No one knows what it’s like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind Dodger blue eyes
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Anonymous
I’m a sad man behind Dodger brown eyes.
Anonymous
C;mon, Luis, just hit a medium-deep fly ball.
Anonymous
Skip!
Luis, Luis!
Anonymous
Here’s what MLB.com just said: Luis Cruz lines out sharply, pitcher Rafael Betancourt to first baseman Jordan Pacheco. Carl Crawford scores. Skip Schumaker to 2nd….Can someone please explain what just happened?
Anonymous
Luis!!!
Uribeast!!
Anonymous
I sooooo want to be upset in a few minutes that League gets a “win” for this game . . .
Anonymous
Hindsight is always 20-20 Department: Jansen threw just 7 pitches in the 8th. Why didn’t Donny keep him in, especially given League’s track record this season. Is the answer: BECAUSE LEAGUE IS MY CLOSER!?
KT
I was saying that to my dad at the end of eight…”at least he can pitch the 9th”…No I was donnie’d
KT
Well we get performance from two players we wanted DFA’d in the beginning of the season…who knows maybe we can turn this season around sooner rather than later
Anonymous
Rick Monday said that Uribe might ask for the 2nd base bag after this one’s over.
Anonymous
Speaking of The Who, it kind of describes our bullpen. When it comes to League, Donny should review the lyrics to “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
Anonymous
League with a well-deserved W.
Anonymous
Secret to Belisario’s success tonight: Enter the game when there is no one on base.
Anonymous
Belisario would make a better closer than League.
underdog
I don’t know about that. Belisario has been just as wobbly as League at holding leads. Both pitchers have filthy stuff but both often have no idea how to harness it. Belisario *has* been a bit better lately, I’m hopeful. But the idea that we’d trust him any more than we trust League is a bit much for me to wrap around. ;)
KT
Here are the results for the birthday ball my daughter got today: I have found 24 of the 32 signatures….Here are the names:
Yasiel Puig #66 / Peter Moylan #76 / Zack Greinke #21 / Matt Kemp #27 / Andre Ethier #16 / Clayton Kershaw #22 / Nick Punto #7 / Ted Lilly #29 / Brandon League #31 / Skip Schumaker #3 / Don Mattingly #8 / Adrian Gonzales #23 / Carl Crawford #25 / Elian Herrera #37 / Hanley Ramirez #13 / Mark Ellis #14 / Juan Uribe #5 / Chris Capuano #35 / Javy Guerra #54 / Davey Lopes #15 / Kenley Jansen #71 / Hyun-Jin Ryu #99 / Josh Beckett #61 / Matt Guerrier #54 / A.J. Ellis #17
8 more to figure out
Anonymous
Okay, I’m officially upset that League gets the win, but I’ll live with it — I wonder how Kershaw feels? I’m sure he puts the team first, but this might come into play in postseason honors . . .
I know that there’s a rule that allows discretion in giving the “win” when there are multiple relievers and the starter didn’t qualify . . . does anyone know exactly what that rule is? Can’t there be something like the “Son of Sam” law where a reliever who blows the save is not eligible for the win?
Anonymous
I’m not “exactly” equating a reliever who blows the save with a murderer . . . just equating the idea that he gets the “W” with a convicted killer profiting from their crime.
Anonymous
The rule you’re thinking of applies only if the starter doesn’t go 5.
If it makes you feel better, wins for a closer are generally considered luck after blowing a save, as League’s example points out. Next time you look at a closer’s record, assume that several of his Ws were from being in the right spot after failing to do your job.
foul tip
OK, makes sense in some cases. But what accounts for an off-the-charts good W-L record for a reliever like Dodger Ron Perranoski’s 16-3 in 1963? That year was off-the-charts good for Dodger pitching anyway, especially for a certain lefty starter.
Did he rub off on Perranoski, whose stats for the year aren’t overpowering?
A 1.67 ERA (+179), great there. 129 IP( !) but just 75Ks, 21 saves in I don’t know how many chances, 1.202 WHIP.
Maybe part plain old luck?
Good question for a Dodger librarian, maybe…
As for Koufax, 1963 was his 25-5 year, which he followed by dominating the Yankees in the Dodger 4-0 sweep. IIRC, Yogi Berra said of Koufax after the WS, “I understand how he won the 25. What I don’t understand is how he lost the 5.” His salary was….wait for it… $35,000. No, no misplaced zeros or commas. foul tip SaMoDodger • in a few seconds
OK, makes sense in some cases. But what accounts for an off-the-charts good W-L record for a reliever like Dodger Ron Perranoski’s 16-3 in 1963? That year was off-the-charts good for Dodger pitching anyway, especially for a certain lefty starter.
Did he rub off on Perranoski, whose stats for the year aren’t overpowering?
A 1.67 ERA (+179), great there. 129 IP( !) but just 75Ks, 21 saves in I don’t know how many chances, 1.202 WHIP.
Maybe part plain old luck?
Good question for a Dodger librarian, maybe…
As for Koufax, 1963 was his 25-5 year, which he followed by dominating the Yankees in the Dodger 4-0 sweep. IIRC, Yogi Berra said of Koufax after the WS, “I understand how he won the 25. What I don’t understand is how he lost the 5.” His salary was….wait for it… $35,000. No, no misplaced zeros or commas. His highest salary, in 1966, was $125,000.
The two accounted for 41 Dodger wins that year.
Koufax’ highest salary, in 1966, was $125,000.
The two accounted for 41 Dodger wins that year.
Anonymous
League reminds me of a reliever named Johnny Klippstein who pitched for the Dodgers in 1959. It was the 10th year of an 18-season major league career. He was used strictly in relief in 1959. He pitched in 28 games, covering 45.2 innings, and he had an ERA of 5.91, And yet, somehow, he went 4-0. The Dodgers won the World Series that year. Klippstein was gone after the season ended. In 1965, while he was with Minnesota, he pitched against us in the World Series.
Linkmeister
And who was the reliever who got two wins and two saves in that ’59 World Series? Not Klippstein, but Larry Sherry. His brother Norm lasted longer with the Dodgers than Larry did, as I recall.
Anonymous
This game highlights the utter lack of importance of wins and losses when considering the Cy Young award winner. Ultimately, I could care less Kershaw didn’t get the W – it has absolutely no bearing on his performance – and it should not have any bearing on his season’s overall performance when considering him for the Cy Young.
Anonymous
But it does, when you hear people arguing purely on “wins/losses.”
Anonymous
But it should not – this game clearly shows that – Kershaw has no control over how good his team’s closer is. The voters of the award SHOULD be knowledgeable enough about the game to know this.
Anonymous
I agree that it shouldn’t. But since we’re in the age of metrics-ball, too often arguments are purely made by statistics. Perhaps there should be one where non-decisions are broken down to include blown saves, which would indicate the closer didn’t close.
Of course, I guess that’s what happens with columnists and bloggers pleading the case for “their” pitcher in postseason.
Anonymous
I think it’s easier than that – innings pitched should count way more than wins and losses – if you are near the top in innings pitched then obviously you’ve been going deep into all your starts – ERA, WHIP, SO, IP all are very important when considering Cy Young winner – W’s and L’s are useless.
Anonymous
Hernandez winning AL CY in 2010 with a record of 13-12 suggests that voters were not swayed, at least I this case, with CC’s 21-7 record.
Anonymous
Watching the video above reminds me of going to the Coliseum back in the mid 80’s (’86?, ’87?) to catch the Who’s “Farewell Tour” – I was a teenager and had a great time – have been a big Rock fan for long time – but “Farewell Tour”??? What a crock that turned out to be.
KT
saw them at Anahiem in 76
Anonymous
71 in San Diego.
Jack Dawkins
I actually loved the Helton – League battle. Helton, in the twilight of his career, against a flawed closer in the height of his. It was fascinating. He couldnt catch up to the fastball, until he did. Great theater, and why I love the game. All that was missing was Sculley.
Reminds me of the Roided up Bonds against Roided up Gagne at ATT. Gagne could get him out 18 ways, but he only wanted to do it on the fast ball, which Bonds sent over the center field wall. As a fan, i was upset, but didnt want it any other way.
El Cuero
Maybe I am reading into things a bit much, but did the Dodgers’ body language seem better with Kemp not around last night? Saw a bit more energy in the dugout… Maybe I am crazy,,. But I always go back to a time when I ran into Xavier Paul and he told me Kemp was one of the laziest guys on the team – who knows…
Anonymous
I believe you didn’t need to use the word “maybe”
underdog
the laziest guy on the team comment is beneath contempt, sorry.
The team’s had plenty of energy in the dugout with Kemp playing, his teammates love him and feel badly he’s having a bad season so far. This is a lot of nonsense.
Anonymous
only Beckett feels badly
underdog
The biggest problem is… the Dodgers can’t clone Kenley Jansen. i.e., we could annoit him closer over League, but then who reliably pitches the 8th, which is often a higher leverage inning with runners on or with best hitters up…? If not League, and if Belisario is wobbly, who sets up Jansen?
Anonymous
I understand Mattingly wanting Jansen to face the best hitters when necessary, but someone has to follow. Last night, I was thinking Paco or Moylan. I have as much faith in Belli as I do in League right now. Good win, bad game.
Anonymous
Belisario has much better control than League. He’s not an elite reliever, but he’s still a valuable one.
underdog
Sadly Belisario’s control this year is almost exactly as bad as League’s. A high BB per 9 rate that’s even worse than League’s. One thing in his favor is he seems to have more swing-and-missable stuff (more K’s, more swings and misses). League can have filthy stuff too but as in the Helton at bat last night you can see the issue. But I honestly can’t trust Belisario much more, even though he’s been slightly better lately.
[Sources:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leagubr01.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/belisro01.shtml ]
Anonymous
League is not a bad man, just a bad baseball player. But I don’t even blame him that much for blowing the save. He battled Helton with 11 good pitches, well eight anyway. Helton just got the best of him on a pitch that caught too much of the plate. League didn’t want to walk him, so he challenged him with fastball after fastball. You have to tip your cap to Helton. Sometimes the bull wins.
That does, however, make League a sad man. He’ll be even sadder after he loses closing duties and becomes the eight-inning guy who gives up leads with one inning left.
Jon Weisman
NPUT