Left todays game in the 5th with lower back issues again. This is getting to be a serious problem with him now. He’s just become a little brittle to say the least. But at some point LA has to just accept the facts and have a tough talk with Kershaw regarding his future.
Oh, it's already been accepted.Quote:
Originally Posted by ftpjesus
Like another great Dodgers left hander who pitched until about 5 years before my birth, Kershaw's career is going to end early. I know it. Fans know it. Dodgers know it. He knows it.
Why do you think Kershaw signed a 1-year deal at age 34, when he otherwise could have commanded much more? Because he hates money?
No, because this is the "test" year for him. If it's too painful for him, or if he can't stay healthy for long enough, or he can't pitch well, he's shutting it down. He's had a very nice year stat-wise, but he's missed some time with injury, and if the back problems won't stop, 2022 might be the final year for him.
I find it less likely he signs with another team when he's done with the Dodgers, and more likely he just calls it quits. He did make it at least 4 years longer than Koufax, though. Both started at age 20 with the Dodgers, both never pitched for anyone else. Koufax quit at 30 after winning the Cy Young in '66. Kershaw won't win the Cy this year, but he might end up with good numbers and quit anyway.
We already addressed the Frankie Montas question ftp.
In Druff’s comparison of Koufax and Kershaw’s career he is careful to omit “4x World Series Champion”. Otherwise they are they are the same pitcher or something.
What is wrong with you dude?
Kershaw career:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanlmar
2.49 ERA / 1.004 WHIP / 2754-620 K-BB ratio
Over 9 K-BB ratio, with a lot of his career before the "everyone strikes out" era we're currently enjoying.
Sorry but you can't look down upon that just because he wasn't great in the high variance playoffs, often pitching with a shit bullpen that the managers were afraid to use.
Koufax had a worse ERA, worse WHIP, worse K-BB ratio, and similar K/IP ratio. And he pitched fewer years.
He wasn’t great in the playoffs against the best competition. He was great whipping up on the god awful NL West when there was no pressure. He was pretty good. Not one of the greats.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan DruffKershaw career:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanlmar
2.49 ERA / 1.004 WHIP / 2754-620 K-BB ratio
Over 9 K-BB ratio, with a lot of his career before the "everyone strikes out" era we're currently enjoying.
Sorry but you can't look down upon that just because he wasn't great in the playoffs, often pitching with a shit bullpen that the managers were afraid to use.
Koufax had a worse ERA, worse WHIP, worse K-BB ratio, and similar K/IP ratio. And he pitched fewer years.
I have spotted a couple writers and podcasters who have made the coge observation that Ohtani will never pitch in NY or Boston etc. Ohtani is compared to Kershaw in not wanting the spotlight and pressure. These are clearly the brightest minds in sports commentary.
There have been animals for competition who thrive in the biggest spots. It’s a long list but I will cite your neighbor Bumgarner. Koufax was like that. Kershaw was precisely the opposite.
Kershaw was a nice guy. A great chap. Maybe not being nuts like Bumgarner and Scherzer was a shortcoming.
Blaming poor performance on bad luck is the weakest of excuses. It’s unseemly. Men of substance don’t pull the variance line. They get tough or accept defeat. A dozen or more years is more than a small sample.
Like the line from Rounders, “it’ll all be over soon”.
I think I am somewhat unique in not giving to much of a shit if a guy has a long career. Having a long career is great for the player and his family but length of career, in itself, I really don’t care.
Gimme Puig, Mark Fidrych, Fernando Valenzuela, Bo Jackson. Thrill me. If you fade quickly there is always another to take your place. It’s a harsh reality that life is cheap in sports. Football is the harshest.
So I care not a wit if Kershaw had more length than Koufax.
You're acting like he pitched against only NL West teams. He was spanking everyone except St. Louis for some reason. Many of his "bad" playoff performances were good until the 7th inning, when he was frequently mismanaged. It's not like he went out and got bombed every time.
I know you have this thing for hating on Kershaw, but he really was one of the all time pitching greats. It's almost over for his career, but he has a lot to be proud of, and will definitely be a first ballot HOFer.
Astros stole a WS from the man as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sanlmar
The Dodgers did know how to lose.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
I been riding your nuts about the Dodgers for 8 or 9 years. You gotta grant that perhaps I saw something given the results.
Friedman was told in real time and chose not to react. Maybe that’s the Dodger mismanagement Druff references.Quote:
Originally Posted by Texter
There have been claims made about the Dodgers too. No one was clean.
With dummy Roberts starting Darvish in game 7…deserved to lose anyhow.Quote:
Originally Posted by SanlmarFriedman was told in real time and chose not to react. Maybe that’s the Dodger mismanagement Druff references.Quote:
Originally Posted by Texter
There have been claims made about the Dodgers too. No one was clean.
Yeah no one was innocent there, Astros just the ones who won.Quote:
Originally Posted by SanlmarFriedman was told in real time and chose not to react. Maybe that’s the Dodger mismanagement Druff references.Quote:
Originally Posted by Texter
There have been claims made about the Dodgers too. No one was clean.
Like blaming Bonds for the steroid era because he was the best. Psssshhhhh
I almost feel like the pitching situation in LA was a leave the gun keep the cannoli situation except maybe they should’ve kept Greinke and let Kershaw go. Hindsight is 20/20 though but it’s not like LA couldn’t have paid what Arizona paid Zach Grienke.
Edit yes I’m aware he was traded and now he’s right back in KC where he started. The point I’m making is Grienke has been able to stay on the field more so then Kershaw
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryback_feed_me_more
I made a reference to ultra competitive pitchers in a previous post. Schilling/Johnson 2001. We are talking about two complete sicko’s. These two pushed each other as well. Gives you the shivers to think about. That’s what you see above from Greinke.Quote:
After Kershaw flirted with a perfect game July 23 against the Mets in New York, [catcher Yasmani] Grandal recalled a conversation he'd had with Greinke after a spring game.
"Kershaw better watch out because I'm coming after him," Grandal recalled Greinke telling him.
Schilling was just a mental defective that year. God mode. In the HOF? Who cares? Nazis don’t get votes. Please, don’t get me started on the HOF.
Schilling was Bumgarner telling you and variance to get the fuck out of the way.
Speaking of variance… sicko Schilling bloody socked his way to another World Series in Boston. Sheer will. Schilling was a flawed human but a winner. Someone we can measure Kershaw against.
Greinke/Kershaw 2013-2015.
Kershaw wasn’t even the best pitcher on his own team one or two of those years Witness another sicko, Greinke, talking smack to Kershaw. Greinke was my binky. The stupid Dodgers elected not to trade for a bullpen to do battle behind their two aces and the Dodger annual playoff fail ensued.
Nothing came of this tandem and it’s a damn shame. Sadly, they will be forgotten.
My favorite Schilling story
Schilling takes every last penny he ever earned as an athlete and sank it into a video game start up.
One weekend Schilling shows up at the office and noticed no one was working. The place was empty. “Do the programmers get the weekend off?”, he asked.
There have been some epic pieces of journalism that depicted the Schilling video game company debacle. So cringe
Not a clue.
Schilling must be living in his car. I lost track.
I think there's a very high chance that Greinke has Aspergers. He also suffers from depression, and missed a full year of baseball early in his career because of it.
In some ways the Aspergers has helped him. He isn't wired to care about anything which doesn't directly benefit him, which is why he once said the All-Star game was "stupid" and didn't care about being selected, and why team loyalty isn't the slightest bit important to him. He's not one of those guys who wants championships -- just personal achievement. While this sounds bad, it has allowed him to have a more emotionless approach to the game, which has benefited him. There were times I saw him fall behind 3-0 in the first due to some bad defense behind him, and then he would just bear down, toss 6 more shutout innings, and win the game 5-3. Many pitchers melt down from shit like this. Greinke used to rarely get bombed because he just wouldn't get emotional when he gave up runs. Later in his career, he started getting bombed more often because he didn't have the physical ability to pitch well on days when he didn't completely have it.
Greinke also was a true athlete who wanted to compete in every aspect. That's why he was a good hitter. It wasn't enough to him to just pitch well. He didn't want to be humiliated at the plate like most pitchers are.
It's sad that no pitchers hit anymore.
Greinke’s aspergers has been pretty well chronicled. Most of us are wired to root for the underdog.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
This is precisely why I grind on the Dodgers. No team has ever existed that is annually declared the greatest team ever assembled and yet never ever win.
Offense doesn’t win in the playoffs. Pitching wins. Dodgers are still odds on favorites. You gotta love ploppies. I wish I had a book that offered yes/no.
There isn't any public acknowledgement of Greinke having Aspergers. They say he has "social anxiety disorder", which often rides along with Aspergers.Quote:
Originally Posted by SanlmarGreinke’s aspergers has been pretty well chronicled. Most of us are wired to root for the underdog.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
This is precisely why I grind on the Dodgers. No team has ever existed that is annually declared the greatest team ever assembled and yet never ever win.
Offense doesn’t win in the playoffs. Pitching wins. Dodgers are still odds on favorites. You gotta love ploppies. I wish I had a book that offered yes/no.
Dodgers trigger my social disorder. Allow me to gift you a handicap in lieu of my monopolizing the thread
Padres Manaea / Dodgers Gonsolin over 8.5 -110.
Gonsolin has been required to pitch twice as many innings as he ever has in his career due to Buehler and other staff injuries. He seems to be coming back to earth. He’s had some recent rough outings.
Here’s his rotowire
Manaea has been shelled by the Dodgers in previous outings. His spin rate and mild mannered fastball etc should frighten Padres fans.
In light of Dodger unexpected bullpen usage (Kershaw) and recent offensive additions by the Padres over 8.5 -110. Kimbrel won’t help us Friday with the over or some laughs but his help won’t be needed. Padres have a decent bullpen so there is that.
I think Padres take 2 out of 3 but I don’t see any series number yet.
You don’t have to choose sides. Just take the over. Me… I don’t think Padres +140 is enough reward so I’m going to see if Dodgers ploppies drive up the price throughout the day.
I took the Dodgers the past few and can scrounge up the tickets so my bonafides are all in order
Chavez Ravine might need to put up nets to protect the bleacher fans tomorrow.
For those more advanced wagerers I would like to recommend parlaying the over with a CWS Cease vs Rangers Otto. F5 or RL or Full Game all look swell. Me I’m gonna take a conservative +203 parlay
The RL is a mighty mighty attractive pairing at +273 irc.