Dodgers: Former Braves Third Baseman Mocks Los Angeles’ Decision to Start Gavin Lux in the Outfield
The Dodgers were facing the worst-case scenario heading into the later innings of Game 3 on Tuesday. After a strong start thanks to a 2-run shot from Corey Seager in the 1st, Los Angeles fell apart with Walker Buehler on the mound.
The Braves piled on 5 runs between the 4th and 5th innings and took a big lead into the second half of the game. With the offense struggling to get literally anything going, it looked like the Dodgers were destined to go down 3 games to nothing.
An error by Gavin Lux in the outfield on a flyball at the wall opened the door for the Braves in the 4th. Looking up into the SoCal sun, Lux couldn’t seem to find it and the ball glanced off of his glove. That led to Twins’ third baseman Josh Donaldson openly mocking the Dodgers ‘analitics’ team on Twitter.
Isn’t that guy an infielder? Analitics? Fans will blame the player you got two MVP’s that play center and you put a second baseman out there!!! The stupidity of smart people.
— Josh Donaldson (@BringerOfRain20) October 19, 2021
I don’t know what ‘analitics’ are, but clearly Josh isn’t a fan. He didn’t stop there with his mocking of the Dodgers. He went on to blast their starting pitcher usage and the way that they have used their bullpen already in this series.
Dodgers war of thinking: opener game 1. Game 3 start a second baseman in center. You have the highest payroll in the game. You don’t have a game 1 starter and an actual center fielder. Wait you do but you would rather not. Wtf
— Josh Donaldson (@BringerOfRain20) October 19, 2021
It’s interesting since analytics basically changed the entire course of Donaldson’s career. But the former Braves infielder clearly has an issue with the Dodgers, and we’re glad.
Dodgers Related: Buehler Backs Up Gavin Lux Following His Big Error
Up next, the Dodgers and Braves play Game 4 of the NLCS tonight in Los Angeles. Julio Urias will go for LA likely facing off against an opener for the Braves.
Dodgers: Cody Bellinger Reacts to Huge, Game-Tying Home Run in Game 3
Where is Josh playing these days? Regardless, Josh may want to invest in a dictionary and/or have someone spell check for him before posting. ” WTF” is right.
Regardless of his ability to spell or not, what he is saying is NOT wrong. Cody, Mookie, Taylor, and T Turner and Pollock can all play center. Lux can play any infield position and it should not be rocket science to fill out a lineup card that puts players in the best position for them to succeed. Our manager is the problem here, NOT Lux being asked to play a position that takes time to learn and this on the job training crap ain’t working. Add to that dealing with the sun during a day game and you have a disaster waiting to happen. Somebody should tell our manager that this is not the regular season anymore and per the aforementioned – PLAYOFFS ARE NOT THE TIME FOR EXPERMENTING!
Harry, I beg to differ on one point. Mookie playing too shallow in CF in game 2 was a major reason Dodgers lost game 2! Mookie is s RFer! Cody is a CF. AJ (although came up as a CF is such a disaster at the plate in the postseason). Trea has very few reps in CF. That means Dodgers only logical solutions for CF are either Cody or CT3!
Dodgerfan, I don’t completely agree. Mookie has the range and speed to cover center playing short or not, sometimes a ball just gets over your head. Agree on Pollock being a disaster offensively, but he got a very key hit yesterday that allowed Cody to tie the game. Trea may have limited time in center, but Lux is a work in progress and I repeat that the NLCS is not the place for on the job training. There is no reason to put him in center and have Taylor playing an infield position, though he was filling in for JT. Cody is our best center fielder and I personally would rather him be playing center and Lux playing first. The smart move might be to play him in left with either Cody or CT3 in center and let Betts stay in right. That way he can be protected much better with either of those two in center. It still comes down to Roberts putting people in positions that they are comfortable playing and not being played out of position. If Lux starts worrying about making mistakes in the outfield, it will eventually affect his offensive performance.
Harry, were you not watching game 2? The announcers commented on how the Braves’ outfielders were playing “NO DOUBLES DEPTH!”
Recall how Wade Jr. robbed CT3 of extra bases with a catch at the wall? Or how Cody robbed Tatis of a homer last year? Mookie WAS TOO SHALLOW late in a close game!
I agree Lux has no business playing CF in the postseason. Play Beaty at first and Cody in CF. End of story!
I agree on a no doubles defense, but Mookie may just prefer to play shallow. Please don’t forget the plays in made throughout the playoffs last season going back. Took a home run away from Freeman and made several spectacular catches going back. The move of playing Beaty at first and Cody is a very good idea, but alas tonight’s lineup has Lux back in center and Beaty continues to ride the pine. But after all is said and done, the only thing that matters is that the Dodgers hoist the trophy once again this season.
Donalson is only telling the truth and he’s spot on. I know, just have Will Smith play center Drrrrrrrrrrrr…….
The Dodgers are not down 3 games to 1 in this NLCS because the Dodgers made the decision to have Lux play CF. Overall, our defensive game has not been the problem even though we have seen experienced players make mistakes. We are down 3-1 in this series because our offense continues to struggle to produce runs, but it is what it is. Now the good thing is that tonight’s game is over, and I can hope that tomorrow night the Dodgers play as if they actually want to keep going.
B Mcp, I beg to differ. I would bet you Cody handles Riley’s drive in game 2 and Dodgers win that game. Yes offense has been atrocious. But defense killed the Dodgers even more than the offense IMHO. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Braves defense has been stellar!
B Mcp is correct about our offense it lost the first 2 games by going 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position. Yes Cody probably makes that play, but if the offense had stepped up we would be up 3-1 not down by the same count. In response to his comment on whether they want to keep going, perhaps that is the dumbest comment possibly ever posted. I don’t see any quit in this team, maybe it is just not our year. THE REAL PROBLEM HOWEVER, WHY WE ARE DOWN, IS THE INEPTNESS OF OUR MANAGER. HE BURNED URIAS AND YET HE COMES OUT WITH HIS BS COMMENT THAT URIAS WILL BE FINE. WE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THE FO OPENS UP THEIR EYES AND SEES THE REAL PROBLEM WITH THIS TEAN – ROBERTS!
Harry, Roberts doesn’t pick the bench players. This has to be the worst bench I’ve ever seen! I put the failings of this team on the FO! AF constantly needing to show everyone he’s the smartest guy in the room! Letting Joc go ok, but not re-signing Kike for half what playoff loser Pollock is making is unforgivable IMHO!!!
That combined with the absurd amount of WAR lost due to injury! Imagine how this series would be with Muncy at 1B and Cody in CF!! 4-0 game, set, match!
And I didn’t even mention the $100m AF wasted on the human dumpster fire!
Harry, you took my comment out of context and misconstrued its overall meaning. Although I do not know the Dodgers’ personally (and you likely do not either), I can assume that the Dodgers’ INTENT, as a team, is to advance to the World Series. Now, today “I can hope that the Dodgers PLAY as if they actually want” to advance to the World Series. The Dodgers are underperforming so there is an obvious incongruency between what they want and their performance. I stand by all of my comments (and even repeated this one) so if mine “is the dumbest comment possibly posted” so be it.
Go Dodgers!!!
I appreciate your reply and you don’t have to assume (I am sure they are) that they are INTENT, but they better come out with their hair on fire and play like it. I apologize for my comment. We all want the same thing and that is a Dodger victory tonight and 2 more in Atlanta. Above all I wholeheartedly agree,
GO DODGERS!!!
Harry, I second the “hair on fire” part! That’s exactly what my eyes have not seen in comparison to the Braves. That sense of urgency seems to be lacking, at least in this fan’s eyes. Boys in blue, I implore you to prove me wrong!
Not only Josh! Another author here had several spelling errors in their article. Guess they forgot to proofread.
This is in response to your comment defending Roberts again. This clown is the manager and he sure as hell has made horrible after horrible decision this season and all previous seasons he has been managing this team. Also pretty damn sure he is in on any and all decisions regarding who is placed on the post season rosters. I have said many times before that Kike should still be a Dodger and that Joc was the odd man out regardless. One big move the magnificent FO and MR. ROBERTS was dfaing Peters. I personally would rather have him on this team than Souza, Peters would have given us defensive backup in center and has a cannon arm, plus his offensive would IMHO would be miles ahead of Souza, McKinney or Raley. Roberts keeping Beaty on the bench for the most part is another reason to question his decision making. He DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO HANDLE A PITCHING STAFF OR PUTTING PEOPLE IN THE BEST POSITION TO WIN. PERIOD! And yes Muncy most probably would have been a huge addition, but 4-0 is a bit of a stretch. This team can still win this thing, but it is going to be one hell of a tall task. I have already replied to a previous comment about the will of this team. THIS TEAM WILL NOT QUIT! First things first, win tonight then take a deep breath and finish it in Atlanta so that we can shove that damn chop down their throats.
Harry, right now, there is an obvious disconnect between what our team is capable of doing and what the Dodgers have actually been doing against the Braves, thusfar. Although I do not personally know any of the Dodgers, I think it’s logical to assume that the Dodgers WANT to go to the World Series but they must also “PLAY like they want to” go to the World Series. There is a distinction and I stand by this comment whether you think its “dumb” or not. Even though ALL of us want our Dodgers to win, and we are more “in our feelings” about the prospect of our season ending tonight, we still need to be critical thinkers, too. Again, its not over until its over and I say, “Go Dodgers!!!”
Apology accepted, Harry. Although our opinions will vary we are all on the same team, and right now we agree that our Dodgers need to” come out with their hair on fire and play like it.” We definitely all want the same thing and that is (unquestionably) a Dodgers victory. So, lets GO DODGERS!!! I do not want my baseball season to end tonight.
Harry, we can agree to disagree on some while agreeing on others. I share your sentiments on Peters, really bonehead move agreed. Not sure though who is responsible for it. If you’ve read anything regarding how the Dodger organization arrives at decisions, you know it’s a committee approach. Where the blame is to be shouldered is cloudy at best. We are simply not privy to that level of detail. We all can have different opinions while sharing the common goal of another Dodgers victory.
I really do enjoy reading other viewpoints as it makes one think.
Let’s go Dodgers!
This is to all who have commented on this particular subject. Though we were often agreeing to disagree, it was good spirited conversation. The one common thread is clearly that WE ALL WANT THE DODGERS TO WIN TONIGHT AND THEN GO TO ATLANTA AND SHOVE THAT DAMN CHOP DOWN THEIR COLLECTIVE THROATS.
GO DODGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Minnesota Twins is where he is playing.
Ya he’s ticked off because he has to watch the postseason from his living room lol. Twins MLB equivalent of the 3rd world.
I think he’s just sick of watching Drrrrrrrrrrr and his revolving experiments. Maybe he knows something we don’t and is lobbying for Drrrrrrr’s job after it’s all over….
Instead of expending his energy “mocking” the Dodgers’, Donaldson may want to reserve some of that energy for playing in the 2022 regular season. That way, he can do his part to keep the Twins out of last place in the AL Central. No offense intended to the rest of the guys on the team.
The Dodger’s managerial master mind announces game 5 defensive strategy that will absolutely confuse the Braves. “The entire Dodger defense will rotate up one position # per inning” so that every player will have played all 9 positions. Dave Roberts says he spent all night strategizing and then several hours this morning getting “buy in” from the team. In addition to putting the Braves on their heels, this will create more opportunity for him to visit the mound and make even more intelligent game time adjustments, for example; reverse rotation, move all one or more positions etc. Roberts says he is now working with organist for a secret song to play during each position rotation.
Thank you for making me laugh on a day I just don’t feel like it. Very clever, kudos.
Yes I think Doc overthinks at times. Betts or Taylor should be in center. But weak absent hitting is not helping and Atlanta has many hitting weapons that are producing. 4 hits in a game do not cut it. Believe LA is finished but still hoping for a win in game 5 which would be a miracle
I agree. Whether he like the Dodgers or not is irrelevant. Most people hate the Dodgers anyway. But he makes some good points. Whos cares about his spelling errors. He’s not an english major, he’s a baseball player.
Gotta agree with this. Who cares? He’s a ballplayer & he’s not wrong. Any decision is easily attacked or defended the morning after. With a little timely hitting, we’d be up in this series & Roberts would be a genius. Still gotta just go out and win a ballgame tonight…
I understand wanting to get Lux’s bat in the lineup, but why CF? teams through history place their weakest players in LF, sometimes RF, but NEVER CF! what is Roberts thinking? CF is the most important OF position period.
The reason that was said, was center field balls are closer to what a ball looks like from second base than from left field.
I have to agree…the saying is up the middle defense is paramount. Catcher, middle infielders and yes CF!
Greg Lusinski for the Phillies was a notoriously poor defensive player but couldn’t be out of the lineup because of his bat. Played LF
yes D up the middle is key. Lux should never had played there in the postseason. Leave Belli there. Isn’t interesting, we lose max Muncy and we put our most athletic, top CF at first!! Seems counterintuitive. Especially when you consider against lefties, our first baseman becomes……………. Albert Pujolz! Our least athletic fielder on the team. So hide you weakest INF at first and your weakest OF in left. Dodgers blew it totally – Belli needs to stay in CF – PERIOD.
Joe, unfortunately they don’t listen to us who understand the game. Tragic
Never forget him trying to catch a routine fly ball in left and it hit him in the head! Laughed so hard I felt like I’d done 100 sit-ups.
Not sure of the correct year, either 77 or 78, but Luzinski misplayed a ball in left field that led to the Dodgers winning the pennant. I believe it was a game Burt Hooton started.
Harry, thank you for correcting my spelling error. Luzinski not Lusinski.
We supposedly have Lux in the Line up for his hitting….When’s that gonna start happening. Career .171 Post Season, Career .231 Regular season, and .000 this post season. Was playing in the Minors 3 weeks before the Post Season, and was REMOVED from the 2020 Playoff rosters! To play someone out of position for those numbers, Must be a Dopey Dave move! Stick with the experience.