Author Archive: Phil Gurnee
Scott Schebler doesn’t do much but when he does, he does it big
Scott Schebler was always one of my favorite Dodger prospects, not because I had high hopes for him but simply because of the triples he hit while in the minor leagues. I’ve watched a lot of prospects come and go but his was a particularly unique skill. Scott has just average speed, with good power but …
Joey Votto – best player on a bad team in the NL?
Joey Votto has been one of the best hitters in baseball for almost a decade but in those ten years, his team has had limited success. Only three times have they won at least 81 games and most of the time are out of the pennant race by August 19th, just as they are this …
Not everything the Giants do turns to gold, it just seems that way
Last year in a deadline deal the Giants traded Adam Duvall to the Reds for Mike Leake. Leake was unable to help the Giants run down the Dodgers and has since taken his pitching skills to the Cardinals via free agency. Duvall was already twenty-six and appeared to be a AAAA player who could hit …
Willie Smalls goes yard, Tulsa Trio start raking again
Willie Calhoun slugged his 26th home run for the Drillers, Alex Verdugo collected three hits, and Cody Bellinger just hung out. Let’s check in on how the Tulsa Trio have done since the trading deadline left them in the Dodger organization. I’m going to add in Edwin Rios and Johan Mieses because it will be …
Meanwhile, A.J. Ellis still can’t score
In one of the stranger going on’s in 2016, A.J. Ellis has moved into second place among the LAD leaderboard for position players not being able to score. Ellis moved past Dodger great Mike Scioscia during his last start and has now been unable to score in his last 101 at-bats. You can see why it …
Yazmani Grandal slugs 20th home run, last Dodger catcher to hit 20 was Paul Lo Duca in 2001
LoDuca hit 25 home runs in 2001, but only 20 as a catcher. All 20 of Grandal’s home runs have been as a catcher this year. At one time it was very common for Dodger catchers to hit at least 20 home runs. From 1993 to 2001 they did it eight times by three different …
Jose De Leon dominates again while waiting for his chance
As the Dodgers turn to Bud Norris, Ross Stripling, and Brett Anderson over the next three games, they all better be on their game because Jose De Leon is putting everyone on notice. He’s ready for his chance. On Wednesday night Jose pitched another strong seven innings, striking out ten without a walk while giving …
Everyone can’t get hot at the same time, can they?
Do you remember thinking when one or two Dodgers got hot, how great it would be if they could all get hot at the same time? Don’t look now but I think it has been happening for a few weeks, and this is why they are able to continue to win while the rotation pitches …
Having Mark Grace for a few months was great but it is better to have Adrian Gonzalez back
On June 27th Adrian Gonzalez was hitting .264 | .337 | .372 a far cry from his normal slugging percentage. Adrian was heard to decry the shifts and to this fan it felt a bit like whining. I mean a forty-year-old David Ortiz was having no problem with the shift, and if you are a …
Apologies are due Dave Roberts and Howie Kendrick
I have been hard on Dave Roberts in his stubbornness to make Howie Kendrick the starting left fielder and in my own stubbornness to acknowledge my ignorance I was wrong. Roberts was right in continuing to give Howie the at-bats in left field, and I was wrong that Howie wasn’t up to the task. Not …
Dodgers, Yesterday and Today 