Dodgers: Jerry Hairston Jr. Goes On Rant After the Latest LA Loss to Miami
The Dodgers trip down south to Miami has not gone smoothly at all. Los Angeles has dropped the first two games against the Marlins with both losses coming in one run ball games that could have easily ended in wins.
Especially Tuesday’s game which ended in the worst way possible, a passed ball and throwing error by catcher Will Smith. After the game, SportsNetLA analyst Jerry Hairston Jr. went on a rant about how unacceptable the loss was, especially since Smith could be seen trying to stop the pitch on one knee.
“This is not just happening with the Dodgers, this is happening around Major League Baseball. It is stupidity having big league catchers get down on one knee when there’s a runner at third base or runner in scoring position. You are dead wrong. That’s being taught at the big league level which is crazy to me.”
Dodgers lose to Marlins on walk-off as Starling Marte advances to third on a wild pitch and home on a throwing error https://t.co/5nNR9KtQii
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 7, 2021
While the pitch was deemed as a wild pitch, Hairston does have a point. You can’t take any chances in such a tight ball game.
“If there’s nobody on and you wanna go Tony Peña style, relax be cool [and] try to steal a strike, hey knock yourself out. But there’s a big league runner at second base, the winning run, or there’s a winning run on third base and you’re on one knee, sorry bruh that can’t happen in the big leagues. This is the show, not college baseball.”
Treinen had also already thrown a wild pitch the inning before that could have ended the game. However, it was the home plate umpire’s shin guard that saved the day for the time being. Could Smith have done a better job to block that ball? It’s possible, but the game should have never been that close, and Smith acknowledged that a throw should’ve never been made.
LA’s offense has struggled the past two games going 4-20 with runners in scoring position and leaving a combined 25 men on base. They’ve also struck out 25 times which only adds to the problem. With that being said, losing the way they did with two outs already in the inning stings a little worse. Hopefully, the upcoming All-Star break will help them reset for the second half.
NEXT: Corey Seager Swinging Again
With even the best teams everything has to go right to win the World Series. This year everything isn’t going right!
It has to go right at the right times. Not even last year was it completely smooth sailing. They were down 3-1 to the braves. Most champions don’t have everything go right, it just does when they need it to most
and yet they are the #2 team in MLB. So far so good – if the season ended today they would be in the playoffs.
It’s about time! Now we need him to go off on base running, situational hitting, two strike approach, and everything else that the analytic nerds have screwed up about the game! And for goodness sakes, get electronic balls and strikes. If for no other reason than to help the umpires quit embarrassing themselves and the game.
he has to be careful or he may be “excused” from his job on the air
So how many runners has Bellinger and Pollock combined to leave stranded? #4 hitter? Pollock making big money? a lot of the problem is these 2 …………Beaty should be playing at least against right handers. Roberts wont bunt a runner over man on 2nd no outs? Nobody can hit? make something happen for God’s sake…
Bellinger back to his lazy at bats chasing high fastballs and upper cutting. He’s too anxious to get his numbers up after missing so much time and it was obvious he’d be that way I just knew it
Don, he can’t handle the high FB up and in but what bothers me is his straight stance and how he just lolly gags his way out of batters box. Again he IS NOT a cleanup hitter this year but stubborn Roberts keeps him there no matter what. At least last year he was batting 6th, which is where he should be now.
Totally agree with your assessment on Bellinger.,,He can’t hit the high fast ball….And Roberts has lost many games failing to play small ball when runs are on the base path…..with less than two outs and runner on second should be an automatic bunt on play to move the runners over to third….fly ball will score the run….
Also dump the shirt with a game tied at 1….or ahead by a run in late innings….Roberts continued use of the shift has cost many games to be lost….Runner on first is an automatic DP positioning of the 2nd baseman and SS. Third baseman should be hugging the line to avoid a double ….Other teams thank Roberts for using the shift and good hitters will adjust to hit the gaps…they do this in the PROS……
Do away with the runner starting at second base in extra innings…..this is the MLB…not the NCAA…..Pros get paid BIG BUCKS to play to win…..don’t need college rules in the PROs……its supposed to the next level of playing to game….not collegiate.
heh guys – Belli is coming back from an extended absence with a serious injury. Meanwhile, he is SAVING runs with his glove in CF. Same goes for Betts – we lost several games I can think of without those 2 in CF and RF. I agree he can drop down to #6. Then who bats 4th? uh-huh. Obviously what the team needs is Corey back, then he slots to #2, Max moves to #4 and Belli to #6.
Message to Joe, no way Bellinger has saved more runs than he has left on base stranded. Betts pretty much the same….And your absolutely wrong about bunting and sacrificing. To just say nobody does it,or it’s in the past is ignorantly ridiculous. No Small ball equates to BIG LOSSES , not SMALL losses but BIG Losses. Half the reason the MLB doesn’t do it much is because the modern player CAN’T execute it. How about Panik and his bunt against the shift last night? This Dodgers team with all of it’s supposed talent should be able to at least lay down a bunt hit to beat a shift don’t you think? Lack of SMALL ball creates BIG LOSSES……
Get him out of the #4 slot for God’s sake! He can’t do it!
Bellinger needs a good hitting coach and teach him how to hit line drives.
Cut down on his swing. He is too Great of an athlete for us to lose him to the bench.
You can put BETTS in that group.
Other than Bellinger’s superior defense,
his at bats are ‘always’ the same- LOUSY!
Suppose his bases loaded (1) out at bat Monday
night was ‘the final straw’ for me. Unlike last year, the
team’s ‘consistent’ night in night out innings have all but
disappeared!
Betts and belli will play every day as their defense saves runs! Bats will come around. both have been fighting injuries all year.
I totally understand where Hairston Jr., is coming from. He’s mostly upset at what he sees as a casualness from Smith and Barnes regarding blocking pitches and using proper technique. Many of us have commented on it this season regarding just how poor both Catchers have been in executing basic fundamental plays behind the plate. There has been a regression as compared to last season and it appears to be getting worse with both.
It’s the manager’s responsibility to instruct the coaches to practice the fundamentals of moving guys over which happens too often where they have man on first and no outs and two outs later the same guy’s still on first base. And also what happened last night should have never happened. Replace the manager. Get someone to teach those guys to hit the ball.
Smith and Barnes are terrible. No hitting and no defending.
Victor, watch tonights player batting avg’s …..The lowly Marlins have hitters that hit for avg. Dodgers have hitters that hit for higher OPS. Marlins have horrible pitching, Dodgers have superb pitching. Hopefully there is enough coffee to wake up the Dodgers, because just one poor pitching performance and this team is toast because they don’t hit for avg…Walks and the long ball is all they can do….
This game should not have had to resch the 10th inning. 25 strikeouts in2 games? Absurd! 4 for 20 with RISP and a combined 25 men LOB. And one can understand why this team is inferior to last year but this year has shown many other deficiencies that just may keep them from October.
also, why is Roberts using a minor league pitcher for several seasons in a 1-0 ballgame??
sometimes the new guys are tough to hit as there is no film on them and the hitters haven’t seen them. besides until we get a 5th starter to replace Bauer, we needs lots of arms.
Last night showed how this team is far from fundamentally sound it is and Roberts has to share in the blame. If ever there was a loss that’s totally inexcusable it was last night’s embarrassment.
There is a reason Smith doesn’t catch in the playoffs. He’s still learning back there. He’s young, and smart – he’ll get it right -eventually
Joe, I don’t necessarily fault Smith for last night’s loss. Dodgers loss this game because they had trouble just putting the ball in play. 25 men LOB in 2 games. 25 strikeouts by the hitters in 2 games. To me, both team losses. Chances are, ya won’t win too many games scoring just 1 run.
Agree, either bunt or steal 3rd with no outs. Never done, waiting for the big hit! Get creative and make something happen.Too many strikeouts. Another pitcher down. The guys they bring up have nothing. Also, the catchers keep calling for the pitch in the same spot pitch after pitch. Watch! Howard
Bunt is long gone from today’s MLB
And so are the Wins!! For those that don’t use it…
Dave Roberts has to go. He doesn’t have a clue when it comes to handling pitchers or ANY baseball strategy. We have won in previous years INSPITE of him, not because of him. My pet cat could have won with the talent he has been given and yet only 1 Championship.
Please, no more bullpen games, all that does is tire out an already overused part of the team. Tell Price he is the 5th starter, don’t ask or bring up Grey to start after his minor league warmup. Enough with the giving 3 regulars a day off on same day, go for the wins every day. A win in Miami counts just as much as a win in SF or SD…2 teams that are playing with the intensity we used to have.
Fire Roberts
Dodgers bullpen has thrown the least amount of innings in NL!! So they have lots of life with the FO bringing in new pitchers all the time. Dodgers will be fine – they know what it takes to win the Division
J. Hair is 100% right. Not only him but many other former catchers have criticized that bad habit of the one knee on the ground. It restricts your mobility in moving to your left or right to properly block balls in the dirt in time. It is taught to frame the low pitch but it also creates laziness. That is a glaring problem w/ many catchers today. Barnes doesn’t do it , but Smith is guilty of more balls getting passed him. He was lucky a couple of times recently but it caught up to him @ a bad time. This technique causes the pitcher to not have the confidence to throw that all important breaking ball to get the batter out. He must be cognizant in blocking balls when runners in scoring position. I have noticed his technique when he first came up and saw many mishandled balls that could have been blocked, but I guess this was overlooked because of his bat. But on that throw to 3rd, JT should have made a better attempt to block that ball, it’s the winning run ! Overall the whole team didn’t execute basic winning baseball. Very embarrassing for a world champion.
maybe they’re tired. you try playing late Saturday night and then turnaround and play early Sunday morning on the road, and then get in a plane. They’ll be fine.
Agree with you there…..But that’s what ” ALL” that depth and setting all time wins predictions are all about right?
you are right about Barnes. He’s a solid defensive catcher – much better than Smith
You should have heard me. I was so pissed off and this was after the umpire stop a sure run
The Dodgers need one or two good hitters because we are leaving too many runners on base! Now our pitching can be solved by obtaining one or two very good starters! Max Scherzer, Sonny Gray or Jose Berrios are good starters to pick from! Marcell Ozuna, Byron Buxton, Bryan Reynolds or Kyle Seager are all good hitters and even N. Castellanos would be a solid hitter.
The league knows Dodgers are in real need for starting pitching so it will cost them big time to obtain even a starter that’s in his walk year.
we have great hitters and soon enough Corey will be back. as for pitching, we need the Bauer situation resolved one way or the other. we got time with the trade deadline 3+ weeks away
You do know that Ozuna was arrested,right?
Yes, but Ozuna isn’t on the Dodgers and hasn’t criticized the Dictator Commissioner.
Kirk, I might guess that by now you might have seen my post about Manfred needing to be impeached. The worst Commisioner of all time in my book.
Yes Paul and I couldn’t agree more but my take is they hired Manfred to further the Political Agenda’s of Socialism and Social justice, Race baiting, hatred and blatant disrespect for law and order is why he allowed the Astro’s and Red Sox cheaters to skate. He get’s MLB involved with the ideals that cater to Socialist/Communist ideals and absolutely nothing to do with the betterment of Major League Baseball. Dang right he needs impeached !!!!!
No I didn’t know that. What happened
JR is correct…..the catcher is to play situational defense….College coaches who never played in the Majors shouldn’t be revising the play or techniques of the game…..My dad played catcher and taught me to but my body in front of the first ball……use the chest protector.. and knee guards and glove……the tools of a backstop……
The “killer instinct” is not there, nor the hunger to dominate. Players determined to repeat as champions should be at a different level of focus and determination when batting while their teammates are on base and in scoring position.
I see a casualness that is perhaps a fault of many previous teams coming off of a World Series championship. The Dodgers should be different than those previous teams….they have way too much talent to stand by and leave player after player stranded on base…they should take more pride in their game and start playing like champions against every opponent they face.
Look what the Giants are doing with much less actual talent on the field. It is shameful.
and yet the Dodgers are 1 game out in the loss column. The #2 team W-L record in MLB. C’mon man!
Joe, I respectfully have to disagree. You cannot be satisfied w/ that. They have thrown away losses because of lack of execution on basic winning baseball. With the talent they have, the Dodgers should be in 1st place by a few games. Too many 1 and 2 run losses and x-tra inning losses. Most of the losses have been categorized as bad embarrassing losses. Their offensive philosophy this year has changed from last year’s thinking—-where they were more productive scoring w/ runners on & 2 outs and “passing the baton “ as they called it. The name of the game is score more than your opponents.
Exactly. And the way to score more runs than your opponent is to not be striking out with runners on base and totaling 40 K,s in the last 3 games.
Top of the 8th and Mookie leads off and gets on base with no outs. He could have easily stolen 2nd base on that pitcher as he was very slow to the plate. Or Muncy could have bunted him over. What happens next? Muncy hits into a double play. Roberts is a complete idiot of a manager. If Mookie took 2nd, that puts tremendous pressure on the pitcher. If Muncy still hits that ball to the first baseman for an out like he did, Mookie moves over to 3rd with one out. Instead Muncy hits into the double play and takes the steam out of a potential rally and win. San Diego would have moved the runner over and probably even the Giants. The Dodgers would rather try to win with the home runs. Pathetic on the way Smith catches. Was just a matter of time for him to screw up. Lux’s batting average is slowly drifting down.
Exactly, only Taylor knows how to play small ball.
He did bunt, but Smith got thrown out @ 3rd. It would have been better if CT3 tried to oppo hit to the right to get him over and maybe get a hit out of it. CT3 is capable of doing that. In x-tra innings on the road you’re going to need more than one run to win the game.
Dodgers continually show a reluctance to steal. Maybe Mookie is playing injured???? Max is NOT ever going to bunt. Leads the league in OPS. Small ball is rarely played anymore in the MLB
I think you are right. No bunts or stealing bases. We need to get a man on second.
The only position player that can bunt is Barnes, nobody else knows how to bunt and they have only a couple athletes that play the run game but they hardly get on base because the philosophy is to launch. So to get on 2nd they have to hit doubles or better. The team is not built to do the things that everybody is clamoring for. Doc is trying to have the players excell @ what they are accustom to. Every team is built differently to the player’s strengths.
Look ,I agree that Bellinger is an anchor . He has not improved since his first year . Good pitchers always have his number . He will want big money , dump him . Moodier just having a bad time . Roberts changes the lineup too much so these guys cannot get on their groove . Play your best 8 every night . Sub every once and a while . This year the teams have caught up with the Dodgers .
Get rid of him like the Yankees are talking about getting rid of Judge. Get a good return before they get stuck with a Mike Stanton contract!
anchors don’t play MVP defense in CF. He’s already saved a bunch of runs in CF sine he returned. Same with Betts
That’s an Excellent question Rich! Its Insanity how this team is managed!!
I’m surprised I’m the only one calling out Pollock’s dismal season. He’s getting big money to do nothing. He strikes out every time in a crucial moment and he get’s injured way too much. Absolutely No f-in reason he should have started against that right hander. Roberts already threw Beaty under the bus but at least Beaty hits the damn ball. Pollock is a complete waste, even more so than Bellinger. The rants on this thread are all legit, and it’s not just a b-tch session either. The last 2 losses are inexcusable because the Dodgers because of Roberts just give the game away. The Marlins tried feverishly tojust lay down and hand the Dodgers that game and the Dodgers took a nap. By the way, Gonsolin threw lights out and deserved a win from these slackers.
Gonsolin.did a pretty good job. I liked it
Roberts is by far the worse manager in big leagues. Mookie should not be leading off, Bellinger should be sixth or higher, he is a master of the pop-up and or strike out, unable or refuses to change his straight up stance ! This team except for a few exceptions do not play fundamental baseball. Smith is lazy, does not move to his right just reaches. It all starts with the manager ! Roberts is a poor excuse of a big league manager.
Spot on Greg, but Roberts is the first one to jump on any Social platform regarding the hottest bubble topic of the Manfred regime. Gabe Kapler has been schooling Roberts with much less at his disposal. Even Donny “Who was the master of collapse” is schooling Roberts. Bauer who was the ONLY player on this Dodgers team who had some Bite and grit has been a HUGE blow so far. Albert needs to put some fire under these slackers, Kike and Joc are gone…
Greg. I tend to agree with about Roberts in today’s lineup Bellinger is moved to 6th slot but Roberts has Pujols batting 2nd, which is ridiculous because of his lack of speed if nothing else. What helped Dodgers successful last year is at least most of the time hitters 1 thru 6 in the batting order were basically the same.
yes and when Corey comes back that will be the case
If Roberts had any clue about anything he would bat Taylor lead off, Muncy, Turner, Pujols, Mookie, Bellinger, Beaty, Barnes…..Beaty is a upgrade over Pollock,Betts is not a lead off hitter this year. Muncy plays 2nd,taylor at short,Beaty in left. That is the Dodgers best team…Lux needs to sit for a while and so does Pollock ….
Kirk, I got the feeling Lux may soon find himself sitting more often against LHP. As of the moment he’s hitting like Joc did against LHP, and was why he was a platoon player. Now hopefully. Roberts and Dodgers give him a little longer leash. We know Lux wants to be in there daily but he and others must show they can handle both LHP and RHP in order for more playing time.
Yeah Lux isn’t seeing the ball real well, or is he playing good defense. I know these guys are a little tired but Gavin is younger and that shouldn’t be a problem. Taylor plays a great short stop so Lux should sit a few. He’s lost his patience at the plate, he should be drawing more walks because he’s been swinging at bad pitches like Bellinger does.
MOOKIE prefers leadoff & Roberts isn’t
‘allowed’ to ‘rock the boat!’ Will agree that
Dave hasn’t figured out ‘the right lineup’ to get
the most out of his players but I do think that Seager
not being behind Mookie hurts his offense!
BINGO! Once we get Corey back, everything on offense and defense will fall back into place a few more weeks is all we got before he’s back
Maybe Cody came back a little to early, he should go back to the minors and find his mojo.
No he is saving runs with his defense. He’ll figure it out at the plate. coming back from injury is hard
Hairston’s absolutely bang on. Smith needs a remedial course at the Yadier Molina School of Defensive Catching. The game-winning run is on second in the bottom of the 10th, a guy who throws really wicked breaking balls is on the mound, and Smith tries to backhand pick a wide one out of the dirt? He’s gotta be jumping out on both knees and blocking that ball, keeping it in front of him, at any cost.
Then there’s the issue of the throw… It’s not that he short-hopped Turner, it’s that he threw the ball at all.
Really poor baseball. And don’t get me started on Bellinger at the plate, sinking lower and lower below the Mendoza Line, huge looping swing after huge looping swing no matter what the count.
Joe, I don’t necessarily fault Smith for last night’s loss. Dodgers loss this game because they had trouble just putting the ball in play. 25 men LOB in 2 games. 25 strikeouts by the hitters in 2 games. To me, both team losses. Chances are, ya won’t win too many games scoring just 1 run.
Bellinger looks absolutely ridiculous at the plate. With that front side opening up and looping swing he will be lucky to keep his batting average above .150. With 2 strikes he looks pathetic closer to a little leaguer. I was generous at the beginning of the year when I predicted he would hit .175. I made that prediction after I heard him say he was reverting back his swing from 2017 – the one every MLB figured how to pitch too.
The batters are taking to many strikes down the middle.wgen they get two strikes they swing at anything everything horrible can’t even hit a fastball no more guessing on what pitch see the ball hit the ball you’re a pro at like it