If you’ve been a long time reader of this column or a follower of mine on Twitter, you know that I always do my best not to overreact to the ups and downs of a long baseball season. Admittedly, sometimes this is much harder than other times. The beginning of this season has definitely been a challenge. Still, I am not overly worried overall about the state of the Dodgers.
Continue reading “Dodgers Roster: What Does the Offense Need to Improve?”
One week into the Dodgers‘ 2018 season and a lot of fans are letting the negative thoughts run in their heads. It’s not the optimal start to the season we were all hoping for, but it’s still not time to panic.
Continue reading “Dodgers Hope to Use Day(s) Off to Set Things Right”
If you’re one of the millions of people enjoying the show This Is Us, you’ll know that Randall and his wife Beth do a thing before a big event called “Worst Case Scenario.” They vocalize the worst things that could happen, in thought that they could prepare themselves for such an instance. Today, the day before Opening Day, we are going to do that. Vocalize our worst fears, in anticipation of them happening and setting ourselves up to deal, or, more likely, them not happening and our worse fears never being realized.
Continue reading “Exorcising Your Dodger Demons, Plus TBPC’s First Fan Giveaway of 2018”
We’ve been waiting for months. We’ve endured the heartbreaking and bitter-sweet days that followed Game 7. We’ve watched as one of the most talented classes of free agents sat quietly, waiting for the kinds of offers they’re worthy of to start rolling in.
Here’s a history lesson (I will keep it very short, I promise).
Way back in the 1930s, there was an outstanding St. Louis Cardinals pitcher named Dizzy Dean. Dean was a great pitcher, racking up 120 wins, 970 strikeouts, 19 shutouts and 30 saves while averaging a ridiculous 306 innings per season from 1932 to 1936. He led the league in strikeouts four consecutive seasons. Dean won 30 games, the National League’s Most Valuable Player award and the World Series in 1934.
Continue reading “For Dodgers and Their Rivals, Velocity Is Always a Wild Card”
As a whole, there are a number of factors which will determine how the starting rotation of the Dodgers stacks up to others around baseball as the 2018 campaign progresses. First and foremost, good health is critical, while overall stamina and endurance will also play key roles in the team’s prosperity. The presence of resident ace Clayton Kershaw probably warrants a Top 15 MLB ranking in itself, yet without the luxury of a true No. 2 starter, the Dodgers slide somewhere right in the middle of the Top 10, at least in the eyes of most informed fans.
Continue reading “How Does Dodgers’ 2018 Starting Rotation Compare to Others Around Baseball?”
Rivalries—they’re one of the most important parts of the game. In baseball, rivalries are as real as Cody Bellinger‘s rookie home run record. They are the bat flip of all bat flips. They are the homers heard ’round the world.
They are, simply, baseball.
Continue reading “Breaking Down the Dodgers’ Top Rivals & How They’re Shaping Up in 2018”
In the Oscar-nominated baseball movie from 2011, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill brought the historic tale of the 2002 Oakland Athletics to life. Moneyball is about a small market team finding overlooked players that were able to rival the nearly $200M payroll of the New York Yankees.
Continue reading “Dodgers Bullpen: Why Ross Stripling Is Ready to Step-Up in 2018”
October 7th, 2014, it’s a day that, in the minds of Dodger fans, can feel like decades ago. It’s the day that the Dodgers lost in the NLDS to the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s also the day that Matt Kemp played his last game with Los Angeles.
Continue reading “How Does Matt Kemp Fit In with the New Dodgers?”
The 2018 Cactus League schedule hasn’t even started yet and already I’ve changed my mind at least twice about which players will make up the Dodgers‘ 2018 Opening Day roster.
Continue reading “Dodgers 25-Man Roster: Putting Together a Functioning Outfield”
Think Blue Planning Committee 