Dodgers & Vin Scully

It's been a while - about 1 1/2 years in fact.

It would be trite to day I have been busy but.......

In any event this is Vin Scully's final season broadcasting for the Dodgers - I have been listening to Vin my entire life & I am going to be 64 years old in October. To say the fact that he is retiring is historic doesn't even do justice to the significance of his leaving.

Like all Dodger fans I started the season pulling for them to bring a championship home to LA to honor the fact that the greatest broadcaster & most popular Dodger of all time was in his final year at the microphone. Hope springs eternal after all - we have been waiting since the Gibson miracle World Series home run & Hershiser historic performances of 1988.

It didn't look good for much of the season as the Giants got hot early & pulled away to a big lead in the Division up until the All Star Break. The Dodgers tried desperately to maintain contact for the Division Championship but it increasingly looked like the best case scenario for the post season would be a Wild Card spot.

To make matters worse we lost the best pitcher in MLB Clayton Kershaw shortly after the All Star game with what appeared to be pretty serious back problems. That was just the "cherry on the sundae" regarding the incredible injury issues that had beset the pitching staff since the beginning of Spring Training at Camelback. At that moment around the beginning of July we looked like "toast" - the starting rotation was a rag tag bunch of "has beens & never weres" with several rookies sprinkled in for good measure. Plus the underachieving "Wild Horse" Yasil Puig had been sent down to OKC after efforts to trade him were unsuccessful AND he then was placed on waivers at the end of August.

So here we are - September 8, 2016 (my late father's birthday - he loved Vin Scully & had been following him from the moment the Dodgers arrived in LA); lo & behold the Dodgers not only caught the hated Giants but now hold a 5 game lead in the Division. Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to return on Friday vs. the Marlins and the "Wild Horse" has hit home runs in the last 2 games after his recall from AAA purgatory.

If I had to pick a moment or game when it appeared that this would be a season of destiny it would be the last game of the recent series in Colorado a 2nd game of a day/night double header on August 31st. The Dodgers had been crushed the first 2 games of the series by the Rockies and trailed badly in this final game 8-2 entering the 8th inning. Other than the fact that the game was in Denver where offense dominates & no game is over until its over, there was no reason to have a scintilla of optimism that this game could end well. Then the Dodgers scored 3 in the 8th to make it close and in the 9th, Andrew Toles (yes, who is "Andrew Toles"? - he was nowhere on the radar screen of major contributors for this team at any time this season or any season) hit a 2 out go ahead grand slam and the Dodgers pulled out the win 10-8.

From that game till now the Dodgers have gone 5-1 (winning 5 in a row) and extended the lead over the Giants to a season high 5 games with 23 games remaining on the schedule.

They are starting a critical & difficult 10 game road trip (Florida, the Yankees & Arizona) before returning to face the Giants in LA for 3 crucial games at the Ravine.

It doesn't take a genius to predict that the Dodgers fate will be crystal clear after the final game of the Giants series on September 21st. I am cautiously optimistic & desperately hoping it will all work out so that Vin Scully will be broadcasting post season baseball on the Dodgers television network.

Hot Stove Observations

Hasn't this been quite an off season for the Southern California MLB teams? The one thing everyone can agree upon is that it has been active. For Dodgers & Padres fans it also has been rather exciting.

The Padres have made a complete 180 degree turn from their recent philosophy of building from within & avoiding acquisition of expensive veterans as a quick path to respectability & competitiveness. They won't be accused of timidity - but will these steps result in a more competitive team? Jobs will be on the line based upon their performance out of the gate in 2015. To start they have replaced 22 players from their 40 man roster since last Spring with 14 of those since the end of the 2014 season. The headliners are the trio of new outfielders Matt Kemp, Justin Upton & Will Myers - all legitimate All Start candidates.

Bottom line - this will be an interesting team to follow from Peoria to October and .... if I wasn't a dyed in the wool lifetime Dodgers fan this is a team I would be pulling for to get to the World Series. Instead I would love to see them be the Wild Card team that faces my Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.

In Anaheim the Angels are ready this season to commit to a Championship run because their future gets cloudy thereafter due to significant pieces of the puzzle being free agency eligible at the end of both the 2015 & 2016 campaigns.

They have a solid core of veterans at or near their peak as well as a few young superstars ready to dominate. In my opinion their success will entirely depend upon how the pitching performs - are they deep enough, will their key performers avoid injury. There is no doubt that they will be very competently led by one of the best managers in MLB - Mike Scioscia. In fact, should they stumble & panic into a leadership change I would lobby for him to succeed Don Mattingly with my beloved Dodgers.

Lastly & most importantly are the Dodgers - some observers talk about a team in transition others say they are in disarray. In my opinion they are re-loading, re-configuring, mixing in a new formula for chemistry and, yes, gambling on controversial moves to get to the next level. This is a team that is the defending NL West Champs & for the past few years a definite contending team for the World Series title therefore any change would be risky much less moving MVP talent like Matt Kemp to a West Division rival like the Padres. I guess you have to admire the courage to change a solid roster that has  been recently successful - let's hope that the moves weren't foolish.

Gone, in addition to MVP Kemp are the new rising All Star Dee Gordon, reliable starter Dan Haren, expensive Brian Wilson, bullpen lefty Scott Elbert, solid backstops Drew Butera & Tim Federowicz, and reliable pro Miguel Rojas.

Added are: a number of no name arms for the bullpen & back end of the starting rotation, Howie Kendrick from the Angels (a very positive upgrade in my opinion), Yasmani Grandal from the Padres (a lateral move that doesn't seem to add anything significant), Jimmy Rollins (a stop gap until Corey Seager is ready?) and the clearing of a space for Joc Pederson.

I am pulling for some more moves without which the Dodgers do not seem to be much improved at all if at all. On the bubble are players like Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke and the Cuban infielders Alex Guerrero & Erisbel Arruebarrena.

The Dodgers are making a heavy bet on the strength of their core starting pitchers Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke & Hyun-Jin Ryu and closer Kenley Jansen. Can veterans added like Rollins & Kendrick plus the returning ones in Adrian Gonzalez, Juan Uribe, and Carl Crawford perform well enough to get them to October?

In my opinion the key to it all is whether Yasiel Puig actually has Willie Mays type talent or is merely a brilliant flash in the pan.

It will be an interesting 2015.

Fall 2014

Football in Southern California has been going through a dry spell recently.

At the NFL level the Chargers started well but have faded lately & are in danger of missing the post season.

The major college teams have been disappointing - SDSU needs a win this week to attract a Bowl Invitation; USC has demonstrated a frustrating ability to choke when it matters most: after a big win vs. Stanford they lost to an unranked Boston College, followed by a last minute collapse vs. Arizona State, an uninspired last minute loss to Utah & a dreary effort vs. rival UCLA; the Bruins also have managed to disappoint with 2 mid season unexpected losses to inferior opponents followed by an unfathomable effort vs. Stanford that results in them losing the Pac12 South Championship after having it firmly in their grasp.

All that's left is a redemption opportunity for USC vs. Notre Dame followed by meaningless Bowl appearances by all in second tier games.  

The balance of the winter sports season in the NHL & NBA looks better - both the Ducks & Kings should compete for the Stanley Cup; the Clippers are for real with exciting prospects; leaving the Lakers with Kobe & residing at the bottom of the West with no playoff hopes.

MLB Hot Stove is just starting to warm up with the Winter Meetings on the horizon. The Dodgers are populating their bullpen with a multitude of potential candidates to bridge the gap between their excellent starting pitching & their closer Kenley Jansen - addressing the 7th & 8th innings is critical to end the World Series drought that has existed since 1988. The Angels seem content to stand pat - the young AL MVP Trout affords them that luxury.  

Then again unlike other parts of the country that only have their professional & collegiate sports teams to create any form of optimism or enjoyment during the dreary months ahead we always have our perfect weather.    

LA Dodgers 2013

After another long period of no entries I am pleased to report that the Dodgers turned their season around. Prior to their June 22nd game against the Padres they were in last place 9 1/2 games behind the Arizona DBacks. They then went on an historic 42-8 run gaining the lead in the NL West that they held until the end of the season.

They are meeting the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS and are currently tied at a game each heading home to LA. Except for injuries to Matt Kemp & Andre Ethier and the fact that several members of the bullpen are showing signs of fatigue, they seem poised for a long play off run.

Expectations are high & criticism of manager Don Mattingley is acute. With the recent firing of Dusty Baker by the Reds there is a sense that if the Dodgers don't make it to the World Series there will be a change in leadership.

Game On!

The NHL lock out is over!

There will be a Hockey Night in Canada this Saturday. There will be Don Cherry in the Coach's Corner. But will the fans and viewers return.

I am confident that the Canadian fans will be back in droves but will the fans in the southern portions of the USA return to support their teams. I think that the teams in places like Phoenix, Dallas, the Florida teams especially Tampa Bay, Nashville, Columbus, Carolina and possible the California newer teams - San Jose & Anaheim - may experience some lean times. The best thing going in their favor will be that football is almost over, baseball is still a few months away and the NBA season is entering its "dog days". Almost by default the fans may pay attention until the college basketball March Madness starts.

I have a funny feeling that the Edmonton Oilers will be a serious contender in the shortened season and that they will make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Firstly, the core of their team has been together playing in the AHL in Oklahoma City and doing quite well. I suspect that alone will give them a significant advantage at the very onset of the delayed season. Secondly, with the season being shortened to 48 games they should hold on to a playoff spot after their anticipated quick start. Lastly, these players are very talented and this could be a major break out year for Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall. They should get a lot of confidence at this level now and they have all been with winning teams in the past. So I am going out on a limb and predicting that the Oilers will contend this year.

Presuming Sid the Kid Crosby stays healthy the Penguins would be an easy choice to do very well this year. I am sure that in most quarters they will be a favorite to go all the way. Malkin played in the KHL and should have no problem getting a quick start and continuing to dominate.

The big question throughout Canada will be whether a Canadian team will be able to hoist the Cup. My sense is that Vancouver's time has passed; Calgary is on the upswing but not strong enough to contend, Winnipeg has overachieved but will continue to improve, Ottawa seems unremarkable and as I said before Edmonton could surprise. That leaves the Leafs and the Habs - what a state these two historic franchises find themselves. There is little to be excited about in either city - Toronto has made no changes that would significantly improve their chances and have dumped their GM on the eve of the season's start; Montreal is paying Gomez to stay home thus acknowledging their mistake but this says nothing good about the management of this outfit. What a shame that the fortunes of these great teams have fallen so much that they are best considered also-rans.

The remaining teams from the Original Six seem to be faring much better as the Bruins, Blackhawks and Rangers should all make the playoffs and may even go deep but none of this group can be considered anything but a long shot for the Cup. Detroit is a different story; the Wings seem solid and presuming that their older roster can avoid serious injuries they very well could create another spring celebration in Hockeytown.

Other teams that could contend are the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, LA Kings, and New Jersey Devils. Teams that just seem to be non-factors (at least to me) are the Islanders, Buffalo, Carolina, Florida, the woeful Tampa Bay Lightening, Nashville, St. Louis, Colorado, Anaheim, Dallas, Phoenix, San Jose, Columbus and Minnesota. In other words a vast majority of the teams will be going through the motions which supports my notion that there are far too many teams in the NHL.Even though 16 of the 30 teams make the Stanley Cup Playoffs my sense is that realistically speaking only 8 of those can be considered serious contenders.

But then again I consider myself a serious baseball fan so what do i know.

It's Hockey, eh?

Spending the Christmas and New Year's Holiday time period in London, Ontario, Canada - a long way from Southern California not only in terms of distance and climate but also in sports interests.

In London, as well as all of Canada, the entire sports world has been focused on the NHL Strike and the World Junior Hockey Championships. These two issues are somewhat related in that one of the consequences of the NHL Stoppage is that Canada was able to send their very best junior aged players to these World Championships.

The Canadian Juniors waltzed through the preliminary round undefeated, received a bye into the semi-finals and met the United States today to determine who would play in the Gold Medal game. Canada had already defeated the USA in the round-robin 2-1.

Well it didn't end well for the Canadians - the USA dominated in their 5-1 victory and put the entire Dominion in mourning. The long knives are out this evening as every news show - not just the sports talk shows - are wondering what went wrong.  Yet if you switch to an American station (even ESPN) there is no mention whatsoever of the "great" victory of their U-19 squad.

The other major topic of interest in Canada is the NHL work stoppage. Desperation rules as a countdown has begun towards a deadline beyond which there will be no NHL hockey this season. News of this labor strife is barely noticeable in the USA outside the hard core sports networks. Life in many of the southern NHL venues has continued with little, if any, mention of a lost season.

At the same time the Canadian sports networks give some mention to NBA basketball, the NCAA Football Bowl season and the winter meetings of major league baseball. By "some mention" I mean that it gets a few minutes of each broadcast after the majority of the time is spent analyzing the NHL & World Juniors at a level commensurate with the American  Cable News Networks' coverage of the "fiscal cliff".

Who would have thought that a thin line like the "49th Parallel" would create such divergent sports interests. These countries operate in two different sports universes.

MLB 2012 All Star Break

The All Star break couldn't have come at a better time for my beloved LA Dodgers. They have limped through the last month and cling to a 1/2 game lead over the Giants in the NL West. They were really rolling along with the best record in the major league and appeared poised to run away with the Division until they were blindsided by injuries to the core of the team - Kemp, Ethier, Mark Ellis, Lilly & Javy Guerra and now Dee Gordon. That represents almost 1/2 the opening day lineup, the #3 starter and the closer entering the season. Couple this with the underperformance of Loney & Rivera and the nonperformance of Uribe we are left with A.J. Ellis being the only reliable day to day player to contribute the entire season so far. The pitching has been good. Yet Kershaw has been better, Billingsley has faded & Eovaldi was winless until this past week. Thank goodness for Capuano and the consistency of Harang. The Pen is starting to gel with Bellasario almost unhittable and Jansen becoming a premier closer after some initial missteps. In summary: we are fortunate to be in 1st place after the disaster of the last month or so but our guys will be back after the Break so here's hoping we return to the form that led us to the best record in baseball through the end of May.