Dodgers Strike Early, Pick Up Blake Snell for $182M

The Dodgers just increased the number of pouty players on the roster by 100%.

Sources are reporting that the Dodgers have just picked up two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, for five years / $182M (including a massive $52M signing bonus:

The Dodgers’ priority this winter was to add an ace to their starting rotation, and they identified Snell as their top target. The Dodgers previously pursued Snell before he signed with the Giants in March and again prior to the Trade Deadline as San Francisco fell out of postseason contention. They finally got their man on Tuesday.

Snell joins a starting rotation that will feature Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers are looking to add another starter this winter, with Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki among the many targets. It’s a starting rotation that is expected to be much improved from last season.

By joining Los Angeles, Snell is reunited with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who was the executive vice president of baseball operations for the Rays when the lefty was drafted in the first round by Tampa Bay in 2011.

The move, early in the offseason, provides the Dodgers more stability to a rotation that is poised to lose Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler to free agency. Plus, it gets us a lefty, which is key. And I am comforted by how MLB.com's Mike Petriello broke it down:

So far as what Snell offers, it’s no mystery. He’s probably not going to throw as many innings as you want (he’s topped 130 innings just twice in nine seasons), but the innings he does throw are going to be extremely effective. Over the last three years, 216 starters have thrown 2,000 pitches, and Snell ranks first in batting average and second (to Paul Skenes) in slugging, tied-fifth in strikeout rate, and so he’s sixth overall in wOBA, an OPS-like metric. He’s really good, is the point, even if far too many walks and nibbling around the zone drives up the pitch count and prevents those deeper outings.

Of course, “starters going deep” isn’t exactly in vogue any longer, so this might not matter to the Dodgers. What Snell offers is excellent fastball velocity (95.9 mph, fourth-hardest among lefty starters) and three outstanding swing-and-miss pitches, as his changeup, slider, and curve all had whiff rates above 40%. There were a handful of pitchers (min. 150 pitches of that type) who had two pitches like that last year, like Griffin Jax’s sweeper and changeup. Snell was the only one with three. So long as you can live with the five-inning starts, the occasional inconsistency, and the near-refusal to just throw strikes -- it’s fair to say he’s more entertaining to look at on the stat sheet than to actually view on the mound -- it’s hard to find a more effective per-pitch starter than Snell.

Still, the Snell signing is a little hard for this Dodgers fan to comprehend, given Snell has been a consistent foil for the Dodgers in all of his stops--and we've consistently beaten him. Most notably, there's his tenure with the Rays, when Snell's early exit in a World Series Game 6 5.1 IP performance led to the Dodgers' seventh World Championship title.

Snell then went to the Padres from 2021-2023, where he went 2-2 against the Dodgers in 12 starts--prime evidence on how shallow Snell pitches into games. And then lasr year as a Giant, Snell was 0-0 against the Dodgers in one start, in a season where he had 20 appearances and only went 5-3 (with three wins coming in his last three starts), with a total of 104 IP. That's barely more innings pitched than Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who (like Snell) also missed a good chunk of 2024 on the IL.

And now (at least, pending a physical), Snell is on the Dodgers. Maybe he plays better and goes deeper into games in 2025, having resolved his signing status earlier in the offseason than last year's debacle (a March 2024 signing set him back on his Spring Training ramp-up, to be sure). And maybe he pulls together some solid starts for the Dodgers, who will likely have to manage a six-man rotation with Yamamoto's regimen as well as Shohei Ohtani coming back from injury to pitch again.

Or maybe we have to think of Snell like Tyler Glasnow: good for only one half of a season, and then falls off a cliff. As a friend of mine texted me, if we get Glasnow for the first half, and then Snell for the second half, it's like we have a full season of a real pitcher.

(cries)

Let's Have ESPN's Scott Van Pelt Narrate 2024 World Series Game 5

Continuing with 2024 highlights:

Some More Great Photos From 2024 World Series Game 5

I don't know about you guys, but I can keep watching the 2024 season highlights over and over again. So I'm going to try and keep posting about the 2024 season, including looking back at the 2024 World Series in all of its glory.

In today's entry, let's look at the miscues befalling the Yankees in World Series Game 5, top of the fifth.

First, from the AP story, "Yankees blow 5-run lead with epic defensive meltdown as Dodgers rally to clinch World Series":

But wait, we're missing a key fifth inning play in there, right? Oh yeah, Gerrit Cole forgetting to cover first base. I found this great photo from sportschosun:

Ohtani Wins Third Career MVP Award In Unanimous Fashion

It may have been inevitable, but it was still great to see Dodger Shohei Ohtani win the 2024 National League MVP Award in unanimous fashion (30 first place votes). From MLB.com:

Ohtani is the Dodgers’ 13th MVP and first since Cody Bellinger in 2019. He’s the sixth player to win an MVP with multiple franchises, joining Harper, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, [Frank] Robinson and Jimmie Foxx, and just the second to win one in both leagues (Robinson). He’s also the first player since Miguel Cabrera (2012-13) to win an MVP in back-to-back years. Ohtani had already been the first player to win multiple unanimous MVPs (in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels). Now, he’s done it again.

Wrote Jack Harris of the LAT:

While no designated hitter had won an MVP, the award was not a surprise. In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani led the NL in home runs (54), RBIs (130) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.036). He was second in batting average (.310). And with 59 steals, he became the first player in history with a 50-homer, 50-steal season.

It is the Dodgers' 15th MVP award and first since Cody Bellinger in 2019. The Dodgers rank third in MVP award recipients, behind the Yankees (24) and Cardinals (21).

Congratulations, Shohei Ohtani!

photo: Associated Press and Getty Images; photo illustration by Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times

Betts, Hernandez, Ohtani Voted 2024 NL Silver Sluggers; Dodgers Win Silver Slugger Team Award

The potent offensive trio of Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, and Shohei Ohtani all took 2024 Silver Slugger Awards, which also helped propel the Dodgers to the 2024 Silver Slugger Team Award:

This year marked the second time Silver Slugger Awards have been given to the best offensive team in each league. The winners -- the Yankees in the American League and the Dodgers in the National League -- were determined by a combination of team offensive statistics. The Yankees and Dodgers led their respective leagues in home runs, OPS and wRC+, among other stats. The Dodgers’ three Silver Slugger Award winners this year are the most in a season in franchise history.

Here's the copy on the three Dodgers Silver Sluggers:

NL winner: Mookie Betts, Dodgers (seventh win)
Along with Altuve, Betts has the most Silver Slugger Awards among active players after winning his seventh for another outstanding offensive campaign. He began the season at shortstop after having played right field for most of his big league career. On June 18, his left hand was fractured as a result of being hit by a pitch, causing him to miss about two months. When he returned to the lineup, he moved back to right field. Despite the injury, he finished with an .863 OPS (145 OPS+) with 19 homers in 116 games. Betts’ four Silver Slugger Awards with the Dodgers are the second-most in franchise history, behind only Mike Piazza’s five.

Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers (third win)
Hernández, after spending most of his career with the Blue Jays, signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers and was crucial to their championship run. The 32-year-old set a career high by slugging 33 home runs and posted an .840 OPS, earning his second All-Star selection in the process -- and even winning the Home Run Derby. Prior to this year, he also won a Silver Slugger Award in 2020 and ’21 with Toronto.

NL winner: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (third win)
While he couldn’t pitch in 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery, all of Ohtani’s focus was at the plate, and it showed. He became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs (54) and steal at least 50 bases (59) in the same season, putting him in position to win his third career MVP Award. He previously won the honor in 2021 and ’23 with the Angels.

Considering how the Dodgers didn't win any 2024 Gold Glove awards, it was nice to roll in this offensive category.

For the record, the Yankees didn't win any Gold Glove awards, either (as we saw, in World Series Game 5).

Ohtani Wins 2024 NL Players Choice Award

This one is dated, but in late October 2024, the MLB players voted Shohei Ohtani to the National League Players Choice Award. The award recognizes the National League's Most Outstanding Player:

Ohtani has made a career out of doing things we’ve never seen achieved at the MLB level, and he did it again in his first year with the Dodgers. Ohtani became the first 50-50 player in MLB history, ultimately ending up with 54 homers and 59 stolen bases. He also led the Majors with 134 runs and was atop the NL with a 1.036 OPS. The reigning AL MVP set himself up to take home that award in the NL, all while rehabbing from right elbow surgery that kept him off the mound this year.

Ohtani Wins 2024 National League Hank Aaron Award

The top hitter in the National League, Shohei Ohtani was awarded the 2024 NL Hank Aaron Award:

Ohtani, who had not stolen more than 26 bases in any season of his six-year MLB career, complemented his thunderous bat with surprising speed, stealing 59 bases. He created the 50-50 club on Sept. 19 against the Marlins in one of the greatest single-game performances in big league history: 6-for-6, three homers, two steals, 10 RBIs. Prior to Ohtani, no player had more than 24 stolen bases in a 50-homer season.

Congratulations, Shohei!

Ohtani, Betts Named to All-MLB First Team; Hernandez to Second Team

Okay, it's awards week and I'm a bit behind so let me catch up. The All-MLB awards came out last week, and Mookie Betts (outfield) and Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter) both made the first team, while Teoscar Hernandez (outfield) was selected to the second team.

I find it hilarious that the MLB.com headline touted the fact that the Padres had four All-MLB award winners, when no Padre made the first team. Yawn.

Here's Ohtani's placard from the award ceremony, strategically editing out the second team DH winner from the Cheaters:

More awards shortly!

Shohei Ohtani Named 2024 NL MVP Finalist

Ohtani is going to need another arm, let alone another shoulder.

Along with Francisco Lindor and Ketel Marte, the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani has been named a finalist for the 2024 NL MVP award.

Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022. Ohtani signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December, but he didn't pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery.

Ohtani would join Frank Robinson for the Cincinnati Reds in 1961 and the Baltimore Orioles in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues. [...]

Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Ohtani would become the first primary DH to win an MVP award.

The top three finishers in voting for each of the major individual awards presented annually by the Baseball Writers' Association of America were announced Monday night on MLB Network. Winners will be revealed next week.

Balloting was conducted before the postseason.

Ohtani would become the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each).

This vote shouldn't even be close. But let's see if it's unanimous (as it was in 2021 and 2023, for the AL MVP award).

Clayton McCullough Departs Dodgers Staff to Lead Marlins

The Dodgers lose first-base coach Clayton McCullough, who has taken the head job with the Miami Marlins:

The Miami Marlins are hiring former Los Angeles Dodgers first-base coach Clayton McCullough as their new manager, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN on Sunday.

McCullough, 44, spent the past four seasons on Dave Roberts' coaching staff in L.A., the last of which ended in a championship. He succeeds Skip Schumaker, who was not brought back at the end of his contract and has since joined the Texas Rangers' front office as a senior adviser to president of baseball operations Chris Young.

Bummed to lose McCullough, whose antics at first were always hilarious, be it knocking helmets with Shohei Ohtani, or doing a spin flip when Freddie Freeman rounded first following his World Series Game 1 walk-off grand slam. I also worry about him at the Marlins, who have been said to have fostered a toxic clubhouse culture (consider the source, I know), not to mention a place where the organization tried to sideline the GM after making the playoffs for the first time in four years. (Kim Ng opted to leave the club rather than be demoted.)

The Marlins were 62-100 last year, the second-worst record in the National League. McCullough deserved a better landing spot than this.

Thank you, Clayton McCullough, for four great years with the Dodgers!

photo: Getty Images

Two World Series Photos, From The Dodger Stadium Reserve Level

Game 1, October 24, 2017 (Dodgers 3, Cheaters 1)

Game 1, October 25, 2024 (Dodgers 6, Yankees 3 (10))

An Anonymous Poetry Submission

"FireDoc-ky" (with apologies to Lewis Carroll and "Jabberwocky")

Watch Bickford with his frilly locks
Gaze vacantly at batter's box
Ryan Madson’s meatball sails
Baez caused chewing fingernails

Beware the bullypen my son!
The pen that blows! No relief in sight!
Doc even made fans Kershaw boo
(though 2020 saved by you-know-who).

But Treinen Sweeps, and Stanton Weeps
Buetane wipes out Dugie Howser
And has thou slain the FireDoc? 
Oh Frabjous Day! Sborz! Chargois!

More From the 2024 Parade

Photos from the 2024 Parade and Stadium Celebration

We've got tons of Sons and family members and friends at the events, so I'll try to update this real-time:

On the ground at DTLA:

Early access at Dodger Stadium:

With City Hall in the background:

The Baseball Gods and Karma in the 2024 World Series

Nice try, meddling kids. We get hardware. You're out.

Lots has been written about the Yankees' absolute implosion in last night's World Series Game 5, in which the Dodgers came back from a 5-0 deficit and a 6.1% chance of winning, clawing back in a fateful top of the fifth inning.

But I haven't seen anyone yet link the Yankees' multiple-position on-field meltdown to the deplorable off-field behavior of Yankees fans, and the Yankee organization, the prior evening in World Series Game 4.

These two events are definitely and inextricably linked. There is no other logical explanation for how the Yankees could have crumbled like that without divine intervention The baseball gods took note of the Game 4 malfeasance, and then, when one least expected it, the baseball gods took action.

And you don't ever want to piss off the baseball gods.

So let's breakdown this story chronologically First of all, here's the Yankees thugs in action in the bottom of the first inning of Game 4, with absolutely reprehensible behavior in the stands molesting Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts:

And then, though Yankees security escorted these two out of the game--getting high five slaps from many Yankees fans around them on the way out of the stadium--the season ticket holders were initially told they were scheduled they would be back on their season seats for Game 5:

Capobianco and Peter were escorted out of Yankee Stadium but said they were told they would be allowed back for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Yankees did not immediately respond to ESPN's request for comment regarding if that was indeed the case.

Only when MLB got involved did the Yankees change tack and say the pair of miscreants were in fact banned from Game 5. And let's be clear, even other baseball fans not involved with the series thought the Yankees fans, and the spineless organization behind them, were total bullshit.

And those two horrible individuals still spent a great night out on the town, "slamming drinks," and lavishing in their newfound infamy.

Meanwhile, the Yankees organization clumsily tried to spin this into a heartwarming tale, belatedly giving the tickets to a young cancer patient.

But don't let that PR diversion distract one from the facts: Yankees fans were way out of line, and the Yankees organization was initially complicit in their turpitude. They loved the action from their goons, and the outcome of that game.

But the baseball gods took note. And they remember.

Mookie was steely-eyed and focused after the Game 4 loss. In the locker room, Betts spoke to the press, including a swath of New York reporters trying to bait him into a hyperbolic comment that could be bulletin board material or fodder for the New York tabloids. Betts wisely just called the play "irrelevant" and remained focused on the next day's task at hand. And you could see he was simmering.

So then we get to World Series Game 5. Gerrit Cole was absolutely dealing through four innings, and the Dodgers didn't even have a hit to that point in the game (just two baserunners, walks to Gavin Lux in the third and Mookie Betts in the fourth). Things looked bleak. Yankee fans were fired up, taunting, cocky, confident--just like those two unrepentant idiots in the stands for Game 4.

And then, the baseball gods struck.

What a fifth inning. An error by Aaron Judge. An ill-advised throw by Anthony Volpe, and a missed catch at third by Jazz Chisholm Jr. Gerrit Cole's failure to cover first base on a grounder to Anthony Rizzo. Solid two-RBI shots from both Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez to tie the game at 5.

Earlier this game, Aaron Judge hit his first World Series HR and appeared if he would finally get that monkey off his back. The gods firmly put that monkey right back in its place. (And I do feel a little badly about this, but that's another post for another day.)

Wow. What an amazing turn of events. I'm going to watch highlights of that inning, and the Game 1 Freddie Freeman walkoff grand slam, forever.

Later in the game, the baseball gods taunted Yankee fans even further, allowing the Yankees to retake the lead in the sixth inning, while the Dodgers appeared to be exhausting all viable pitching options. And Cole heroically soldiered on and kept the Dodgers off the board in the sixth and seventh innings, while the Yankees went up 6-5.

But then, in the top of the eighth inning, two sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts (bookending another fielding gaffe, a catcher's interference call on Austin Wells that allowed Shohei Ohtani to take first base despite clearly having trouble with his swing) put the Dodgers back in the lead. This time, it was for good.

Yankee Stadium was quiet. The baseball gods had spoken.

And the Dodgers pull off the biggest World Series comeback ever in a clinching game, responding to a five-run deficit to earn the crown.

Here's Mookie describing the Game 4 brouhaha on the Game 5 postgame show, when he said (with a laugh) that this was one of the two times in his whole life when he wanted to fight somebody:

And here's FanGraphs' win probability on World Series Game 5. The Yankees' expected win percentage was 95.6% in the bottom of the fourth inning, and even back up to 79.3% at the seventh-inning stretch.

We'll see if the Yankees have the spine to actually punish those two season ticket holders further. Maybe other Yankees fans, many of whom want him banned for life, will mete out their own judgment on these two idiots.

All I know is, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the 2024 World Series Champions.

Karma is a bitch.

2024 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DODGERS 7, YANKEES 6

Your 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series CHAMPIONS.

THe 2020 World Series title was incredible. But this one...what an amazing comeback victory, to cap a wonderfully magical season.

I'll post more later, but...I've got work to do. More later!

2024 World Series Game 5 Thread

Jack Flaherty vs. Gerrit Cole, 5p.

The 2024 World Series isn't about me, I know. But for the first time, I felt good about a game in advance (Game 4)...and it did not work out well. The Dodgers got bombed, and they wake up Wednesday to face the best pitcher in the game, Gerrit Cole.

My stomach is already turning as I write this, on Tuesday evening.

I mean, have you seen the bottom of our lineup? I sure as hell haven't, because they've been disposed of rather quickly this postseason. Max Muncy is batting .178 and went 0-for-3 with 3 Ks on Tuesday. Kiké Hernandez then follows; he was 0-for-4. Gavin Lux went 1-for-3 to *raise* his average to .188. Will Smith had a HR and he's still only batting .154.

At least we've got Tommy Edman batting ninth, but even he went 0-for-1 yesterday, plus he had his second fielding error of the series.

We just got punched in the mouth in Game 4, and we rolled over. I know, you could argue it wasn't our best set of arms, save maybe Daniel Hudson. But I still expected better from the Dodgers in Game 4. There is a clear path for the Yankees to win this World Series, starting with their ace, Gerrit Cole, winning tonight.

If the Dodgers have any fight, they'd better start showing it--and it was great to see Mookie Betts pissed off in the locker-room interviews post-game.

Here's hoping the rest of the team shows that same amount of fire in Game 5.

2024 World Series Game 4 Post-Game Thread: Dodgers Sacrifice Hudson, Knack, Honeywell to Appease Fox Overlords

YANKEES 825, DODGERS 4

The Dodgers were always scheduled to throw a bullpen game for World Series Game 4, forgoing the opportunity for a World Series sweep and making the Fox network overlords happy. But even if it was planned, it doesn't mean today's loss was at all palatable.

Daniel Hudson was the sacrificial lamb tonight, throwing a meatball to Anthony Volpe for a grand slam that breathed life back into the Yankees' lineup. And though Landon Knack--who did the same thing against the Mets to lose the lead in NLCS Game 2--threw admirably from the fourth inning onward, Brent Honeywell served up some serious BP and let this game get way out of hand late.

Final score: Yankees 11, Dodgers 4. Yankees score a franchise record number of runs in a World Series game.

So now, the Dodgers are at a critical juncture. Either this was a brilliant tactical maneuver, resting all of our high-leverage arms while the Yankees had to use all of theirs. Or, we've just breathed life to a sleeping giant (including, literally, Aaron Judge), whose momentum won't be able to be stopped for three more games.

I'm really worried it's the latter.

This is a mess.

2024 World Series Game 4 Thread

Undisputed:
Ice Cube > Fat Joe

Ben Casparius vs. Luis Gil, 5p.

Can the Dodgers actually win this 2024 World Series? Now up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, and with a 94.7% chance of winning the series (albeit, only a 43% chance of winning Game 4, according to FanGraphs ZiPS projections)...I'm finally starting to believe, just a little bit?

I mean, if Freddie Freeman, who is building a great case for the 2024 World Series MVP, can keep mashing home runs each game, like he did in Game 3 to completely silence the Yankees crowd (who were cursing epithets at him at the time):

And if Mookie Betts--now batting .291 with 14 RBI in the 2024 postseason--can keep adding runs on the board:

And if the Yankees keep trying to get on the board by sending Giancarlo Stanton from second base on a single, when Stanton's speed ranks 549th out of 566 MLB players:

I almost feel bad for Stanton on that one, he was dead to rights by the time he rounded third base. And check out Will Smith's reaction (and do your own lip reading!) on this amazing field view:

Sure, Shohei Ohtani isn't hitting and has a bum shoulder; Will Smith isn't hitting and who knows what the hell is wrong with him; and Max Muncy is back on one of those bad offensive streaks again. It's not all good in Dodgerville.

But so far this World Series, we've played pretty good defense at all positions, the bullpen has been incredible in all sorrts of weird situations, our starters have outpitched the Yankees' formidable starting rotation, and Dave Roberts is making all the right calls.

And I know we've been successful with bullpen games...but we're starting Ben Casparius for Game 4. Casparius is making his first major league start in the World Series. This is a big stage for Big Ben!

No time to rest. We need to keep the pressure on the Yankees.

Let's do this.

LET'S GO, DODGERS!

2024 World Series Game 3 Post-Game Thread: Buehler, Freeman, Betts Come Through Again

DODGERS 4, YANKEES 2

The Dodgers just throttled the hell out of the Yankees in the 2024 World Series Game 3, a game which would have bifurcating narratives depending on the outcome. Lose, and the Dodgers see a steamroller of a Yankees team with two more home games and the potential revitalization of a somnambulent offense. Win, and the Dodgers are fully in control of a World Series, up 3-0 in a best-of-seven.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, it was the latter outcome tonight in the Bronx. But what's more, the Dodgers' offense was not necessarily overpowering--fewer than the 6+ run outbursts we've seen from other crooked scores this postseason--but it still sucked the life out of the Yankees and Yankees fans, and the silence was palpable.

Credit Shohei Ohtani for his leadoff four-pitch walk, and Freddie Freeman, for yet his third home run of the series, one each for the first three 2024 World Series games, to silence the crowd with a big swing of his bat. Watching this highlight, you can hear the neanderthal Yankees fans cheering "F' you, Freddie!" before he silences them with this shot:

Also, credit Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman for manufacturing another run in the top of the third inning; and then Kiké Hernandez for poking another RBI to center, scoring Gavin Lux.

And credit Teoscar Hernandez for nailing Giancarlo Stanton at home in the bottom of the fourth inning, ending the inning and spoiling Stanton's one-out double and keeping the Yankees off the board.

But those heroics aside, the most telling moment of tonight's game occurred well after Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler left the mound (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 Ks). When Alex Verdugo hit a two-run HR in the bottom of the ninth on Michael Kopech, all the body language from Verdugo and the whole Yankees team wasn't about rallying for a comeback. Even by halving the deficit, they looked like a beaten team.

And that play was the dagger. If the Yankees, as a team, don't even feel good about closing the gap to have the tying run on deck--well yes, this series might be over.

I was shocked to see this behavior, but honestly I was even a little shocked that we took the game in the first place. The Dodgers are absolutely rolling--and we haven't even yet had one of the breakout offensive games that we've seen throughout this 2024 postseason. Maybe that outburst i still coming. I'd sure like to think so.

2024 World Series Game 3 Thread

The World Series shifts to the Bronx for Game 3.

Walker Buehler vs. Clarke Schmidt, 5p.

After two thrilling victories in Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers see the series shift to Yankee Stadium, where the Dodgers took two of three back in June. Much has changed since then, though, including the most recent news that Dodgers leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani, who suffered a partial shoulder dislocation in Game 2, is slated to play Game 3 but might not be at full strength.

The Dodgers are already trying to muscle through injuries up and down the lineup, including our whole starting rotation, a hobbled Freddie Freeman, and a recuperating Miguel Rojas. Adding Ohtani to this mix of walking wounded is pretty devastating. On top of that, some Yankees fans were cheering Ohtani's injury, which is just distasteful and horrible.

The Dodgers enter this Game 3 as the underdog, starting Walker Buehler. Buehler has pitched in two World Series Game 3s so far: in 2018 against the Red Sox, where he went 7.0 IP of two-hit ball (0 ER) and got a ND (that was the Max Muncy 18th inning walkoff); and in 2020, where he went 6.0 IP of three-hit ball (1 ER) and earned the win over the Rays. Buehler, injured for most of this season, has spent this year still trying to find himself, including some really dreadful outings along the way. I suppose that's part of the reason why we're the underdog tonight.

Not to mention, when the Yankees had the Dodgers down two games to none in the 1981 World Series, the Dodgers responded by winning the next four games, including all three at home. And when the Dodgers last had the Yankees down 0-2 in the 1978 World Series, the Yankees took the next four games, again including all three at home.

In fact, in 1978, the Dodgers also started the World Series struck by a tragic loss, when Jim Gilliam paased away from a brain hemorrhage two games before the start of the World Series. And now we just lost Fernando Valenzuela. The parallel is eerie.

Gulp.

I'll be watching this one and commenting throughout the game. Hope to see you all in the GT!

Let's go, Dodgers!

2024 World Series Game 2 Thread

Freddie Freeman, ladies and gentlemen.
(And, some beautiful people in the crowd behind him.)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Carlos Rodon, 5p.

I have SO MUCH to write in a Post-Game Thread after attending last night's Game 1, an unbelievable extra-inning walkoff grand slam 6-3 victory. But those details will have to wait until later, as I want to keep this momentum rolling with today's Game Thread for World Series Game 2.

The Dodgers have not fared well in Game 2s this postseason. In the 2024 NLDS, the Dodgers followed up their comeback 7-5 Game 1 victory with a clunker of a game, losing 10-2 to San Diego and watching fans melt down by throwing trash on the field during the game.

Then, in the 2024 NLCS, the Dodgers again followed up a 9-0 spanking of the Mets in Game 1 with a pathetic 7-3 loss in Game 2, when Landon Knack got taken to the woodshed in the second inning. Both of those series lost all momentum for Los Angeles, as each series went 1-1.

The Dodgers MUST keep up the pressure on the Yankees today at the Stadium. I will be cheering on this one at home, so I'll be on the Game Thread more actively tonight.

LET'S GO, DODGERS!

2024 World Series Game 1 Thread

Jack Flaherty vs. Gerrit Cole, 5p.

Recent presidential candidate news notwithstanding, McDonald's sure is getting a lot of press this October--and I suddenly realized that it's the Dodgers who have been challenged by the fast food giant throughout this 2024 postseason.

First we had to beat the San Diego Padres, a team once owned by McDonald's CEO Ray Kroc, and former home to the San Diego Chicken, who just might be related to Birdie.

Then, we had to defeat Grimace and the New York Mets.

And now, we get an opponent in pinstripes--evocative of the Hamburglar himself.

It's a fast food conspiracy!

2024 World Series, Game 1. No wonder why my stomach is already churning.

UPDATE 10.25 10:45a: Here's the Dodgers' World Series roster. Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol in; Evan Phillips out (injury). Kevin Kiermaier off; Andy Pages on. Gavin Lux and Miguel Rojas back.

UPDATE: LET'S GOOOOOOO DODGERS!!!!!

MLB Posts Bulletin Board Material for World Series

In MLB.com's position-by-position comparison, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are not selected at their respective positions.

Sure, Freeman is nursing a bad ankle. And Juan Soto patrols right field for the Yankees.

But...really?

Here's hoping Betts and Freeman take this comparison personally.

A Sign from the Baseball Gods

SoSG AC just got this in the mail, having redeemed the Unocal 76 pin months ago:

Let's hope we're all wieners in the World Series!

RIP Fernando Valenzuela

Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela has passed away at 63. From ESPN:

"His charisma was unbelievable," Hall of Fame Dodgers Spanish language announcer Jaime Jarrin, who served as Valenzuela's interpreter early in his career, said in 2023. "The fact that he came here to the major leagues [in September 1980] after spending just a few weeks in San Antonio at Double-A -- and from the beginning, he was just amazing. And the people fell in love with him. ... He was only 19 years old. Little bit chubby, long hair, Yaqui Indian features. Those things really cultivated the people and they fell in love with Fernando in a matter of a few weeks."

Valenzuela finished the 1981 season with a 13-7 record, 2.48 ERA, 11 complete games and 8 shutouts. He led the National League with 192⅓ innings pitched and topped the majors with 180 strikeouts, becoming the first player to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award.

RIP, El Toro.

photo from the Dodgers' Instagram account

Plunging for the Dodgers in the 2024 Playoffs

The baseball gods are smiling upon the Los Angeles Dodgers this year. And I am doing a little extra to make sure that this continues.

The Dodgers' last World Series Championship came in 2020. You all remember the year: a season cut short due to COVID-19 policies; early-round playoff series played with cardboard cutouts in stadium seats; a World Series played in a sparsely-attended, socially-distanced, and sterile Globe Life Field in Texas; the culmination of an amazing 13 playoff victories in the postseason--in fact, the most postseason victories ever in one season, until last year, when the 2023 Texas Rangers matched the feat. 2020 was a weird time, with us all watching this postseason play out at empty stadiums, cheering for our Dodgers but also saddened that we couldn't be there in person.

I wanted to feel this postseason, though. So I started a tradition: after every playoff victory, I would go jump in my pool to celebrate the victory.

This routine got to be known in my neighborhood. It was already well-established that I am a huge Dodgers fan. But the post-game plunge became known as well. And when it culminated with the final World Series Game 6 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, I uttered screams of joy from inside, revelled with my family nearby, had a couple of tears fall, and then, about 15 minutes after the final pitch was thrown, I ran outside to jump in my pool.

Amazingly, one of my neighbors across the street came over to our side gate, and, along with his two small boys, watched me jump in. They had been waiting there for 15 minutes, knowing I would plunge. And they were stoked for me, as well as the crazy sight of a grown man jumping into a freezing cold unheated pool at almost 10pm on a late October night.

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Fast forward to the 2024 MLB Postseason. I went to NLDS Game 1, and saw a great comeback victory for the Dodgers over the Padres, reversing the momentum with Shohei Ohtani's three-run HR in the second inning, tying the game en route to a 7-5 victory. I wore my Rotowear Shohei Ohtani shirt and everything, and I was ecstatic.

When I got home, I took off the shirt--not washing it--and then went to bed.

I didn't jump in the pool.

Then came Game 2. I put the same shirt back on, and went to the game along with SoSG Orel. That game's outcome was not favorable. In fact, the game itself was pretty miserable all around, offset by the great company and the fact that the later innings just got laughable as the score got out of hand.

I came home, dejected. Of course, the first thing I did was I throw that shirt in the wash.

And then the next morning, I realized--I had not jumped in the pool after the NLDS Game 1 victory.

The baseball gods must have been mad.

Freaked out, I jumped in the pool on the evening of October 7, the off-day. I made some extra noise so the baseball gods would know I was contrite, and apologized for my indiscretion. But the baseball gods were still angry, allowing the Padres to win NLDS Game 3.

I vowed to jump in the pool for every Dodgers postseason victory. I was sorry I had lapsed after NLDS Game 1.

Remember, at this stage of the series, on October 8, down 2-1 in the NLDS to the Padres, the Dodgers had only a 26% chance of winning the NLDS, not to mention a mere 9.4% chance of winning the World Series.

NLDS Game 4 was a high-leverage bullpen game that Dave Roberts managed perfectly, and the Dodgers won 8-0 in hostile territory at Petco Park. The baseball gods were giving me another chance.

But here was the problem: I flew on Thursday morning to the east coast for a quick weekend trip. How was this plunge thing going to work now?

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On that Friday, October 11, back on the east coast, I had driven six hours that day across two states, spanning two separate appointments with my family and fighting some horrible traffic along the way. The seasons were definitely changing back east, with leaves turning colors and crisp winds roaring through town, blowing leaves everywhere. By the time we had made it to our hotel in Connecticut late that evening, it was already the seventh inning of NLDS Game 5, and the Dodgers were precariously nursing a 1-0 lead. My wife stayed up in the hotel room with me, while my kid went down to the hotel gym to get in a treadmill run.

Those final three frames were torturous. When Teoscar Hernandez homered in the bottom of the seventh, the 2-0 lead felt a bit safer, even though Padres pitcher Yu Darvish had largely kept the Dodgers at bay all game. The two solo home runs Darvish gave up, though, were enough for the Dodgers to earn the hard-fought 2-0 victory, clinching the NLDS series victory at home, in front of rabid Dodger fans.

And now, it was my turn to celebrate.

Step one was to run to the hotel bar, which was closing by now. I cajoled the bartender to pour me a pint of beer--and wouldn't you know it, they had Elysian Space Dust IPA on tap. Elysian! This was a sign from the baseball gods, indeed. I brought the beer back up to my room and set it by the television for a second, while the post-game show played in the background on the television.

My 2024 NLDS celebratory beer.

Now for the hard part. It's around 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside and windy here in Connecticut. And for this night, we had selected a hotel that was probably the least-luxurious stay of our weekend, because we had to be out early the next morning and it was just a quick overnight stop. But strangely, this hotel was equipped with an indoor pool! However, the pool was closed at this hour, so I had to explain to the overworked / understaffed front desk operator that I really needed her to open the pool for me so I could quickly jump in the pool. When I explained that my actions reflected a pact with the baseball gods and in celebration of the Dodgers' victory, she obliged.

The indoor pool at our hotel. Perfectly suitable for a mid-winter night-time plunge!

The clerk unlocked the door to the pool area and I thanked her, then I stripped down to my boxers and did a quick jump in the pool. It was cold, but not nearly as cold as it would have been if it were an outdoor pool. My kid, running on the treadmill in the gym next to the pool, was trying to figure out what the hell I was doing, but ended up just laughing as he realized I was going for a celebratory plunge.

And oh man, that jump in the hotel pool that evening felt EXCELLENT. As did that ice-cold Elysian Space Dust IPA, back in the hotel room.

I toasted the Dodgers' victory in the 2024 NLDS. And it was good.

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For the 2024 NLCS against the Mets, I was back at home and faithfully plunged after every one of the Dodgers' victories: Game 1 (Sunday, October 13), Game 3 (Wednesday, October 16), Game 4 (Thursday, October 17), and Game 6 (Sunday, October 20). Each time, it is wonderfully refreshing (actually, it's a little crisp). It's cold outside, and pretty eye-opening jumping into the pool, but I happily send post-plunge photos to my Dodgers-crazy family on our text thread.

And I NEVER take for granted the opportunity to even be in a position to jump in the pool. I'm very grateful.

And I hope that I can continue this celebration ritual in the 2024 World Series.

I stand ready to plunge again.

Let's go, Dodgers!

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Some past SoSG superstitions:

• Nomo Chips In
• The Lucky Dodgers T-Shirt Dilemma
• Post-Game 134 Thread: You Mess With Superstitions, You're Gonna Pay

2024 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!

DODGERS 10, METS 5

Heroic performance from the bullpen, as well as from Tommy Edman, who had the Dodgers' first 4 RBI and subsequently won NLCS MVP.

More on this game later. I have to get good and drunk now--THE DODGERS ARE GOING TO THE 2024 WORLD SERIES!!!

2024 NLCS Game 6 Thread

Manaea Manaea (doo doo, doo-doo-doo)

Sean Manaea vs. TBD, 5p.

Manaea absolutely shut us down in Game 2 (5.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Ks), allowing the Mets time to squish our bullpen (mostly Landon Knack) and win the game.

I anticipate more of the same misery in today's Game 6. So sing along, people!

2024 NLCS Post-Game 5 Thread: Shake Brain Freeze

METS 12, DODGERS 6

Well, that was disappointing. Jack Flaherty couldn't find the strike zone, unless he was serving up meatballs to the Mets, giving up 8 ER without recording a single strikeout in his 3.0 IP. Flaherty was uncharacteristically outdueled by David Peterson, who himself only lasted 3.2 IP (2 ER, 4 BB, 3 Ks), but it was enough of a lead stoked to the Mets that they could coast to victory in Game 5.

If there's any consolation, it's that Brent Honeywell stepped up hugely, taking the ball in the fourth inning and almost going the full game only ceding four more runs. That was nothing short of heroic from the turtlenecked reliever, saving our bullpen for Game 6 (and possibly 7).

But now it's the Dodgers' turn to suffer through a bullpen game, as we don't have a starter available for this one. Nervous time in Los Angeles, that's for sure.

2024 NLCS Game 5 Thread

Don't sleep on Grimace; Modelo is the mark of a fighter.

Jack Flaherty vs. David Peterson, 2p.

When the Dodgers are good this NLCS, they've been very, very good: cruising to a nine-run margin in Game 1, and eight-run margins in Games 3 and 4. And the Dodgers are hoping to close this one out today at Citi Field, starting Game 1 winner Jack Flaherty, despite some reindeer-game scenarios that could make Flaherty unavailable for Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, if both LCS are decided in five games.

Teams with a 3-1 lead in the LCS have won 37 of 45 times (82%), with spoilers including the Dodgers, over Atlanta, in the 2020 NLCS @ neutral Globe Life Field. But of those eight times where the team down 3-1 actually came back to win the LCS, only three of them happened with the team on the road for Games 6 and 7: the 2004 ALCS (Red Sox over Yankees, the Dave Roberts steal), the 2003 NLCS (Marlins over Cubs, the Bartman incident), and the 1985 ALCS (Royals over Blue Jays).

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Mets showed they still had some fight in them. They're not ready to roll over, not with MVP candidate Francisco Lindor and third baseman Mark Vientos still swinging hot bats (both were 2-for-5 yesterday). Flaherty will need to bring his A game again.

We're the early game today. Let's go!

2024 NLCS Game 4 Thread

Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Jose Quintana, 5p.

Jack Flaherty started, and the Dodgers got a shutout in Game 1. Walker Buehler started, and the Dodgers got a shutout in Game 3.

So now it's up to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 4, to see if the Dodgers can keep their non-bullpen-game shutout streak alive here in the 2024 NLCS (that's right, I'm just trying to block Game 2 out of my memory).

Quintana has been great for the Mets this year: 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA during the regular season (2.5 WAR), and 11 innings across two 2024 postseason games in which he hasn't given up an earned run, leading the Mets to two victories (NLWC G3 vs. the Brewers; and NLDS G4 vs. the Phillies). Yamamoto has only gone 8 innings across his two postseason starts, lasting a mere three innings in NLDS G1.

Will Yoshi's story have length tonight? Or will he be shut down by an early boss battle?

2024 NLCS Game 3 Thread

Even the mayor of New York City is conflicted.

Walker Buehler vs. Luis Severino, 5p.

Some fans aren't happy with the Dodgers' decision to go with a bullpen game in NLCS Game 2, as the team now plays three games in enemy territory at Citi Field. To be fair to the Dodgers and Dave Roberts, it wasn't necessarily the bullpen game in Game 2 that doomed us, it was a bad second inning by Landon Knack--after which time, the Dodgers outscored the Mets 3-1.

But it's a 1-1 series tie nonetheless, so the next step forward rests with Walker Buehler, 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in the postseason this year (having lasted 5.0 IP in NLDS Game 3 against San Diego, yielding 6 ER including a HR in a nightmare second inning--what is it about the second innings here?!). Can Buehler get crafty, given he's no longer the overpowering pitcher of his youth?

And though the Dodgers were largely powerless against Sean Manaea in Game 2, Luis Severino has yielded 3 ER in each of his post-season starts this year (1-0 record, with 1-1 game outcomes), lasting six innings each time. If the Dodgers are going to have a chance in Game 3, they're going to need to sever Severino early. That means you, Shohei Ohtani!

Let's go!

2024 NLCS Post-Game 2 Thread: So, Apparently There's A Limit To This "Bullpen Game" Strategy

METS 7, DODGERS 3

Brimming with confidence after a Game 1 drubbing, the Dodgers came out for the afternoon NLCS Game 2 and wasted no time getting behind the eight ball. Ryan Brasier gave up a run to the first batter (a solo HR by Francisco Lindor), putting an end to that record-tying 33 consecutive scoreless postseason innings streak. And then, in short order, Landon Knack gave up a grand slam to Mark Vientos in the second, putting the Dodgers in a 6-0 hole from which we could not claw back.

Not that we didn't have opportunities, and I'm particularly looking at Kiké Hernandez, who hit into an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the sixth, squashing that rally (Tommy Edman's 2-RBI single brought us within three runs, 6-3). And then Kiké came out again in the eighth inning, with two RISP, and weakly popped to right to end that inning as well. It's tough to get on Kiké Hernandez just yet, though, given his heroics in NLDS Game 5.

And it's tough to get on Landon Knack, who ceded the big blast but also, as a rookie, shouldn't even be in the mix in the first place. But with all the injuries to the rest of the pitching staff, Knack is there. Sure, maybe he shouldn't have been inserted in that slot in the game. But we didn't pitch Michael Kopech, Daniel Hudson, Blake Treinen, or Evan Phillips today (or yesterday, for that matter)--so I'm not questioning Dave Roberts' bullpen decisions at all (and certainly not after his mastery in NLDS Games 4 and 5).

It's not tough to point the finger at Will Smith, though: batting .087 this postseason, including an 0-for-4 day today. Mookie Betts is also subpar this postseason: 0-for-4 today with a run scored, but three Ks (one of three strikeouts to Edwin Diaz in the ninth). And even Shohei Ohtani, 0-for-3 today, is only batting .222 (and I don't recall a huge Ohtani hit since NLDS Game 1).

The Dodgers were 1-for-9 with RISP today, with 10 total left on base.

We need to get these bats going here. Three games at Citi Field means we may not even play another home game this year.

Get it together, Dodgers!