Dee Gordon: .352 AVG, .373 OBP, 14 2B, 2 3B, 17 RBI, 23 SB
Hanley Ramirez: .273 AVG, .319 OBP, 5 2B, 14 HR, 36 RBI
Matt Kemp: .248 AVG, .287 OBP, 14 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 7 SB
Those are the big guns the Dodgers gave up this past offseason, replaced in the batting order by guys like Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal, and Jimmy Rollins.
How's it working out? If these last three weeks are any indication, then the answer is "Not very well."
Before the season even started, I made mention of the Dodgers' new approach to offense in that they wanted to be "deeper" and not rely on a couple of names to do all of the damage. On May 22, they stood at 22-10 after an 11-1 shellacking of the Marlins. Things were looking good.
Now, they're still in first place in the NL West at 38-31, but are barely holding on. Their offense, once so vaunted up and down the order, is practically on life support.
Yes, the Dodgers definitely miss the threesome they let walk in Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Dee Gordon.
That's not to say their departures will leave a negative impact at the end of the season, but the Dodgers sure wish they had Dee's speed, Hanley's power, and Kemp's ability to put it all together when he's feeling good. That was the risk Andrew Friedman took when he got rid of them, and right now, they miss them.
Of the three, Gordon is the one enjoying the most success. He's first in the NL with hits at 101, a whopping 14 more than Paul Goldschmidt. He's second in both stolen bases (23) and batting average (.352). All he heard when he was traded was that last year was probably his peak, but so far, he's shutting everyone up.
The Dodgers have tried Rollins, Joc Pederson, and Yasiel Puig as leadoff hitters this year. Well, Rollins terrible no matter where he hits, so that obviously hasn't worked. Pederson and Puig are certainly impact hitters, but not in the leadoff spot. Simply put, the Dodgers have yet to find a true leadoff hitter. They certainly could use Gordon there.
Ramirez has only been one part of a disappointing Red Sox team, but the Dodgers could certainly use his 14 homers and 36 RBIs, which would put him second on the team to Pederson and Adrian Gonzalez, respectively. Even in a "down" year for him, he'd still be near the top of the leaderboard in LA.
The one who's struggled the most away from LA is Kemp, who's been healthy, but has yet to bust out in San Diego. He's been basically a singles hitter for much of the season. If you know anything about him, however, it's that he gets hot as the season wears on. For proof, take a peak at his splits between the first and second half of last season. He's hit two homers in his last five games, so there's signs he's waking up.
With the way the Dodgers have been playing, there's no doubt they'd love to etch in a lineup that has Kemp in left and Hanley at short. Dee is the only tough call, as Kendrick has played very well for the most part. The tough part is that this team desperately needs a solid leadoff hitter, and that's what Dee has provided. Who knows how it'll shake out in the long run, but right now, Dee at the top of the lineup looks pretty good.
When you look at the batting averages in June, you start to miss those three guys even more: Gonzalez (.211), Pederson (.234), Grandal (.232), Rollins (.200), and Ethier (.210). Chris Heisey hit .176, but he's already been sent down, thankfully. He was terrible. The other guys don't look a whole lot better. It's a lot of swings, a lot of misses, and a lot of weak little outs. It's been that painful to watch.
Hanley Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Dee Gordon won't be walking through that door, unless their teams visit Dodger Stadium. It's time for the guys on the team to step up and play with much more aggressiveness at the plate. It's also time to get rid of the dead weight and bring up Hector Olivera and Corey Seager.
Or, we can all continue to watch this team be outplayed night after night because their offense is pathetic.
Showing posts with label Gordon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gordon. Show all posts
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Sunday, February 15, 2015
2015 Season Preview: Infield
I've already gone through the pitching staff, so now let's focus on the guys behind them. Today will be all about the infield.
2014
C - A.J. Ellis
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Dee Gordon
SS - Hanley Ramirez
3B - Juan Uribe
Bench - Drew Butera, Tim Federowicz, Justin Turner, Miguel Rojas, Chone Figgins, Erisbel Arruebarrena, Darwin Barney
2015
C - A.J. Ellis/Yasmani Grandal
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Howie Kendrick
SS - Jimmy Rollins
3B - Juan Uribe
Bench - Ellis or Grandal, Justin Turner, Darwin Barney, Alex Guerrero
Then Compared to Now:
Obviously, there's a big change in the middle, as out go Hanley and Gordon, and in come Kendrick and Rollins. Other than Matt Kemp being traded to San Diego, the infield is the biggest story. Since A-Gon and Uribe stay the same, the major question will be whether or not the new is better than the old.
Let's not forget that Gordon started off the year as an afterthought, and barely even worth drafting in fantasy leagues. He then turned himself into an All-Star who led the league in stolen bases pretty easily. Hanley had a rough year for his standards by only playing in 128 games, but did hit .429 in the Division Series without a strikeout.
The other change is the addition of Grandal, who was part of the Kemp deal. There's no doubt he brings much more offense than Ellis. But defensively, he still has to prove he can handle a staff like Ellis can.
Individual Breakdown:
Ellis (2014 stats): .191 AVG, .323 OBP, 9 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB
He's never been a star with the lumber, but even with that said, he really struggled to generate anything on offense. About all he could give was a walk, which is why his OBP is so much higher. There's no doubt, however, that the Dodgers did the right thing in bringing in an offensive catcher in Grandal. As valuable as Ellis is behind the plate, especially with Clayton Kershaw, the offense just comes to a halt when he's up.
Grandal (with Padres): .225 AVG, .327 OBP, 19 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 49 RBI, 3 SB
He's been busted for PED use, he's torn up his knee, and he's not even considered that great of a defensive catcher. But he is still young (26), and he's clearly shown good pop from behind the plate when he can stay on the field. Plus, he appeared in 37 games last season at first base, which is great since he hits right-handed and can spell Gonzalez if need be. There's a lot to like about him, but as I said before, he'll have to show he can stay on the field to really be worth the while.
Gonzalez: .276 AVG, .335 OBP, 41 2B, 0 3B, 27 HR, 116 RBI, 1 SB
I'll bet very few people, outside of Dodger fans, would be able to tell you that A-Gon led all of baseball in RBIs last season, even ahead of the mighty Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. That's because he played in 159 games last season, and hit .333 with runners in scoring position. Plus, his defense improved, cutting down on his errors from 11 to 6. All in all, he's Mr. Reliable, and even as he turns 33 in May, has proven to be the rock in the Dodgers' lineup.
Kendrick (with Angels): .293 AVG, .347 OBP, 33 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 75 RBI, 14 SB
Two big reasons why the Dodgers preferred him over Gordon: he's consistently put up numbers at the plate since his debut in 2006, and the brass feels as though Gordon has already peaked with his best season in 2014. Time will only tell about that last statement, as Gordon will have lots of chances to show his worth in Miami. As for Kendrick, he's a clutch hitter who also brings the goods in the field, rating at an excellent 1.4 DWAR. He'll be playing for a new contract this year, so there's even more motivation for him to show his addition was a smart move.
Rollins: .243 AVG, .323 OBP, 22 2B, 4 3B, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 28 SB
Boy will this be weird seeing him in Dodger blue this season. It will be an adjustment for everybody, but after Hanley bolted for Boston, the addition of Rollins looks like a great move. He's won a ring once, lost in the World Series to the Yankees another time, and will be looking to provide the leadership the Dodgers need to bring them their first title since 1988. He looked completely washed up in 2013, but fought back for a much better 2014. He won't be the same hitter Hanley was, but defensively, he's light years better, and that's what the Dodgers want the most.
Uribe: .311 AVG, .337 OBP, 23 2B, 0 3B, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 0 SB
Entering the last year of his contract, he backed up his resurgent (and that's an understatement) 2013 with another good year at the plate. Most importantly, he gave Gold Glove caliber defense at the hot corner, barely losing out on the award again. He'll be 36 when the season begins in April, making him a little long in the tooth, so you have to wonder if this is his last year in LA. He needs to show that he can stay on the field more as well, playing in a low 103 games last season.
Turner: .340 AVG, .404 OBP, 21 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 6 SB
What an addition he turned out to be, as he constantly gave bit hits off the bench (.400 as a PH), and played all four infield positions. Heck, he could've probably been a better option out of the bullpen than the bums the Dodgers had last year as well. While it would be very hard to expect those types of offensive numbers again, they can expect him to provide a lift when needed, and play the role of late-inning sparkplug.
Barney (with Cubs and Dodgers): .241 AVG, .300 OBP, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB
A deadline addition by the Dodgers last season, he only got 33 at-bats in LA, and was mostly brought in for insurance with Hanley constantly in and out of the lineup, and Gordon fading some in the second half. He'll probably resume that role this season, as he can spot Kendrick a day off here and there if needed.
Guerrero: .077 AVG, .077 OBP, no other stats to speak of
Who knows if he'll even be on the roster Opening Day, but considering his potential to be a good hitter, he's someone to remember. He only appeared in the beginning of the season and at the end with September call-ups, in between getting into a fight with Miguel Olivo and getting part of his ear bitten off. Let's just hope he avoids the drama this season and give the Dodgers a lift off the bench.
Is Now Better Than Then?
Defensively, absolutely. There's no question about that. Rollins and Kendrick are a huge upgrade over Hanley and Gordon as a double play combination. While Gordon I believe was a bit underrated for his improvements made with the glove, Hanley became a big liability at short. Perhaps we remember his error that cost Kershaw a chance at a perfect game? That's just one example of how bad he became, and now he's in left field for the Red Sox.
At the plate, it will remain to be seen mostly because of Gordon. If he shows that he's not a one-year wonder, then losing his speed at the top will definitely hurt. However, Rollins and Kendrick both stole their share of bases as well, and combined hit for more power. In the end, if those numbers stay the same, then the Dodgers are not only an upgrade in the field, but at the plate as well.
Grandal will be given plenty of chances to stay in the lineup if he can get his bat going. The Dodgers don't have that instant pop that Kemp and Hanley provided when healthy, so they'll be relying on a few guys do pull their weight instead. A power hitting catcher is one way of picking up the slack. I fully expect Ellis to be Kershaw's personal catcher, but after that, it should be Grandal's job to lose.
With two great, albeit older, fielders at the corners, the Dodgers are a more well-rounded, better team all across the infield for 2015.
2014
C - A.J. Ellis
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Dee Gordon
SS - Hanley Ramirez
3B - Juan Uribe
Bench - Drew Butera, Tim Federowicz, Justin Turner, Miguel Rojas, Chone Figgins, Erisbel Arruebarrena, Darwin Barney
2015
C - A.J. Ellis/Yasmani Grandal
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Howie Kendrick
SS - Jimmy Rollins
3B - Juan Uribe
Bench - Ellis or Grandal, Justin Turner, Darwin Barney, Alex Guerrero
Then Compared to Now:
Obviously, there's a big change in the middle, as out go Hanley and Gordon, and in come Kendrick and Rollins. Other than Matt Kemp being traded to San Diego, the infield is the biggest story. Since A-Gon and Uribe stay the same, the major question will be whether or not the new is better than the old.
Let's not forget that Gordon started off the year as an afterthought, and barely even worth drafting in fantasy leagues. He then turned himself into an All-Star who led the league in stolen bases pretty easily. Hanley had a rough year for his standards by only playing in 128 games, but did hit .429 in the Division Series without a strikeout.
The other change is the addition of Grandal, who was part of the Kemp deal. There's no doubt he brings much more offense than Ellis. But defensively, he still has to prove he can handle a staff like Ellis can.
Individual Breakdown:
Ellis (2014 stats): .191 AVG, .323 OBP, 9 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB
He's never been a star with the lumber, but even with that said, he really struggled to generate anything on offense. About all he could give was a walk, which is why his OBP is so much higher. There's no doubt, however, that the Dodgers did the right thing in bringing in an offensive catcher in Grandal. As valuable as Ellis is behind the plate, especially with Clayton Kershaw, the offense just comes to a halt when he's up.
Grandal (with Padres): .225 AVG, .327 OBP, 19 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 49 RBI, 3 SB
He's been busted for PED use, he's torn up his knee, and he's not even considered that great of a defensive catcher. But he is still young (26), and he's clearly shown good pop from behind the plate when he can stay on the field. Plus, he appeared in 37 games last season at first base, which is great since he hits right-handed and can spell Gonzalez if need be. There's a lot to like about him, but as I said before, he'll have to show he can stay on the field to really be worth the while.
Gonzalez: .276 AVG, .335 OBP, 41 2B, 0 3B, 27 HR, 116 RBI, 1 SB
I'll bet very few people, outside of Dodger fans, would be able to tell you that A-Gon led all of baseball in RBIs last season, even ahead of the mighty Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera. That's because he played in 159 games last season, and hit .333 with runners in scoring position. Plus, his defense improved, cutting down on his errors from 11 to 6. All in all, he's Mr. Reliable, and even as he turns 33 in May, has proven to be the rock in the Dodgers' lineup.
Kendrick (with Angels): .293 AVG, .347 OBP, 33 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 75 RBI, 14 SB
Two big reasons why the Dodgers preferred him over Gordon: he's consistently put up numbers at the plate since his debut in 2006, and the brass feels as though Gordon has already peaked with his best season in 2014. Time will only tell about that last statement, as Gordon will have lots of chances to show his worth in Miami. As for Kendrick, he's a clutch hitter who also brings the goods in the field, rating at an excellent 1.4 DWAR. He'll be playing for a new contract this year, so there's even more motivation for him to show his addition was a smart move.
Rollins: .243 AVG, .323 OBP, 22 2B, 4 3B, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 28 SB
Boy will this be weird seeing him in Dodger blue this season. It will be an adjustment for everybody, but after Hanley bolted for Boston, the addition of Rollins looks like a great move. He's won a ring once, lost in the World Series to the Yankees another time, and will be looking to provide the leadership the Dodgers need to bring them their first title since 1988. He looked completely washed up in 2013, but fought back for a much better 2014. He won't be the same hitter Hanley was, but defensively, he's light years better, and that's what the Dodgers want the most.
Uribe: .311 AVG, .337 OBP, 23 2B, 0 3B, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 0 SB
Entering the last year of his contract, he backed up his resurgent (and that's an understatement) 2013 with another good year at the plate. Most importantly, he gave Gold Glove caliber defense at the hot corner, barely losing out on the award again. He'll be 36 when the season begins in April, making him a little long in the tooth, so you have to wonder if this is his last year in LA. He needs to show that he can stay on the field more as well, playing in a low 103 games last season.
Turner: .340 AVG, .404 OBP, 21 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 6 SB
What an addition he turned out to be, as he constantly gave bit hits off the bench (.400 as a PH), and played all four infield positions. Heck, he could've probably been a better option out of the bullpen than the bums the Dodgers had last year as well. While it would be very hard to expect those types of offensive numbers again, they can expect him to provide a lift when needed, and play the role of late-inning sparkplug.
Barney (with Cubs and Dodgers): .241 AVG, .300 OBP, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 1 SB
A deadline addition by the Dodgers last season, he only got 33 at-bats in LA, and was mostly brought in for insurance with Hanley constantly in and out of the lineup, and Gordon fading some in the second half. He'll probably resume that role this season, as he can spot Kendrick a day off here and there if needed.
Guerrero: .077 AVG, .077 OBP, no other stats to speak of
Who knows if he'll even be on the roster Opening Day, but considering his potential to be a good hitter, he's someone to remember. He only appeared in the beginning of the season and at the end with September call-ups, in between getting into a fight with Miguel Olivo and getting part of his ear bitten off. Let's just hope he avoids the drama this season and give the Dodgers a lift off the bench.
Is Now Better Than Then?
Defensively, absolutely. There's no question about that. Rollins and Kendrick are a huge upgrade over Hanley and Gordon as a double play combination. While Gordon I believe was a bit underrated for his improvements made with the glove, Hanley became a big liability at short. Perhaps we remember his error that cost Kershaw a chance at a perfect game? That's just one example of how bad he became, and now he's in left field for the Red Sox.
At the plate, it will remain to be seen mostly because of Gordon. If he shows that he's not a one-year wonder, then losing his speed at the top will definitely hurt. However, Rollins and Kendrick both stole their share of bases as well, and combined hit for more power. In the end, if those numbers stay the same, then the Dodgers are not only an upgrade in the field, but at the plate as well.
Grandal will be given plenty of chances to stay in the lineup if he can get his bat going. The Dodgers don't have that instant pop that Kemp and Hanley provided when healthy, so they'll be relying on a few guys do pull their weight instead. A power hitting catcher is one way of picking up the slack. I fully expect Ellis to be Kershaw's personal catcher, but after that, it should be Grandal's job to lose.
With two great, albeit older, fielders at the corners, the Dodgers are a more well-rounded, better team all across the infield for 2015.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Gordon and Haren traded to the Marlins
Day Three of the 2014 Winter Meetings will go down as a very big, and a very busy, one for the Dodgers.
First there was the acquisition of Jimmy Rollins from the Phillies. That alone seemed like enough for the day. Except it wasn't.
One day ago the Dodgers were both being linked to and denying a Dee Gordon trade to the Marlins. Well, it's happened, and Dan Haren will go along for the ride.
The Dodgers have traded Gordon and Haren to the Marlins for top pitching prospect Andrew Heaney. Also coming from Miami are second baseman Enrique Hernandez, right-handed pitcher Chris Hatcher, and catcher Austin Barnes.
First, let's take a look at Heaney. MLB.com has him ranked as the #18 overall prospect, and the #2 overall left-handed pitcher. He's stands 6'2" and will turn 24 next June. His profile describes him as a guy who throws up to 95 mph with a "wipeout" slider. Sounds like another lefty on the Dodgers right now. He also has developed a changeup for his third pitch, which has really raised his stock.
By the way, who's the #1 ranked lefty? Julio Urias... of the Dodgers. Nice!
The other three players are more for depth. Hernandez has one year of big league experience, appearing in 42 games with the Astros and Marlins, hitting .248. Hatcher has appeared in 81 games for the Marlins, all out of the bullpen, with a 4.82 ERA. Barnes has never played above the Double-A level after being drafted in 2011.
So, the big chip is obviously Heaney, who will join Urias as the next big guns ready to step in for the Dodgers. This makes me think that the new management might not be afraid to trade Zack Greinke this upcoming year if they really do think he'll opt out of his contract. At least they have some very good arms ready to step in, plus they can get more value in return via trade. We shall see.
I discussed Gordon more in-depth yesterday, so check out my post about him here. I will say that I very much enjoyed watching him emerge as an everyday player this past season, as there is simply no match for his speed. His defense at second was much-improved throughout the season, so I hope the Marlins leave him there. If he can cut down on his strikeouts and not be tempted to crush the ball too often, he'll be an All-Star again for sure.
Haren certainly had an up-and-down year in LA, as he looked like steal of the free agency class to start the season, fell into a horrible slump around July, then settled back down for some good starts down the stretch. He finished at 13-11 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 32 starts. All things considered, he did his job for the most part at the back end of the rotation. I just wish he was more consistent, as when he was bad, he was REALLY bad.
With Rollins in the fold and Gordon and Haren shipped out, the next big name on the list is Matt Kemp. There's still plenty of talk about him going to the Padres, so don't fall asleep on that yet. Considering how rapid fire the moves on this day have gone, it could only be a matter of "when" and not "if" this will happen.
First there was the acquisition of Jimmy Rollins from the Phillies. That alone seemed like enough for the day. Except it wasn't.
One day ago the Dodgers were both being linked to and denying a Dee Gordon trade to the Marlins. Well, it's happened, and Dan Haren will go along for the ride.
The Dodgers have traded Gordon and Haren to the Marlins for top pitching prospect Andrew Heaney. Also coming from Miami are second baseman Enrique Hernandez, right-handed pitcher Chris Hatcher, and catcher Austin Barnes.
First, let's take a look at Heaney. MLB.com has him ranked as the #18 overall prospect, and the #2 overall left-handed pitcher. He's stands 6'2" and will turn 24 next June. His profile describes him as a guy who throws up to 95 mph with a "wipeout" slider. Sounds like another lefty on the Dodgers right now. He also has developed a changeup for his third pitch, which has really raised his stock.
By the way, who's the #1 ranked lefty? Julio Urias... of the Dodgers. Nice!
The other three players are more for depth. Hernandez has one year of big league experience, appearing in 42 games with the Astros and Marlins, hitting .248. Hatcher has appeared in 81 games for the Marlins, all out of the bullpen, with a 4.82 ERA. Barnes has never played above the Double-A level after being drafted in 2011.
So, the big chip is obviously Heaney, who will join Urias as the next big guns ready to step in for the Dodgers. This makes me think that the new management might not be afraid to trade Zack Greinke this upcoming year if they really do think he'll opt out of his contract. At least they have some very good arms ready to step in, plus they can get more value in return via trade. We shall see.
I discussed Gordon more in-depth yesterday, so check out my post about him here. I will say that I very much enjoyed watching him emerge as an everyday player this past season, as there is simply no match for his speed. His defense at second was much-improved throughout the season, so I hope the Marlins leave him there. If he can cut down on his strikeouts and not be tempted to crush the ball too often, he'll be an All-Star again for sure.
Haren certainly had an up-and-down year in LA, as he looked like steal of the free agency class to start the season, fell into a horrible slump around July, then settled back down for some good starts down the stretch. He finished at 13-11 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 32 starts. All things considered, he did his job for the most part at the back end of the rotation. I just wish he was more consistent, as when he was bad, he was REALLY bad.
With Rollins in the fold and Gordon and Haren shipped out, the next big name on the list is Matt Kemp. There's still plenty of talk about him going to the Padres, so don't fall asleep on that yet. Considering how rapid fire the moves on this day have gone, it could only be a matter of "when" and not "if" this will happen.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Gordon could go from All-Star to traded
While the Matt Kemp to San Diego rumors continue to dominate talk about the Dodgers at the Winter Meetings, here's another tidbit that could be interesting - Dee Gordon is being made available by the new management.
Who knows what the level of "available" is, as this doesn't initially strike me as something the Dodgers are hotly pursuing. I get the feeling it's more of an "If you like him, let's talk" type of thing.
One team that perhaps would like to talk is the Marlins, who might already be showing some interest.
There are a couple of reasons to believe that Gordon really could be on his way out. For starters, the Gordon we saw in the second half of last season did not come close to matching the All-Star reserve at second base we saw in the first. His average was around the same (.292 before, .284 after), but his OBP went way down (.344/.300). He also started striking out a bunch more, and while he led all of baseball in stolen bases at 64, he started getting caught more in the second half despite playing in much less games.
The other reason is that the Dodgers have Alex Guerrero and Erisbel Arruebarrena waiting in the wings, and they're not cheap. They're pretty much opposites of each other right now, as Guerrero has the bat, and Arruebarrena has the glove.
A major factor that could keep Gordon right where he is is that Hanley Ramirez is now in Boston. Perhaps the Dodgers would be satisfied with Arruebarrena at short and Guerrero at second, but that's a lot of inexperience up the middle on a "win now" club.
I'm not ready to give up on Gordon for slowing down in the second half, as his 148 games far outpaced his next highest career total of 87 in 2012. I think a smaller, speedy guy like him just naturally started feeling the wear and tear of a long Major League season. If you recall, he bulked up some before last season started, and helped the Dodgers solve their leadoff issues.
Right now the Dodgers are waiting to see if Jon Lester comes aboard, and maybe finalizing the Kemp trade to the Padres. After that, then possibly this talk of moving Gordon begins to take on more importance. Stay tuned.
Who knows what the level of "available" is, as this doesn't initially strike me as something the Dodgers are hotly pursuing. I get the feeling it's more of an "If you like him, let's talk" type of thing.
One team that perhaps would like to talk is the Marlins, who might already be showing some interest.
There are a couple of reasons to believe that Gordon really could be on his way out. For starters, the Gordon we saw in the second half of last season did not come close to matching the All-Star reserve at second base we saw in the first. His average was around the same (.292 before, .284 after), but his OBP went way down (.344/.300). He also started striking out a bunch more, and while he led all of baseball in stolen bases at 64, he started getting caught more in the second half despite playing in much less games.
The other reason is that the Dodgers have Alex Guerrero and Erisbel Arruebarrena waiting in the wings, and they're not cheap. They're pretty much opposites of each other right now, as Guerrero has the bat, and Arruebarrena has the glove.
A major factor that could keep Gordon right where he is is that Hanley Ramirez is now in Boston. Perhaps the Dodgers would be satisfied with Arruebarrena at short and Guerrero at second, but that's a lot of inexperience up the middle on a "win now" club.
I'm not ready to give up on Gordon for slowing down in the second half, as his 148 games far outpaced his next highest career total of 87 in 2012. I think a smaller, speedy guy like him just naturally started feeling the wear and tear of a long Major League season. If you recall, he bulked up some before last season started, and helped the Dodgers solve their leadoff issues.
Right now the Dodgers are waiting to see if Jon Lester comes aboard, and maybe finalizing the Kemp trade to the Padres. After that, then possibly this talk of moving Gordon begins to take on more importance. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Dee's feeling good for Game 1
After the Dodgers clinched the NL West last Wednesday, one of the biggest issues for Don Mattingly was how much playing time he should give to the regulars in the last few games. After all, the last thing anyone wants to see is an injury.
And then Dee Gordon left the second-to-last game of the season with a hip injury. Ugh.
What was unknown at the time was just how serious it was, as the Dodgers obviously erred on the side of caution, and rightfully so. An MRI didn't reveal any damage, which was good news.
Even better news came today, as Gordon made it through a workout at Dodger Stadium, and has declared himself good to go for Game 1 of the NLDS.
Despite his numbers dipping in the second half of the season, his presence in the lineup is huge. He can completely turn a game around with his legs. A league-leading 64 RBIs and 12 triples show just how much his speed impacts the game.
What will be fun to watch is Gordon vs. Yadier Molina, one of the greatest caught stealing catchers of all time. Even at 100% strength, swiping any base on Molina is darn near impossible. However, I still think Gordon will step up to the challenge and test his luck.
Keep an eye out for the first time Gordon reaches first. You know that one way or another, he'll be looking to steal second and set the tone for the rest of the series.
And then Dee Gordon left the second-to-last game of the season with a hip injury. Ugh.
What was unknown at the time was just how serious it was, as the Dodgers obviously erred on the side of caution, and rightfully so. An MRI didn't reveal any damage, which was good news.
Even better news came today, as Gordon made it through a workout at Dodger Stadium, and has declared himself good to go for Game 1 of the NLDS.
Despite his numbers dipping in the second half of the season, his presence in the lineup is huge. He can completely turn a game around with his legs. A league-leading 64 RBIs and 12 triples show just how much his speed impacts the game.
What will be fun to watch is Gordon vs. Yadier Molina, one of the greatest caught stealing catchers of all time. Even at 100% strength, swiping any base on Molina is darn near impossible. However, I still think Gordon will step up to the challenge and test his luck.
Keep an eye out for the first time Gordon reaches first. You know that one way or another, he'll be looking to steal second and set the tone for the rest of the series.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
How the NL West was won
It was all good in Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, as Clayton Kershaw dominated, Yasiel Puig homered and showed off his amazing arm, and the Dodgers rolled right by the Giants 9-1. The NL West once again belongs to the good guys.
Just how did the Dodgers get to be back-to-back division champs? Here's how:
* Clayton Kershaw. Unbelievable. The guys has done it all this season. After mowing right through the Giants in the clincher, he finished this season at 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and 239 K's in 198 1/3 innings. He even added an RBI triple last night. There's simply nothing the guy can't do on the field, as he embraces putting the Dodgers on his back and carrying them. That's what they'll need in October, too.
* The second half resurgence of Matt Kemp. Before the All-Star break, he hit .269 with eight homers and 35 RBIs. Decent numbers, but nothing special. Plus, his defense in center was so bad, Don Mattingly pulled the plug in late May. After the break? A whole new player at .303, 16 homers, and 51 RBIs. As for his defense, it was a whole heck of a lot better in right. He's peaking at the right time, and is once again a true power threat in the cleanup spot.
* First-time All-Stars Dee Gordon and Puig. Both guys took a step back in the second half, but still play major roles on this team. Gordon has an MLB-leading 64 stolen bases, and has even outlasted the blazing fast Billy Hamilton. He also is tops in triples with 12. Puig is certainly an enigma at times, but there's no denying the high ceiling of talent he possesses. He went through a huge power outage in the middle of season and finished with 16 home runs, but is still a big threat every time he steps up to the plate. Oh ya, moving to center has been a great move, as he continues to gun down runners.
* Zack Greinke, baseball's best #2 starter. How many other teams would he be the ace? The All-Star has more than settled into his role with LA, and his eight-inning gem on Tuesday helped put the Dodgers on the brink of the division title. Overall, he finished at 16-8 with a 2.74 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 201 K's in 197 1/3 innings.
* Kenley Jansen and his 44 saves. It was a bit of a bumpy ride at times in the first half of the year, as he seemed to be too reliant on throwing the same pitch (cutter) over and over. Since the start of July, however, he's given up five earned runs in 29 appearances, lowering his ERA from 3.67 to 2.67. He's as close to automatic as closers come.
* Justin Turner, the unsung hero. What an end to the season he has had. He cranked two home runs in support of Greinke on Tuesday, and finished the year by hitting .333 with seven homers and 41 RBIs in 106 games. Clearly, he's a sparkplug when he's in the lineup, and has become a big weapon for Mattingly to deploy off the bench. Plus, he's versatile enough to play all four infield positions, which is huge when making double switches in the playoffs.
* Last, but certainly not least, MLB's leading RBI man, Adrian Gonzalez. Quite an accomplishment for a guy hitting .201 against left-handed pitchers. After hitting the cover off the ball in April, it looked like it was going to be a lost season with a very rough May and June. That all turned around with a big July, and he reached the 20 RBI plateau in each of the last three months. The Dodgers would be lost without all the big at-bats he's had.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Slumping Puig and Gordon showing their youth
The Dodgers lost to the Padres on Friday night in 12 innings, 3-2. They managed to get two hits, but only Hanley Ramirez could deliver RBIs with a double and solo homer. Yasmani Grandal had the walk-off RBI single with two outs, and that cut the Dodgers' lead in the NL West to 3 1/2 games.
There was a lot to take away from the game, especially the four-man right side of the infield the Dodgers unleashed on Seth Smith in the 12th. But what I took away is just how much Dee Gordon and Yasiel Puig are struggling.
They're young, they're slumping, and it's showing.
Yesterday I wrote about five key questions the Dodgers face down the stretch, and two of those questions were about Puig's power and Gordon wearing down. Well, those concerns were exemplified even more on Friday, in which both players had rough games.
Let's start with Gordon, who did not have a night he'd like to remember by any means. He started the game hitting .293, but 0-for-6 in the leadoff spot dropped it to .289. He's now down to .272 in August, which isn't terrible, but of much more concern is his .286 OBP this month. His next lowest OBP of any month was .311 in May, and that was with a much worse average of .244. The bottom line is that he's stopped taking walks, has too many swings and misses, and doesn't look energized.
That's the offensive side of the game, and on Friday, his defense was a glaring weakness as well. He had two bad throws that really cost the Dodgers in the end. In the second, his wild throw to Hanley Ramirez at second ruined a potential double play, as they couldn't even get one out and soon led to a run. In the 12th, his low throw to A.J. Ellis at home only resulted in one out, instead of an inning ending DP. Sure enough, Grandal walked-off right after.
As I pointed out yesterday, it's obvious that his lack of experience in playing so many games is catching up to him. Friday was game #128 for him, and his next previous high was 87 back in 2012. It's only natural to be somewhat worn down. I just worry that he won't be able to regain his mojo going into October.
Speaking of being tired and slumping, there's Puig. Don Mattingly admitted that the reason he didn't start Friday night's game was because of frustration, and that he's letting his emotions affect his play. Donnie hit the nail on the head right there. There's no doubt a combination of the long season and things not going his way has really plagued him.
Like Gordon, the jump of playing a part of the season to being a full-timer this year seems to be taking a toll. Last year he appeared in 104 games, and with about a month left in the season, it's up to 123. And considering how he puts his whole body on the line in every game (or heck, even in every swing), it's no surprise that he's in a big rut.
Probably more concerning for Puig as compared to Gordon is that Puig's numbers have taken an even bigger nosedive. He came into August hitting .319, but that's gone down to .301. A 19-for-87 month equates to .218. He pinch-hit for Dan Haren in Friday's game, but again struck out, leaving him hitless in his last six games, going 0-for-17.
Let's not forget that Puig was also pretty ragged in September last season, but the Dodgers still went to the NLCS. He seemed like he was ready to be one of baseball's top stars based on how the start of the this season went, as his bat was explosive and he dramatically cut down on his silly mistakes.
Well, that's changed, as he can't get a hit now, makes no adjustments at the plate to correct this, and let's not forget his boneheaded baserunning mistake where he was thrown out at home against the Mets last Sunday, handing them a triple play. That summed up his frustrations right there.
With the Giants not going anywhere, you know the Dodgers have plenty of work to do to claim the NL West. Nothing will be handed to them, meaning Donnie probably won't have the luxury of resting his guys much down the stretch like last season. And from the looks of things, rest is exactly what these two young All-Stars need.
Maybe both guys have already hit their low points, and they'll be ready to play much better baseball in September. The Dodgers certainly need them to. Because if not, there's two glaring holes at the top of the order. We'll see what September has in store for them.
Friday, August 29, 2014
5 questions the Dodgers face down the stretch
Here we are at the end of August, and there's a month left of regular season baseball on the schedule. The Dodgers find themselves up 4 1/2 games over the Giants in the NL West, and it's a race that doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
With that said, here are five key questions the Dodgers face for the September pennant run.
1) Will Clayton Kershaw win the MVP award?
There's certainly little reason to doubt that he not only can, but he will. After another masterful performance on Wednesday in Arizona, a place where he was pounded in May, his numbers look like this: 16-3, 1.73 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 6 CG, 2 SHO, 194 K's in 161 1/3 IP. I'm not sure how he keeps topping himself, but he does.
We all know how rare it is for pitchers to win the MVP, as they only appear in around 20% of the games, and that's with really good health. Kershaw was hurt for over a month at the start of the season, so his percentage will be lower. But in addition to his awesome numbers, what he also has going for him is that there aren't many other strong candidates. Troy Tulowitzki was, but he's done for the season already. Andrew McCutchen has good numbers again, but he's been banged up a bit and the Pirates aren't as good as last year. Guys like Anthony Rizzo and Justin Upton aren't getting the buzz.
The only guy who is in strong contention with Kershaw is Giancarlo Stanton. He leads the NL in homers, RBIs, OPS, SLG, and BB. The Marlins aren't that good, but are still hovering around that final Wild Card spot.
In my mind, if Kershaw continues to do his thing, and the Dodgers claim the top spot in the NL, then the award is his. If he slips up at all, and the Dodgers do as well, then I'd lean towards Stanton getting it.
2) Will Yasiel Puig regain his power?
Puig was the starting right fielder in the All-Star Game, has been moved to the important position of center field, and is still one of the most exciting players in baseball. What he doesn't have going for him right now, however, is power.
He's currently leading the Dodgers in batting average (.301) and OBP (.388), and is eighth and fifth in the NL in those stats, respectively. He also has greatly improved his plate discipline, with higher walk totals this year. Unfortunately, since the end of May, he only has two home runs. Two. That's it.
While his game shouldn't be measured just on homers, it's still a shockingly low number for such a strong guy. He certainly swings for the fences quite often, but is settling for choppers or simple fly balls. He's pressing to make things happen, and it just isn't.
Even though he hits in the #2 spot, if he can start driving in more runs, and hitting more out of the park, then the Dodgers are so much better. It would be no different than what Mike Trout brings to the Angels, as he has 30 homers and 92 RBIs in that spot (with the other 2 RBIs in the #3 spot). Puig isn't as good a hitter, but is such a big talent that he can definitely make more happen.
3) Will the setup role ever be settled?
Ugh... the eighth inning for the Dodgers. Whether it's Brian Wilson, Brandon League, or anyone else who has been given a shot, the results have not been pretty. It's been an adventure, to say the least.
Ned Colletti was unable to secure a top reliever before the trade deadline, and in the waiver period he went for starters in Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia. Who knows how close the Dodgers were to getting a reliever, but the bottom line is that they are stuck with who they have at this point.
One thing I know for sure, and that's Wilson and League are NOT the answers, and should NOT be given more chances to pitch in the eighth. Wilson's ERA is 5.05, and League continually chokes in big situations. Guys like Jamey Wright and Chris Perez haven't been able to do anything either.
About the only guy who has been solid is J.P. Howell, but even he has his bouts of wildness. He still has a 1.97 ERA, and lefties are hitting .133 against him, so that's someone you want to pitch in the setup role. Right now, that's it. Maybe someone like Pedro Baez steps in and fills the role. Hey, why not? The Dodgers have limited options, so this is an area I can definitely see haunting them in October.
4) Will Dee Gordon run out of juice?
Gordon has had a great year, as he more than earned his All-Star berth at second base, and is leading baseball with 58 steals. He's been a huge boost to the Dodgers in the leadoff spot, a role that was questionable coming into the season.
He also has slowed down in August, and is clearly showing some wear and tear of playing the long baseball season.
In a way, this should be expected. Right now he's played in 127 games. Want to know what his career high was before this season? It was 87 in 2012. Wow, that's a big jump. He made headlines coming into this season for "bulking up" in his words, and it most certainly paid off. But, August has seen his average dip, his strikeouts go up, and his OBP go down. Not a good formula for a leadoff hitter.
Don Mattingly has been giving him days off here and there, which is a good move. The best thing that can happen for Gordon is that the Dodgers run away with the division, and he can afford to take more rest towards the end of September. That way he'll be as fresh as he can be going into the playoffs. If he's forced to play too much and his numbers continue to tumble, he might not be able to do much in October. And that hurts the Dodgers a lot.
5) Which Hanley Ramirez shows up?
Hanley can go one of two ways. There's the MVP talent who drives the ball and leads the Dodgers in the heart of the lineup. Or there's the broken down guy who grounds out, strikes out, and continues to be awful defensively at short. What's is gonna be?
That's a major question for the Dodgers. It's also a major dilemma for Mattingly. If Hanley can't hit, there's little reason to play him, other than being a threat based on past success. Clearly guys like Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena are better options at short, and considering the Dodgers want to win with pitching, it makes more sense to play them despite their offensive shortcomings.
I wrote about Hanley and his big September ahead earlier this week. Basically, if he can be that guy in the #3 spot (or around that) to get big hits, the Dodgers will be hard to stop in the postseason. Plus, he'll earn a big payday next season, whether it's with the Dodgers or some other team. If he looks old and broken down, it's hard to imagine him getting the money he thinks he deserves. He'll look more like yesterday's news.
As you can see, despite the Dodgers being almost 20 games over .500, there are still questions that remain that could hold them back from their ultimate goal of being world champions. September will be a fun month to watch, so let's see what unfolds.
With that said, here are five key questions the Dodgers face for the September pennant run.
1) Will Clayton Kershaw win the MVP award?
There's certainly little reason to doubt that he not only can, but he will. After another masterful performance on Wednesday in Arizona, a place where he was pounded in May, his numbers look like this: 16-3, 1.73 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 6 CG, 2 SHO, 194 K's in 161 1/3 IP. I'm not sure how he keeps topping himself, but he does.
We all know how rare it is for pitchers to win the MVP, as they only appear in around 20% of the games, and that's with really good health. Kershaw was hurt for over a month at the start of the season, so his percentage will be lower. But in addition to his awesome numbers, what he also has going for him is that there aren't many other strong candidates. Troy Tulowitzki was, but he's done for the season already. Andrew McCutchen has good numbers again, but he's been banged up a bit and the Pirates aren't as good as last year. Guys like Anthony Rizzo and Justin Upton aren't getting the buzz.
The only guy who is in strong contention with Kershaw is Giancarlo Stanton. He leads the NL in homers, RBIs, OPS, SLG, and BB. The Marlins aren't that good, but are still hovering around that final Wild Card spot.
In my mind, if Kershaw continues to do his thing, and the Dodgers claim the top spot in the NL, then the award is his. If he slips up at all, and the Dodgers do as well, then I'd lean towards Stanton getting it.
2) Will Yasiel Puig regain his power?
Puig was the starting right fielder in the All-Star Game, has been moved to the important position of center field, and is still one of the most exciting players in baseball. What he doesn't have going for him right now, however, is power.
He's currently leading the Dodgers in batting average (.301) and OBP (.388), and is eighth and fifth in the NL in those stats, respectively. He also has greatly improved his plate discipline, with higher walk totals this year. Unfortunately, since the end of May, he only has two home runs. Two. That's it.
While his game shouldn't be measured just on homers, it's still a shockingly low number for such a strong guy. He certainly swings for the fences quite often, but is settling for choppers or simple fly balls. He's pressing to make things happen, and it just isn't.
Even though he hits in the #2 spot, if he can start driving in more runs, and hitting more out of the park, then the Dodgers are so much better. It would be no different than what Mike Trout brings to the Angels, as he has 30 homers and 92 RBIs in that spot (with the other 2 RBIs in the #3 spot). Puig isn't as good a hitter, but is such a big talent that he can definitely make more happen.
3) Will the setup role ever be settled?
Ugh... the eighth inning for the Dodgers. Whether it's Brian Wilson, Brandon League, or anyone else who has been given a shot, the results have not been pretty. It's been an adventure, to say the least.
Ned Colletti was unable to secure a top reliever before the trade deadline, and in the waiver period he went for starters in Roberto Hernandez and Kevin Correia. Who knows how close the Dodgers were to getting a reliever, but the bottom line is that they are stuck with who they have at this point.
One thing I know for sure, and that's Wilson and League are NOT the answers, and should NOT be given more chances to pitch in the eighth. Wilson's ERA is 5.05, and League continually chokes in big situations. Guys like Jamey Wright and Chris Perez haven't been able to do anything either.
About the only guy who has been solid is J.P. Howell, but even he has his bouts of wildness. He still has a 1.97 ERA, and lefties are hitting .133 against him, so that's someone you want to pitch in the setup role. Right now, that's it. Maybe someone like Pedro Baez steps in and fills the role. Hey, why not? The Dodgers have limited options, so this is an area I can definitely see haunting them in October.
4) Will Dee Gordon run out of juice?
Gordon has had a great year, as he more than earned his All-Star berth at second base, and is leading baseball with 58 steals. He's been a huge boost to the Dodgers in the leadoff spot, a role that was questionable coming into the season.
He also has slowed down in August, and is clearly showing some wear and tear of playing the long baseball season.
In a way, this should be expected. Right now he's played in 127 games. Want to know what his career high was before this season? It was 87 in 2012. Wow, that's a big jump. He made headlines coming into this season for "bulking up" in his words, and it most certainly paid off. But, August has seen his average dip, his strikeouts go up, and his OBP go down. Not a good formula for a leadoff hitter.
Don Mattingly has been giving him days off here and there, which is a good move. The best thing that can happen for Gordon is that the Dodgers run away with the division, and he can afford to take more rest towards the end of September. That way he'll be as fresh as he can be going into the playoffs. If he's forced to play too much and his numbers continue to tumble, he might not be able to do much in October. And that hurts the Dodgers a lot.
5) Which Hanley Ramirez shows up?
Hanley can go one of two ways. There's the MVP talent who drives the ball and leads the Dodgers in the heart of the lineup. Or there's the broken down guy who grounds out, strikes out, and continues to be awful defensively at short. What's is gonna be?
That's a major question for the Dodgers. It's also a major dilemma for Mattingly. If Hanley can't hit, there's little reason to play him, other than being a threat based on past success. Clearly guys like Miguel Rojas and Erisbel Arruebarrena are better options at short, and considering the Dodgers want to win with pitching, it makes more sense to play them despite their offensive shortcomings.
I wrote about Hanley and his big September ahead earlier this week. Basically, if he can be that guy in the #3 spot (or around that) to get big hits, the Dodgers will be hard to stop in the postseason. Plus, he'll earn a big payday next season, whether it's with the Dodgers or some other team. If he looks old and broken down, it's hard to imagine him getting the money he thinks he deserves. He'll look more like yesterday's news.
As you can see, despite the Dodgers being almost 20 games over .500, there are still questions that remain that could hold them back from their ultimate goal of being world champions. September will be a fun month to watch, so let's see what unfolds.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
3 of the 4 Dodgers' all-stars strut their stuff
The American League used an early 3-0 lead against a pitcher from the St. Louis Cardinals to help lead them to a 5-3 win in the All-Star Game. That's two straight for the AL, and also two straight times the National League manager chose to ignore Clayton Kershaw's eye-popping stats and go with someone else to start the game.
I could go on and on, but I'll just focus on the four Dodgers' representatives and break down their performances. Which, by the way, were much better than Adam Wainwright's. OK, that's it, I swear.
Clayton Kershaw - Down 3-2 in the second, Mike Matheny called on Kershaw to face the bottom three of the AL order. He immediately got Adam Jones to pop to Aramis Ramirez in foul territory at third on two pitches. Josh Donaldson was a little more of a battle, but an inside fastball was good for a swinging strike three. Salvador Perez rolled a soft one to Ramirez at third, who made a great barehanded play for the quick throw and final out.
All in all, it was another scoreless inning for Kershaw, who is flawless in four ASG performances, all for an inning apiece. It would have been cool to watch him pitch to Derek Jeter, who was on deck. Maybe in the World Series? Who knows.
Zack Greinke - Someone who actually outperformed Kershaw was Greinke, who had a couple of strikeouts in a scoreless fourth, keeping the game tied at three. Jose Bautista led off and grounded easily to third on a slider. A couple of power hitting Orioles came up next in Nelson Cruz and Adam Jones, and they both went down swinging on inside fastballs.
Greinke tied four other pitchers with a couple of K's, as no one worked more than an inning. Craig Kimbrel shined the brightest by striking out the side in the seventh.
Dee Gordon - It was an early entry into the game for Gordon, as he pinch-ran for Chase Utley in the fourth after Utley was beaned on the arm from a Chris Sale fastball. He didn't waste any time in leaving his mark, flying home to score from first on a Jonathan Lucroy double. That temporarily tied the game at three.
He did get one at-bat, and nearly beat out a grounder to Jose Altuve in the sixth. Altuve ranged to his right and made a great play on it, though. Gordon showed his leather as well, robbing Michael Brantley of a base hit in the bottom half. All in all, it was a good night.
Yasiel Puig - Then there's Puig, who definitely did not have a good night. Or a good couple of nights for that matter. After failing to hit a single home run in the Home Run Derby on Monday, Puig had three at-bats against Felix Hernandez, Yu Darvish, and Max Scherzer. Guess how that went? Strike three, strike three, strike three. Ouch. In the field, he did come close to robbing Mike Trout at the wall, but it was just out of his range as Trout went to third for a triple.
I was glad to see him play five innings, as he appeared to be having a great time. I just wish he could've had at least ONE moment from the two days. There were people predicting him to be the MVP after his big fat zero in the Derby. That obviously didn't happen. It's not like he went in the box just hacking away, as he went to a full count twice and 2-2 in his first at-bat. It just wasn't meant to be.
Bottom Line - The Dodgers have to be proud for how they played, even with Puig's hat trick at the plate. Kershaw and Greinke were just awesome, as they combined for two perfect innings with three strikeouts. No ball even reached the outfield, and they faced some power hitters like Bautista and Cruz. I knew Kershaw would pitch, but wasn't so sure if Greinke would be on the list of pitchers being saved for extra innings. Thankfully he wasn't, and he looked really good.
Someone else who should be proud is Gordon, who put on a wicked display of speed, then turned around a couple innings later and made a great play with his glove. It's hard to imagine a more unlikely all-star selection coming into this season, but he showed he more than belonged.
And Puig? Well, he'll be back. He can only go up from here, right? Right!
I could go on and on, but I'll just focus on the four Dodgers' representatives and break down their performances. Which, by the way, were much better than Adam Wainwright's. OK, that's it, I swear.
Clayton Kershaw - Down 3-2 in the second, Mike Matheny called on Kershaw to face the bottom three of the AL order. He immediately got Adam Jones to pop to Aramis Ramirez in foul territory at third on two pitches. Josh Donaldson was a little more of a battle, but an inside fastball was good for a swinging strike three. Salvador Perez rolled a soft one to Ramirez at third, who made a great barehanded play for the quick throw and final out.
All in all, it was another scoreless inning for Kershaw, who is flawless in four ASG performances, all for an inning apiece. It would have been cool to watch him pitch to Derek Jeter, who was on deck. Maybe in the World Series? Who knows.
Zack Greinke - Someone who actually outperformed Kershaw was Greinke, who had a couple of strikeouts in a scoreless fourth, keeping the game tied at three. Jose Bautista led off and grounded easily to third on a slider. A couple of power hitting Orioles came up next in Nelson Cruz and Adam Jones, and they both went down swinging on inside fastballs.
Greinke tied four other pitchers with a couple of K's, as no one worked more than an inning. Craig Kimbrel shined the brightest by striking out the side in the seventh.
Dee Gordon - It was an early entry into the game for Gordon, as he pinch-ran for Chase Utley in the fourth after Utley was beaned on the arm from a Chris Sale fastball. He didn't waste any time in leaving his mark, flying home to score from first on a Jonathan Lucroy double. That temporarily tied the game at three.
He did get one at-bat, and nearly beat out a grounder to Jose Altuve in the sixth. Altuve ranged to his right and made a great play on it, though. Gordon showed his leather as well, robbing Michael Brantley of a base hit in the bottom half. All in all, it was a good night.
Yasiel Puig - Then there's Puig, who definitely did not have a good night. Or a good couple of nights for that matter. After failing to hit a single home run in the Home Run Derby on Monday, Puig had three at-bats against Felix Hernandez, Yu Darvish, and Max Scherzer. Guess how that went? Strike three, strike three, strike three. Ouch. In the field, he did come close to robbing Mike Trout at the wall, but it was just out of his range as Trout went to third for a triple.
I was glad to see him play five innings, as he appeared to be having a great time. I just wish he could've had at least ONE moment from the two days. There were people predicting him to be the MVP after his big fat zero in the Derby. That obviously didn't happen. It's not like he went in the box just hacking away, as he went to a full count twice and 2-2 in his first at-bat. It just wasn't meant to be.
Bottom Line - The Dodgers have to be proud for how they played, even with Puig's hat trick at the plate. Kershaw and Greinke were just awesome, as they combined for two perfect innings with three strikeouts. No ball even reached the outfield, and they faced some power hitters like Bautista and Cruz. I knew Kershaw would pitch, but wasn't so sure if Greinke would be on the list of pitchers being saved for extra innings. Thankfully he wasn't, and he looked really good.
Someone else who should be proud is Gordon, who put on a wicked display of speed, then turned around a couple innings later and made a great play with his glove. It's hard to imagine a more unlikely all-star selection coming into this season, but he showed he more than belonged.
And Puig? Well, he'll be back. He can only go up from here, right? Right!
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Dodgers to send four to the All-Star Game
As the Dodgers were wrapping up a big 8-2 win in Colorado, keeping their lead in the NL West at a 1/2 game, the All-Stars were being unveiled on ESPN.
It turned out to be more good news, as the Dodgers will send four to Minnesota: Yasiel Puig will start in the outfield, Clayton Kershaw could start on the mound, Dee Gordon will back up Chase Utley at second, and Zack Greinke was picked by NL manager Mike Matheny.
Let's take a look at how each player got to represent the NL:
Yasiel Puig, OF: .307 AVG, .393 OBP, 23 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 7 SB
Puig was once the leading vote getter in the outfield, but then had to hold off a late surge by Giancarlo Stanton. Nonetheless, with the game played in an AL park this year, Stanton will most likely get to start and hit DH anyway. So hey, we're all happy.
Puig got robbed last year of an All-Star selection, so it was great to see him begin this season on such a tear that it carried all the way over to getting selected by the fans to start. He's exciting enough to hit a homer, try to stretch a single into a double, or gun someone out at home. You know he'll definitely be guns a' blazing, so stay tuned.
Let's just hope he doesn't pull every muscle in his body swinging for the fences in the Home Run Derby. If he's chosen for that, of course.
Clayton Kershaw, SP: 10-2, 1.85 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 115 K's in 87 1/3 IP
Anyone who has a 36 inning scoreless streak (and counting, hopefully) deserves an All-Star nod. An absolutely filthy month of June where he went 6-0 with an 0.82 ERA vaulted him right back to the top of the NL.
Now the question turns to whether or not Matheny will give the ball to Kershaw to start, or to his own Cardinal ace, Adam Wainwright. You know how I feel - I'd go with Kershaw. One, because he is the best pitcher in the world, bar none. The other reason is because he'll be on four days' rest, while Wainwright will be on two. Granted, the starter won't go more than two innings most likely, so maybe the rest thing isn't that big of a deal.
But bottom line, I still think Kershaw should start.
Dee Gordon, 2B: .302 AVG, .356 OBP, 14 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 42 SB
What a comeback story this has been for Gordon. Who in the world would've ever thought he'd not only be the starting second baseman for the Dodgers, but then play well enough to earn an All-Star nod? It's hard for anyone to have envisioned this.
What Gordon has done is run wild, leading all of baseball in steals with 42 and triples with 9. His defense has also gotten better and better each game, as people probably forget all about his disastrous, error filled stint as a shortstop. Those days are long gone, as an offseason spent adding some bulk to his skinny frame has clearly paid off.
Look for him to be a key player late in the game, as he'll be taking off for a steal at some point.
Zack Greinke, SP: 11-4, 2.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 119 K's in 111 2/3 IP
Greinke earns his first All-Star nod as a Dodger, and his second one in his career ('09 with the Royals). It's been a typical Greinke-like year, as he quietly goes about his business of mowing down hitters.
Through the first two months of the season, his ERA stood at 2.18, so he's actually regressed just a bit of late. But, what most likely got Matheny's attention was his seven inning, one run, 10 strikeout performance against the Cardinals on June 28. If Matheny needed any extra motivation in picking him, that was it.
Since the NL is loaded with great pitchers, I wouldn't be surprised if Greinke is held off until late in the game to be one of those "emergency" pitchers in case there's extra innings. Maybe not, but perhaps Matheny leans towards the pitchers who were selected by the players first.
It turned out to be more good news, as the Dodgers will send four to Minnesota: Yasiel Puig will start in the outfield, Clayton Kershaw could start on the mound, Dee Gordon will back up Chase Utley at second, and Zack Greinke was picked by NL manager Mike Matheny.
Let's take a look at how each player got to represent the NL:
Yasiel Puig, OF: .307 AVG, .393 OBP, 23 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 7 SB
Puig was once the leading vote getter in the outfield, but then had to hold off a late surge by Giancarlo Stanton. Nonetheless, with the game played in an AL park this year, Stanton will most likely get to start and hit DH anyway. So hey, we're all happy.
Puig got robbed last year of an All-Star selection, so it was great to see him begin this season on such a tear that it carried all the way over to getting selected by the fans to start. He's exciting enough to hit a homer, try to stretch a single into a double, or gun someone out at home. You know he'll definitely be guns a' blazing, so stay tuned.
Let's just hope he doesn't pull every muscle in his body swinging for the fences in the Home Run Derby. If he's chosen for that, of course.
Clayton Kershaw, SP: 10-2, 1.85 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 115 K's in 87 1/3 IP
Anyone who has a 36 inning scoreless streak (and counting, hopefully) deserves an All-Star nod. An absolutely filthy month of June where he went 6-0 with an 0.82 ERA vaulted him right back to the top of the NL.
Now the question turns to whether or not Matheny will give the ball to Kershaw to start, or to his own Cardinal ace, Adam Wainwright. You know how I feel - I'd go with Kershaw. One, because he is the best pitcher in the world, bar none. The other reason is because he'll be on four days' rest, while Wainwright will be on two. Granted, the starter won't go more than two innings most likely, so maybe the rest thing isn't that big of a deal.
But bottom line, I still think Kershaw should start.
Dee Gordon, 2B: .302 AVG, .356 OBP, 14 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 42 SB
What a comeback story this has been for Gordon. Who in the world would've ever thought he'd not only be the starting second baseman for the Dodgers, but then play well enough to earn an All-Star nod? It's hard for anyone to have envisioned this.
What Gordon has done is run wild, leading all of baseball in steals with 42 and triples with 9. His defense has also gotten better and better each game, as people probably forget all about his disastrous, error filled stint as a shortstop. Those days are long gone, as an offseason spent adding some bulk to his skinny frame has clearly paid off.
Look for him to be a key player late in the game, as he'll be taking off for a steal at some point.
Zack Greinke, SP: 11-4, 2.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 119 K's in 111 2/3 IP
Greinke earns his first All-Star nod as a Dodger, and his second one in his career ('09 with the Royals). It's been a typical Greinke-like year, as he quietly goes about his business of mowing down hitters.
Through the first two months of the season, his ERA stood at 2.18, so he's actually regressed just a bit of late. But, what most likely got Matheny's attention was his seven inning, one run, 10 strikeout performance against the Cardinals on June 28. If Matheny needed any extra motivation in picking him, that was it.
Since the NL is loaded with great pitchers, I wouldn't be surprised if Greinke is held off until late in the game to be one of those "emergency" pitchers in case there's extra innings. Maybe not, but perhaps Matheny leans towards the pitchers who were selected by the players first.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Updated look at possible All-Stars
About a month ago I blogged about potential All-Star selections for the Dodgers. With a little over three weeks to go until the game, here's my updated look at who I think has a chance to represent the Dodgers:
Definitely
Yasiel Puig, OF. He's currently leading the National League in outfield voting, and rightfully so. A rough stretch in June has dipped his average to .317, but there's no denying he's the complete package this season and deserves to start. I just hope he doesn't tear some arm ligaments trying to make some crazy throw.
Clayton Kershaw, SP. The last time I discussed this subject, he was just coming back from his shoulder injury. Then he reminded everyone just how good he is with a no-hitter against the Rockies in one of the most dominating pitching performances ever. Currently at 7-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, he's earned his way back in.
Dee Gordon, 2B. While he's slipped to third in NL voting, he should be a backup to Chase Utley at second. He's still tops in baseball with 39 steals, besting Billy Hamilton by 8. And if you're beating Hamilton in that category, you must be doing something right. His defense has been much-improved of late as well, so he'll be fine.
Josh Beckett, SP. As if throwing a no-hitter against the Phillies wasn't convincing enough, then the fact that he's only getting better as the season wears on should be. His 5-4 record doesn't come close to telling an accurate story of how good he's been. Being third in the NL with a 2.28 ERA does, and his 1.02 WHIP is fourth.
Possibly
Zack Greinke, SP. I bumped him down a notch from last time for a couple of reasons. One, he's been a little bit off in June with a 3.60 ERA in four starts. Two, he's more victimized by Kershaw and Beckett, who've been better. There's nothing against the rules of having three starting pitchers from the same team, and it can definitely happen here. I think he will get in, as he's 9-3 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Those are All-Star numbers when it's all said and done.
Kenley Jansen, RP. The good news is that he's tied for second in the NL with 22 saves, three behind Francisco Rodriguez for the lead. The bad news is that he's done that with a 4.26 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, hardly All-Star numbers. And as you saw on Friday night against the lowly Padres, he gets hit around too much. What could convince those making the choices are his saves and his NL-leading 53 strikeouts among relievers. This one could go either way.
J.P. Howell, RP. Since the All-Star "counts" now, I'll throw his name out there as a situational lefty. He's tied for third in the NL with 17 holds, and owns a 1.61 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. It's not uncommon anymore for middle relievers to get some All-Star love, just like Hong-Chih Kuo did back in 2010. The only roadblock is Tony Watson of the Pirates has better numbers and is also a lefty, so we'll see what happens.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP. A pure darkhorse candidate at this point since the NL is loaded with quality starting pitching. He is 9-3 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, so if some pitchers are hurt or ineligible because of not enough rest, Ryu's name could be floated out there as a replacement.
Names Added: Howell, Ryu
Names Bumped: Adrian Gonzalez, Juan Uribe
Definitely
Yasiel Puig, OF. He's currently leading the National League in outfield voting, and rightfully so. A rough stretch in June has dipped his average to .317, but there's no denying he's the complete package this season and deserves to start. I just hope he doesn't tear some arm ligaments trying to make some crazy throw.
Clayton Kershaw, SP. The last time I discussed this subject, he was just coming back from his shoulder injury. Then he reminded everyone just how good he is with a no-hitter against the Rockies in one of the most dominating pitching performances ever. Currently at 7-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, he's earned his way back in.
Dee Gordon, 2B. While he's slipped to third in NL voting, he should be a backup to Chase Utley at second. He's still tops in baseball with 39 steals, besting Billy Hamilton by 8. And if you're beating Hamilton in that category, you must be doing something right. His defense has been much-improved of late as well, so he'll be fine.
Josh Beckett, SP. As if throwing a no-hitter against the Phillies wasn't convincing enough, then the fact that he's only getting better as the season wears on should be. His 5-4 record doesn't come close to telling an accurate story of how good he's been. Being third in the NL with a 2.28 ERA does, and his 1.02 WHIP is fourth.
Possibly
Zack Greinke, SP. I bumped him down a notch from last time for a couple of reasons. One, he's been a little bit off in June with a 3.60 ERA in four starts. Two, he's more victimized by Kershaw and Beckett, who've been better. There's nothing against the rules of having three starting pitchers from the same team, and it can definitely happen here. I think he will get in, as he's 9-3 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Those are All-Star numbers when it's all said and done.
Kenley Jansen, RP. The good news is that he's tied for second in the NL with 22 saves, three behind Francisco Rodriguez for the lead. The bad news is that he's done that with a 4.26 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, hardly All-Star numbers. And as you saw on Friday night against the lowly Padres, he gets hit around too much. What could convince those making the choices are his saves and his NL-leading 53 strikeouts among relievers. This one could go either way.
J.P. Howell, RP. Since the All-Star "counts" now, I'll throw his name out there as a situational lefty. He's tied for third in the NL with 17 holds, and owns a 1.61 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. It's not uncommon anymore for middle relievers to get some All-Star love, just like Hong-Chih Kuo did back in 2010. The only roadblock is Tony Watson of the Pirates has better numbers and is also a lefty, so we'll see what happens.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP. A pure darkhorse candidate at this point since the NL is loaded with quality starting pitching. He is 9-3 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, so if some pitchers are hurt or ineligible because of not enough rest, Ryu's name could be floated out there as a replacement.
Names Added: Howell, Ryu
Names Bumped: Adrian Gonzalez, Juan Uribe
Monday, June 2, 2014
Dodgers still searching for offensive consistency
What's the best way to follow up a season high, 12-run explosion?
Apparently by not coming anywhere close to doing it again the next night.
That was the story of the Dodgers on Sunday night, as they were held to a three runs in a 5-3 loss to the Pirates. That handed the Bucs three of four in Dodger Stadium, a place where the Dodgers don't seem to like playing at a whole lot with a 12-17 record.
Zack Greinke was not his normal self, scuffling through six innings of four-run ball. Andrew McCutchen just owned him with a long double and an even longer 435-foot solo homer.
Despite all of that, the biggest culprit, once again, was the sorry offense. Not even the sight of washed up Edinson Volquez could make them put more runs on the board.
Let's take a look at this four-game set. First we'll toss away Saturday's outburst. The other three games (all loses), saw them score 3, 1, and 3 runs. That's about 2.3 runs a game, which makes it hard to beat anyone, even with the great starting pitching.
If you're looking for positive signs from the offense, it's that they somehow scored 139 runs in May, good for third in baseball. The problem is that their runs have come at a pretty uneven rate. Take a look at the last week in May (25-31). They scored 6, 4, 6, 3, 3, 1, and 12 runs. And then yesterday it was back down to 3 runs. It seems like the second they start showing consistency, they then trend the opposite way.
Obviously, it will be hard to win if some of the big guns don't contribute. I've covered this ad nauseam, but here I go again. One day after Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp combined to go 9-for-12 with 8 RBIs, they go 1-for-10 with no RBIs. Lo and behold, one day is an easy win, the next day a close loss.
Right now the Dodgers' offense looks like Yasiel Puig and a bunch of other guys not pulling their weight. Here's my evidence to back that up, looking at Puig and the three others I just mentioned in the month of May:
Puig: .398, 8 HR, 25 RBI
Kemp: .266, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Ramirez: .255, 6 HR, 21 RBI
Gonzalez: .231, 4 HR, 13 RBI
About the only positives, other than Puig, are the high power totals from Hanley, and some decent pop from A-Gon. Kemp... well he hasn't done a damn thing, other than bury a hole for himself deeper and deeper each plate appearance.
One other guy who's cooled off, maybe a bit under the radar, has been Dee Gordon. He was awesome in April by hitting .333, but that went way down in May to .244. In fact, he's only had one multi-hit game in his last 19. That's not exactly getting it done from the leadoff spot.
What Don Mattingly has to hope will happen is a couple of things. One, that Puig will continue to lead the way with his bat and not cool down drastically. Even if he slows down a little, he's still having a great year. Two, that the other four guys I mentioned just plain get more hits. Turning it on and off one game to the next gets them to right about where they are, hovering around .500.
With the starting rotation finally healthy, it's time the offense backs them up some. Getting more guys on base will only help.
Apparently by not coming anywhere close to doing it again the next night.
That was the story of the Dodgers on Sunday night, as they were held to a three runs in a 5-3 loss to the Pirates. That handed the Bucs three of four in Dodger Stadium, a place where the Dodgers don't seem to like playing at a whole lot with a 12-17 record.
Zack Greinke was not his normal self, scuffling through six innings of four-run ball. Andrew McCutchen just owned him with a long double and an even longer 435-foot solo homer.
Despite all of that, the biggest culprit, once again, was the sorry offense. Not even the sight of washed up Edinson Volquez could make them put more runs on the board.
Let's take a look at this four-game set. First we'll toss away Saturday's outburst. The other three games (all loses), saw them score 3, 1, and 3 runs. That's about 2.3 runs a game, which makes it hard to beat anyone, even with the great starting pitching.
If you're looking for positive signs from the offense, it's that they somehow scored 139 runs in May, good for third in baseball. The problem is that their runs have come at a pretty uneven rate. Take a look at the last week in May (25-31). They scored 6, 4, 6, 3, 3, 1, and 12 runs. And then yesterday it was back down to 3 runs. It seems like the second they start showing consistency, they then trend the opposite way.
Obviously, it will be hard to win if some of the big guns don't contribute. I've covered this ad nauseam, but here I go again. One day after Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp combined to go 9-for-12 with 8 RBIs, they go 1-for-10 with no RBIs. Lo and behold, one day is an easy win, the next day a close loss.
Right now the Dodgers' offense looks like Yasiel Puig and a bunch of other guys not pulling their weight. Here's my evidence to back that up, looking at Puig and the three others I just mentioned in the month of May:
Puig: .398, 8 HR, 25 RBI
Kemp: .266, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Ramirez: .255, 6 HR, 21 RBI
Gonzalez: .231, 4 HR, 13 RBI
About the only positives, other than Puig, are the high power totals from Hanley, and some decent pop from A-Gon. Kemp... well he hasn't done a damn thing, other than bury a hole for himself deeper and deeper each plate appearance.
One other guy who's cooled off, maybe a bit under the radar, has been Dee Gordon. He was awesome in April by hitting .333, but that went way down in May to .244. In fact, he's only had one multi-hit game in his last 19. That's not exactly getting it done from the leadoff spot.
What Don Mattingly has to hope will happen is a couple of things. One, that Puig will continue to lead the way with his bat and not cool down drastically. Even if he slows down a little, he's still having a great year. Two, that the other four guys I mentioned just plain get more hits. Turning it on and off one game to the next gets them to right about where they are, hovering around .500.
With the starting rotation finally healthy, it's time the offense backs them up some. Getting more guys on base will only help.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
A look at possible All-Star candidates
The All-Star Game is less than two months away on July 14 in Minnesota. Let's take a look at possible candidates that could be representing the Dodgers. I'll break it down by Definitely and Possibly.
Definitely:
Yasiel Puig, OF. He's second in the NL in the average (.349), slugging % (.623), OPS (1.061), and RBIs (38). Toss in 12 doubles, 10 homers, and 5 steals, and you see just what kind of an impact he has at the plate. Oh ya, he can throw, too. He should easily be voted in as a starting outfielder.
Dee Gordon, 2B. Who would've thought this before the season? Not me, but I'm happy to say that he absolutely deserves to go. He's leading the league in stolen bases with 30, 12 ahead of the guy who got all the hype coming into the season, Billy Hamilton. He's also 10th in runs, but that's mostly because the guys behind him haven't hit well. I'm not saying he should start over Chase Utley, but he should be picked over Daniel Murphy.
Zack Greinke, SP. National League pitching is so deep, his 2.01 ERA is actually fifth best. But, he does lead with seven wins, and is seventh with 65 K's. He clearly took over as the team's ace when Clayton Kershaw was shelved for 1 1/2 months. If he keeps doing what he's doing, he's a lock.
Possibly:
Josh Beckett, SP. In case you didn't hear, he threw a no-hitter against the Phillies on Sunday. Right now he is 10th in the NL in ERA (2.43) and 9th in WHIP (1.02). What a turnaround he's had after nearly ending his career a year ago with a nerve issue. The only reason I'm saying this isn't a definite is because the NL is so deep in pitching, as I said before. But, let's also remember how many All-Stars end up being picked thanks to the off days around the time of the game. I think he'll get in.
Clayton Kershaw, SP. Normally this would be a no-brainer, but again, keep in mind he missed a big chunk of time. He's only made five starts, and did have that clunker against the Diamondbacks recently. Take that away, and he absolutely is the stud pitcher we're used to. A handful of good starts should get him that extra push to get in.
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B. The good news is that he leads all NL first basemen with 10 homers and 36 RBIs. The bad news is that a horrible May in which he's hitting .209 has really caused his production to level off. At the end of April he was hitting .317, and now it's .277. If he keeps the power numbers up, he should get some love. But, I get the feeling it won't be enough.
Kenley Jansen, RP. A 4.15 ERA and 1.43 WHIP are way too high, but his 14 saves are tied for fourth. What's working for him is that he's only three away from first, so if the Dodgers get hot and he can close out a bunch of games coming up, then he should get a strong push to get in.
Juan Uribe, 3B. It's probably a stretch, especially since he's currently on the 15-day DL with a bad hamstring. The only reason I'll throw him out as a possibility is because the third basemen in the NL are average at best. David Wright is leading with a .311 average, but only three homers. Nolan Arenado is very talented, but just broke a finger and could be out awhile. Todd Frazier has good power numbers with 9 homers and 27 RBIs. If Uribe can come back healthy, hit some more, and show his usual good glovework, then he's someone to keep an eye on.
Definitely:
Yasiel Puig, OF. He's second in the NL in the average (.349), slugging % (.623), OPS (1.061), and RBIs (38). Toss in 12 doubles, 10 homers, and 5 steals, and you see just what kind of an impact he has at the plate. Oh ya, he can throw, too. He should easily be voted in as a starting outfielder.
Dee Gordon, 2B. Who would've thought this before the season? Not me, but I'm happy to say that he absolutely deserves to go. He's leading the league in stolen bases with 30, 12 ahead of the guy who got all the hype coming into the season, Billy Hamilton. He's also 10th in runs, but that's mostly because the guys behind him haven't hit well. I'm not saying he should start over Chase Utley, but he should be picked over Daniel Murphy.
Zack Greinke, SP. National League pitching is so deep, his 2.01 ERA is actually fifth best. But, he does lead with seven wins, and is seventh with 65 K's. He clearly took over as the team's ace when Clayton Kershaw was shelved for 1 1/2 months. If he keeps doing what he's doing, he's a lock.
Possibly:
Josh Beckett, SP. In case you didn't hear, he threw a no-hitter against the Phillies on Sunday. Right now he is 10th in the NL in ERA (2.43) and 9th in WHIP (1.02). What a turnaround he's had after nearly ending his career a year ago with a nerve issue. The only reason I'm saying this isn't a definite is because the NL is so deep in pitching, as I said before. But, let's also remember how many All-Stars end up being picked thanks to the off days around the time of the game. I think he'll get in.
Clayton Kershaw, SP. Normally this would be a no-brainer, but again, keep in mind he missed a big chunk of time. He's only made five starts, and did have that clunker against the Diamondbacks recently. Take that away, and he absolutely is the stud pitcher we're used to. A handful of good starts should get him that extra push to get in.
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B. The good news is that he leads all NL first basemen with 10 homers and 36 RBIs. The bad news is that a horrible May in which he's hitting .209 has really caused his production to level off. At the end of April he was hitting .317, and now it's .277. If he keeps the power numbers up, he should get some love. But, I get the feeling it won't be enough.
Kenley Jansen, RP. A 4.15 ERA and 1.43 WHIP are way too high, but his 14 saves are tied for fourth. What's working for him is that he's only three away from first, so if the Dodgers get hot and he can close out a bunch of games coming up, then he should get a strong push to get in.
Juan Uribe, 3B. It's probably a stretch, especially since he's currently on the 15-day DL with a bad hamstring. The only reason I'll throw him out as a possibility is because the third basemen in the NL are average at best. David Wright is leading with a .311 average, but only three homers. Nolan Arenado is very talented, but just broke a finger and could be out awhile. Todd Frazier has good power numbers with 9 homers and 27 RBIs. If Uribe can come back healthy, hit some more, and show his usual good glovework, then he's someone to keep an eye on.
Dodgers have a Southpaw problem
Yesterday I wrote about the Dodgers' continual problems with defense, as evidenced by their 5-3 loss to the Phillies on Saturday in which four of those runs could've easily been avoided with better D.
Then I remembered a comment made during the game by either Charlie Steiner or Orel Hershiser (forgive me, I forgot which one), and that's their inability to hit left-handed pitchers. So I checked the stats. Boy were they not kidding.
Coming into today's games, the Dodgers are dead last in all of baseball with a .217 average against lefties. Ouch.
Here's a look at how some of the key left-handed hitters are doing against Southpaws:
Andre Ethier: 4-for-22, .182
Adrian Gonzalez: 11-for-59, .186
Dee Gordon: 8-for-41, .195
Carl Crawford: 5-for-24, .208
Totals: 28-for-146, .192
And now, here's a look a some of the key right-handed hitters:
Matt Kemp: 8-for-51, .157
Juan Uribe: 6-for-32, .188
Justin Turner: 8-for-37, .216
Hanley Ramirez: 9-for-39, .231
Scott Van Slyke: 11-for-35, .314
Yasiel Puig: 14-for-41, .341
Totals: 56-for-235, .238
Team Totals Overall: 99-for-457, .217
For some guys, this is surprising. A-Gon is obviously better against righties, but also has a career .276 average against lefties. Kemp has long pounded lefties for a .333 average. Hanley is at .306.
For others, it's not a surprise. Ethier has been saddled his whole career with the stigma of not hitting lefties (.234), and he's once again proving why he can't quite be considered an everyday player with numbers that pathetic. Crawford (.258) and Gordon (.216) also are much worse against lefties.
The bottom line is everyone on here, with the exception of Puig and Van Slyke, has to perform more to their career averages against Southpaws. Not only are most of these numbers down, but in some cases, not even on the same planet as to where they've been in the past.
There's really no excuse for guys like Kemp and Hanley to continue to look so lost against lefties. They've both feasted on these types of pitchers in their careers, and now is the time to step up and perform to that level again. If not, then expect the rest of the National League to load up on lefties whenever they play the Dodgers. The numbers prove it works.
Then I remembered a comment made during the game by either Charlie Steiner or Orel Hershiser (forgive me, I forgot which one), and that's their inability to hit left-handed pitchers. So I checked the stats. Boy were they not kidding.
Coming into today's games, the Dodgers are dead last in all of baseball with a .217 average against lefties. Ouch.
Here's a look at how some of the key left-handed hitters are doing against Southpaws:
Andre Ethier: 4-for-22, .182
Adrian Gonzalez: 11-for-59, .186
Dee Gordon: 8-for-41, .195
Carl Crawford: 5-for-24, .208
Totals: 28-for-146, .192
And now, here's a look a some of the key right-handed hitters:
Matt Kemp: 8-for-51, .157
Juan Uribe: 6-for-32, .188
Justin Turner: 8-for-37, .216
Hanley Ramirez: 9-for-39, .231
Scott Van Slyke: 11-for-35, .314
Yasiel Puig: 14-for-41, .341
Totals: 56-for-235, .238
Team Totals Overall: 99-for-457, .217
For some guys, this is surprising. A-Gon is obviously better against righties, but also has a career .276 average against lefties. Kemp has long pounded lefties for a .333 average. Hanley is at .306.
For others, it's not a surprise. Ethier has been saddled his whole career with the stigma of not hitting lefties (.234), and he's once again proving why he can't quite be considered an everyday player with numbers that pathetic. Crawford (.258) and Gordon (.216) also are much worse against lefties.
The bottom line is everyone on here, with the exception of Puig and Van Slyke, has to perform more to their career averages against Southpaws. Not only are most of these numbers down, but in some cases, not even on the same planet as to where they've been in the past.
There's really no excuse for guys like Kemp and Hanley to continue to look so lost against lefties. They've both feasted on these types of pitchers in their careers, and now is the time to step up and perform to that level again. If not, then expect the rest of the National League to load up on lefties whenever they play the Dodgers. The numbers prove it works.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Dead spots in the order
The Dodgers are off on Monday as they fly to Minnesota to prepare for a three-game set against the Twins. Even though the Twins have horrible pitching, their offense has been surprisingly good with the fourth most runs in baseball. As a result, they're only one game in back of the AL Central leading Tigers.
Lately the Dodgers have been spinning their wheels at the plate for a variety reasons. Here I'll take a look at three spots in the order that have been holding this team back. I'll give a stat, and in (parenthesis) I'll list their ranking in the 15-team National League.
#2 - 13 R (7), 42 TB* (5), 12 RBI (3), .229 AVG (13), .294 OBP (11)
* Total Bases
Some of the power has been there thanks for Yasiel Puig, but the overall averages are way too low. Carl Crawford and Justin Turner have played most there behind Puig and have been awful. This is exactly why I like Puig in back of Dee Gordon at the top. Puig can give you an instant big hit, and even if he doesn't, he's not nearly as dead at the plate as Crawford and Turner.
#3 - 14 R (7), 48 TB (8), 10 RBI (12), .260 AVG (11), .336 OBP (9)
This is the spot that has belonged to Hanley Ramirez for nearly every game. While he hasn't been terrible, he hasn't lit the world on fire like he's capable of. Then again, he did suffer a thumb injury recently, and whether he wants to admit it or not, it's definitely affected his play. The result has been a lot of ground balls and not much else. He should be hitting third, but not if he can barely grip a bat.
#8 - 6 R (14), 23 TB (14), 4 RBI (13), .204 AVG (11), .275 OBP (12)
There have been a variety of players in this spot, led by Tim Federowicz and his blistering .119 average in this spot. The other two catchers, A.J. Ellis and Drew Butera, are both under .200 as well. Coming into this season, I thought the Dodgers would use Gordon here, but because of injuries and his hot bat, that hasn't been the case. Either way, the Dodgers either need to trade for a better hitting catcher, or just pray that Ellis returns healthy and can start to rake.
Spots that have been good are leadoff and cleanup thanks to the success of Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez. So it's not like everything has been off.
It's probably a good time to remind everyone that the Dodgers have only played 26 of their 162 games this season, so it's not like these three spots listed above will stay low all season. If you want further proof, then go back to last season around the end of June and look at the next two months. You'll see how quickly things can turn around when the bats get hot.
But then again, if the bats don't get hot, then the pitching will have to post a whole lot of zeros for this team to get back into the postseason.
Lately the Dodgers have been spinning their wheels at the plate for a variety reasons. Here I'll take a look at three spots in the order that have been holding this team back. I'll give a stat, and in (parenthesis) I'll list their ranking in the 15-team National League.
#2 - 13 R (7), 42 TB* (5), 12 RBI (3), .229 AVG (13), .294 OBP (11)
* Total Bases
Some of the power has been there thanks for Yasiel Puig, but the overall averages are way too low. Carl Crawford and Justin Turner have played most there behind Puig and have been awful. This is exactly why I like Puig in back of Dee Gordon at the top. Puig can give you an instant big hit, and even if he doesn't, he's not nearly as dead at the plate as Crawford and Turner.
#3 - 14 R (7), 48 TB (8), 10 RBI (12), .260 AVG (11), .336 OBP (9)
This is the spot that has belonged to Hanley Ramirez for nearly every game. While he hasn't been terrible, he hasn't lit the world on fire like he's capable of. Then again, he did suffer a thumb injury recently, and whether he wants to admit it or not, it's definitely affected his play. The result has been a lot of ground balls and not much else. He should be hitting third, but not if he can barely grip a bat.
#8 - 6 R (14), 23 TB (14), 4 RBI (13), .204 AVG (11), .275 OBP (12)
There have been a variety of players in this spot, led by Tim Federowicz and his blistering .119 average in this spot. The other two catchers, A.J. Ellis and Drew Butera, are both under .200 as well. Coming into this season, I thought the Dodgers would use Gordon here, but because of injuries and his hot bat, that hasn't been the case. Either way, the Dodgers either need to trade for a better hitting catcher, or just pray that Ellis returns healthy and can start to rake.
Spots that have been good are leadoff and cleanup thanks to the success of Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez. So it's not like everything has been off.
It's probably a good time to remind everyone that the Dodgers have only played 26 of their 162 games this season, so it's not like these three spots listed above will stay low all season. If you want further proof, then go back to last season around the end of June and look at the next two months. You'll see how quickly things can turn around when the bats get hot.
But then again, if the bats don't get hot, then the pitching will have to post a whole lot of zeros for this team to get back into the postseason.
Friday, April 18, 2014
How are the leadoff hitters doing?
Here we are 16 games into 2014, and one spot in the order that hasn't quite been figured out yet is leadoff. Let's take a look at the numbers of each player in that spot:
Dee Gordon
8 G, 12-for-32, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 6 SB, .375 AVG, .417 OBP
There was no way at the start of Spring Training that anyone would have thought Gordon could put up these types of numbers leading off, or any spot in the order for that matter, but much to his credit he has. The word on him was that he put on some muscle in the offseason, and maybe that combined with more confidence and seasoning has paid off. He still isn't the slickest fielder on Earth, but what he's done at the plate in the early going cannot be ignored.
Carl Crawford
5 G, 6-for-22, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB, .273 AVG, .304 OBP
Crawford seems like a more prototypical leadoff hitter compared to Gordon, but the results aren't as good. Then again, taking walks has never been Crawford's thing, so maybe these numbers shouldn't be too surprising. It's hard to get too excited about him these days, as he clearly looks like he's on the downside of his career. That's not to say that he can't contribute anymore, because he can, but with five healthy outfielders, his playing time is pretty scattered.
Yasiel Puig
3 G, 3-for-14, 1 RBI, 1 R, .214 AVG, .267 OBP
I came into this season really believing in Puig leading off. I still do, but these numbers don't exactly back me up. If Gordon comes back to Earth some, then I can see Puig getting more starts in the #1 spot. Obviously his weakness is swinging and missing, as he's pretty much all or nothing at the plate. But when he's on, he sets quite the tone. We definitely have not heard the last of him leading off.
(Note: Justin Turner has three at-bats in the leadoff spot, but that was in relief of Gordon. He did have an RBI single, at least.)
Analysis:
Gordon has earned more starts at leadoff, as you can't ignore those numbers. The only downside is that he's hitting .222 against left-handed pitchers, including being blanked against Madison Bumgarner on Thursday. Hitting .405 against right-handed hurlers is much more encouraging.
Like I said above, I still believe in Puig at leadoff as well. So here's my simple solution: if a righty is on the mound, then Gordon is at leadoff and Puig hitting second. With a lefty, flip-flop it. Imagine both of those guys getting on base to start a game. How distracting would that be for an opposing pitcher and defense? That would be fun to watch.
Crawford in the leadoff spot? Not so much. Let Gordon and Puig handle it.
Dee Gordon
8 G, 12-for-32, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 6 SB, .375 AVG, .417 OBP
There was no way at the start of Spring Training that anyone would have thought Gordon could put up these types of numbers leading off, or any spot in the order for that matter, but much to his credit he has. The word on him was that he put on some muscle in the offseason, and maybe that combined with more confidence and seasoning has paid off. He still isn't the slickest fielder on Earth, but what he's done at the plate in the early going cannot be ignored.
Carl Crawford
5 G, 6-for-22, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB, .273 AVG, .304 OBP
Crawford seems like a more prototypical leadoff hitter compared to Gordon, but the results aren't as good. Then again, taking walks has never been Crawford's thing, so maybe these numbers shouldn't be too surprising. It's hard to get too excited about him these days, as he clearly looks like he's on the downside of his career. That's not to say that he can't contribute anymore, because he can, but with five healthy outfielders, his playing time is pretty scattered.
Yasiel Puig
3 G, 3-for-14, 1 RBI, 1 R, .214 AVG, .267 OBP
I came into this season really believing in Puig leading off. I still do, but these numbers don't exactly back me up. If Gordon comes back to Earth some, then I can see Puig getting more starts in the #1 spot. Obviously his weakness is swinging and missing, as he's pretty much all or nothing at the plate. But when he's on, he sets quite the tone. We definitely have not heard the last of him leading off.
(Note: Justin Turner has three at-bats in the leadoff spot, but that was in relief of Gordon. He did have an RBI single, at least.)
Analysis:
Gordon has earned more starts at leadoff, as you can't ignore those numbers. The only downside is that he's hitting .222 against left-handed pitchers, including being blanked against Madison Bumgarner on Thursday. Hitting .405 against right-handed hurlers is much more encouraging.
Like I said above, I still believe in Puig at leadoff as well. So here's my simple solution: if a righty is on the mound, then Gordon is at leadoff and Puig hitting second. With a lefty, flip-flop it. Imagine both of those guys getting on base to start a game. How distracting would that be for an opposing pitcher and defense? That would be fun to watch.
Crawford in the leadoff spot? Not so much. Let Gordon and Puig handle it.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Gordon could be leading off come Saturday
If you're really into studying Don Mattingly's lineup against Team Australia, then perhaps the leadoff hitter for Saturday is someone we didn't exactly think of.
Dee Gordon led off and played second base today, not Yasiel Puig, who hit right behind him. Throw in the fact that Carl Crawford didn't even make the trip, and as unlikely as this was amid all the hoopla of the Alex Guerrero signing, Gordon could very well be the man at the top of the order.
I wrote about Gordon's resurgence about a week ago (here's my proof), and I speculated that he'd hit eighth. At least for today's exhibition game, Mattingly likes the idea of Gordon and Puig at the top, followed by Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, Juan Uribe, Scott Van Slyke, and A.J. Ellis. Since the left-handed Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks has been scratched because of a possible season-ending elbow injury, two right-handed pitchers will start in Wade Miley and Trevor Cahill. It's not hard to see today's lineup carrying over to the weekend.
And you know what? Why not? I'm all for Gordon getting a chance at the top. He hit .286 this spring with a .326 OBP. Of his 12 hits, four were triples, and he was a perfect 9-9 in stolen base attempts. I'm pretty sure that's the type of guy who's earned a chance at leading off.
Keep in mind that the Dodgers and Diamondbacks play two games, so if Gordon stinks in the first game by going 0-for-5, then Mattingly can easily put Puig leading off and drop Gordon to second or eighth. It's obviously way early in the season (duh), so it's time to see if Gordon can handle the load.
On the flip side, what does this mean for Guerrero? Well, he could sneak in as the last roster spot, or it could be off to Triple-A to start everyday at second and sharpen his defense as he's still trying to transition from a year off and as a primary shortstop. That's not a bad thing, as it could very well pay off for him in the future.
Dee Gordon led off and played second base today, not Yasiel Puig, who hit right behind him. Throw in the fact that Carl Crawford didn't even make the trip, and as unlikely as this was amid all the hoopla of the Alex Guerrero signing, Gordon could very well be the man at the top of the order.
I wrote about Gordon's resurgence about a week ago (here's my proof), and I speculated that he'd hit eighth. At least for today's exhibition game, Mattingly likes the idea of Gordon and Puig at the top, followed by Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, Juan Uribe, Scott Van Slyke, and A.J. Ellis. Since the left-handed Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks has been scratched because of a possible season-ending elbow injury, two right-handed pitchers will start in Wade Miley and Trevor Cahill. It's not hard to see today's lineup carrying over to the weekend.
And you know what? Why not? I'm all for Gordon getting a chance at the top. He hit .286 this spring with a .326 OBP. Of his 12 hits, four were triples, and he was a perfect 9-9 in stolen base attempts. I'm pretty sure that's the type of guy who's earned a chance at leading off.
Keep in mind that the Dodgers and Diamondbacks play two games, so if Gordon stinks in the first game by going 0-for-5, then Mattingly can easily put Puig leading off and drop Gordon to second or eighth. It's obviously way early in the season (duh), so it's time to see if Gordon can handle the load.
On the flip side, what does this mean for Guerrero? Well, he could sneak in as the last roster spot, or it could be off to Triple-A to start everyday at second and sharpen his defense as he's still trying to transition from a year off and as a primary shortstop. That's not a bad thing, as it could very well pay off for him in the future.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Gordon's second wind
As I sit here waiting for the Dodgers to take on the Reds in some Spring Training action (thanks, MLB Network, for giving this guy from New York some Dodger Love), one thing is starting to hit me more and more: the Dodgers really like Dee Gordon.
How much? I wouldn't be surprised to see him start the season at second base, while Alexander Guerrero is sent to Triple-A for some seasoning.
The reason is two-fold. Gordon is really starting to earn it. We've heard about how he spent the offseason "bulking up." I'm guessing we'll never know how many pounds he added on considering I've read both 13 and 29. (If you really want a laugh, click on his fantasy news on his player profile over at MLB.com and you'll see what I'm talking about. Talk about confusing...)
While he's only 3-for-12 in the early going, one possible benefit of "bulking up" is that two of those hits were triples in the same game. That's something you can assume wouldn't have happened last season. He also has driven in three runs, walked once, and only struck out once. Not bad.
The other reason is because Guerrero has yet to really take the bull by the horns and claim second as his. You know what? That's OK. I'm sure he's just trying to figure everything out still and putting too much pressure on himself. He's the long-term answer anyway, not to mention trying to convert from shortstop, so give him time to get it together. He will.
Gordon is just about to enter his prime as he turns 26 in April. He's played in 71 games over the past five seasons, and though you may have forgotten, he actually was on the playoff roster last postseason, albeit in strictly a pinch-running role. So it's not like he hasn't been around big games before.
In addition to being a toothpick, one that would never hold up over the course of a long big league season, his defense has ranged anywhere from bad to atrocious. Well, he sure looks like he's been doing something about that, as he made a couple of very nice plays from second in a loss against the Mariners on Tuesday. He also spent the Domincan winter league playing center field, a very smart move on everyone's part.
Perhaps a bit lost in all of the offseason headlines about Clayton Kershaw's enormous contract, Matt Kemp's injuries, and Brian Wilson's hair was the fact that the Dodgers lost pretty much all of their utility players off the bench in Nick Punto, Skip Schumaker, Michael Young, and Jerry Hairston. Gordon could be the perfect type of guy to fill one of those roles.
Better yet, he could start the year at second, show off his improved skills at a position more suited to his skills, and make an impact hitting eighth. Let's say he starts sprinkling in some gappers to go with all of that speed. He could have some big games.
I think now is the time to be excited about what he brings to the table. His career could not have started off any better, which was right before it got a whole lot worse. If he keeps playing this well the next couple of weeks, don't be surprised to see his name in the starting lineup against the Diamondbacks in Australia.
Let's just call it "Flash, Part II."
Friday, February 14, 2014
Despite signing Guerrero, 2nd base looks wide open
Perhaps the Dodgers aren't ready to just hand Alexander Guerrero the everyday job at second right away?
It sure looks that way based on recent quotes from Don Mattingly. While the Dodgers eventually see Guerrero as the guy, especially since he's armed with a four-year, $28 million contract, Mattingly acknowledged on Thursday that he's not ready to declare Guerrero the "everyday guy" quite yet.
The word on Guerrero is pretty simple - he's a great hitter, but will be a work-in-progress with the glove at second. He's been a shortstop in Cuba before defecting to the US in 2013, and the transition to second isn't as smooth as people may think. When you're so used to pivots and angles of fielding and throwing from one side of the diamond, it can be pretty tricky to adjust all of that to another.
So if Guerrero is slow to pick up the nuances of second, whom do the Dodgers turn to?
The list is quite long, and it starts with old friend Dee Gordon. Once looked at as the primary leadoff hitter and shortstop for years to come, ineffectiveness at the plate, with his glove, and injuries have all made him an afterthought.
The good news is that he's tacked on about 30 pounds on his wiry frame, from 150 to 179. He still has plenty of speed, so that will never change. He also has spent time working in the outfield, which is smart because at the very least, he can be quite the utility player and super-sub if he shows the ability to handle multiple positions.
There are a few other names to keep in mind as Spring Training gets underway. Justin Turner is a former Met who hit .280 in 86 games last year. I can see him making a push to replace Nick Punto as a utility infielder.
Justin Sellers broke camp last year as the starting shortstop after an injury to Hanley Ramirez, and horrible play from Gordon. He then proceeded to hit .188 and earn his way back to Albuquerque. By the way, the link above is worth clicking because he's hilariously referred to as "Justin Fellers" in the article. Poor guy!
The remaining two names are Miguel Rojas, who came over from the Reds, and Chone Figgins, who's 36 and looking to make one last push. Never say never, but I wouldn't count on either one of them.
The race to start at second will be a big battle to watch in Spring Training, along with juggling four outfielders and filling out the back end of the rotation. Let's see how it all plays out.
It sure looks that way based on recent quotes from Don Mattingly. While the Dodgers eventually see Guerrero as the guy, especially since he's armed with a four-year, $28 million contract, Mattingly acknowledged on Thursday that he's not ready to declare Guerrero the "everyday guy" quite yet.
The word on Guerrero is pretty simple - he's a great hitter, but will be a work-in-progress with the glove at second. He's been a shortstop in Cuba before defecting to the US in 2013, and the transition to second isn't as smooth as people may think. When you're so used to pivots and angles of fielding and throwing from one side of the diamond, it can be pretty tricky to adjust all of that to another.
So if Guerrero is slow to pick up the nuances of second, whom do the Dodgers turn to?
The list is quite long, and it starts with old friend Dee Gordon. Once looked at as the primary leadoff hitter and shortstop for years to come, ineffectiveness at the plate, with his glove, and injuries have all made him an afterthought.
The good news is that he's tacked on about 30 pounds on his wiry frame, from 150 to 179. He still has plenty of speed, so that will never change. He also has spent time working in the outfield, which is smart because at the very least, he can be quite the utility player and super-sub if he shows the ability to handle multiple positions.
There are a few other names to keep in mind as Spring Training gets underway. Justin Turner is a former Met who hit .280 in 86 games last year. I can see him making a push to replace Nick Punto as a utility infielder.
Justin Sellers broke camp last year as the starting shortstop after an injury to Hanley Ramirez, and horrible play from Gordon. He then proceeded to hit .188 and earn his way back to Albuquerque. By the way, the link above is worth clicking because he's hilariously referred to as "Justin Fellers" in the article. Poor guy!
The remaining two names are Miguel Rojas, who came over from the Reds, and Chone Figgins, who's 36 and looking to make one last push. Never say never, but I wouldn't count on either one of them.
The race to start at second will be a big battle to watch in Spring Training, along with juggling four outfielders and filling out the back end of the rotation. Let's see how it all plays out.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Could Gordon squeeze his way onto the postseason roster?
Interesting news coming from LA in the hours before Scott Van Slyke's walk-off two-run blast to beat the Diamondbacks 5-3 on Tuesday. Dee Gordon, who seemingly has become the forgotten man, may indeed to be on the Dodgers' radar after all.
Gordon took grounders at second and shagged fly balls in center during batting practice. The hope is that during the final three weeks of the regular season, Gordon might see some time here and there in those spots. That's assuming the Dodgers hold onto their 13-game division lead over the DBacks. So in other words, yes, it will happen.
With the renewed interest in Gordon, I have to wonder if management is giving serious thought of adding him to the postseason 25-man roster.
Perhaps watching Billy Hamilton run wild against them this past weekend in Cincinnati was inspiration that they, too, have a speedster to deploy in the late innings. In parts of playing the last three seasons in the majors, he's 63-82 in steals, so the track record is definitely there.
Think about it. His normal position is shortstop, but there's no way Hanley Ramirez is going to miss any time playing that in October. The other two positions he's working on - second and center - feature guys who can be yanked late in the game. Mark Ellis and Andre Ethier both play great defense, but can be lifted to let Gordon run if the situation dictates.
Who knows, maybe this isn't at all on their minds, and this is simply something to keep in mind for next season and beyond. But I think plenty of things add up in this case as I just pointed out. And if Gordon can hold his own defensively, even for short amounts of time, then I think it's worth trying. A stolen base by him could make all the difference.
Gordon took grounders at second and shagged fly balls in center during batting practice. The hope is that during the final three weeks of the regular season, Gordon might see some time here and there in those spots. That's assuming the Dodgers hold onto their 13-game division lead over the DBacks. So in other words, yes, it will happen.
With the renewed interest in Gordon, I have to wonder if management is giving serious thought of adding him to the postseason 25-man roster.
Perhaps watching Billy Hamilton run wild against them this past weekend in Cincinnati was inspiration that they, too, have a speedster to deploy in the late innings. In parts of playing the last three seasons in the majors, he's 63-82 in steals, so the track record is definitely there.
Think about it. His normal position is shortstop, but there's no way Hanley Ramirez is going to miss any time playing that in October. The other two positions he's working on - second and center - feature guys who can be yanked late in the game. Mark Ellis and Andre Ethier both play great defense, but can be lifted to let Gordon run if the situation dictates.
Who knows, maybe this isn't at all on their minds, and this is simply something to keep in mind for next season and beyond. But I think plenty of things add up in this case as I just pointed out. And if Gordon can hold his own defensively, even for short amounts of time, then I think it's worth trying. A stolen base by him could make all the difference.
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