Dodgers: Plaschke 2021 G.O.A.T Article Labeled ‘Disrespectful’ by MLB Analysts
The 2021 Dodgers have lofty expectations after winning the 2020 World Championship and adding reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer. Manager Dave Roberts noted last week that this might be “the most talented Dodger team ever”.
LA Times reporter Bill Plaschke took it one step further.
On Monday, Plaschke wrote a column titled “The 2021 Dodgers will be the greatest team in MLB history”. The baseball world had a lot to say in response.
In one example, MLB Sirius XM’s Dan Graca and Xavier Scruggs strongly disagreed with Plaschke’s premise during Monday’s episode of Round Trip. Scruggs felt that it was disrespectful to even compare the Dodgers to any of the all-time greats before the Dodgers had even played a game.
“We know how good they are…the rotation they have. How can you disrespect the history of our game talking this kind of mess based on 60 games last year and what you see on paper? You’re gonna tell me this team is better than the 1970 Baltimore Orioles? They’re better than the Big Red Machine? I don’t even want to talk about the ’61 New York Yankees, the ’39 New York Yankees, and not even to mention the 1998 New York Yankees.”
Dan Graca took special exception to Plaschke’s notion that the Dodgers were better than the 1998 Yankees. Graca submitted that the Yankees’ 114 regular season wins and 11-2 postseason record are in a different stratosphere. He also noted their World Series sweep of the San Diego Padres.
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He punctuated it with strong criticism of the Dodgers past playoff failures prior to their 2020 championship.
“But this group has really been defined as underachieving more than anything else. They finally get over the hump last year. In a 60 game season. Where they didn’t have to go through the full gauntlet of 162.”
Graca wasn’t done. He continued to tee-off on the article, specifically Plaschke’s quip that the “they will be even better than the 1998 Yankees team that can’t match their starting pitching”.
“If you just wanna throw [out] the ’98 Yankees rotation being inferior to this Dodgers group. That ’98 Yankees rotation, those guys, were lauded for being big game money pitchers more than anything else. The Pettittes, the David Wells, the David Cones, the El Duques. I would take any of those four guys…I just mentioned, in an October baseball game. Money on the line, over any of the guys in the current Dodgers rotation.”
Well, Dodger fans…your thoughts?
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Picky, picky, picky. It was an opinion piece. Are we now going to punish alkl writers whose opinions we disagree with?
One commentator disagreeing with another commentator is not news. Nor worth fussing over,
They failed in the playoffs in previous years… meaning that they can’t learn from their failures and get better… meaning that they can’t be great this year? I’m having a hard time processing these guys’ logic. Please, nobody tell them that the 1920s Yankees lost 3 of their first 4 World Series appearances, or that the 1995 Yankees were knocked off in the ALDS before winning it all the following year.
By the way, he didn’t mention the 2017 Dodgers had the WS stolen by the cheating Astros. That 2017 team was definitely on par with last year’s, and clearly the best in the MLB that year. For what it’s worth, I also think the ’17 Yankees were robbed and wouldv’e give LA an awesome series if it weren’t for the damn Astros. So to sum it up IMHO, the Dodgers should have won 2 WS in the past 4 seasons, and are only getting better. I don’t know about the pitching vs the 98 Yanks, but I think the ’17,and ’20 Dodgers would take down the ’98 NYY in a WS matchup. This year remains to be seen. Kike and Joc had a lot to do with postseason success.
If the Dodgers read Plascke’s article and were thinking the same thing, yesterday’s game should throw a little cold water on that idea!
Plaschke has challenged the Dodgers to prove him wrong.
If the Dodgers win 125 games, then 3 of every 4 in the playoffs and sweep the Series, will that prove him right?
First let them demonstrate they are the best team in baseball this year. Then we can have the discussion whether they are the greatest team of all time. A lot has to go right for even the first to happen.