"Yeah, and I probably should have said "That was then and this is now"."
>>>But that's three times in a five year period. 60%. The last two seasons in a row. Obviously it indicates the cream has & will rise to the top. We can try to marginalize that achievement / pattern, but then we just come off as looking for the negative.
No, we come off looking realistic. If you banking on another 42-8 run this year, I dare you to take that to Vegas and bet the house on it. Even more realistic is to consider this year's roster isn't the same as those prior years, nor are the opposing team's rosters the same. The cream may rise, but it may not be Dodger cream.
"It doesn't matter how many times it's happened in the past"
>>>Then it doesn't matter how much we panic about a 2-5 start this season.
You're confounding the issues. What happened in the past (good or bad) was the result of the factors in play at that time. None of those exact same factors are in play right now. The factors in play right now have led to a 2-5 start, so yeah, we can start to "panic" about it.
"so it's pointless to argue about it."
>>>Which negates the need for this discussion. From your point of view anyway.
Yes, see above.
"This team needs to focus on 1 game at a time; what's it going to take to win THIS game." & "Whatever mojo is missing from their bats, they need to find it."
>>>But they give it 110%, are real grinders, competitors, savvy veterans, ad nauseam." & "Doubtful the entire team loses it overnight.
As I said, I have no doubt they are trying. But was it Einstein that said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? My point being that maybe they need more BP, or maybe a different stance in the batters box, etc.
"Whatever pitching strategy isn't working for them, they need to dump it and use another."
>>>Hmmm...What strategy do you think they're employing that isn't working? Honeycutt says - "Now I want you to go out there & walk the first two batters. After that - gofer ball. Atta boy! Go get 'em."
Pitching strategy is much more than pitch selection. I'm talking everything from who starts when, to pitch count limits, to which reliever is called and when, etc. I, for one, if asked about my pitching strategy would mention that I include "never under any circumstance ever call for Pedro Baez" as part of that strategy.
"but whatever it is they are doing isn't winning games."
>>>Ebbs & flows.
I know with a 162 game schedule it's easy to dismiss winning and losing streaks as just ebbs and flows of the game. And when you look back at a team's season of ebbs and flows, they're easy to spot. But what isn't so easy is to figure out the "why" - there are, after all, valid reasons (not luck or serendipity) why teams go on winning streaks and why they go on losing streaks. I suspect and expect that with today's access to mountains of data teams are going to be better informed as to the "whys" (actually, I think that played a great part in last year's 42-8 run, since it seamed like every move Doc made was the exact right one for that "moment" in that "game"). But I digress. Hitters aren't hitting, so maybe it's more BP they need. Or a totally different line-up (Puig leads off, then Forsythe, then Taylor, then Seager.... you get the idea). Pitching is ~80% great, 20% lousy. Fix the 20% lousy. If KJ isn't loose yet, make him throw pitches all day every day until he is. Don't ever use Baez. Try somebody else as closer. Just focus on, and try to eliminate, the weak spots.
