The 2017 Dodgers WORLD SERIES!!! Thread

[Takes5]

Pitching situations are interesting for this matchup. HOU is predominantly right-handed batting lineup with all their top hitters (Altuve, Correa, Springer, Gurriel, Gattis) against LA's lefty starting pitching. But if LA can get thru the order three times then bring in their Pen righties (Maeda, Morrow, Fields, Jansen) that would be ideal right-on-right match ups.
Against HOUs mostly right-handed pitching (basically only Keuchel), if LA can get into their Pen, LA can bring in lefty pinch hitters against their primary relievers and exploit the match up advantage. I doubt we see a Liriano resurgence.
Hopefully it plays out this way and although the starters kind of cancel each other out, the Pen and Bench become the difference.

Will be waiting to see who stays on the team (Granderson v Pederson v Farmer v a 12th pitcher) since it appears Culberson is a lock.
With a lefty on the mound for game 1, I might start Culberson and let Seager rest up until game 2 with ability to pinch hit when HOU goes to their RH relievers.
Main reasons why: aforementioned rest, better defense behind Kershaw, righty on lefty matchup, and Keuchel is a junk baller so don't want Seager to tweak his back - just get Seager an AB late in the game to test the swing and just prep for Verlander and attack that fast ball.
My Gm 1 lineup vs Keuchel:
Taylor, Turner, Bellinger
Puig, ****, Forsythe
Barnes, Culberson, Kershaw
My Gm 2 lineup vs Verlander:
Taylor, Seager, Turner
Bellinger, Ethier, Puig
Grandal, Utley, Hill

[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

I like the Los Angeles road jersey better.

But that accounts for 75 road games.
The other 6?

[Ranma]

I like the Los Angeles road jersey better.

But that accounts for 75 road games.
The other 6?

Probably special-occasion uniforms at other stadiums like, for instance, the MLB Weekend versions.

[Neddy]

I like the Los Angeles road jersey better.

But that accounts for 75 road games.
The other 6?

Probably special-occasion uniforms at other stadiums like, for instance, the MLB Weekend versions.

don't forget the 4th of July camo jersey and BreastCancer awareness pinks.

[Neddy]

I am getting tired of all these pundits calling us a pitching and defense team and the Astros all world offensive ball club because that is just not true.

yes the Astros finished this year as the best offensive team according to fangraphs with 33 WAR by their offense alone. but guess who is right behind, the LA Dodgers who play with no DH at 30.1 WAR offensively, coming in second.


Dodgers also posted 24.3 WAR in pitching, and 24.5 defensive rating as a team. the combined total war is 54.4

Astros posted - 38.7, the second worst defensive rating in 2017. in a short series, a team with shaky defense tends to get exposed at the most inopportune times. Astros also posted 20.8 pitching WAR. that takes them to 53.8.

it is a close match up, but no way Astros' offensive is that much more dominant over us at all, and our pitching isn't that far more dominant over them, but we are the better team and our defense is the clear superior part of the match up. in fact our offense might be better than they are in our own ball park, as them coming into a NL park means they need to make decisions they are not used to making, which is removal of a hot pitcher when pinch hitter is needed. AL ballclubs are not used pulling a starter for a PH, and Astros' pen isn't exactly known to be a shut down relieving corp. meanwhile our bench is balanced, and played all year with guys understanding their role each and every game. their lineup will sport right handed heavy batters and this is where Maeda should shine. we need to use him at any situation like how Indians used Miller last season. let Morrow and Jansen handle the closing duties.

[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

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I want to know specifically if that is a defect in the delivery of his slider or if he's just throwing it sort of as a cutter when he throws it higher in the zone. That could explain the "flattening" of the pitch. I don't watch the game counting swings and misses (though I can certainly tell if a pitcher is getting NONE), so I've always viewed it this way....

That originally (post 2009) he was 4 seam fastball, curve, and slider.
That in recent years he's evolved the slider to work as a slider in the dirt but some what of a cutter as well that is a few ticks slower than his fastball and can sort of throw hitters off when he throws it higher up and in to righties.

Maybe you or Neddy can answer that for me.


http://www.dodgersnation.com/dodgers-clayton-starting-game-1-world-series/2017/10/23/
^^^^
Kershaw on this start.

[Ranma]

Are you guys confident or nervous?


I think we have the better team but I will remain nervous until we actually bring one home.
Even up 9-1, I was watching each pitch in game 5 like my life depended on it.

SMFH.
I cannot freakin wait.

We have to get GM 1... If we do, I'm pretty confident. Until then, I'm not making any predictions... This has the makings of a GM7 nail-biter IMO... But I guess I'd say I'm Quietly Optimistic at this point.

Being in austin, I wanted to try to get over for a game... But it ain't happening... Sucks though because my Wife has a conference there this weekend too...

I'm with you guys in having confidence in our team but also being nervous because the Baseball Gods can be fickle or otherwise unpredictable. We identified early on that this team was special and had very good makeup. The Dodgers had the look of a championship team soon after the season started and have followed through with a record-setting regular season in Los Angeles. We just have to finish up in winning the final four games.

Players from Austin Barnes to Chris Taylor to Yasiel Puig to rookie Cody Bellinger have met and even wildly exceeded optimistic expectations. Despite the loss of promising LHP Julio Urias, the front office was able to address our shortcomings with the deadline acquisitions of Yu Darvish, Tony Cingrani, and Tony Watson to solidify our starting rotation and enhance our bullpen to the point of dominance with Kenley Jansen and Brandon Morrow steadfastly guarding the gates of triumph. Even the misses in acquiring Curtis Granderson and extended opportunities for Pedro Baez haven't hurt our postseason performance as of yet [knock on wood].

However, there's obviously anxiety given how long it's been since the magical 1988 season and we're facing a formidable Astros ballclub that also accumulated 100 wins with a stacked lineup and front-loaded pitching staff featuring the premier pitcher of the postseason in Justin Verlander. With all due and much respect to our imposing opponent, the Dodgers are the better team. We just have to show it by executing.

The extra days of rest may not have helped in terms of routine and sharpness for the team but it afforded recuperation time for arguably our 2 best position players in a banged up Justin Turner and an ailing Corey Seager. We'll see how much the rest has helped either or both. There is still public uncertainty over Clayton Kershaw's stature in the postseason and concerns over his back and slider haven't helped answer such questions.

Still, we've dominated this postseason as well as during the regular season, so we've shown for extended periods this year that the Dodgers have been clearly the best team in baseball. We just have to continue to do it for the stretch run of the final lap of the 2017 season.

While our pitching rotation is not exactly how I want it, I really like the makeup and composition of this team.
The players feel like components of a championship worthy ballclub. I'm not saying they're going to win it this year as it is a matter of performance, but I really do like the overall look of this team. We just have to perform to the best of our ability.

Now just don't get cute and start playing A-Gon just because he's a vet. If he performs, I'd love to continue rooting for Adrian Gonzalez but I don't want him to become Jimmy Rollins to Bellinger's Seager. I still want to get rid of Andre Ethier and if we can cash in Verdugo and Calhoun for another key piece, it'd be near perfect for this season.

By the way, somebody give Turner Ward a raise.

Had this exact same thought.

While I wish we had 5 200 IP sub 3.50 ERA starters, that's not realistic. I still, however, generally like the make up of the team. I love the emphasis on locker room.

Looks like we have a real team and not just a collection of good parts that make us overrated.

[Quake Griffin]

Granderson not on the roster.

Yay!!!


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[Ranma]

I missed in predicting the exact World Series roster for the Dodgers by including Avilan over Striping. I'm not able to follow the current pitching progress of those players as closely as the dread pirate Roberts, but I suspect Avilan is the better performer. However, with Houston's right-handed-heavy lineup, I see why Stripling and McCarthy get the call.

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[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

Maybe you or Neddy can answer that for me.

As usual, I'm going to defer to our resident expert Neddy with regards to Kershaw's mechanics, but just based on the way he's been answering questions about his slider, it points again to the stubbornness he's exhibited at times to his detriment. We know he tends to get too amped up for starts but the fact that he seems more inclined to continue to throw his slider at a higher velocity when the results have indicated better results at a slightly lower speed is frustrating. I've already mentioned recently my previous observance of his hard-headedness in throwing predictable pitches and issues with not being on the same page as Barnes despite Austin being lauded for his handling of pitchers in calling games.

I also stated before that in Kershaw's last start against the Cubs, he seemed to be working on his pitches in-game, particularly with his slider, which is why I didn't mind him staying for extended innnings in a blowout victory. Hopefully, he's just trying to not reveal his hand to our opponents, but I am worried that he's being close-minded again.

[Ranma]

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[Kilroy]

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I like what they're saying and I can't find fault in the logic... Nor do I want to...

But this Dodger team is a little like the Lakers teams of the early 2000s... It's complete from top to bottom and when they play right, they're basically unbeatable... But baseball is more complicated than Basketball. More of a Chess game...
And Houston is a great team, with at least an elite ace in Verlander...

So I feel like I have to see how the first game goes before I have a real Idea if we're going to play the right way on the biggest stage in the sport... Sometimes a team like ours can play a little tight, and a team like Houston who maybe didn't expect to be there comes in loose and just romps... We'll see I guess... I'm already stressed.

[Quake Griffin]

Holy ****.

Brandon McCarthy made it onto the roster? Unbelievable.
I dunno whether to defer to the Dave/FO that had the vision to see Maeda would be an animal in the pen or to be skeptical of the Dave/FO that thought Granderson deserved to be on the DS and CS roster.