For a good portion of this season, the Dodgers had the best record in the majors. But at the All-Star Break, they have the poorest winning percentage (.540) of the six division leaders, and they are atop a division that is collectively 26 games below .500, also the worst in baseball. The National League West has been outscored by 130 runs in 2012, with the Dodgers and Giants at +10 each.
That could change, but right now, it’s a winning ugly scenario. Not that Dodger fans won’t take it.
At the Hardball Times, Steve Treder takes the pulse of the NL West.
* * *
- In a guest post for Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness, Christopher Jackson checks in on the progress (or regression) of the Dodgers’ top minor-league pitchers.
- Former Dodger Jay Gibbons has retired.
- Matt Kemp homered 17 times in 69 games (40-homer pace) after last year’s Home Run Derby.
veryolddodgerfan
I liked Christopher Jackson’s report. It’s nice to get a closer to first-hand assessment to the prospect conversation. prospects are generally so over hyped.
veryolddodgerfan
so loney’s line for last week. anyone hopeful besides me? this represents 20 PAs.
.368/.400/.421.821
Jon Weisman
He’s a streak hitter. I hope his streak lasts a while.
veryolddodgerfan
i think his are more macro streaks so i’m going to say he’s going to be above average for a couple months or so.
Anonymous
I love cherries.
Anonymous
I don’t agree with Logan White’s philosophy on always taking pitchers first. In all the years of my fandom, we’ve had some dang good pitchers, some others too and my philosophy got to be to not trust any of them. He may be great for a year, or two or three, but there’s just too many things that can go wrong in a pitcher and all too soon he becomes useless. Good hitters seem to have a much longer shelf life and I would be more inclined to draft them first. With Free Agency AND money, either way works, I guess…
Anonymous
>> I don’t agree with Logan White’s philosophy on always taking pitchers first.
Neither does Corey Seager. :)
Anonymous
But a Seager here or a Blake DeWitt there doesn’t contradict the obvious and well-known fact that Logan White has a strong preference for pitchers. Next season’s roster will feature exactly one starting position player who is under team control (assuming Dee loses the SS job). That’s not exactly the formula for success. In the meantime, SFG have an AS at 3rd and C, a rising star at 1B, a serviceable SS, and a potential CF and 2B waiting in the wings. If this keeps up, we will be playing second or third fiddle in the NLW for many years.
Anonymous
More to the point, I think, is his ability to evaluate players, which is apparently better at judging pitchers than position players. More input is needed. But from Ned, who has proven totally inept at player evaluation??? I think not. Keep Logan, dump Ned, get a GM who can add competent position player judgement to help Logan.
Anonymous
Hire a GM so he can be Logan White’s assistant? Sorry no, that makes no sense. If Logan White is not up to the challenge of building a decent farm system, he should not be a scouting director, at least not for us.
Anonymous
>> Next season’s roster will feature exactly one starting position player who is under team control (assuming Dee loses the SS job).
Either you have trouble with math, or you’re deluding yourself. First, I don’t think you can assume Dee loses the SS job, and second, I count five starting players who will be under team control next year (Kemp, Ethier, Ellis, Ellis, and yes, Gordon), with all five under team control for 2014 and four of them for 2015 and beyond.
You’re also making an assumption that we don’t pick up anyone on the trade market or the free agent market, and that assumption is almost certainly going to turn out to be way, way off the mark. Please, get a grip on reality!
Anonymous
You are telling me to get a grip on reality yet you think we have a rising star at SS? At 24 years old, Dee is currently one of the worst shortstops in the entire major leagues. I think it’s safe to say the team will explore free agent options.
As for “under team control,” it should’ve been obvious I meant “cost-controlled”: we have exactly one starting position player (other than Dee) not signed to a free agent contract. Beginning next season, Kemp and Ethier will make FA dollars. Loney will be gone.
Ellis is not better than Posey. The two are practically identical as bats right now, except Ellis is being carried by a .368 BABIP. Are you going to try to tell me Ellis is an Ichiro-type speedster? You think our 3B situation is better than SFG’s? Get a grip on reality. Sandoval is an excellent hitter and an elite defender at 3rd; Seager is fresh out of HS. We don’t even know Seager will ever make it to the majors, and we shouldn’t assume anything, given Logan White’s track record. At SS? Crawford sucks, but at least he can field the position.
But you are missing the point. SFG has a young, cost-controlled core and several bench pieces they can fill in. As things look right now, we have literally nothing–Dee is a disaster, and it’s doubtful Sands makes it as a bench player. We make a big deal about Ned signing washed up veterans, but he wouldn’t have to turn to the FA market so often if our scouting and development could do their jobs.
Anonymous
Posey got the berth on a sympathy vote after hurting himself last year.
Casey Barker
True, pitchers decline more quickly than hitters. Thus, there are fewer good pitchers than good hitters at free agency (six years into their careers). Therefore, the best place to find good pitchers is in the draft.
KT
Matty with a grand total of 1 HR in the derby
Good thing is he won’t advance to the next round and “ruin” his swing
Time to change the channel to watch Gravity Falls ^_^
Anonymous
Kemp appears to have escaped the Derby injury free, that’s all that matters.
KT
I think his ego was hurt with that performance
Anonymous
Hopefully he takes it out on the rest of the league starting Friday
veryolddodgerfan
jon weisman referenced in the la times sports section. got to like that.
Anonymous
Ok.
I really liked what I saw in Matty Kemp.
…
1. So glad he didn’t see to aggravate any injuries…
2. To me, he looked balanced…and, solidly hitting the “top half of the ball” …. And, that’s what you tell yourself in a game situation.
3. The way I see it, Kemp has just become a pretty darn solid hitter who hits most of his home runs by just raw power… even opposite-field power.
4. Sure, he’ll “get under” a few “hangers” and launch them… but, he doesn’t have a natural home run swing… that’s the beauty of it. He just flat out hammers the ball to all fields…
…
I’d rather him go out there with his adrenaline flowing in front of a national audience and take some serious hacks…. with not pain. So, can’t wait for the weekend Matty! :-)
Adam Luther
Padres coming up then Phillies…
Jon Weisman
Farewell to another Ram of my youth, John Williams
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-john-williams-20120710,0,5424673.story
KT
RIP Mr. Williams
That’s number 3 of the celebrity deaths, hopefully the next group doesn’t start soon
Jon Weisman
NPUT