Sons of Steve Garvey

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)

Continuing with 2024 highlights:

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:

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

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).

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.

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!

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!

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).

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

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

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

"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!

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:

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.