*** OFFICIAL *** MLB 2021 Thread

[Dan Druff]

LA 570AM will be like a suicide hotline if you like radio and schadenfreude .

Funny story about Dodgertalk from back in the day.

Ross Porter, who did Dodgers play-by-play from 1977 through 2004, also did the Dodgertalk call-in show in the '90s and early '00s.

He had a very simple style. He'd let the callers just rant like lunatics, and every so often would interject "Mmm hmm". After a few "Mmm hmms", Ross would say something like, "Well, you raised a lot of good points there, and you may very well be correct. Thank you for calling Dodgertalk."

The caller would hang up satisfied, believing that Porter just validated their unhinged fan thoughts. In reality, Porter just pretended to listen, and quietly moved on to the next person.

Around the same time, a buddy of mine told me he and his wife were considering separating. He said her biggest complaint about him was that he didn't listen to her. He told me that she would just rant on and on about mundane bullshit, and he couldn't even pretend to be interested, thus causing massive strain in the marriage.

I told him about Ross Porter, and advised him to do the same thing when his wife talked to him. He called me up a few weeks later and told me that it worked, and that she believed he was a changed man who was trying really hard to listen to her. "I have no idea what she's even saying to me half the time, but she thinks I do," he confided.

Whenever anyone is talking to me and I have to pretend to be interested, I always think of Ross Porter.

[Sanlmar]

Scherzer & Robert’s candor about Scherzer’s dead arm just blows my mind. This explains the ease with which Max gave up the ball to Roberts. I’ve been focused on it for days but Dodgers don’t have to talk about it though. It’s huge info for opposing batters and analytics

[Dan Druff]

Scherzer & Robert’s candor about Scherzer’s dead arm just blows my mind. This explains the ease with which Max gave up the ball to Roberts. I’ve been focused on it for days but Dodgers don’t have to talk about it though. It’s huge info for opposing batters and analytics

I'll admit this concerned me going into the postseason. The guy is 37 with over 2500 innings logged. He pitched 179 innings in 2021, which while not a full 200+ load, is fairly close. I just wondered if the late season struggles were indicative of a dead arm, and it seems like that's what's happening.

Dodgers really having to scratch by here with various issues. No Muncy. No Kershaw. Justin Turner's neck hurting and he's performing poorly (couldn't even start today). Max Scherzer has a dead arm.

I realize the Giants were without Belt, and the Braves are without Acuna, but the Dodgers have it worse overall.

With that said, they should have won this game. We'll see if they have it in them to come back from this. They're an extremely tough team at home.

[Sanlmar]

Sawks are straight fire.

It’s gonna take a day or two to unpack the output against history.

Kike back to Dodgers for $400m. He needs to save some for the World Series

[Dan Druff]

Pretty amazing how both the Sawks and Giants were thought to finish under .500 this year.

One won 107 games, the other is probably going to the World Series.

[Sanlmar]

At least we know for a fact the Braves won’t walk it off tonight

[Dan Druff]

Seager hits a 2 run HR and the Dodgers fail to turn the 1st into a huge inning, despite having a chance to do so.

What day is this?

Betts singling and stealing bases again, too.

I don't think the Dodgers blow this one, though.

Justin Turner shouldn't be playing. One thing I've learned from watching him since 2014 is that he's great when healthy, and terrible when not feeling right. He's just a guy who doesn't play well hurt.

Reminds me of the old days when I would bet against Randy Johnson whenever I heard about his "back pain" flaring up. At 6'10", back pain wasn't a surprising ailment, but Randy just wasn't himself when it occurred. When Randy Johnson pitched poorly, it was usually due to back pain.

And why is Trea Turner bad during the postseason? I'm not sure. Between Scherzer's dead arm and Trea's slump, the tremendous pickups from the Nationals -- which actually out did expectations in August and September -- haven't been a big asset in the postseason.

[Texter]

Easy play…Lux sux in CF

[Dan Druff]

This is a disaster. Gavin Lux makes a key error in the OF, then Walker Buehler melts down, and Dodgers give up 4 runs. If Lux catches that ball, it's 2 out and man at first. Instead, it was 1 out and men at 2nd/3rd, and a really rattled Buehler.

Dodgers definitely aren't out of it. It's the 4th inning, and they're only down 4-2. But this was pretty bad. Seager made a not-so-great play in the inning, as well. I almost went to this game. It was tempting, because it was cheap (due to the 2pm start time and 0-2 record). Could've had great loge seats between home and third, in the 2nd row, for a bit more than $150/each. I passed on it because I had other things I had to do.

Maybe fortunate.

[Texter]

This is a disaster. Gavin Lux makes a key error in the OF, then Walker Buehler melts down, and Dodgers give up 4 runs. If Lux catches that ball, it's 2 out and man at first. Instead, it was 1 out and men at 2nd/3rd, and a really rattled Buehler.

Dodgers definitely aren't out of it. It's the 4th inning, and they're only down 4-2. But this was pretty bad. Seager made a not-so-great play in the inning, as well. I almost went to this game. It was tempting, because it was cheap (due to the 2pm start time and 0-2 record). Could've had great loge seats between home and third, in the 2nd row, for a bit more than $150/each. I passed on it because I had other things I had to do.

Maybe fortunate.

Buehler too pissed about the Umps lack of strike 3 call on Joc then Luxs bed shit

[Sanlmar]

Joe Kelly will lock this shit down.

It’s incomprehensible but likely true

[BCR]

Joe Kelly will lock this shit down.

It’s incomprehensible but likely true

+500 Dodgers is kind of tempting. +2.5 +125 is more tempting If I didn’t have to jump in car and drive 3 miles to bet it, I’d take a shot on that +2.5 one with 9 outs left. They have to put up some fight here.

[Dan Druff]

Joc being on the other team is just killing the Dodgers here. He is hitting so well right now.

Down 0-2 in the count? No problem, he still gets a hit or walks.

Dodgers let him go because he just gets destroyed by LH pitching in the regular season and is an automatic out, and he didn't want to be a platoon player. But he and Kike are both so tough to deal with for opponents when they're running hot.

On the flip side, Pujols looks like he's 50 at the plate lately.

[Sanlmar]

Joe Kelly will lock this shit down.

It’s incomprehensible but likely true

+500 Dodgers is kind of tempting. +2.5 +125 is more tempting If I didn’t have to jump in car and drive 3 miles to bet it, I’d take a shot on that +2.5 one with 9 outs left. They have to put up some fight here.

I think you are gonna save gas here.

There is nothing in the recent history to support the optimism. I’m kinda resigned to losing my 8.5 over. You can amp up defense but not offense.

+2.5 +125 a fun idea but I’ll pass

[NickyPipes]

Brothers after the trade deadline I read a write up on ESPN grading each teams “deadline”

Brothers, what they said about the Braves really stuck out to me

They said the Braves made some moves but didn’t make a “splash”

Tampa Bays front office gets a lot of credit but the Braves management deserves a ton of praise for making some excellent moves that replaced a huge amount of missing production

Don’t forget Braves have Ozuna and Acuna. Hard to replace!

They got Duvall, Soler, Rosario, Pederson. Have you ever heard of a team trading for 4 outfielders at the deadline?

Brothers it’s safe to say they made a splash!

Here’s how MLB playoffs is going for me: VERY POORLY!

Rays… major loss all the way around! Crushed! Other than that betting individual games went well WC and divisional.

In the championship series I decided to bet Dodgers series for a few units. Thought it was close to a lock. Wrong! Pathetic! In the other series I decided to pound the overs. 3 games in good strategy, let’s see if tonight has some runs, first inning good start

Did you know the Marlins had an outfield of: Giancarlo Stanton, Yelich and Ozuna? Hard to even remember one player of significance they got in return. They also had JT Realamuto at catcher. I wish they kept that team together, one year they almost made a run at the wild card when Stanton hit like 50 + bombs

[Dan Druff]

Brother, you shouldn't bet much money on the playoffs, unless you're just doing it for a bit more of a sweat. Very hard to be +EV there. Lines super sharp during postseason.

You know how much I like betting MLB. I haven't placed a single postseason bet, and probably won't.

I'm waiting for the NBA instead.

[Sanlmar]

Brother, you shouldn't bet much money on the playoffs, unless you're just doing it for a bit more of a sweat. Very hard to be +EV there. Lines super sharp during postseason.

You know how much I like betting MLB. I haven't placed a single postseason bet, and probably won't.

I'm waiting for the NBA instead.

This isn’t true Nicky.

Playoffs are loaded with fan loyalty. The books balance action Perhaps much more than usual. The books balance action as they always have. The Dodgers are prima facie evidence of this. How many folks saw value down 0-2? The math on team down 0-2 and losing series in like 70 out of 90.

I am running nearly pure. (It’s like almost pregnant)

To be fair to Druff … his entire adult life has involved Dodger playoffs and hope so he intuitively knows that’s a bad combination for him.

Dodgers -200 today was insanity. It’s fandom.

[NickyPipes]

Brother, you shouldn't bet much money on the playoffs, unless you're just doing it for a bit more of a sweat. Very hard to be +EV there. Lines super sharp during postseason.

You know how much I like betting MLB. I haven't placed a single postseason bet, and probably won't.

I'm waiting for the NBA instead.

Brother are you crazy? What’s wrong with you?

Why would I watch the entire baseball season and not bet on the playoffs?

Brother do you think Pipes is scraping together rent and burger money to bet on the Dodgers?

Pal, get real. Nicky Pipes is the White Whale sitting pretty in the Penthouse.

This ain’t penny stake brother.

Brother do you think Nicky Pipes would ever watch a game without action on it? Not likely pal. Too busy, too in demand. Nicky Pipes Lifestyle = money, production, execution 24 & 7

[BCR]

Fuck me and my border being two miles too far west

[NickyPipes]

Didn’t watch a second of the dodgers game. Just clicked over first pitch CB goes deep to tie the games.

The original “Midas Touch”