Dodgers 2018 and 2019 - contracts and plans

Hats off to the Red Sox on winning the 2018 World Series.

In the final analysis, they won on each front: starting pitching, relief pitching, and hitting.

And thanks for the memories to LA Dodgers 2018. It was a rough season of injuries but they managed to pull together enough pieces to make a run all the way to the World Series.

What is 2019 looking like?

Starting pitching: 
Buehler – the new #1
Hill – solid competitor, veteran presence, the number 2 starter
Kershaw – he can opt-out but am thinking Dodgers will extend him a couple of years at reduced cost, but clearly his health issues will need to be looked at carefully and he may need to adjust his pitching style. Perhaps, needs to pick up a fourth pitch? He is now the #3 starter
Ryu – how much effort to make to re-sign him for a couple more years?
Urias – he might be ready to start next year?
Stripling – did he run out of gas but could he return to starting next year or train to be a set-up guy? Maeda – might be time to move him? Long contract might make it hard to move him though.
Wood – might be time to move him?

Relief pitching
Jansen – remains the closer but will be watched more closely regarding work load
Baez – closer in training
Ferguson – will he move to starting? Or train to be a set-up guy?
The rest of the relief corp is a mixed bag. Don't think anyone is a "must keep." Clearly, Dodger relief was outmatched by the Red Sox. This area may require a little more resourcing.

Position players 
Barnes (C) – keep, is Ruiz ready from the minors?
Grandal (C) – time to let go, too much of a lightening rod, is Ruiz ready from the minors?
Freese (1B) – keep, need veteran presence and still productive
Muncy (1B) - keep
Dozier (2B) – keep? he played injured, could he be more productive if recovered?
Turner (3B) keep
Machado (SS) – clearly a rental - he will get big $ somewhere else
Seager (SS) – hope he will be fully recovered
Bellinger (1B, OF) - keep!
Hernandez (OF, 2B, SS) - keep?
Kemp (OF) – his contract is big so maybe deal him to AL so he can DH and occasionally play OF? However, the contract might be too big to move? Is Verdugo ready to move up from the minor leagues?
Pederson (OF) - keep?
Puig (OF) - keep, he came through big on a few occasions, is his contract up for renewal?
Taylor (OF, SS, 2B) – keep?

The 25?

1. Barnes (C) 
2. Ruiz or other minor league prospect (C) 
3. Freese (1B) 
4. Muncy (1B) 
5. Dozier (2B)
6. Turner (3B)
7. Seager (SS)
8. Bellinger (OF, 1B)
9. Hernandez (OF, IF)
10. Pederson (OF)
11. Puig (OF)
12. Taylor (OF, IF)
13. Verdugo (OF)
14. Buehler (SP)
15. Hill (SP)
16. Kershaw (SP)
17. Ryu (SP)
18. Urias (SP)
19. Stripling (SP)
20. Jansen (RP)
21. Baez (RP)
22. Ferguson (RP)
23. TBD (RP)
24. TBD (RP)
25. TBD (RP)

UPDATE:

Additional thoughts - what if the front office decides to "blow up the team" and try to move some of the players out?

Certainly, I don't think any of the relief corp is "safe" beside Jansen, Baez, and Ferguson. Some might be harder to move due to contract issues but I suspect the rest are on the table.

For the starting pitchers, I think Wood and Maeda showed that down the stretch they ran out of gas and might be moved out. If Ryu fetches a high price in the open market, I think the Dodgers won't match it and will let him go. Dodgers might need to get a top level starter to be part of a new 1-2 punch along with Buehler. Hill and Kershaw would be the wily veterans as the #3/4 starters. Urias would be the #5. Everyone else would be on the table to be moved.

Of the platoon players: 

Left handed bat: Bellinger, Pederson, Muncy
Right handed bat: Hernandez, Kemp, Puig, Taylor

Who do you keep?
My feeling of this group Bellinger is probably the only "untouchable" since he is the one with the biggest up-side as a Rookie of the Year in 2017 and finding his way in 2018. He is only going to get better in 2019.

If you want to keep a defensive specialist with versatility, keep one or the other of Taylor and Hernandez. The rest would be on the table to be moved.

Of course putting somebody on the table to be moved doesn't mean they will get moved. You don't "give" players away in bad trades. Don't know if any are up for arbitration or free agency. In the case of free agents, I think Puig is in that category. How much do you want to pay to keep him?

MLB World Series 2017 - Game 7

Been following the Dodgers since I was a kid.

I was alive when they won it all in 1963 (I was born the summer of 63). I was too young to know when they won in 1965.

The Dodgers had some very good teams in the 1970s but they came up on the short end against the A's (1974) and the Yankees (1977 and 1978).

I remember 1978 game 2 when Bob Welch struck out Reggie Jackson to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the series. But the Dodgers would drop the next four.

The baseball script writers would turn the tables in 1981 when the Dodgers were down 2-0 and went on to win the next four against the Yankees to win the series.

1988. Arguably the most memorable home run in baseball history was hit by Kirk Gibson to win Game 1. The Dodgers would finish off the heavily favored A's in five behind Hershiser and a cast of role players on the field and on the mound.

The Kirk Gibson home run video clip has run since then on one hand invoking great memories but on the other hand a reminder of how hard it is to get to the World Series and the decades of frustration for the Dodger organization and its fans.

The Dodger franchise experienced incredible futility for the next 20 years. Making the playoffs only four times and being swept in the NLDS in 1995, 1996, and 2006. They lost in four to the Cardinals in the 2004 NLDS.

Another decade of frustration would follow.

I attended NLCS game 5 in 2008. Under-estimating traffic, I arrived late and the Dodgers were already down and showed no signs of life and were eliminated by the Phillies in five.

I attended NLDS game 2 in 2009. There is nothing like the atmosphere of playoff baseball especially in a close game. We barely sat down for the final half of the game which the Dodgers would win 3-2 and take the series at St. Louis in game 3. However, in the NLCS, the dreaded Phillies would finish off the Dodgers in five once again.

More heartache would follow in 2013 when the Cardinals won the NLCS in six. The Cardinals would defeat the Dodgers again in 2014 in the NLDS in four. The Dodgers would be defeated in five by the Mets in the 2015 NLDS followed by losing in six in the 2016 NLCS to the Cubs.

And now, after 162 regular season games, three NLDS games (Arizona), five NLCS games (Chicago), and six World Series games (Houston) it comes down to one game.

A small number of fans were alive to see the Dodgers win in 1955 when they were in Brooklyn. Some Angelinos were around in 1959, 1963, and 1965 for the Koufax and Drysdale era. Many fans following the Dodgers today weren't even born in 1981 or when Gibson hit the homer played on endless loop since 1988.

But tonight, together, generations of Dodger fans will root and cheer and when it is over there will be disappointment or jubilation.

Win or lose, thank you to #ThisTeam the 2017 edition of the LA Dodgers!

###

Some excerpts from LA Times coverage ....

Baxter:
Dodger Stadium has played host to a Pope and the Kings. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Three Tenors have performed there. So did the Harlem Globetrotters. But baseball’s third-oldest ballpark, which opened in 1962, has never seen Game 7 of a World Series played there. Until today. [......] “Game 7,” Dodger President Stan Kasten said. “It’s the greatest thing in sports. And Game 7 for the first time at Dodger Stadium? It literally does not get any better.”

Hernandez:
The words were simple, but Yu Darvish found the sentiment behind them to be particularly heartwarming. “We’re going to get this one for you.” That’s what Darvish said he was told by the other Dodgers in the team’s pregame huddle the day after he lived a nightmare in his first start in a World Series. [.......] When Turner returned to the clubhouse after the game Tuesday, he made it a point to speak to Darvish. “I came in here after the game, gave him a big hug and told him his time was tomorrow,” Turner said. And if it’s Darvish’s time, it will be the Dodgers’, too.

Plaschke:
A dozen outs from the end of their season, pushed by a raucous Halloween crowd and fueled by their own desperation, the Dodgers dug deep. They trailed by one run. They had one hit. They were leaning on a tattered bullpen. The night was cooling. The sky was spitting. Winter was coming. But then, in the sixth inning of Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night, it happened, the wondrous realization of a nightly cry that brought back summer. It was time for Dodger baseball........

Shaikin:
There is a time to stand up for your teammates, for justice, for what you believe to be right. This, presumably, was not that time. This was the World Series, and an elimination game at that. So that might have been the greatest testament to what Rich Hill did Tuesday: He put his sense of right and wrong ahead of winning and losing, at least for a few moments. It had been four days since Yuli Gurriel of the Houston Astros had slanted his eyes and used a racial slur to mock Yu Darvish, the Dodgers’ Japanese-born pitcher. Hill still was bothered that Commissioner Rob Manfred had decided not to suspend Gurriel during the World Series. [.......] And Hill was Gustavo Dudamel, with a ball rather than a baton, silently conducting the crowd, pausing time and again to let a cascade of boos rain down upon Gurriel. Hill stepped off the mound so the crowd could jeer, made a pitch, stepped off the mound for another round of jeers, made another pitch. He turned into a veritable Pedro Baez, lingering between pitches so the crowd could rev up its vocal cords once again. “I think the one thing was just to let the crowd speak their mind,” Hill said. “I didn’t think anything else would be as loud as that. The people spoke. I left it to that, and that was it. “That was the best way to go about it, not hitting him or doing anything like that, but making sure that things like this shouldn’t happen.”

McCullough:
“You got this?” manager Dave Roberts asked. Jansen stared at his manager. He had blown one save and lost one game to these Houston Astros. He understood that the Dodgers resided on the brink of elimination because of it. His gaze was firm. His answer was brief, biting and unequivocal. “Yes,” Jansen replied, and he walked away. Roberts needed to hear no more. Jansen climbed the stairs for the ninth. He refused to relinquish the baseball. And he refused to wilt, slamming the door shut in a 3-1 victory that guaranteed something that has never happened at Dodger Stadium. World Series, Game 7. Could you expect any less? Could you ask for any more? The baseball gods might not answer letters, but they do allow dreams to flourish. The Dodgers kept theirs alive Tuesday, 48 hours after an excruciating Game 5 defeat, by playing like the team that ran away with the National League West and bulldozed the other contenders for the pennant. [......] After the chaos of this series, in which homers soared in record numbers and bullpen decisions endured unceasing scrutiny, a winner will be crowned Wednesday. The Dodgers couldn’t wait. “We never stopped believing in ourselves, that we can win a championship,” Jansen said. “So here we are.”

###

As a sports fan, have to tip my hat to the Houston Astros for winning the 2017 World Series. They led in almost every statistical category in offense during the regular season. In the end, Dodger pitching won games 1, 4, and 6 and Houston hitting won games 2,3,5, and 7. Congratulations to the Astros. Hope springs alive again for all the clubs at next year's spring training!

As a Dodger fan, there is disappointment of course but also great memories of an incredible season. #ThisTeam gave fans who were old enough to see them win in 1955 to those who weren't even born in 1988 a wild ride of a good season filled with the entrance to the stage of new stars and the consistent efforts of veteran ballplayers. Generations of fans linked in the shared disappointments and jubilations of a season culminating in the first World Series appearance in a long time.

Thank you Dodgers!

Dodgers vs. Astros by the numbers

Looking at the statistics from the regular season ......

Fielding:
Dodgers 88 errors = error ever 1.84 games
Houston 99 errors = error every 1.63 games

That is not a large difference spread out over 162 games. Very slight edge to Dodgers.

Pitching (ERA):
Dodgers 3.38
Houston 4.12

ERA is probably the best metric of a pitching staff as it removes the impact of a poor fielding team. Since the fielding ability of the two clubs is pretty even, the ERA stat appears to be informative indicating a Dodger advantage on this.

However, you might think the AL with the DH means higher scoring in the AL thus they may have ERA inflation. The average number of runs in the AL was 763 runs compared to the NL 743 runs. This is only 2.7% more runs. The league ERA differential is almost non-existent (4.37 in the AL 4.34 in the NL). The differential by ERA between the Dodgers and Houston is a whopping 22%.

Thus, strong edge to the Dodgers in pitching.

However, Houston did win 101 games that made them 3rd best (Cleveland was 2nd best with 102 and Dodgers were number 1 with 104) in the MLB this year. Houston won with offense. They were #1 in 9 of the 12 sortable batting categories. The Dodgers made the top 10 in just a few of the sortable categories.

Thus, strong edge to Houston for hitting.

As such, this appear to be shaping up to be the classic match-up between a team with powerful hitting against a team with strong pitching. When an irresistible force encounters an unmovable object who wins?

If you go to the stats limiting the data to the post-season what do you see?

Houston hitting has struggled. However, they faced good pitching in the form of the Yankees and still beat them over seven games. The Red Sox had better regular season pitching than Houston and were defeated in four games.

As a lifelong Dodger fan, I am rooting for them.

As a sports fan dedicated to looking at what the number say, the advantages of each club reside in different areas of the game making predictions difficult. Houston's hitting eventually wore down the pitching advantage (relative to Houston) of the Red Sox and the Yankees. On the other hand, Dodger pitching wore down the stronger offenses (compared to the Dodgers) that Arizona and Chicago had.

Go Dodgers!

The life of a sports fan - victory or misery!

Been crazy busy. However, still keep my ears and eyes open to the soccer teams I follow.

USMNT - if you can't get a victory or a draw against Trinidad Tobago you don't deserve to go to the World Cup. The men's side of US Soccer is in sackcloth and ashes with calls for sackings. Coach Arena within a matter of days resigned. The question now is whether more changes will occur and what changes would be most helpful to improve the program. The major criticism I have heard is that the team simply didn't play as a team with any sense of urgency. They thought they would just roll the ball out onto the field and show up and win. Once they realized they were in a real match and having to play catch up the team just didn't have the mentality to recover. The other observation is the "missing generation" hypothesis. USMNT has relied on that group that came to prominence about a decade ago with Donovan, Howard, Dempsey, Bradley, and others. This group is now running out of gas as time has caught up with them. Unfortunately, the group that is now in their 20s doesn't appear to have the right stuff to take their place. I will now be rooting for Sweden to upset Italy to gain spot in the World Cup.

Elfsborg - they are bottom half of the table. It has been a tough year. The manager, Magnus Haglund, has been sacked. Barring losing every game and someone below them winning every game, they should avoid relegation. But beyond the team is playing for spots in next seasons roster.

Falkenberg - they made a run at the third spot and a place in the promotion playoff but they have since slipped back to fifth. They started the season poorly in the relegation zone for several weeks but slowly creeped up the table reaching third for one week. Will see if they can make a run at promotion next season.

LA Galaxy - they are currently last in MLS with one game to go. Its been a rough season with clubhouse tensions, injuries to key players, and far more defeats than expected. The question for the brain trust is who is going to get sacked in the front office and which players on the roster will be retained. Might Cole get one more year at left back? Will they be able to lay down the curse of right back injuries and find someone who will survive and thrive in that position? Which of their many midfielders (Jones, Pedro, Husidic, Lleget, Boetang) will stay and which will go? We assume the three DPs are "untouchable?" Which of the three goalkeepers will stay and which will go?

Liverpool - they put a lot of shots up but they don't get them in the net and losing Mane to injury makes that even more challenging for them. There have been many draws where they had the lion's share of possession and opportunities and the defense surrendered soft goals. Big win against Maribor with seven goals! Perhaps, that will restore their confidence. On the other hand, it could be that Maribor is simply not very good. Big match this weekend against Tottenham!

Meanwhile, in baseball, Go DODGERS!

It has been a long time since 1988 when they last climbed to the top of the MLB mountain. Two times against the Phillies they were at the short end of a 4-1 NLCS. Two times against the Cards they were at the short end of a 4-2 NLCS. Last year, they were at the short end of a 4-2 NLCS against the Cubs. But this year, they knocked out Arizona in three straight and have gained a 3-0 lead over the Cubs. Let's finish this thing and advance!

Go DODGERS!

2016 NLCS Dodger Roster Guesses?

With the new series, the rosters can be changed.

In the 2016 NLDS, the Dodgers carried 11 pitchers and 14 position players.

Starting pitchers (4): Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias
Relief pitchers (7): Kenley Jansen, Joe Blanton, Grant Dayton, Pedro Baez, Josh Fields, Luis Avilan, Ross Stripling
Catchers (3): Yasmani Grandal, Carlos Ruiz, Austin Barnes
Infielders (5): Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Charlie Culberson Outfielders (6): Howie Kendrick, Joc Pederson, Josh Reddick, Yasiel Puig, Andrew Toles, Andre Ethier

Since the NLCS is a seven game series and the Dodger relief pitchers put in a lot of innings in the NLDS, we could see the Dodgers carry 12 or even 13 pitchers.

In the NLDS, Kershaw started game 1 and 4, Hill started 2 and 5, Maeda started 3.

How many innings did we get from the starters?
Kershaw 11 2/3 (he had 2/3 as a reliever)
Hill 7
Maeda 3
Total from starters 21 2/3 innings.
Five games x 9 innings = 45 innings. However, in game 2, the Dodgers lost and did not have to pitch the bottom of the 9th. Thus, 44 innings of Dodger pitching. Of which, 22 1/3 innings in relief.

The most often mentioned possible pitchers to add is Alex Wood (long relief) and Jay Howell (situational relief). The question is add one or two for the NLCS? Also, there is talk that Grant Dayton might get dropped as he struggled in his relief appearances.

If you add one pitcher, who do you drop from the position players?

Culberson (backup infielder) and Barnes (backup catcher) are mentioned.

So what do you think?

Starting pitchers (4): Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias
Relief pitchers (8): Kenley Jansen, Joe Blanton, Grant Dayton, Pedro Baez, Josh Fields, Luis Avilan, Ross Stripling, Alex Wood, JP Howell
Catchers (2): Yasmani Grandal, Carlos Ruiz, Austin Barnes
Infielders (5): Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Charlie Culberson, Enrique Hernandez
Outfielders (6): Howie Kendrick, Joc Pederson, Josh Reddick, Yasiel Puig, Andrew Toles, Andre Ethier

Here is the Dodger 2016 NLCS official roster:

Starting pitchers (4): Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias
Relief pitchers (8): Kenley Jansen, Joe Blanton, Grant Dayton, Pedro Baez, Josh Fields, Luis Avilan, Ross Stripling, Alex Wood
Catchers (2): Yasmani Grandal, Carlos Ruiz
Infielders (4): Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley, Corey Seager, Justin Turner
Infielder/outfielders (2): Howie Kendrick, Kiké Hernandez
Outfielders (5): Joc Pederson, Josh Reddick, Yasiel Puig, Andrew Toles, Andre Ethier

Dodgers 2016 as of July

On one hand, things haven't gone according to plan:
The hope was that Pederson, Puig, and Grandal would show the hitting form they exhibited in early 2015. There are hints of it but still their numbers aren't great.
The hope was Turner and Gonzalez would continue to defy father time and be the core of the offense. There are hints of it but still their numbers aren't great.
The hope was that collecting a bunch of starting pitchers would be better than spending huge money on one pitcher. Unfortunately, there is almost an entire roster of starting pitchers on the DL right now. But things maybe turning a corner with the return of McCarthy and soon return of Ryu.
The front office probably didn't plan on having to use Stripling, Urias, and Bolsinger as pitchers as much as they had to. They weren't always effective but they did show promise, in particular Urias.

However, there have been some positives:
Seager looks to be the star the front office thought he might be.
Thompson appears to be better than the scouts anticipated though his numbers are starting to fall off.
Utley seems to be drinking from the fountain of youth validating their decision to hang onto him.
For all the problems the relief corp had at the beginning of the season, they seem to be settling into their respective roles. But one worries they are being overworked and at some point they may collapse.
Kazmir after a rocky start is now 7-3.
Maeda coming over from Japan was an uncertain quantity is showing himself to be capable.
UPDATE: Although, lately he seems to run out of gas as the innings add up in the game (his outings tend to run 5 to 6 innings).
At least the first outing for Bud Norris worked out. Hopefully, he will turn into a solid number 3, 4, or 5 starter.

Considering how many injuries hit the pitching staff that part of the club isn't doing too bad - they are #4 in the NL in terms of ERA. Given the options for pitching aren't great in the coming trade deadline am guessing the front office is going to look for offense (#8 ranked in run production in the NL). But who do you let go? Any of the existing pieces? Some of the prospects? How much will they be willing to spend?

Go Dodgers!

LA Dodgers 25 Man Roster for NLDS - my guesses

Time to play armchair manager.

The NLDS rosters are due the morning of the first game which will be Friday 9 October.

Here are my guesses:

Catchers: Grandal, Ellis (easy choices there)
Infield: Gonzales, Kendrick, Rollins, Turner, Utley, Seager
(the challenge is how much does Seager play and under which situations)
Outfield: Crawford, Hernadez, Ethier, Ruggiano, Pederson
(just don't think Puig is fully fit and ready to go)

Pitchers:
Left hand: Kershaw, Anderson, Wood, Howell, Availan
Right hand: Greinke, Garcia, Frias, Jansen, Hatcher, Baez, Peralta

Go Dodgers!

0 for 4 this soccer weekend

One would figure by rooting for four different teams, one of them would win!

Alas, this weekend, my clubs whiffed with three laying goose eggs: LA Galaxy lost 1-0, Liverpool FC lost 3-0, Falkenberg FF lost 1-0, and to cap-off the grand slam, IF Elfsborg lost 2-1. Don't think this has happened since I started following FOUR teams!

It is international break so all four clubs will be taking some time off with the exception of players with national team call-ups.

Meanwhile, the LA Dodgers face a huge 3-game showdown with the SF Giants. Go Dodgers!

Weekend Sports Roundup

Dunno what to say about the Dodgers. Starting pitching is doing reasonably well but the relief pitchers give up the tying and go ahead runs. The offense isn't offering much support. What can you say when you spend hundred of millions of dollars on player salaries and wind up with a team that might not make the playoffs! Yikes!

Inspirational article in the LAT this past Sunday. One of the representative moments of the Giant-Dodger rivalry was when Marichal (Giants) hit Roseboro (Dodger) on the head with his bat 50 years ago in 1965. Eventually, the two men did reconcile! As big a rivalry the two teams have, in the end, its just baseball.

Meanwhile, the LA Galaxy took down NYCFC, 5-1. Yup, you read that right, 5-1. It was 1-0 at the half with the two teams pretty even though LA appeared to be gaining the upper hand. But in the second half, the flood gates opened and the Galaxy ran all over the field against an increasingly hapless NYCFC.

Elfsborg kept pace with a win to remain in the second spot. They also won their Svenska Cupen match during the weekday. That is the Swedish equivalent to the FA Cup and the US Open Cup where all levels of the football pyramid get to participate.

Meanwhile, Falkenberg needs a draw against Sundsvall to get out of the relegation zone. A win would be even better. Go FFF!

On Monday, Liverpool goes to London to face Arsenal. After two fairly weak 1-0 wins, Liverpool faces one of the big 4 and it will be a test of whether the summer signings will come together. Figure Liverpool will field the same XI as in the first two wins with the exception that Can will probably take Henderson's spot due to injury and Firmino will probably take Lallana's spot due to injury. Would look for Ings to get in if Firmino is still not up for 90 minutes and especially if Liverpool goes down 1-0 and needs the extra attacker. Other possible subs getting into the game are Moreno and Origi for fresh legs. Will be interesting to see who else Rodgers puts on the 18 with Henderson and Lallana unavailable. Maybe Markovic and Lucas?

UPDATE (over at the Liverpool Echo):
LFC line up to face #AFC: Mignolet, Clyne, Skrtel, Lovren, Gomez, Lucas, Milner, Can, Coutinho, Firmino, Benteke.
Confirmed #LFC subs v @Arsenal: Bogdan, Sakho, Moreno, Origi, Ings, Ibe, Rossiter

UPDATE: 0-0 but both sides had great opportunities. Saw about 15 minutes of the first half at the student union during my lunch hour. Liverpool was taking it to Arsenal during that stretch. The EPL game is fast and with very swift accurate passing relative to the MLS game. At least that is my "eyeball" test as a relatively new soccer viewer. From reading post-game accounts, the general feeling is that the real difference this year for Liverpool is the back four. The addition of Clyne and Gomez has been synergistic - sum is greater than the parts. Last year, in the games I saw, the defense was often scrambling and over-run. And I suppose that was heightened by the fact, they often went with a back three last season. Liverpool, last season, would rely on the adage the best defense is a strong offense which works against inferior competition. Last year, fans got nervous when Liverpool had to "park the bus" to defend a lead or preserve a draw. I think this year that will be less of a concern. At least on data from three games!

No time to panic?!

LA King fans are on the ledge. Two games left and scenarios for the Kings making the playoffs are getting thin. How about just win the next two games! Let's Go Kings!

Meanwhile LA Dodger fans in game one of the season saw the bullpen do alright. In game two, yesterday, they had a meltdown. No time to panic only two data points.

Liverpool needs a win today in FA Cup competition to restore the confidence of the team. The thrashing at the hands of Manchester United and Arsenal in their last two matches were devastating but in the end not surprising. The team needs to play its game and put away the Blackburn Rovers. I would guess the Rovers will "park the bus" and if Liverpool gets frustrated failing to score early the Rovers could steal a goal and pull off the upset. And, of course, the other scenario is for the Rovers to play to 0-0 for 120 minutes and roll the dice on PKs. My guess is that Rodgers will stick with the 3-4-3 formation for at least the first half and see how it goes. If it isn't working he will change it up and go for the win in regular time. Wonder if at any point in the game will Sterling, Sturidge, and Baloteli be on the field? I suspect if that triple is in, Liverpool is in trouble!

UPDATE: Looks like the usual 3-4-3.
UPDATE: The line-up was a 4-3-3 and a 1-0 victory for Liverpool!

Lakers are going nowhere except hopefully a good draft pick.

LA Galaxy are off to a slow start which isn't unusual for them. Replacing Landon Donovan isn't easy and in the end the pieces they have this year might not add up to what they had last year. Much rests on the continued development of their young star Zardes and asking more of their experienced (though not star powered) role players in the mid-field (Juninho, Hasidic, Ishizaki, Vayrynen, and others).

Sports Blogging in Red and Blue

Am hoping to blog a bit more in 2015.

What will be on tap?

In Blue:

Dodger Blue - the new ownership group has taken big steps to remake the Dodgers according to their plans. The off-season house cleaning has been dramatic with Ned Colletti who built the previous team moved out of the GM spot. The new brain trust, Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman, has shipped off many pieces from the previous season's line-up. So look for blog posts on the upcoming season as the Dodgers continue to strive to return to the mountaintop they haven't been to since 1988.



It is time for new World Series dramatic moments involving the Dodgers!

UCLA Bruin Blue - UCLA Men's Basketball is in for a rough season as they lost almost all of last season's starting line-up to early departures to the NBA and graduation. Nonetheless, will be keeping tabs on their progress with realistic expectations. I think finishing fourth in the Pac12 would be quite a feat with their diminished rooster. Alford's job should be safe as most college coaches get about three years to complete the transition.



One of the pivotal moments of the 1995 run to the title was the last second victory in round two. Not going to get to the finals this year, but hopefully, the team will continue to build to a return to the top.

I went to UC Irvine for graduate school and so I keep an eye on the men's basketball team. They have yet to make it to the NCAA. The only ticket is winning the Big West post-season tournament. They have been to the final game a few times but have come up short.

As for UCLA Football, the rumor mill is whether Coach Mora will be seriously considered for the SF 49ers opening. Mora turned aside last year's speculation that he would take the U of Washington job. We shall see what the mood is around the team and the coach as they head into the Alamo Bowl on Jan 2. Anticipate a high-scoring game: UCLA 38 KSU 35.

UPDATE: What a wild game! Final score: UCLA 40 KSU 35.

Though Hundley was the biggest key to UCLA's success this season, it was his backup, Jerry Neuheisel, coming in for an injured Hundley that probably provided the most memorable victory of the season.





In Red, White, and Blue

Like many US sports fans, hadn't taken to soccer much until the 2010 US World Cup effort. The dramatic goal by Landon Donovan sealed it for me and has made me into a fan of the sport.

The historic goal:



The emotional reaction:



Anyway, US Men's national team (USMNT) will continue to hopefully develop the new talents that will build on what Donovan and his generation established. Also, this year is the Women's World Cup where team USA (USWNT) is expected to do well.

In Blue

The LA Galaxy's away colors are blue. It will be a year of transition for them as Landon Donovan has retired. Since I started following them as a result of the 2010 World Cup, they have taken three MLS Cups. Am looking for them to be competitive in the 2015 season as they defend their 2014 MLS Championship.



In Red

Continuing the soccer theme, I have adopted an English Premier League team to follow: go Liverpool! They remind me of the Dodgers. Liverpool FC is a club with a rich history of great successes but recent struggles with occasional moments of near greatness. With the departure of Luis Suarez (31 goals) and injury to Daniel Sturridge (21 goals) from 2013-2014 campaign (the tandem accounted for 52 of the teams 101 goals), Liverpool has struggled thus far in the 2014-2015 season.

Below is a fan video of the Liverpool supporters singing You'll Never Walk Alone before what would turn out to be a crushing defeat at the hands of Chelsea on April 27, 2014.



In other colors

LA Kings (black, white, aluminum) have won the Stanley Cup two of the last three years. The NHL season is a real grind and it is hard to repeat. The Kings have had injuries and have Voynov has been suspended indefinitely due to pending criminal case against him.

LA Lakers (purple, gold, white) have pretty much fallen apart. Kobe is the only true star in the group and the rest are B+/B-level role players of which most would probably not be on the starting line-up of other teams. But in the end, they are professionals with pride and will play with heart even in losing efforts. It is really weird after so many years of watching them as the favorites to now seeing them as underdog on most nights in the NBA schedule.