Dodger Thoughts

Update: Yeah, Game 7 of the 2017 World Series needs to be on here. I left it off because it was so defeating from the very first inning, and yet not as crushing to me as Game 5. But it should be here. You don’t lose a World Series Game 7 without it being a bad memory.

Dodgers-Giants finale:
The postgame tweets

By Jon Weisman

On October 15, 2021

In Dodgers, Postseason

101 Things #DODGERS

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) October 15, 2021

It wasn't a good strike three call. And I do think that's a shame.

I will be compartmentalizing that feeling from the other feelings I'm having right now. Honestly, it has tempered my postgame celebration, but not my joy or relief.

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) October 15, 2021

It's hard to say I'd rather have seen that called a ball than strike three, but already the intensity of the reaction is overdoing it for me.

It was a bad call at a bad time. It's bad for history. But if it becomes all we talk about from this series and this game, that's worse.

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) October 15, 2021

If you want to talk about injustice to the Giants, or for that matter to the Dodgers, it's that they had to play each other in the conference semifinals to begin with. Each team deserved better, and this would only have been Game 5 of 7. But we've had to let that go.

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) October 15, 2021

Things to talk about instead: Absolutely tenacious pitching by both the Giants and the Dodgers. The combo punch by the Dodgers in the top of the sixth and the haymaker in response by Ruf in the bottom. Justin's HBP. Lux's two-strike single. Cody's heroics. Thrills on every pitch.

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) October 15, 2021

Tio Albert y Cody 🥺🥺 #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/INH8jsgqFq

— Elisa Hernandez (@EHernandezTV) October 15, 2021

Comparing major injuries
for the Giants and Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

On September 28, 2021

In Health/injuries

San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt, who has suffered a fractured left thumb while attempting to bunt (against the shift, apparently) on Sunday for the Giants. Belt will miss at least the remainder of the regular season, and his return date during the playoffs is so far undetermined.

This is obviously a major injury for San Francisco — for their resurgent lineup in 2021, Belt leads the team with a 159 OPS+ and has 29 homers in only 97 games. (He missed almost two months because of a right knee injury earlier this year.) The Giants are already without one-time Dodger acqusition Darin Ruf, who has a 141 OPS+ in 114 games.

The news made me curious to compare major injuries between the Giants and the Dodgers this season. As a resource, I used these pages for San Francisco and Los Angeles available at Fangraphs.

Jaime Jarrín to retire after 2022 season

By Jon Weisman

On September 28, 2021

In Books, Broadcasting, Dodgers

The magnificent Jaime Jarrín has announced he will retire from the Dodgers at the end of the 2022 season. At that time, he will have broadcast Dodger games for 64 seasons, only three fewer than Vin Scully.

While I can’t say I have listened to full broadcasts of his games in Spanish, I can speak to the unfettered kindness he has shown to me — a relative blip on his radar screen — in recent years.

I’d like to take this opportunity to share the chapter I wrote about Jarrín in the 2021 edition of 100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.

Slumps end — but struggles by these Dodgers are astonishing

By Jon Weisman

On September 10, 2021

In Dodgers, Hitting

This too shall pass. I promise you. But … wow.

Dating back to August 27 …

In 16 innings of insanity, Dodgers revive the joy
of a madcap marathon

By Jon Weisman

On August 26, 2021

In Dodgers

Seriously, I have missed games like this. These are the games that are core to my being a baseball fan.

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) August 26, 2021

Many people complained, especially in the press box or on the East Coast, but long before it was over, I realized that the Dodgers’ 16-inning, 5-3 victory over the Padres in San Diego was bringing me as much joy as I’d experienced watching baseball all year. Allow my tweets to be my testimony …

Clayton Kershaw to return to the Dodgers, A.J. Ellis predicts

By Jon Weisman

On August 26, 2021

In Dodgers

The last time Clayton Kershaw was approaching free agency, in 2018, I wrote a number of times (summed up here) about the likelihood that he would remain with the Dodgers. Because of his unique history in Los Angeles, there was no other team that could sign him for which he could offer more value.

Kershaw will be a free agent again in two months, but the question hasn’t come up as much, because of the 33-year-old’s more advanced age and injury issues. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that as long as he wants to pitch, it continues to make the most sense for him to stay with the Dodgers. While he shouldn’t command the same salary of his last contract, no contender is better equipped to pay him the dollars he will end up earning.

Two more crazy intersections for the 2005 and 2021 Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

On August 18, 2021

In Dodgers, History

Ever since the 2021 Los Angeles Dodgers started the season 12-2, matching the breakout of the heart-stopping, game-dropping, low-flying, win-defying, mental-lapsing, season-collapsing, legendary 2005 Los Angeles Dodgers, I’ve been comparing these two squads on a game-by-game basis. Because really, how could I not?

At Twitter, you can find a Fun #2005dodgers fact every morning after a Dodger game the previous day.

Over the past week, I think there have been two particularly remarkable fun facts. First:

The Latest Chapter in Our Great Adventure with the Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

On August 13, 2021

In Dodgers, History, Life, Status report, Thinking out loud

On August 23, 2018, the Dodgers were 4 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West with 34 games to play.

Now, we know that in 2018 Los Angeles came back, won the division and went to the World Series. Then, we did not. Then, I dare say, more people thought the Dodgers wouldn’t come back than thought they would.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, who were in first place in the NL West on April 1, May 1, July 1, August 1 and September 1, have been eliminated.

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) September 23, 2018

Now, the Dodgers are five games behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West with 47 games to play. Will the Dodgers come back? We have no idea.

This is another chapter in our great adventure, another milepost in our epic journey of suspense. And we can rue the uncertainty and curse the inanity all we want, but baseball does not exist without it.

Is Albert Pujols the love child of Roy Kent and Ted Lasso?
My column …

By Jon Weisman

On July 31, 2021

In Dodgers

Bring on the DH so Dodgers bring back Corey Seager

By Jon Weisman

On July 30, 2021

In Dodgers, Rules

OK, the timing and subject of this piece might seem weird considering there are bigger fish to fry today, but hear me out …

First things first: In the world that I’d prefer to live the rest of my life, I still don’t want to see the designated hitter in the National League, primarily for reasons I discussed here. But I’m going to admit that over the past year, I’ve been worn down on this, partly because so many pitchers themselves have completely given up on trying to hit, partly because there are newer, even more cockamamie rules that I’m more eager to get rid of. (Maybe later this year, I’ll write about my grand distaste for the year-old runner-on-second rule in extra innings.)

But in the wake of the exciting reports Thursday about the Dodgers’ apparent acqusition of Max Scherzer and Trea Turner — reports that others are covering at length — I have a more selfish reason to want the DH to arrive in the NL by 2022.

It might be the only way Corey Seager returns to the Dodgers.

What about the Dodger bench?

By Jon Weisman

On July 28, 2021

In Bench, Dodgers, Transactions

We can all acknowledge the value of adding depth to the Dodger pitching staff, let alone the thrill that someone like Max Scherzer would bring,

But some of the Dodgers’ most important midseason trades haven’t been superstars like Yu Darvish or Manny Machado. I’m thinking about guys like Marlon Anderson, Ronnie Belliard, Chase Utley and David Freese. Guys who were role players and/or past their prime, but had a huge domino effect.

Nearing 500 wins at age 49, Dave Roberts (like him or not) is on track for the Hall of Fame

By Jon Weisman

On July 27, 2021

In Books, Dodgers, Hall of Fame, Managers, Managing

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

This is Dave Roberts’ managerial record with the Dodgers through 162 x 5 games:

2016: 91-71 (.562), NL West champion
2017: 104-58 (.642), NL champion
2018: 92-71 (.564), NL champion
2019: 106-56 (.654), NL West champion
2020-21: 104-57 (.646), World Series champion in 2020
Total: 497-313 (.614), five division titles, three pennants, one World Series

Since 2019, Roberts has essentially produced back-to-back seasons of more than 100 wins, including a World Series title. He has won at least 100 games three times in the equivalent of five seasons. At present, he ranks seventh in major-league history in winning percentage. This week, he will likely win his 500th game, all before turning 50.

The Irony Committee-approved irony about publishing a story about Roberts’ record today is that he would have already hit the impressive 500-win milestone, if not for last week’s unfortunate Dodger meltdowns.

In this year’s new edition of 100 Things Dodgers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, you won’t find very many hot takes. Depending on how you feel about things, you might not find any.

But maybe the closest that I come to offering one is in the book’s new chapter on Roberts, when I make the case that the Dodger manager is on an early path to reach the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Yeah, that’s right.

Let me qualify things in a hurry. First of all, “early” is “early.” Roberts still has a lot to do before he would even be considered for Cooperstown. For all I know, his managerial career could end in three months, and this discussion becomes a speck of dust on the basepath of life.

Second, whether Roberts would be elected is a separate question from whether he is deserving. He could be elected without being deserving, and he could be deserving without being elected.

Nevertheless, it actually seems pretty obvious to me that on his current trajectory, Roberts would be enshrined in the Hall, and the only controversy inherent in this news is that it will come as a shock to a number of fans — perhaps Dodger fans more than any others.

And maybe, just maybe, that means there’s more to Roberts than the managerial decisions that infuriate so many.

To back up my belief, here’s what I wrote about Roberts in 100 Things Dodgers before the season began. I’ll add more thoughts after this excerpt.

What the Dodgers gave up for midseason starting pitching over the past 25 years

By Jon Weisman

On July 19, 2021

In Dodgers, Pitching, Transactions

Rich Hill (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Here is a list of every starting pitcher over the past 25 years (two or more starts) that the Dodgers have acquired at midseason, along with the players the Dodgers gave up to get them:

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Dodgers-Giants finale:
The postgame tweets

Comparing major injuries
for the Giants and Dodgers

Jaime Jarrín to retire after 2022 season

Slumps end — but struggles by these Dodgers are astonishing

In 16 innings of insanity, Dodgers revive the joy
of a madcap marathon

Clayton Kershaw to return to the Dodgers, A.J. Ellis predicts

Two more crazy intersections for the 2005 and 2021 Dodgers

The Latest Chapter in Our Great Adventure with the Dodgers

Is Albert Pujols the love child of Roy Kent and Ted Lasso?
My column …

Bring on the DH so Dodgers bring back Corey Seager

What about the Dodger bench?

Nearing 500 wins at age 49, Dave Roberts (like him or not) is on track for the Hall of Fame

What the Dodgers gave up for midseason starting pitching over the past 25 years

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