Dodgers Pitcher Clears Out His Locker Between Games in Atlanta

How is it possible that this website and ESPN keep referring to a potential 3 game sweep and are not aware that is a 4 game wraparound weekend set? Duh!
OTOH, what a welcome development to have been able to watch such a good game today, as well as the Emmys tonight. Spoken, of course, as a relieved DirecTV subscriber.

Surprising why more pro athletes don’t take their medical advice from random fan posts.

just sayin what? signees after August 31 are not eligible for the postseason. degenerate or otherwise.

Every team in baseball is dealing with the trend of increasing pitching injuries, and the Dodgers have had it the worst the last few years, by far. I could put some of the blame on Roberts overworking his starters, especially his rookies, but that is beside the point. There are a lot of experts out there trying to figure out the reasons – higher velocity, more use of stressful pitch types, greater intensity as hitters are better, etc. But the reality is that the game has changed, and teams had better learn to change with it. I contend that teams – I hope starting with the dodgers, will adapt some new models of managing their starting pitching roster, primarily to limit the number of innings and number of pitches.
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I offer the following suggestion, which will get lots of laughs and opprobrium from arm chair experts, but I will make it anyway. Start with the standard, CW model that most teams use: 13 pitchers, comprised of 5 starters and 8 relievers; each starter starts the 1st inning and tries to go as long as possible (used to be 9 inning, rare to go beyond 7 today), with great value, and contract money, placed on the number of innings. When the starters falter, or get beyond 100 pitches, bring in the bullpen.
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I propose a couple of key changes. First would be an expanded use of openers. Rarely does a game go without using relief out of the bullpen. Why not use some in the 1st inning instead of 6-9? Use a lockdown reliever to get past the first 3 batters the first time, let the starters pitch innings 2-7 or 2-8. Teams are starting to do this more, why not make it a consistent strategy?
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Next is what I will call “team starters”. Instead of 5 starters and 8 relievers, why not reverse that and have 8 starters? Too late this year for the Ds, but even without Kershaw and Flaherty you can easily see 8 starters next year already under contract. Team them up to pitch 4 innings each – Ohtani and Stone, Glasnow and Yamamoto, Buhler and May, Gonsolin and Sheehan, or others waiting in the wings.
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I can hear the objections now – most important being buy-in by the starters, who would have to give up some glory of being “THE guy” and basing their millions on pitching late into games. They would have to embrace a concept of team first. But you could point out that what they give up in glory they would gain by a longer and more productive career, with less time spent rehabbing. I’m also guessing that this would result in improved stats for each starter, improving their value on the market. They would have to get used to not starting the 1st inning, especially if you combine this with more openers. Another objection is cost, as starters are much more expensive than relievers – but, hell, we are paying these starters anyway to NOT pitch and spend their time in the weight room. It could SAVE money in the long run.
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But think of the gains. The most important is that each starter would have many fewer pitches per game, which I am guessing will be found to be more important than total pitches per year, and this scheme could actually result in more pitches per year factoring in less time on the IL. Chances are much better of having a full lineup come October. They could be more willing to go all out each inning instead of pacing themselves to go long. Their recovery time would be less so you could easily go with 4 two-man teams. There is less chance of facing an opposing team the third time through the lineup, which is where a lot of pitchers fail. You could stagger the lineup to put in a lefty and righty so the opposing team couldn’t stack their position players based on a particular pitcher. You could stagger them so a hard thrower would follow a finesse pitcher. You would have only 5 relievers, but you would need fewer since the starters would take their place (and next year the Ds could still have 6 relievers if Ohtani is classified as a DH).
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And you could change it up in multiple ways. If the first starter is lights out one night with a low pitch count, let him go an extra inning or two. Some pitchers you could let pitch in the regular fashion. Some games would go be 5-3 innings or even 6-2 (or the reverse). Your relievers will still be there when necessary. Flip the starters in the order so that each would get the glory of the win after 5 innings. If some start to falter, the other can take on a more traditional role, or you could call up replacements from the minors.
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Yeah, this is radical, and some people will call it stupid. But something has to change, the old model is failing. Each year the Ds stagger into the postseason with a rotation that was not there at the beginning of the year, populated with other teams castoffs and rookies. It is getting really frustrating. Some team is going to adopt some changes like this, I’d like the Dodgers to give it a try.