ImageImageImageImageImage

2016 Regular Season Thread

Moderators: Kilroy, TyCobb

User avatar
Neddy
RealGM
Posts: 15,865
And1: 3,908
Joined: Jan 28, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1781 » by Neddy » Fri Aug 26, 2016 2:43 am

Quake Griffin wrote:Dave does Neddy's favorite and yanks Hill after 6 scoreless to make sure he leaves on a good note in his 1st start.

Game is left to the pen.

Come on Baez.


other Neddy's favorite has come true too.

AJ is gone and replaced by .830 OPS(against leftys) slugger Ruiz is in town! Carlos is still better than your average MLB catchers and surely would start over a half of the MLB's starting catchers. on the other hand, AJ couldn't start for any and at least a dozen teams would have a better back up.
ehhhhh f it.
User avatar
Quake Griffin
RealGM
Posts: 15,415
And1: 4,638
Joined: Jul 06, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1782 » by Quake Griffin » Fri Aug 26, 2016 1:00 pm

Neddy wrote:
Quake Griffin wrote:Dave does Neddy's favorite and yanks Hill after 6 scoreless to make sure he leaves on a good note in his 1st start.

Game is left to the pen.

Come on Baez.


other Neddy's favorite has come true too.

AJ is gone and replaced by .830 OPS(against leftys) slugger Ruiz is in town! Carlos is still better than your average MLB catchers and surely would start over a half of the MLB's starting catchers. on the other hand, AJ couldn't start for any and at least a dozen teams would have a better back up.

and Kershaw and the team better get over it.

I will not blame their lack of professionalism on the front office because they made an attempt to get better.



and ****, we could have used Ruiz last night. More importantly, if we win the division, he has caught against the Nats so many times, his book on them will be pretty valuable
“I’ve always felt that drafting is the life blood of any organization.” - Jerome Alan West.
User avatar
Neddy
RealGM
Posts: 15,865
And1: 3,908
Joined: Jan 28, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1783 » by Neddy » Fri Aug 26, 2016 8:52 pm

there are a lot of media pundits who are crying foul, claiming Andrew Friedman and his men are foolish to break up the clubhouse chemistry and unwise to piss off their best player by sending his personal catcher away, but I have yet to read any article about the real reasoning behind the move, or at least what I think is the real reason behind it all.

Andrew Friedman loves versatile players and personally plucked Austin Barnes off of the Marlins roster in that Dee Gordon trade. he is already 26 and should have reached the majors already, but with Grandal the clear cut superior player, and below replacement value player AJ Ellis was team's favorite son. there was no way to bring up a valuable player in his prime, near his peak years who can add so much to the ball club unless AJ was gone. should he have announced his retirement prior, calling this year the last season of his career, I would think the OPS against lefty for a backup catcher would not have valued as much as risking pissed off Kershaw, but there was plenty reasons to believe, in the upcoming off season, not resigning AJ back would have caused a lot of issues and ruckus from top to bottom of this oranization for Andrew and Co. trading him now while we have an arguably legitimate reason to do so, and replace him with clearly the better player like Ruiz yet who is also even older, would allow no chance of attachments by the fans or fellow players, and letting an aged back up catcher to leave the organization during this off season would make an seamlessly smooth and natural transition to a much younger and promising Austin to take over the AJ's role and more.

I am sure this was not going to be easy if Kershaw was still pitching every 5th day, but with him being out and knowing Grandal's health, the need of resting Yaz before the playoffs gave the FO a huge, albait controversal, excuse to finally pull the trigger.
ehhhhh f it.
User avatar
Neddy
RealGM
Posts: 15,865
And1: 3,908
Joined: Jan 28, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1784 » by Neddy » Fri Aug 26, 2016 8:53 pm

Quake Griffin wrote:and ****, we could have used Ruiz last night. More importantly, if we win the division, he has caught against the Nats so many times, his book on them will be pretty valuable


I didn't even think about that. good call.
ehhhhh f it.
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Turn About is Fair Play 

Post#1785 » by Ranma » Sat Aug 27, 2016 6:03 am

I actually agree with the front office's decision to both demote Puig and trade Ellis, but it would be ironic to see us struggle for the rest of the season and/or postseason because of our think tank's tinkering with team chemistry. While Puig is tearing it up in the minor leagues with his current mood swing as committed teammate, his replacement Reddick has been struggling mightily at the major-league level as a Dodger. Now the Dodgers blow a game against the Cubs where Ruiz was involved in a couple of key pitches that led to the game-tying run for Chicago in the 9th inning.

I'm not saying it was Ruiz's fault but this does open up criticism to the front office being cavalier with the team's chemistry even if demoting Puig can be argued as being done to appease the players. I'm not even saying that the players have a valid excuse with the departure of Ellis or that the front office did the wrong thing...again, since I agreed with both moves. It's just that such things can't be taken for granted.
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Quake Griffin
RealGM
Posts: 15,415
And1: 4,638
Joined: Jul 06, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1786 » by Quake Griffin » Sat Aug 27, 2016 4:25 pm

6th blown save in a contract year.

tsk tsk
“I’ve always felt that drafting is the life blood of any organization.” - Jerome Alan West.
User avatar
Neddy
RealGM
Posts: 15,865
And1: 3,908
Joined: Jan 28, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1787 » by Neddy » Sat Aug 27, 2016 6:27 pm

I have no doubt Carlos will redeem himself from last night's game. he owned up to it afterwards and showed everyone that he wasn't about to make excuses.

and AJ will be fine. I am sure the moment he retires as a player(which coud be after this season anyway) our franchise will pick him back up to be a minor league coach, grooming him to be an eventual minor league manager and right behind Gabe Kapler for Dave's job... a la Tommy Lasorda.
ehhhhh f it.
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Up 2 Games Ahead of Giants, 2 Behind Nationals 

Post#1788 » by Ranma » Sun Aug 28, 2016 11:57 pm

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Call-Up Candidates 

Post#1789 » by Ranma » Mon Aug 29, 2016 12:05 am

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Quake Griffin
RealGM
Posts: 15,415
And1: 4,638
Joined: Jul 06, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1790 » by Quake Griffin » Mon Aug 29, 2016 1:04 am

2 out of 3 from the Cubbies.

Should have been a sweep.

FIRE ANDREW FRIEDMAN!
“I’ve always felt that drafting is the life blood of any organization.” - Jerome Alan West.
User avatar
Quake Griffin
RealGM
Posts: 15,415
And1: 4,638
Joined: Jul 06, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1791 » by Quake Griffin » Mon Aug 29, 2016 1:47 am

Image
“I’ve always felt that drafting is the life blood of any organization.” - Jerome Alan West.
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Chasing Championship Aspirations 

Post#1792 » by Ranma » Mon Aug 29, 2016 2:35 am

I said it the moment we acquired Chase Utley that his approach and demeanor serve him well as an example to follow that helps build championship teams. He may not be as fleet of foot as he once was or as good with the bat or glove in his younger days, but his aggressive but controlled base-running and all-out effort in the field make up the gritty attitude that I was hoping Larry Bowa would bring to our ballclub as a coach when we were looking to fill out the bench coach vacancies when we hired Dave Roberts.

Read on Twitter
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Quake Griffin
RealGM
Posts: 15,415
And1: 4,638
Joined: Jul 06, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1793 » by Quake Griffin » Mon Aug 29, 2016 1:47 pm

Btw, just want to emphasize that the Cubs should have been swept if not for Kenley and Ruiz not being on the same page.


I believe Ruiz caught that game right after coming to LA w/o any chance to get familiar with our pitchers (can any one confirm?). So it's nice to hear that he will be catching bullpens from the guys until the end of the year. Hopefully that helps get rid of any miscommunication he could possibly have moving forward. A righty is on the mound for CO tonight, so another day for Ruiz to catch bullpens and get familiar w/o it costing us a game. Seems like a good clubhouse addition after all.

_____________
Btw, Puig officially placed on waivers.
Our friend TROBOB stated that he heard from a "source" (I'm thinking it could be the one you use Ranma) that Kershaw was instrumental in Puig being sent away and that Friedman did the Ellis trade to take some form of control back.


Dunno how true it is but wow if so.
“I’ve always felt that drafting is the life blood of any organization.” - Jerome Alan West.
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

TradeOffs 

Post#1794 » by Ranma » Mon Aug 29, 2016 6:09 pm

Quake Griffin wrote:Btw, just want to emphasize that the Cubs should have been swept if not for Kenley and Ruiz not being on the same page.


I believe Ruiz caught that game right after coming to LA w/o any chance to get familiar with our pitchers (can any one confirm?). So it's nice to hear that he will be catching bullpens from the guys until the end of the year. Hopefully that helps get rid of any miscommunication he could possibly have moving forward. A righty is on the mound for CO tonight, so another day for Ruiz to catch bullpens and get familiar w/o it costing us a game. Seems like a good clubhouse addition after all.

_____________
Btw, Puig officially placed on waivers.
Our friend TROBOB stated that he heard from a "source" (I'm thinking it could be the one you use Ranma) that Kershaw was instrumental in Puig being sent away and that Friedman did the Ellis trade to take some form of control back.


Dunno how true it is but wow if so.


I can't confirm if Ruiz caught the 1st Cubs game after coming to LA but it seems to be in line with the timeline. It seems he only had maybe a day to pack and travel to the team before playing in the game.

I don't follow that source anymore since his personal profile page was down. However, I suspect he's still hanging around DodgersDigest.com or wherever else since he PM'ed or otherwise contacted the site administrator before his profile was deactiveated. I don't follow the other forums enough to know what's going on but it's conceivable that he's still relaying information but in a more discreet mannner.

That Kershaw-Friedman talk does make sense, but it's not something I'm excited to hear about if it proves true.
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
User avatar
Neddy
RealGM
Posts: 15,865
And1: 3,908
Joined: Jan 28, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1795 » by Neddy » Wed Aug 31, 2016 2:45 am

let me excuse myself for being heartless here.

no player is better than the team he plays for.

if a player forced another player out of the team to be replaced by a clear cut inferior player, the one who forced the other to leave is at fault with the performance of the team.

If the said player forced his way to keep an inferior player on the team due to his personal relationship with that player, despite being clearly below his replacement value, the said player is at fault with the performance of the team and to his fan base to be given lesser product and not what they deserved.

the GM/Team president's job is to make sure he puts together the best team he possibly can on the field, talent wise. it is the manager's job to make sure the talents can perform to their potential while not killing each other in the club house.

if Clayton pushed his weight around to force Puig out and keep Ellis all this time while Barnes was toiling away in the minors, the fault lies on Clayton, and Dave Roberts. I love what Kershaw has done for this franchise and everything he has achieved as a dodger, which is only parallel to the great Sandy. BUT, if this entire story of back room bickering and power play are all true, I am down to trade Kershaw for Trout right now.
ehhhhh f it.
Kilroy
Forum Mod - Lakers
Forum Mod - Lakers
Posts: 21,520
And1: 12,222
Joined: Jul 10, 2006
Location: The Motel 9 in Vegas
       

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1796 » by Kilroy » Wed Aug 31, 2016 3:15 am

Yeah, I've been saying for a while that I think Kershaw, great as he is, is a little weird in the clubhouse... He just seems so aloof and into his routine that I think he might be a little tough to play with at times...
So of course, you do everything you can to make him happy but at the same time, he's not like Jeeter or someone you can count on to help lead the team, so you may have to put your foot down from time to time, just to make sure he doesn't crawl too far up his own ass...
So personally, I don't have a problem with a little gamesmanship from Freidman there if that's what it was.

Yeah, and Kershaw for Trout without blinking for me too... We most likely have gotten the best out of Kershaw at this point, and Trout still looks like he has years to go.
Never have rice at Hanzo's house...
User avatar
Ranma
RealGM
Posts: 14,456
And1: 4,062
Joined: Jun 13, 2011
Location: OC, CA
Contact:
       

Defending Kershaw 

Post#1797 » by Ranma » Wed Aug 31, 2016 3:28 am

In defense of Kershaw, it wasn't just him who was reportedly upset with Puig in the clubhouse, so it could just have been Kershaw taking the onus as leader to present the wishes of the team to the GM. Kershaw wasn't the one who traded for Reddick, so I'm not blaming him for the Reddick-over-Puig situation. Ellis, on the other hand, should have been replaced by Barnes a while ago, but his presence wasn't as detrimental as having Crawford, Hatcher, and Wilson on the team.

If there is a bit of gamesmanship between Kershaw and Friedman, the front office still has the option to bring Puig back. Nobody is really holding a gun to our think tank's head to deal Puig away for pennies on the dollar. I'm generally in agreement with both of your shared sentiment of no player being above the team, but Kershaw is not only a once-in-a-generation talent, but he's also a wonderful human being given his charity work and personality in the clubhouse. I can also see what you're both saying in that we've probably gotten the best out of Kershaw up to this point, but to me, it would be an injustice for such a rare player to not be a career Dodger.
LA Legends: Kershaw & Koufax_ Image _IGNORED: Max Headrom-esqtvd-QRich3-EBledsoe12-alon8882-45clip
Kilroy
Forum Mod - Lakers
Forum Mod - Lakers
Posts: 21,520
And1: 12,222
Joined: Jul 10, 2006
Location: The Motel 9 in Vegas
       

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1798 » by Kilroy » Wed Aug 31, 2016 5:03 pm

Yeah, I think my post read a little too much like a Puig vs Kershaw thing with me choosing Puig... Not that at all... I'm disappointed to see Puig go, but not shocked and see the logic in it all, even if I think it was handled poorly...

My comments about Kershaw were meant to stand alone... Basically I don't think he's the type of guy you can hand the keys to your franchise too without a leash. I think you make him happy where you can, but only if it helps the team. Otherwise I don't think you can afford to give in to him too much.

I also would love to see him retire a Dodger, but if Trout was available, I think you do that trade without looking back.
Never have rice at Hanzo's house...
User avatar
Quake Griffin
RealGM
Posts: 15,415
And1: 4,638
Joined: Jul 06, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1799 » by Quake Griffin » Wed Aug 31, 2016 10:45 pm

My fears about LHP at the beginning of the year are coming true.

I guess F&Z tried to bet on the law of averages:
That we'd mostly face RHP.


Don't think they bet on SF adding Matt Moore.
Maddon pulling Hammel after 39 pitches and going with a left handed long man.


Very bad time for our bats to revert to April Status.
“I’ve always felt that drafting is the life blood of any organization.” - Jerome Alan West.
User avatar
Neddy
RealGM
Posts: 15,865
And1: 3,908
Joined: Jan 28, 2012
     

Re: 2016 Regular Season Thread 

Post#1800 » by Neddy » Thu Sep 1, 2016 5:14 am

my wife's favorite current dodger came through in the 9th. what a game for Andrew Toles. now the Gnats have to play in Wrigley for the next 4 while we take a day off then play some whiffle ball with the Padres. we outta pull away and make at least two more games on them by the end of this weekend.
ehhhhh f it.

Return to Los Angeles Dodgers