Welcome to OpinionofKingmansPerformance.blogspot.com
This is a location where Dodger baseball, past, present and future is discussed along with other ideas and opinions that flow through my brain on any topic I may find of interest.
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Two years ago Ryan Braun won the National League MVP award over a statistically superior Matt Kemp because Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) members used the logic that Braun accomplished his numbers for a team in more meaningful games in the midst of a pennant race. Many Dodger fans were outraged, but the deal was done, and even after it was discovered that Braun had cheated his way to his award through the use of performance enhancing drugs, there wasn’t anything that could change the outcome of the vote.
(photo by USA Today Sports)
Playing games in a pennant chase is definitely a different animal, but should a player that plays for team out of contention, but excels against the league as a whole be punished for that? It didn’t seem fair that Kemp, who came a homer shy of a 40/40 season would be punished for that, but he was. It could be argued that the Dodgers weren’t out of the race for the whole season and if Kemp had been absent from the team, they certainly would have finished much deeper in the standings than their 82-79 third place finish.
In all fairness, you can’t have it both ways, and as the National League Rookie of the Year is named later this week, it is fairly certain that the BBWAA will contradict themselves and vote Jose Fernandez of the last place Marlins the award. Fernandez’ numbers are impressive, and he is certainly deserving of awards, but pitching for a team that finished 62-100 and 34 games out of first place, there is the question of how much pressure he pitched under.
(photo by Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers)
When Yasiel Puig arrived to the Dodgers in June, the team was in dead last and had been written off for the year by most fans and pundits.There is little doubt that his arrival played a major role in changing the Dodger team spirit, outlook and confidence.
The true measure of a player’s value to a team is what he does to get his team to contend, and there’s little doubt that Puig brought energy and a different attitude to a lackluster last place Dodger team when he arrived from Chattanooga a full 55 games into the season. The winning percentage numbers don’t line. The Dodgers ended the season at a .644 clip with Puig on the roster. It was even better in games that he played. There were immeasurable factors too that few recognized by looking at a stat sheet. How do you measure energizing your teammates with hustle and youthful exuberance? How do you determine the value of creating a loose clubhouse with laughter and positive vibes? Is it possible to gauge the intensity he brought to the team in those crucial pennant chase games down the stretch?
The Puig factor was a real thing and it influenced the entire roster and changed their attitudes in 2013. Yes, Hanley Ramirez was superior statistically, but the Uribe/Puig/Ramirez tandem was a true phenomenon that played a large role in carrying the Dodgers to the Division Championship.
It is understandable why Fernandez will win the Rookie of the Year Award, but I contend that he shouldn’t. Then again, it’s time for me to admit something. As much as I wanted to vote for Puig in the IBWAA vote, I placed Fernandez in the # 1 slot for ROY, and probably for two reasons. 1) because I hadn’t thought the process through as seriously as I am now and 2) in an effort to show that my votes were impartial and free of bias, I felt that by voting for Fernandez I would be displaying a professional slant, void of a prejudice favoring a player from my favorite team.
Yes, I know. Stupid reasoning. Absolutely stupid.
Yasiel Puig was the Rookie of the Year. He won’t win the award and this might have been the most valuable rookie season by a Dodger since Fernando Valenzuela. That’s saying a lot too, but which of those many Rookies of the Year winners in Dodger history were influential in leading their team to the playoffs? Piazza? Karros? Sax? Sutcliffe? Howe? Mondesi?
What to do on a autumn evening, post-World Series? Watch the Arizona Fall League between two teams with Non-Dodger prospects? Try to find a transmission of Dominican League baseball? Watch a lot of college football? Nothing seems too appetizing, but there is NCAA roundball on, and with a Dodger connection.
(basketball photo captures from Fox Sports 2)
I have the Butler vs. Lamar NCAA basketball game on the TV tonight. I haven’t really paid much attention to it nor do I have much interest in this matchup, but it is Preston Mattingly’s NCAA basketball debut and he is getting some playing time. The play-by-play broadcasters mentioned that his coach Wade Knight claims he is already a valuable addition to his Lamar team, bringing an “outstanding work ethic and leadership skills with him.”
Preston is a 26 year old freshman and the lone guy on the team with “a lot of money in the bank and a decent car to drive,” say the announcers. Butler is running away with this thing (65-44 lead in the 2nd half) and Preston isn’t seeing much playing time, but it’s the closest thing to a Dodger in action on the tube tonight that can be found.
************************************************* Through three games of Dominican League action, playing for the Gigantes del Cibao, newest Dodger Alexander Guerrero has played a game at second base, another at third base and tonight he was a late insertion into the lineup at shortstop. So far he is 3 for 11, with a double, no walks and 3 strike outs.
Dee Gordon in last year's Winter League action for Licey in the Dominican Republic.
Guerrero's opponent tonight was the Licey Tigers and Dee Gordon led off for them, playing center field. Gordon went 1 for 3 and so far in in seven games he is 11 for 29, batting .414 with a .464 OBP. I'm looking for reports on his defensive performances this far and am coming up empty. It'll be interesting to see how he does in that pressure packed Winter League that Dominican fans take very seriously. So seriously that former Dodger organization manager Dino Ebel (currently Mike Scioscia's bench coach with the Angels) was fired today as manager of Estrellas Orientales after his team started 6-12. It was reported today by a few twitter sources that Ted Lilly has reported to Venezuela in an attempt to salvage his career and get a Spring Training invitation. Former Dodger farmhand Ivan DeJesus Jr. is off to a scalding start in Puerto Rico for Ponce, at 6 for 13 with a .588 OBP. Ivan is currently Pittsburgh Pirates property and toiled the entire 2013 at AAA Indianapolis. In that same Puerto Rican League, Albuquerque starter Matt Magill was shelled in his two starts for Mayaguez. In two games he has pitched 6.1 innings and surrendered 5 earned runs. ****************************************************
It was a dump and we were happy it was “their dump.” Who would have figured that San Francisco, which is arguably the most beautiful city in the nation, could botch the location of their baseball field so badly that it would be viewed as the worst baseball playing venue in the league.
But that was a fact for decades. Candlestick Park was awful. Candlestick Point might be the ugliest section of the city. It's sweeping winds off the hillside are chilling. The neighborhood is a bit seedy, especially compared to some picturesque areas of the city. This was absolutely the wrong place to build the Giant's home field.
This place was freezing cold, even on sunny days. I can recall sitting in the bright sun for a portion of a game, frying and sunburnt for 3-4 innings, only to see the shade hit our area and then temperature dropping literally 20 degrees. There were micro-climates within the stadium, just as there are in different areas of the San Francisco peninsula. You’d dress in layers and go from parka to sweater to windbreaker to t-shirt to windbreaker to sweater to parka all in the matter of 6 or 7 innings.
I know people here that never knew what it was like to experience a major league baseball game in sunny weather wearing short sleeved shirts. They’d come dressed like eskimos to baseball games in July. That was the norm for San Franciscans.
Here we are a full 14 years since the last major league baseball game was played there, and now they will finally tear that abomination near the bay down after the 49ers play their last game there in December. This all got me to thinking of the great Dodger moments in that ballpark. There were some heartbreaking moments, but there were also good ones. This one mentioned below was a favorite:
June 27, 1980
A 40-29 Dodger team, 2 1/2 games behind Houston in the standings came into Candlesick Park for a 4 game weekend set against a lowly 31-38 Giants team. Jerry Reuss, who was off to a blazing 8-1 start, was scheduled to face Giants ace Vida Blue (9-4) for a 7:00 PM game.
Little did anyone know that Reuss was about to make history, especially Dodger shortstop Bill Russell who threw wildly to first base for an error in the first inning after cleanly fielding a Jack Clark grounder. Clark was the only Giant to reach base all night.
Dodger hitters sprayed 17 hits all over the yard that night, scoring eight runs in a route from the get go. Steve Garvey and Dusty Baker homered, Davey Lopes stole a bag, Ron Cey was his normal dominant self against San Francisco collecting two hits. This was a good old-fashioned shellacking.
Meanwhile, the Giants couldn’t touch Reuss and he wasn’t blowing away hitters either, striking out only two batters all evening. But that fastball of his had a natural sink and Giant hitters grounded out 17 times that night. he mixed in an occasional curve, but it was that tailing heater that was working. When reporters raved about Steve Yeager and his game calling, Reuss joked “It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to hold one finger down all night.”
Reuss faced one hitter over the minimum, and didn’t allow a walk. The lone blemish was the Russell throw in the first. “It was one of the most overpowering games I’ve ever seen anyone pitch,” said former Dodger and Giant hitting coach Jim Lefebvre. “He was literally breaking bats in our hands.”
Bill North was the last out as he hit a nubber back to the box. “It was obviously the greatest thrill of my baseball life,” said Reuss. “I began to think about it from the very first inning. Something in my head said maybe tonight was the night..”
Jerry Reuss about to deliver a pitch to Rennie Stennett, the second hitter he would face in the bottom of the ninth at Candlestick Park, June 27, 1980. Stennett grounded out to shortstop and the final hitter Bill North hit a come backer to Reuss for the final out. The scoreboard in the background tells the story of the moment.
It was quite surreal to watch what was left of 20,000 plus fans in Candlestick actually cheering on the Dodger starter to get the no-hitter and witness a moment in history. Probably the first and only time that ever happened at Candlestick, where fans took pride in attacking Dodgers both verbally and physically over the years.
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I drive by Candlestick Park almost every week now, and soon it'll be no more. I guess that's progress, as Bay Area sports teams move on to better venues, there will always be some nostalgia surrounding this place and the stadium that once stood there. This was a dump that even San Francisco fans acknowledge was a sub-standard ballpark and location. But it was a historical place and one that won't be forgotten. Whether it was the Willie Mays basket catches, the Joe Montana drives, the McCovey monstrous swings that produced wicked line drives and homers, the scrambling Steve Young scampering for a touchdown, the Beatles last convert ever, that high leg kick of Marichal, the brawls between the blue and black/orange. Candlestick will forever be remembered. That's a good thing even if the place was an ice box.
On Saturday, in the Japan Series, Masahiro Tanaka threw 160 pitches in the only loss he has logged in over 14 months. You would think that would be the end of his season. Well, think again.
Tanaka went 30 consecutive starts without recording a loss before losing game 6 of the series that evening by a 4-2 score against the Yomiuru Giants. Then in the series finale, Tanaka took the mound in the 9th inning to record the save and clinch the Japanese Series title in a 3-0 victory. He threw a total of 175 pitches in less than a day.
Tanaka celebrates winning the Japan Series with his Rakuten teammates.
Now it is safe to say that Tanaka will have months of rest coming up, but how many aren’t concerned that throwing so many high stress pitches over 24 hours will not have a long term effect on him? Orel Hershiser in 1988 overdid it, there’s a pretty chance that he caused some damage in the process as he went down with a season long shoulder injury less than two years later.
When you’re about to invest over $125 million to purchase a player, you certainly don’t want someone who is damaged goods. So the question lingers if Tanaka did some damage to his arm in this series as he pitched his heart out. That ice pack on his elbow couldn’t have raised confidence in major league organizations wanting him, that’s for sure.
If the Dodgers do opt to bid for Tanaka and pay huge sums to land him, they best do their due diligence and ensure that right arm is sound for the rigors of an MLB season. That’s an awful lot of pitches he threw.
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Greinke's prowess with the bat was the best for all pitchers in baseball (photo by USA Today Sports)
Zack Greinke was named the recipient of the silver slugger award today. Hitting .328 with an OBP of .409 for the season, could there be any doubt that he’d get it. Within the Dodger pitching ranks, there was that friendly rivalry amongst pitchers as to who was the best. Without a doubt, Greinke ran away with it. Bragging rights are certain to be exploited by the Dodger ace as AJ Ellis tweeted today in his congratulatory message that “we will never hear the end of this one.”
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Peter Gammons continues predicting that the Dodgers are the leading team to land both Tanaka and David Price. His quote during an interview with MLB Network follows:
“The Rays have talked internally about what they would do with him. Should they trade him now? Will they get more now than a year away from free agency? I think the answer is ‘yes’ they would get more right now than they would then. There aren’t many teams out there that would meet their price.”
“I think Texas could probably do it. I think the most interesting (team) would be the Dodgers. I know there are teams in the National League West that are really worried about the Dodgers going out and posting $75 to $100 million dollars to get Masuhiro Tanaka from the Japenese Rakuten Golden Eagles. And then have Kershaw, Greinke, Tanaka, Price, Ryu. That would be a devastating rotation.”
“I mean the Dodgers could make the deal. The question is : how many prospects are they willing to give up? I know the Rays would want 17 year old pitcher Julio Urias. A Mexican who some feel is the best prospect in baseball. There’s 19 year old prospect shortstop Corey Seager. Then they’d want a couple of major league ready guys like Zack Lee the pitcher and outfielder Joc Pederson. But the Dodgers could get him (Price). You think about that five man rotation. They wouldn’t have to worry too much about how many bases Puig overthrows.”
(end of quote)
Such a starting staff might be the greatest in recent history. You’d probably have to go back to the 90s when the Braves had Smoltz, Maddux, Glavine and Avery in their rotation. One thing to consider with such a devastating staff would be that perhaps a reliever such as Brian Wilson would welcome returning to such a dominating ballclub in interest of getting a World Championship with the Dodgers. This leads me to my next topic, the closer situation.
Both Kenley Jansen and Brian Wilson can survive on this team and provide closing innings as well. I’m a strong proponent of not sticking each in specific roles. You close with Wilson one night and Jansen another. Baseball can be so stat driven and the “save” stat is the only thing between Wilson re-signing with the Dodgers or heading off to a place like Colorado to close. The Dodgers need the bearded one and perhaps promising a dual closers situation would be enough to convince Wilson to stay in Los Angeles.
Add Joe Nathan to that relief pitching mix and the Dodger pitching staff could end up being practically unbeatable. Imagine the trio of Nathan, Wilson and Jansen in the pen. There’s bound to always be a hot hand to go to. If those three could keep their egos in check to pursue a championship, the Dodger staff could actually be a pitching staff of legends. With Colletti's history of going after former Giants, maybe this is a possibility.
The moves make perfect sense and are entirely possible with adequate persuasion and a lot of money to spend. We know the Dodgers have the latter, it’s the former that isn’t completely convincing me. If Ned gets that done, the Dodgers will be scary good.
In 2006, Torey Lovullo, a 40-year old Southern California native with UCLA roots, was a successful minor league manager that was a finalist in the interviewing process to land the Dodgers managerial position. This was the job vacated by Jim Tracy and eventually filled with Grady Little. There's little doubt that had Lovullo been hired, Dodger history would have been much different than it turned out to be. You see, Lovullo is a guy that buys in big time to sabermetrics. He is probably one of the brightest minds in the game. This year Lovullo served as bench coach to Boston Red Sox skipper John Farrell as they won the World Series. The Sox think so highly of him that they are reluctant to allow him to leave the organization. Theo Epstein of the Cubs loves this guy and it is reported that he wants him as his manager in Chicago.Unfortunately for Epstein, the Red Sox organization may not allow him to interview for the position, which might stem from bad blood between the organizations after Epstein left the Sox for the Cubs a few years ago. There are conflicting reports, some say ing that Epstein is restricted from purging the Red Sox organization of personnel due to a contractual agreement made when he moved from Boston to Chicago. So it's up in the air whether the Reports Bosox are willing to allow Lovullo to interview for the Cubs vacancy. Most of the time organizations don't step in the way of career advancement opportunities, but his may be an exception. (The same thing happened when the Dodgers hired Colletti from the Giants in 2005. The new Dodger G.M. wanted to interview Giants bench coach Ron Wotus for the Dodgers managerial vacancy. The Giants stepped in and did not allow the interview to take place). Lovullo, was a journeyman utility player during his playing career that saw some major league service time with the Tigers, Yankees, Angels, Mariners, A’s, Indians and Phillies. He cut his teeth in the managerial ranks in the minors with the Indians and Red Sox organizations. He was Toronto's first base coach prior to his year in Boston. Lovullo is a hot commodity in the baseball scene right now.
In 1993, Lovullo had 409 plate appearances in 109 games with the Angels where he played mostly at second base.
To get a feel for how Lovullo sees the game strategically, I highly recommend this fangraphs.com article LINKED HERE .
Here are some key quotes from Lovullo in the piece that shows his strategic stances when if comes to looking at the game:
On the sacrifice bunt: “...the equation changes depending on things like where you’re playing, who you’re playing against and what you have available in your bullpen. Overall, I’m not a fan of it. I think it’s needed from time to time, but we led the league in runs scored this year and had the fewest sacrifice bunts.
“At times, it can work to advance a guy into scoring position, but by and large, I’ve learned over the years that the sacrifice bunt can be a rally stopper. Every out is precious. You’re playing with 27, so if you give up two or three a game, you’re playing with 24 or 25. You’re giving up an inning’s worth of outs to sacrifice guys into scoring position, and the law of averages shows that just because you’re at second base doesn’t mean you’re going to score. If you’re at first base with no outs, you have a better chance of scoring runs. The numbers show that. That’s what we’re all about. We’re about putting up big innings and scoring a lot of runs...”
On player acquisition and communication with the front office: “That’s something I very much believe in, and it is ongoing here. That’s what’s so great about our front office. From top to bottom, they’re always seeking information and acquiring thoughts about guys. If there is a conversation regarding free agents, they want to get as much input as they can from every area. This past off-season, a bunch of scouts went in and [director of baseball information services] Tom [Tippett] told them the list of candidates they wanted to bring in. Several of them are here.
“I believe in that. I believe in one unit moving forward. I believe in open communication and there being no barriers between the front office and the dugout.”
On lineup construction: “...I think the second hitter should be able to hit a fastball. If your leadoff hitter is your typical leadoff hitter, and is on base, they’re going to be calling for more fastballs, so your second hitter has to be able to handle a pitcher’s best fastball.
“You want your best hitters at the top of the order to give yourself the best opportunity to score runs. Over the course of the season, the ninth hitter is going to get about 150 fewer at bats. You want your best hitters up as often as possible, so if they’re hitting one, two, three or four, they’re naturally going to get more plate appearances over the course of a full season. That’s what every team that wants to score runs should be looking for...”
On platooning: “I’m in favor of platooning. We have great value here in Mike Carpand Gomes, with their ability to go back and forth. I know they’ll hit second and I’ll platoon them there. I know they’ll hit fourth and I’ll platoon them there. We can utilize their abilities in a way that puts them in the best situations to help our team score runs. So I’m in favor of it, as long as the players know.”
On sample sizes and matchups: “I believe that after 25 at bats you’re going to start to see a good sample size. Anything less than that, you can’t really rely on it. If a guy is 1-for-2, he’s hitting .500, but it does nothing for me. If a guy is 12-for-25, that’s a sample size that tells me he’s locked in and seeing the ball well. Slugging percentage is the same way. The more at bats, the more meaningful it is.”
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Frankly I wish the Dodgers were in the position to hire a new manager because Lovullo is a perfect for this team. A ball club with a manager like this would thrive in an environment where the team has a lot of resources to fill holes, like Los Angeles.
Lovullo trivia: Born and raised in Santa Monica, Torey's father produced the "Hee Haw" television show that was popular in the 60's and 70's.
Imagine cleaning out the house and discovering a giant sized Sports Illustrated magazine that is framed, in it is the SI cover showing your grandpa in his hey day, hurling a pitch to the plate during his Cy Young Award winning season, 1960. Imagine your dismay that your 86 year old grandpa is about to throw it away, because he has no need for it anymore.
I’m glad to see that Dodger prospect, Adam Law, Vernon’s grandson, salvaged that historic piece of memorabilia. Good ‘Ol Vern still throws a nasty assortment of breaking pitches and is known to throw some to his grandkids these days. This latest episode that was tweeted by Adam makes me wonder though. How much more cool stuff has Deacon tossed out over the years? Someone get over there when spring cleaning takes place and salvage some other pieces of history!
This video clip is absolutely hilarious and comes thanks to another tweet by Adam as he linked this video of the San Diego State University baseball team playing their annual Halloween night baseball game in full costumes. Take a look at this video as you see players dressed as a baby in a diaper, a SD Charger cheerleader, Captain America, the Jamaican Bobsled team, Barack Obama, Peter Pan, A lifeguard with a rubber ducky strapped around his waist and more as they play all out baseball with some great plays as well.
Watch the cheerleader go deep with a shot to left and the baby in the diaper making some great picks over at third base. Great fun!
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With a lot of eagerness I’m watching Corey Seager for the first time in the Arizona Fall League All Star game. Corey nubbed a grounder to second base to knock in the Wests second run of the night, by busting it down the line. He’s the youngest player in the game at age 19 and he looks to have a polished look. Think about it. You’re 19 years old and playing in an all star game against the best minor leaguers in baseball, several that will break camp in Spring training on major league rosters. The kid is poised. Maybe a bit tired from the rigors of his first full season and overmatched, but this experience will be good for him. The Dodgers have a gem in Seager. It’ll be really interesting to watch him at Spring Training in a few months as he continues to progress.
Halloween has come and gone this year and I must say that no Halloween passes by for me without a memory of Duke Snider going through my mind. The Duke let it be know that he hated Halloween. Why? "Giants Colors," he said. Never mind that Duke finished up his career in 1964 trying to prolong it in San Francisco because nobody else would give him a chance. But after 16 of his 18 years in the Dodger organization, it's safe to say that he was a Dodger through and through.
A few years back I posted a number of the Duke's great quotes. They're worth revisiting today as they still ring true. What a great Dodger and ambassador for the game.
On the modern day player and their higher salaries:
“Man, if I made a million dollars I would come in at six in the morning, sweep the stands, wash the uniforms, clean out the office, manage the team and play the games.” (Sport Magazine, April, 1980)
On baseball in general and the things that remain the same over the years: "The sport to which I owe so much has undergone profound changes, but it's still baseball. Kids still imitate their heroes on playgrounds. Fans still ruin expensive suits going after foul balls that cost five dollars. Hitting streaks still make the network news and hot dogs still taste better at the ballpark than at home." (New York Times, January 10, 1980)
On player travel and team bonding: "Today's baseball players are walking conglomerates. They have fantastic salaries, multiple investments, but we had one thing they don't have today, the train ride. We didn't always like it, but those rides kept us close as a team and as friends. Something you can't get on a two hour plane ride that used to take you fifteen hours on a train." (New York Times, January 10, 1980)
Following the 1953 World Series loss to the Yankees: "I still say we're the better team. That's the rottenest thing in life, isn't it? The best team doesn't always win." (The Boys of Summer, Roger Kahn) Here are a few more that weren't shared: "The field was even greener than my boy's mind had even pictured it. In later years friends of ours had visited Ireland and said the grass was plenty green alright, but that not even the Emerald Isle itself was as green as the grass that grew in Ebbets Field." "In the split second from the time the ball leaves the pitcher's hand until it reaches the plate you have to think about your stride, your hip action, your wrist action, determine how much, if any the ball is going to break and then decide whether to swing at it. Yeah, baseball's not that complicated." "What a player does best he should practice the least. Practice is for problems." "We wept. Brooklyn was a lovely place to hit. If you hit the ball in the air, you had a chance to get it out. When they tore down Ebbets Field, they tore down a little piece of me." "Swing hard in case they throw the ball where you're swinging." ****************************************** Last, this excerpt from Kahn's famous book:
Pee Wee Reese's favorite story. Four players rode a car pool from Bay Ridge to the Polo Grounds in 1951, and on Reese's night to drive a motorcycle patrolman stopped them. Approaching, the policeman burst out, "Pee Wee. It's you. Why you driving so fast?"
"Big series with the Giants, officer. Kind of nervous."
"Don't listen to that, officer," Snider said. "He deserves a ticket."
"Hiya, Duke," the cop said. " Gee, fellers. What a thrill for me. Good luck, and take it easy, will ya, Pee Wee?"
Snider drove the next night and within a mile of the same spot another policeman sounded a short siren burst from Die Walkure. Then he took Snider's license and started writing.
"Say officer. That Edwin Donald Snider is Duke Snider. I'm the Dodgers center fielder."
Without looking up the policeman said, "I hate baseball." He handed Snider the ticket for speeding. *******************************************
