(I expect the Dodgers will be completing a trade any moment now, but we'll carry on anyway.)
There's a lot of love in the air for the newly-acquired Mr. Hanley.
He clearly looks dangerous when in the batter's box. The whispers about his dropping numbers have mostly been about slowing bat speed whether it be from a shoulder injury or some other reason. It's always possible that the torrent of talent that once naturally sprang from his body has slowed down and what was once effortless is now a little harder to accomplish and he just doesn't know it yet.
Still, he's a legit threat in the middle of the lineup and that's where he should stay. If Hanley regains half the stat level he once boasted he'll be worth the $35 M and EO especially given third base is such a big, black hole. If he doesn't the Dodgers will once again pay the ugly cost of wishing upon a former star. I'm going to put the odds at 60-40 that Hanley doesn't drop another big nasty egg on the Dodgers.
One place he surely WON'T help is on defense.
Donnie Baseball being the stubborn guy he is will definitely cram Hanley into the starting shortstop hole. And D's main reason for doing this is to create the dreaded "Flexibility." I like Don. He's a good manager but he does have some blind spots. This one being Hanley at SS allows him to mix and match with Uribe, Kennedy, Cruz, Hairston, etc., at 3B.
JESUS CHRIST DON!. Three of those guys should never play 3B in the Majors again. And the other one doesn't want to. He hate it. OK, I'm just saying, why put a bad defender at maybe the most important defensive position on the field. Because that's what a player's manager does I guess. Please put Hanley at 3B and lock the door. Not going to happen. Otherwise, how would Uribe get in the lineup? One of the real mysteries. C'mon Don.
Nice, the Dodgers finally have a real situational lefty. Really needed that. Now comes Dempster and then one other position player.
HOPEFULLY THE STAT BOYS WON'T GIVE UP AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE THREE LOSSES AND WON'T WANT TO SELL OFF ALL THE DODGERS BECAUSE IT'S THE SMART THING TO DO.
In an equally frustrating note, Don Baseball is making it very clear that Dee Gordon is not a lock to get his shortstop job back. I guess that's healthy, really. Gordon should have to play for his job but the future All-Star makes the Dodger's potential greater when he's playing. Nobody talks much about Dee getting to a lot of balls that Cruz hasn't been able to get to. And Hanley surely won't be able to get to. Yes, Dee may throw the ball into the dugout for a few more months but his talent and natural ability is breathtaking.
One of the most Assclown things I read on the Interweb is how Dee Gordon is the worst shortstop in baseball. Why? Because the stats show it. This is one of the best examples of how one dimensional stats taken out of context reveal utter stupidity.
Sorry to see EO go but it's the opportunity cost. The Dodgers have the extra $36 Mil hanging around so that sealed the deal. The Fish knew what they were doing when they picked EO.
TRAGIC HEROES
Happy to see THE REAL PAUL standing up to some of the Stat Boys about there possibly being factors in baseball that affect outcomes that can't be STATICIZED.
And always my former BUD VIETNAMDODGER for occasionally smacking down the nerds about stats. There's not a stat in the world that can tell you what's going to happen tomorrow. Life is in REAL TIME BABY! LIVE IT!
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