Just so we're clear for the future...

Donny Yankees had our playoff rotation starting all garbage games in the final series of the season.  Just something for the memory banks for this time next week.

One More Question...

"Yeah, you know, this team is still going in the right direction.  We just played a good team.  Could one of you guys put ice in this cup?  I still haven't figured out how to do that yet.  Anyway, any more questions?"

"Yeah, numbnuts, I got one.  How did your fucking 'rest strategy' work out this week?  Would you say your plan was a good one?"

"Tommy, is that you?  Hey, I didn't know you were here.  Look, everyone, it's--"

"Don't look at me, let's look up to the front at Donny Yankees!  Get a good look at the guy who's managing the ball club.  He said all of our best players needed extra rest for this series.  And after he practically threw the game in Denver, he--"

"Tommy, we try to win every game."

"YOU fucking don't.  I'm talking here, dunce.  So then you start this fucking plan...we go into Cincy, a hot town.  And I would know, I ate a gallon of this shit you call 'chili' and never got full.  How did that work?  You were lucky just to get two guys to hit the fucking ball each game!  All this rest, and no run production!"

"Well, the Reds have great pitching and...you know, I'm happy the way we played.  We battled.  Um...(looks at notes) we have pitching and I'm, uh..."

"Don't fucking look at me."

The Give Up Game

The Dodgers are comfortably in first place, playing Colorado.  They have a day off before a big series in Cincinnati.  You would think, thankfully, that most of the regulars would play since we have a day off, particularly against Colorado's best pitcher.

But then you remember our manager is woefully confused.  Endorsing Ned's bizarro pick-up, Edinson Volquez (who maybe shouldn't be playing anymore) gets the start instead of Fife...and with Puig still day to day with injury, Donny also rests TWO starting outfielders, along with the 1st AND 2nd baseman.  After Volquez gets shelled (of course he does), he sends in Brandon League.  OK, this is just a give-up game.  Brandon (naturally) throws two wild pitches but somehow doesn't give up a run.  Donny continues the give-up with Marmol.  Why even try, right?

But then the top of the 8th, the Dodgers get hot and cut the Rockies lead to 2.  Now what does Donny do?  Start sending in the guys he benched AND then follow that up with the guys from the bullpen who were to get rest as well.

The managing in this game simply baffled me.  Was it a give-up?  If so, why decide to try just because it's close?  I wanted to call Dodger Talk and ask Kevin Kennedy, someone who's managed big-league ball, if he's ever seen anything like this.  I understand guys needing rest due to the riggers of a 162-game schedule, but this is re-dic.  Another caller beat me to asking the question.  His response was that he "understood" benching all these guys because they'd all play in Cincy.  OK, we disagree...whatever.  Then, he states he was "confused" by sending Rodriguez in the 8th.  So we DO agree...you just want to tote the company line, I guess.

Donny's press conference seemed unusually upbeat, stating that Volquez "showed him a lot" and that he and Rick Honeycutt know how to "fix" his problems.  Don't worry, Donny assured everyone, the usual folks will return in Cincinnati, he's just playing the strangest shell game with the starting rotation.  Why not have 7 guys?!  There's no rule about that, and Joe Torre never said he couldn't do that.  And here we are.

Let there be no question: it is the ability of the Dodgers individual players that lead to this success.  And, I'm willing to wager large amounts of any sort of valuable item that some mouth-breating writer somewhere else (not LA) thinks Donny is doing great things.  He really "turned them around" after he "drove them into the fucking ground" - wait...the start wasn't his fault at all...

Shit, we're in first, I need to cheer up.  Ah, here's a picture of Tommy and Ice Cube.

FUBB

Those long time readers of the blog back in its old form (read: ME) remember this acronym.  That stands for

Fucked
Up
By
Bullpen

Folks, it was a shit weekend in Atlanta for the Dodge, and while the hitting was all over the place (mostly not for a hit) this is all on Donny Yankees and the bullpen.  Atlanta is a good team...don't think I expected the Dodgers to steamroll the Braves, but LA lost all 3 games; Atlanta was merely the beneficiary.

Our need for solid bullpen performances and a manager who knows how to manage pitchers becomes more evident by the day.

Friday
Bottom of the 6th, Dodgers lead 4-2

Ryu has thrown exactly 100 pitches.  He didn't bat in the 6th, but that doesn't matter.  The rulebook Joe left for Donny says, unless it's Kershaw, yank 'em.

Grrrrr gets an out, gives up a hit, Crawford commits an error.  He is relieved.

Rodriguez throws a walk, gives up a 3 run zonk, throws a walk, then gets the remaining 2 outs. 

It only got worse - Belisario gives up 2 runs thanks to a Crawford error and the usual pitching.

Donny, Carl, and the bullpen take the defeat.

Saturday
Bottom of the 8th, Dodgers lead 1-0

Chris Capuano, he who is out of gas and should be in New Mexico, is pitching out of his mind.  It's a rare treat, one that might (well, not really, but maybe) turn things around for him.  Motoring through, he gets 1 out in the 8th and gives up a hit.  He's not even at Donny's magical 100 pitches...and the recap says Cap tells Donny to be prepared to take him out because his calf is hurting.  Why then?  Why not after the inning?  If you ARE going to take him out, why have him bat in the top of the 8th?  We'll never know.

Jansen comes in, gives up a 2 run zonk, then for good measure, a solo home run.

Dodgers get 1 run on 2 hits.  McSteroid, Donny, and Kenley take the defeat.

Sunday
Bottom of the 8th, Dodgers lead 2-1

Matt Magill, through 5, is looking good.  1 run, 4 hits, 8 strike outs.  But you knew it.  I knew it.  It was a matter of time until someone in the bullpen let the magic fly.  For dramatics sake, it was crunch time...

Jansen, remaining in the game (stunning that Donny would keep a bullpen pitcher in multiple innings) loads the bases, complimented by an error in the infield.  Let's see...bases loaded, 1 run game, no outs.  Who do I turn to?

Here comes Mr. Helper!

League gives up a single (run scores), sac fly (run scores), single (run scores), sac fly (run scores), a walk, and then thankfully a strike out.

I'm out of words.

Dodgers get 2 runs on 3 hits.  McSteroid, Kenley and Mr. League take the defeat.

I'm out of mad Tommy pictures.  I'm losing interest in this team, and the mismanagement therein.  A team with "pinch hitters" who can even bat .100.  Pitchers removed from the game when they're hot.  Fielding from the North Valley Little League.

Ned and Donny.  Always on the sunny side.  Always optimistic.  Always "seeing good things" and "improvements" after being swept by better teams.

Prove me wrong.  I'd love to be wrong in this situation.  But the way you're doing things...   

Mild recovery

The Dodgers' bleeding finally ended in playing the Marlins (as is the case for most teams) but all is not well.  Sunday's game proved all you need to know.

Cap started, and while he kept that explosive Marlins offense in check, he couldn't even make it to 80 pitches.  Ugh.

Feeling comfortable with a 4 run lead, Donny Yankees puts in (sigh) Brandon League.

Check out this line
1 IP
2 R
3 H
ERA now 6.28

Brandon League sucks.

I am at a loss of words for why he is playing so bad, why he's allowed to play, and why he isn't in Albuquerque right now.

Years ago, when the Dodgers bullpen was truly horrible, Donovan Brandt and I used to say there had to be at least a 5 run lead for us to accept the bullpen's fate to end the game.  Was the "5 run cushion" reached?  If so, there are no worries.  Apparently, this rule will have to be extended to League.

When Drew Boatman was writing on the blog he once said moments like this shouldn't be considered "saves" but more "thank Christ it's over."  League wasn't awarded a "save" but he did his best to turn a 4 run lead into just that. 

I have to end with this quote from CBS Sports on League, because it explains so much:

"(In his last 3 appearances) he is 0-2 with a 13.64 ERA over that span, but manager Don Mattingly said earlier this week that he will remain the team's closer."

The Los Angeles Intensive Care Units

Yowzer...one month in, and whatever the stakes and predictions were for the Dodgers this season, the results are below...and getting worse. 

The Dodge began the season with and overabundance of starters, and refused to commit to the 5.  The season started with this group:
Kershaw
Ryu
Beckett
Greinke
Billingsley

Ted Lilly, who shouldn't be on the team, was eventually forced down to Albuquerque.  This left two other starters...Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano.  What happened, and what did Ned do to adjust?

1. Harang was sent to Colorado for catcher Ramon Hernandez.  Oh good, we now employ a catcher who has 1 hit in 18 at bats.  The Rockies end up trading Harang to Seattle.  How's he doing?  Currently 1-3 with an 8.68 ERA.  A push if there ever was one.

2.  Billingsley thought he was healthy.  He was not.  By the 2nd start we found that arm to need the ol TJ surgery.  That opens up a spot for minor leaguer (who was called up last year) Stephen Fife.  Fife has pitched 1 game (literally called up the night before) and couldn't even go 5 innings.  Naturally, Fife is now injured as well.

3. Capuano was sent by Mattingly to the bullpen.  Cap didn't like this.  He didn't look good out of the bullpen, and thanks to injuries in the rotation, was made a starter again.  Didn't look too good, either.  Naturally, he is now injured.


4. Greinke was injured in a brawl by a filthy San Diego Padre...who wisely avoided playing in LA the following week.  Out through May at least.  I guess that means Ted Lilly. 

5. Lilly has 2 starts, currently 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA.  Not horrible enough to be sent down but guess who else is injured.  Ted just got a cortisone shot in a rib.

This leaves the Dodgers with 4 healthy starters in the rotation.  Two are good (Billingsley and Ryu).  One is average to bad (Beckett).  One is a minor leaguer who looked all right in his one start (Matt Magill).  That's it.  That's your starting group.  And as much as I'd want to normally cut and adjust the pitching, there aren't enough bodies to do so.  The rest in Albuquerque aren't worth the call. 

In terms of bats, thank goodness Hanley has returned.  He did so hitting a home run Vin labeled "Sky High."  This solves some of the problems.  Luis Cruz, the man who was to be the 3rd baseman this year based on his excellent 2012 campaign, is batting a scant .088.  Bye.

Donny Yankees continues to keep Skip Schumaker around.  He's in the infield, outfield, and pitching.  In sum, it's a .128 average that isn't helping at all except pitching the 9th of a blowout loss because Donny, using his Torre method, has used everyone in the bullpen.  Bye.

Hernandez...mentioned him above, but it's worth saying again.  I'd like to be a back-up catcher who can just watch called strike 3's sail by me.  I can turn and yell at no one in particular and wander back to the dugout.  Bye.

Hitting coach Mark McSteroid hasn't exactly been a good luck charm.  Guys like Ethier and Kemp used to be great hitters.  Now, the team has to count on Gonzalez and Crawford to be the sole providers of runs, as the Dodgers have one of the highest left on base totals in the National League.  How does someone like Matt Kemp become a guy who's "pressing" in at-bats?  I really hope Mark isn't changing what wasn't broken.  Though I suppose if you get a shot in the rump each morning, no matter your swing, it will be a home run.  Right, Bud?

Albuquerque has two guys worth bringing up: catcher Tim Ferdowicz who's batting an insane .514 with 4 home runs.  Sounds good.  A back-up outfielder, Matt Angle, is currently .312...also worth a go.  But whether either guy gets called up, the question remains: why is the front office so passive?  Why do they react instead of act? 


Knowing them, I'm sure Magic, Peter and the gang want to open up the checkbook and get someone else...but if you're truly going to solve the shitstains from McCourt, scouting and talent evaluation has to be improved.  If you don't have any rising stars in the minors worth using, what good is it to sit in your own shit?  A change like that can't occur overnight, but you'd be hard pressed to find it happening 1 month into the season.