26 thoughts on “Game 126, 2014”

1. NPUT

2. The satellite and cable companies have resisted caving in to TWC for SNLA for almost a full season; There would be no reason to give in now. And that assures that they will not give in next year either… That $8 Billion (over $300MM a year) that the Dodgers were counting on may not be forthcoming too much longer, bankruptcy for TWC is a possibility. Perhaps that is why the Dodgers won’t package enough salary with Ethier and Crawford to trade them. I can’t imagine a majority of the teams turning one of them down if they only had to pay $5MM a year of their salary with the Dodgers eating the rest.
   On another front, Starlin Castro could be had from the Cubs and would solve our shortstop problem for years. Seager plays third, Gordon second, and Guerrero first, if he can hit and when Agon moves on.

   • They may not be worth their salaries, but why eat $18-$20 million not to have them on the team at this point?

     • Simple. They occupy roster places that could be better used by more productive players.

       • Er, who? Both those guys are proven major leaguers. Nobody they’d be likely to bring up from Albuquerque is. We’re still in a pennant race here, too.

   • Actually an out-of-time edit: Is there any doubt in anyone;s mind that if either Crawford or Ethier were gone, that Pederson would be on the Dodgers right now. That’s why it is important to move them.

     • What are your expectations as regards Joc’s contribution on the margin relative to the downside risks. He looks like he might be an above average player in the Bigs, but can he adjust quickly, under some pretty intense pressure, and contribute right away? Ethier and Crawford are both very serviceable at this point and Joc could be here in a couple of weeks in any event.

3. It’s pretty obvious the team shouldn’t allow Haren’s option to vest. Tough call on a personal level, but the kind successful organizations are faced with at times.

   A better starting staff that doesn’t include him is needed–tho obviously better options aren’t apparent right now. Still, some guys in the minors likely wouldn’t do worse even now, and some of them actually have upside.

   He should be out of chances because his trends are all bad, notwithstanding a couple very good recent starts. Plus he’s not getting younger. IMO one of his biggest problems is most everything is close to the same speed, allowing hitters to time him easier…and they do.

   Read the other day that he’s still regarded as having one of the top 5 splitters in the game but can’t take advantage because his other pitches are no longer good enough to set up the splitter consistently.

   But what will the Dodgers likely do? Allow the option to vest, talk about how he helped the team this year early on, how he’ll do anything he can to help the team win, and how he’s likely to bounce back next year and has earned the chance.

   Good guy? By all accounts a great guy and great teammate. But a Dodger starter? No.

   • With Ryu and Beckett on the DL, replaced by the dubious Fausto and Correia, there may be no choice but to let Haren’s option vest.

   • Not really something to take into acount at this point. As WBBsAs indicates there may not be much choice. Given the numbers (where he is now, potential starts, average innings) you could probably wait until his last possible start if you wanted to save the $10 million

4. Part of me is very concerned that this roster is just falling apart in front of our eyes…..
   …
   -With Haren and Beckett’s age and injury history, did Ned really think they could go 162?
   -With Hanley and Uribe’s proclivity for injury, would Turner (now, Rojas & Barney) be enough?
   -How would AJ Ellis (with essentially no major nor minor league competition) fare in 2014?
   -Any hard feelings with the 4 OF’s?
   -“The Dodger pitching staff is going to be excellent” said many… I always disagreed.
   I think it’s a top-heavy staff with no real guts in the middle.
   ….
   All valid, I believe. But, I’m over the whole ranting thing. Just hoping our guys can get back from injury. If not, let’s look to 2015 and what a monumental waste in 2014. IMHO.
   Only time will tell.

   • For the rebuild… if necessary… Kershaw, Gordon, Puig. Period!

     Everbody else…. trade bait. IMHO. Go with the youth movement.

     • Have you forgotten the size of some of the contracts that “trade bait” has? 😉

   • -Ned thought he had Bills in his back pocket (and Fife in the minors), would not have made much sense to pick up another starter.
     -Don’t forget that Gordon was in the SS mix as well.
     -Not sure I understand this one
     -Nor this one
     -Dodger staff is among top three in NL (so far) by most measures.

   • Mattingly makes comments about what a strong defender Rojas has been at short then starts Barney there. I starting to worry about Ronnie Belliard syndrome.

     • Ha! Nice reference. Since Barney is now the backup SS (Justin seemed to have some trouble there), giving him a start is not unheard of. After all, Rojas is not an AS/GG as O-Dawg was in 2009.

5. Gosh! …. not much to say, really…. other than bummer for anybody who paid for a ticket to that debacle…. better luck next time….
   ….
   What a shame it would be if the Dodgers reversed field and had all their major injuries at the end of the season… rather than at the beginning as in recent years….
   Oh, well… buckle up!
   PS- Believe it or not…. I think the Beard will come up big down the stretch… Donny’s just savin’ him 😉

   • hopefully we are getting them all out of the way now and everyone can be healthy in September and hopefully October

6. Since we were on the road back to the Bay Area, I missed today’s game, and I guess I didn’t
   miss much. Perusing the box score, though, I was truly thrilled to learn that
   Mattingly had found a suitable high-leverage situation for Howell.

7. just tuned in too, not good on both counts.

8. All you folks who went to the beach rather than watch this, you were the smart ones.

   • It’s 10 degrees (Celcius) here and raining, what else could have I done? 🙂

9. Just tuned in to find the carnage. Ugh.

   Looks like the Dodgers will match the one-win for the season v. the Brewers that Atlanta posted v. them.

   But then Fri. and Sat. Atlanta turned around and beat best-record-in-baseball Oakland–twice.

   Dunnno about today.

   Baseball. Or pretty much any sport, for that matter.

10. No surprise Haren is hammered.
    Disappointing, but no surprise bats are MIA.

    Advancing in the playoffs is definitely questionable.
    If the Giants put anything together, advancing TO the playoffs is also questionable.

11. Bad Haren showed up for work today.

12. Go. Blue!
    Use those bats, offense! (Tho the latter part of the lineup seems like automatic outs.)