Set this up for a bit now out of not being able to sleep, but wanted to show some team stats of the first half (I put first half in quotations cause it's not the exact midway point of the season since that passed a bit ago). Just trying to put some stats and the its ranking in the NL to put the team into perspective, obviously theres context missing in some of this but yeah. TEAM STATS: Hitting: OBP: .329 (3rd in NL) BB%: 9.0% (Tied for 1st in the NL) SLG: .399 (3rd in NL) K%: 19.9% (Tied for 4th best in NL) OPS: .728 (2nd in NL behind Rockies) wOBA (Weighted On Base Average. Gives a better estimate of a batting average since it gives linear weights to doubles, triple, Home runs.): .322 (2nd in NL) wRC+ (It's basically wOBA but adjusts to park and league factors and effects): 108 (We are #1 in NL!) Pitching: Starters: ERA: 3.11 (1st in NL) FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching, takes into account what pitchers control instead of also including what they don't): 3.48 (3rd in NL) xFIP (FIP but league adjusted): 3.22 (1st in NL) IP: 584.1 (5th in NL) K/9: 8.26 (2nd in NL) BB/9: 2.02 (1st in NL) Ground Ball %: 48.3% (4th in NL) Bullpen: ERA: 3.78 (3rd WORST in NL) FIP: 3.53 (8th out of 15 in NL) xFIP: 3.64 (7th in NL) K/9: 8.83 (8th in NL) BB/9: 4.11 (2nd WORST in NL) GB%: 51.8% (Best in NL)
I like stats and those are some good ones. Definitely like this post. But at the same time, why does the season so far feel like a downer to me? I mean, we're also 1st in the NL in the most important stat of all - team wins. And yet I feel that this team is weak. Sure, the starters as a whole have been better than expected, and that's probably the biggest factor in all those wins. Yet when I'll think of this team over the break, I'll mostly think of all its shortcomings. Are my expectation just too high?
Yes, your expectations are probably just too high, as are mine, no doubt. These stats, except for the BP, are impressive, and we all should be satisfied for sure. But I think we are terribly weak down the middle, and we need to do something about it. It's been so long since we made the WS, if we have a shot, I don't want something that stands out like a sore thumb (IMO) to torpedo it, like always. Something always keeps the bridesmaid role we've played for so long now in tact. Magnificent pitching and good hitting (? probably the most headscratching of the stats) have kept us going. But I wonder if they will keep on keeping on, right down to the wire...
In 88 we had aces throwing like now A few power hitters and some contact hitters. And mediocre guys in many places. Jeff Hamilton, Steve sax, Alfredo Griffin. Sometimes having glaring weaknesses makes teams grow as a unit and cover the other man's six. Leading to those imperfect teams with perfectly awesome playoff runs. I was a big Mike Marshall fan as a little kid.
tbh, i like doyer's (much more) detailed analysis better ... COMMENTARYDodgers midseason report: Dominant rotationBy Bill Plunkett | The Sports XchangeThe Dodgers reached the All-Star break with the best record in the National League (54-43).A $250 million payroll is supposed to produce those kind of results, but the Dodgers needed some help to get to the top of the National League West standings. The San Francisco Giants lent them a hand by losing 15 of 20 games in a stretch in June.The Dodgers will have a tougher road in the second half. Their first 12 games after the break and 26 of their first 29 will be against teams with winning records (including two three-game series against the Giants)."I think everybody in here is confident in the team's ability," Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw said. "When we were struggling early, I think everybody knew in the back of our minds that we could turn it around. Coming back and tying up the Giants in a month is not something we expected just like we didn't expect to go 42-8 last year. But we have that ability."The best of that ability is in a starting rotation led by Kershaw and Zack Greinke. In the final 32 games before the All-Star break, Dodgers starting pitchers had a 2.96 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, holding opposing teams to one run or none in 17 of those 32 starts.The Dodgers will only go as far as that rotation takes them in the second half."For the most part," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly agreed. "We're capable of scoring runs and doing other things to win games. You can't just think you're going to get shutouts every day. We're going to have to put some runs on the board. I think we've shown we're capable of that."You have to win in all different ways. But I think we're built with pitching and we're still looking at that."The Dodgers lineup is certainly studded with enough All-Star names to make one think they should be a force offensively. But players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez are not what they once were. Yasiel Puig and Dee Gordon were the heartbeat of the team in the first half and must continue their All-Star level play in the second half. __
Isn't that what rising to the occasion means? If we break it down even superman just means hype man that gets over. As in people smell what he's cooking, pic up what he's laying down and buy what he's selling. Gibson was superman but the other guys became hypermen at right moments.
Surprised at the offensive numbers. I've only seen less than a fraction of the games I used to, but from what I've seen...it seems like we suck at hitting. Glad to see I'm not the only one scratching my head
.273/.354/.407/.761 with RISP .295/.330/.416/.746 with runner on 3rd and less then 2 outs. bases loaded it's brutal: .400 OPS with 0 outs, .524 OPS with 1 out, .431 OPS with 2 outs. All together, a .452 OPS with bases loaded with Runners on 2nd and 3rd though: 1.094 OPS Shows it's just some weird stuff going on either way. The team is hitting well
Yeah. Maybe I haven't been watching enough to notice (damn TWC), but from the games I have seen, the stats don't really make sense. We've looked so bad sometimes. Just goes to show how weird baseball is.
Looking at those stats the conclusion I come to as why we aren't leading the majors in wins.....bullpen. If our bullpen can get its shit together or nedtard can get an arm or two to replace dead weight then I see another run away division championship.
