By Jon Weisman
Something else nearly buried by Wednesday’s theatrics: Corey Seager remains on a tear.
Seager hit his 16th home run of the season, putting him within three of the Dodger franchise record for shortstops for a season (Hanley Ramirez, 19 in 2013). Seager could break the record by the All-Star Game.
In the past week alone, Seager is 12 for 29 with two walks, four doubles and the home run, giving him a .452 on-base percentage while slugging .655.
So, yeah. Seems like as good a time as any to present the cover story from the most recent issue of Dodger Insider magazine …
Read the entire story by clicking here.
Beginning this year, the Dodgers merged their previously separate Playbill and Dodger Insider magazines into one publication (at least 80 pages per issue) with a new edition available each homestand plus one in October, 13 issues total. It is distributed at auto gates (one per vehicle) and via Fan Services for those who use alternate transportation. Dodger Insider magazine includes news, features, analysis, photos, games, stadium information and more. Fans who still wish to subscribe can do so at dodgers.com/magazine.
T.A. Barnhart
I love both Puig & Seager; this isn’t about them. But Seager’s made some bonehead plays this season, throwing away the ball instead of just holding it. (And then there’s the playoffs….) Have we heard the commentators talk about his lack of discipline, asking whether he can learn to do better? Has his laidback demeanor been a subject of intense scrutiny?
No matter how he goofs (as a rookie will goof), we hear none of the attacks we continue to hear about Puig. The double-standard is no surprise, at least to me. Seager’s lack of discipline has hurt the Dodgers badly at times, but he’s not been subject to the attacks Puig has.
And yes, I do think there is a racist element to this. The big, black guy from Cuba and the nice, white boy from Carolina. They’re both wonderful players & probably terrific people. But sports journalism is not any more free of bias than any other part of this country.
Jon Weisman
I wouldn’t really disagree. My belief is this: Baseball is a very hard game and a very exhausting game, and mistakes are absolutely inevitable, which is why I rarely single out anyone for criticism on a particular play. Earlier this year, when Puig made a baserunning mistake, I tweeted that it could happen to anyone, and I got hammered. But the fact is, even the Dodgers’ best baserunner, Utley, has made mistakes. Meanwhile, no one can do on the bases what Puig can do. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and you need to evaulate players as a whole. Puig is a fascinating player, but he’s also more of a target than he should be.
As far as Seager’s laid-back demeanor, however, I do think that’s a non-issue. As I write in my story, what he shows on the outside is nothing like what’s going on inside.