April 24th, 2021 at 9:00 am 
by 0799291000348 * * *
“It’s never an upset if the so-called underdog has all along considered itself the better team.” Woody Hayes
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Make no mistake, the San Diego Padres are for real, and they have served notice on the Dodgers that they are no longer the underdog wannabes. The intrastate rivals have played each other five times in the first three weeks of the 2021 season, and the Padres have clearly been the aggressor, figuratively kicking sand in the Dodgers’ faces. How the Dodgers have reacted to the challenge is most concerning. Other than the common place expletives shouted to the heavens, the Boys in Blue have basically rolled over, apathetically leaving the field wishing for better results in the next game.
Tommy Lasorda must be turning over in his grave!
Where is the passion to win? Apathy from any Dodgers’ player would never be tolerated while Tommy was around.
Where is the outrage over six Dodgers’ hitters being hit by Padres pitchers in five games played? Mookie Betts has been drilled by mid-90’s fastballs twice in the last five games without Dodgers pitchers even coming close to knocking an opposing hitter down in retaliation. In the first 20-games of the 2021 season Dodgers hitters have been HBP a total of 15 times; opposing hitters — 5 times.
Don Drysdale must be turning over in his grave!
The days are long gone when Big D would drill two opposing hitters for each Dodgers player who was HBP, but today’s pitchers must do a better job of protecting their teammates. Betts was hit by a pitch in third inning of the April 23 game; in the top of the fourth nary a pitch was thrown by Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw even remotely close to a Padres’ hitter. In the fifth inning, the Padres pitcher who hit Betts, Yu Darvish, comes to bat with one out and no one on base. In addition to Betts, Darvish has hit two other Dodgers this season, but Kershaw doesn’t throw a purpose-pitch to let the Padres pitcher know that the line has been crossed.
Walter Alston must be turning over in his grave!
Balls and strikes umpiring have been horrid over the last week of games, with Dodgers hitters seeing called strikes that were not even close to the strike zone, and pitchers’ strike zones being squeezed beyond reasonableness. By all accounts Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a nice guy, but there is a time and place when a leader must step up and battle for his players even though it will result in being ejected from the game. Alston (and Lasorda) knew the value of chewing out an umpire and Roberts would be well advised to follow the example of his Hall of Fame predecessors.
(Getty Images)
A manager is responsible for putting his team in the best position possible to win, and that includes action-oriented leadership that motivates players to perform to their respective capabilities. It is time for Roberts to step up his leadership!
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Injuries aren’t helping right now. But there doesn’t seem to be much intensity. Dave always comes across as a pretty mellow manager (and I still think he’s a great guy to lead the team). But he needs to change something to light a fire under their asses.
As mentioned on a previous post, it’s better to slump in April than September. It is an opportunity to learn how to adjust though. And every team needs to learn that, so they can turn on a dime when the stakes are higher.
Excellent point about April than September. To be clear, I am 100% behind Roberts — hope he manages team for 20+ years. But mellow is a very good description. Alston was known as the Quiet Man, but he could let loose on umpires, or players when the circumstances needed.
Ron, So you are insinuating that Darvish should have been drilled? Tatis would be the next hitter and he’s hitting homers about every other at bat.
Now drilling Tatis? I can see that.
That was indeed my insinuation, although I was thinking more along the lines of a knock-down “purpose pitch” – which, like a complete game, no longer exists in the game today.
I wrote this piece, and a purpose pitch is intended to send a message without actually hitting the batter. Padres would be upset with Darvish being knocked down, but they will get the meaning of the message sent. Another Dodger get hit, or knocked down by a pitch around the head and a Padres position player is going to pay the price.
My apologies, Jesse. That is usually the first box I check when I review these things.
This is what I get for (usually) doing these things in the middle of the night on three hours(-ish) of sleep.