As a life long Dodger fan, and after watching them all year, IMO they were lucky to make it as far as they did.
I am no Mattingly fan. He did not play positional baseball. No running, no sacrifices, no moving the runners around, and this was throughout the whole year, but.................
Management gave him 2 great starters, and one great closer. In between that was pretty much junk. The other pitchers had problems throwing strikes, and when they finally did, it piped right down the middle, because they were behind in the count. Their hitting was a joke all year. Throw them a breaking ball, or splitter, down and away out of the strike zone, and WHIFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. Pretty much the whole team, especially Puig (trade him for a pitcher), did not have a good grasp of the strike zone. For some of that blame has to go on McGwire. They had a rookie that was hot in the beginning, and then couldn't hit his a** with both hands. They had a catcher that, supposedly was hurt, and then couldn't hit a lick, but didn't play Ellis who was very hot when he had the chance to play. Hitting with runners in scoring position, not in this season, and not only in the playoffs.
This is as much on management, as it was Donnie B-Ball. They need to get the poop (cybermetrics?) together and shore up the pitching and hitting. If they are as smart as their Ivy School degrees, we'll see.
IMO, the Dodgers were very lucky to have gone as far as they did. O.K. Mr. smart Guys in new management, it is now your turn to show all of that intelligence.
Also, whatever happened to the basics, such a bunting. They now play three players on the right side, and another at about shortstop. If players started to bunt, they would have to quit that crap. With the whole side of the infield open it shouldn't be that hard to lay one down.
Health & happiness to all..............
_________________ It's not the size of the wand that put the rabbit in the hat, it's the magic in it!!!
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