layout are in the works, as we hope to have all of the improvements implemented before spring training rolls around in February.

In the meantime, our daily coverage will continue as the Los Angeles management crew moves forward in crafting the player roster for the 2020 campaign.

As always, if any of you have a topic to recommend, a question about a post, an idea about making our site better, or just a general inquiry, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Here’s to hoping all of our viewers have a fantastic start to 2020 and that the Dodgers take another huge step forward in hauling in a much needed World Series Championship.

It’s hard to believe that Opening Day is just three months away.

 

29 thoughts on “Merry Christmas from Think Blue Planning Committee”

  1. Merry Christmas Dennis and Andy! Hope you have a wonderful day! And to the Grinch himself, Ol Andy Friedman, I hope you open your presents and find a miracle. Because you are going to need one to get this bunch to believe in you.

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    2. Speak for yourself Bear. Some of us are believers in Olaf the Magnificent and will be forever…………………………..or until opening day, whichever comes first. 🙂

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      2. According to a story this evening, it will most likely be the deadline before AF finally gets off of his duff.

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    3. The more I read about how the Dodgers are going about their business, the more impressed I am with it. My reading, not what the Dodgers are doing…… I’m kidding of course. The Dodgers DO have a plan, and I think it’s a good one. In general the plan is build from within. The numbers clearly say players are more productive between 22-28. The numbers also say 28 is about the age those players become free agents. Common sense tells us those teams that can develop and keep there own, and mix in the appropriate older veterans, will be the most successful teams. And over the last 5 years that has in fact been the Dodgers. We’ve won more games than anybody. Maybe that doesn’t register with every fan, but in my world that fact is indeed a measurement of success. Now, how to further that success into October. We all have ideas how to go about that. I don’t think a big shakeup is needed. Hey, you’ve built this through a well developed process. Trust the process! I believe Roberts blinked. A couple of times. Stop thinking Doc! Let the guys each do their job! It might actually work!

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      1. With the new CBA agreement to be negotiated in a couple of years, I think the numbers you mentioned about a player’s prime years will be in sharp focus. I’m guessing that the union will want to completely overhaul how free agency works and, of course, the owners will protect their current position with everything they have. This is why I think there will probably be a work stoppage and a delay to the start of the 2022 season. This plus a number of other points on which the two sides are miles apart will make getting a new agreement in time to start 2022 very difficult.

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      2. In my humble opinion a work stoppage is a colossally stupid thing to allow to happen. They are all making bank. Every time you do not consider the fans you risk mastitis in the cash cow. Negotiate and arrive at a decision everyone can live with – you guys in your mansions, those working stiffs in suburbs, who pay for all of this, in our humble, mortgaged to the arm pits 2 bedroom bath and half dump in El Monte.

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      3. Very valid point Scoop, except that most of the owners and players forget that without the fans coming to the ballpark or watching on tv they are nothing and don’t get paid. Ego will do that to you.
        Also, I thought your humble, mortgaged to the arm pits 2 bedroom bath and a half dump was in Laguna. 🙂

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      4. I can’t afford Laguna Jefe. I’m in a mobile home park surrounded by broken dreams. Laguna is only a short drive though. I could be there for lunch. But the wife is making coconut cream pie. Mmm, pie.

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      5. We had 14 of us over here last night. Today is a day of rest. Between my wife and my niece they baked enough to stock twelve bakeries. Enjoy your pie.

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      6. Winning is fun. Winning in the post season is more fun. Losing in the post season sucks. Therefore, the Dodgers plan, however smart, is only partially working. When Olaf the Oaf finally gets them over the hump, maybe then I will believe. As of now, he is a bum.

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  2. Merry Christmas to one and all on the site and thank you to Dennis and Andy for all your insight and dedication. And for providing a wonderful site for us old geezards to express all of our incredible wisdom! We I can only hope that AF is following!

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    1. Pray tell. What is a geezard? Cross between a lizard and a gizzard? Merry Christmas Rich. Despite my sarcasm, I hope it is a merry one……….Olaf still has done nothing. You Schlemmings are in serious trouble.

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  4. I’m sure we will have a new thread soon, but I’m gonna put this here just for some post Santa ruminations.

    After 7 years of early post season exits, some Anti Friedmanites are suggesting a blow up, subtlety disguised in the written word as a “shake up”. I understand that. It does feel like this team as it is currently constructed, isn’t strong enough to finish October with a win. I’m looking at payroll for the next few years and I’m thinking maybe 2020 is not the year for reconstruction.

    Look at payroll for ‘20, ‘21 and ’22 and tell me what you think:

    https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/payroll/

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  5. Some sites suggesting Morton from Tampa. For one year wouldn’t have to give up Lux or May. That would work for me! Then we’d have a good idea if Urias and/or May develop into 2nd ace material for 2021.

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  6. There are according to some reports, those in the organization itself who feel a little cage rattling is needed. Of course, they never name who these people are.

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  7. Looking at 2020 payroll, scoop,
    is why I thought we would see one or two substantial moves this off season. Between the prospects along with the money they had to spend, I’m shocked nothing has happened.
    The ownership group will make good money this year.

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    1. What I am looking at is who is gone when. We need to decide who it is we keep, who it is we have no intention of keeping and what free agents we bring in. I figure we don’t bring in Tier 1 free agents. That’s not how Friedman does things. But he could bring in Betts or Lindor, hope like hell they like it here, and extend them along with Buehler, Bellinger and whoever, bringing along arb eligible players and those we are developing one year at a time. That website shows us what year of arbitration all our youngsters are in and what years guys like Turner, Kershaw , Kelly, Pollock (Kazmir) and Jansen will be leaving. We look very good for ‘20, lighter in ‘21. Bellinger is arb eligible until ‘23, Buehler until ‘25. Who do we want to pair up with these guys?

      This isn’t a bridge to blow up, this is bridge to continue building. 2022 – Vargas, Lindor, Lux, Muncy. Verdugo, Bellinger, Betts/Peters. Smith/Ruiz. Buehler, May, Urias, Gray, Grove/White/whoever.

      We are going to win 90+ from now until a long time from now. There is no shake up needed. We have money and we talent from which to build. $300 million players don’t want to come here? Screw them. We don’t need ‘em.

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  8. I see quite a few players on the 40 man roster who are expendable right now. P. Alexander, Chargois, Floro, Sadler, Santana, Sborz. Inf. White, OF, Garlick. Pretty much everyone else is part of the equation unless they get traded. Friedman rarely trades his prospects Keith. And when he does, he never trades from his top 5, and those are the guys everyone wants. He would much rather unload Pederson and Seager than any of the top 3. Gonsolin could be available. Just remember though, the top 3 are all under 22 years old. Gonsolin will be 25 come the beginning of the season. Puig of heavy interest to the White Sox. Would be a kick to see Yasiel down there in Arizona at the same training facility as the Dodgers.

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      1. Depends on what AF sees as their worth. Santana is what? 23? Has not done much the last couple of years. Supposedly has pretty good stuff. But does he fit into the picture right now? In an emergency maybe, do not see him knocking May or Gonsolin down a notch. White is 25, Sborz 26. I do not see either of them making much of an impact on this years team either. Trade fodder in my book. Sheffield and Kasowski are both 24. A couple of other guys at AA are right around 24. Guys I do not see making an impact before they are 26, I consider trading.

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      2. Yep. Those is the guys I was looking at. Maybe now is the time to give them a legit chance. Well, not NOW, but in Spring Training. These guys are entering their prime years. Maybe teams like Detroit or Pittsburgh could use them. Trade them for a bucket of young A ballers we can coach up.

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  9. Most of those guys on the 40 man that I see are expendable, are older pitchers who have not made significant contributions so far. Garlick and White, they are just flotsam. Garlick is 30 years old. White is an out of shape 1st baseman, infielder with very little value.

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    1. White may have very little value but he is no longer out of shape. He has a thyroid condition which causes him to gain weight. Apparently the Astros knew about it but didn’t go out of their way to help him with it. The Dodgers have – medication and a diet plan. He is looking much better (see attached link). Although none of that may ultimately affect his value to the team at least it’s a start.
      https://www.dodgersnation.com/dodgers-a-slimmed-down-tyler-white-posts-picture-on-instagram/2019/11/06/

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