Kiké Hernandez: “We Had No Energy. The Stadium Had No Energy.”
Kike Hernandez noted that the Dodgers seemed to lack the energy or hunger you would hope to see in an NLCS series. Hernandez told Andy McCullough of the LA Times following game three that ‘the stadium lacked energy’ in the moments of the team’s 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Here are the exact quotes:
Enrique Hernandez: "We had no energy. The stadium had no energy. The fans had no energy. Overall, it was a pretty bad game for everybody who calls themselves Dodgers.”
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) October 16, 2018
More from Hernandez: "It was a playoff game, and it didn’t feel like a playoff game. Not just because of the fans, but because of how we were playing the game . . . We sucked. That’s why we lost."
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) October 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/McCulloughTimes/status/1052052897309978624
This is a news piece – and I won’t risk turning it into an editorial. You should leave your thoughts on this in the comments, but it’s important to look at what Hernandez said and why he said it.
Hernandez is obviously frustrated – and seemed to walk back some of what he originally said as the quotes rolled onward. Still, it’s hard to fault the crowd of 52,793 that paid in attendance on this October 15th night.
Watching on television, you could hear the crowd get into the action on several occasions. For example, the crowd chanted ‘Puig’ loudly in unison for one of his high-leverage at-bats. When Los Angeles mounted several mini-rallies, the crowd reacted accordingly. The Dodgers simply didn’t give their crowd many opportunities to get rowdy. Typically, 4-0 shutouts are not the hallmark moments in a fan base’s season; especially in a break-even game of the NLCS.
The Dodgers – and their home crowd – will attempt to circle back and regroup on Tuesday.
Final Word
It’s tough to hang this one on the fans, even if that isn’t what Hernandez meant to do. The series of quotes have a little bit of a bad feel to them. As someone who unfortunately lives and dies by what the Dodgers do – well I would like to hear someone (anyone) respond differently. How nice would it be to hear a member of the team say ‘we are going to respond tomorrow because that is who this team is’, or something to that effect. Instead, reading comments like this add to a specific feeling of things circling the drain. It’s easy to overreact to quotes, and it’s important to not do that here. I don’t think anyone in the Dodgers clubhouse has given up. However, it’s imperative right now for the Dodgers to cling to positive energy and the fan base is the aura that can help channel that the most ultimately.
Hernandez has since issued an apology to fans, stating that it was not directed as a complaint to them.
On Manny Machado’s Lack of Hustle
I agree that both the fans and the players feed off of each other’s enthusiasm, but in no way are the fans to blame for any Dodgers losses. Don’t forget who pays for tickets to watch a game and don’t forget that every player on the team is a millionaire and gets paid for winning or losing. That puts it into perspective. At this point the Dodgers need to win three of four remaining games, and for now the energy is all with the Brewers. The Dodgers have to want it more than their opponent. I’ll add one thing…I don’t like the new “metrics” employed by Roberts…we still can’t hit with RISP and we don’t know how to bunt when the situation arises, unlike Yelich when the shift was on.
Agree 100%
I agree with bleedblue, on the “metrics” by roberts, I think the main office has something to do with it too. Also, what are the jobs of the “batting” and “pitching” coaches? To me, players are not hitting and pitching the way they’re suppose to
First let me say that watching on television, they filter out a lot of the fan noise, so not a great way to judge cheering.
I pay a huge sum of money to drive 35 miles to the Stadium, getting there when the gates open and waiting in my car until they condescend to opening the turnstile gates. I would love to watch Dodgers BP (as we did yesterday), but usually they are about finished when we are permitted entry. On top of my tickets plus parking for about 45 games each year (I can’t afford season tickets any longer, price went up to more than $17,000 for two), I spend between $50 and $100 on food and drinks. We do not go on vacation, we go to Dodger games.
I think I have the right to say that players who whine about “fan energy” need to take a look at themselves. Puig includes the whole stadium when he gets a hit. He tries hard. That is all I ask: give your best effort every time. Rich Hill RUNS out ground balls. Some others jog to first
Kike still has me blocked on Twitter because a few years ago I congratulated him on his good game and politely suggested he stand with his hand over his heart during the anthem. I know that management spoke to him and now he does stand at attention.
Dodger Stadium hosts and score board operators who chastise fans for not “making some noise, louder” should understand that the majority of fans know the difference between good plays and otherwise. We don’t need to be told “SINGLE!!!!!!” or “STRIKE OUT!!”. We can see it with our own eyes and prefer to watch the stats on the scoreboard for exit velocity and pitch speed.
The players must realize that we understand after 8 months of training/playing they are tired and sore. We understand that MLB is comprised of 1500 of the best players IN THE WORLD.
If the fans could perform at this level, we would be out their on the field too. We can’t and we know it. Last night a couple guys sitting next to me started booing when Yasmani Grandal struck out again. I told them “you don’t boo your own guys”. I believe that. You do not boo the players on the field who are trying their hearts out. But you also don’t blame the fans for “lack of energy”
Agree totally!
Well said!
Well said Carol, well said. There’s only one thing that I could possibly add to what you’ve stated. This is the NLCS, Kike, the NLCS!!! Your win this series and you have the opportunity to compete in the world series!!! The whole reason you play 162 games. And you’re trying to say you need outside motivation to win!!! Brother if having the opportunity to be a world series champion is not motivation enough, perhaps you need to reevaluate wanting to be a professional baseball player, because that are guys in the league that would give anything to be where you are now!!!
Hmm Yaz worn out, Manny no hustle, Kike , “We have no energy ? ” , Doesn’t sound like they are ready to compete for an NL title.
Just Overpaid Underachievers.. with a worthless manger…. watch them lose
Kike Hernandez Colors’ Finally Come Out.
52,793 in paid attendance came out on the 15th to cheer for and support the Dodgers and the entire organization. Yes, Kike; you sucked and so did the entire team. But don’t you dare blame your whining on the Los Angeles Fans. They supported the team all year long both home and abroad. Many of us, like me, have season tickets and many more do not. For Kike to fault and send failure to the Los Angles greater community and especially to those who were in attendance; I can only say that I take exception to his words of action and fault against the Los Angeles greater community. I would also expect Kike to ask for a public audience in the next few hours pending the remaining game(s) requesting a public retraction on his remarks. The Greater Los Angeles community came forward when Kike was asking for support after Hurricane Maria hit his native land of Puerto Rico and rendered financial assistance to his fund. Furthermore, this whining Dodger needs to understand that it is US the FANS who support his paycheck and have stood and spoken in his support as a mainline Dodger. And that goes for everyone else wearing and flying the Blue colors of the team. Kike need’s to address his own faults and failures for not producing against the Brewers and place shame on himself. Not the Fans of Los Angeles.
Ina all practicality, I would rather see Brian Dozier at 2nd base rather than whining baby-boy Kike Hernandez.
“Kike, bench yourself for the goodness of the team and not for your own selfish reason(s) to blame”.
We were at the game last night.
Did he want us to go bat for them too? They seemed intimidated by the brewers pitching. Their swings were off balance. They seemed flat.
Swinging at high pitches.
Come out and play some playoff baseball. Don’t blame the fans.
Well said, Juan.
How dare you Kike to blame the fans for not cheering. I for one am sick and tired of all the runners left on base. We need to stop trying to hit a home run every at bat and just get some base hits. How about stealing more bases and moving the runner to third base when a long fly ball would score the runner
How about blaming yourself for losing a game and not the fans; afterall you get paid alot of money to play a game. How about thanking the fans for all their support over the years? Dodger fans (most of them in LA) do not even get to see them on tv because of greedy owners.
It costs alot of money for the diehard fans to go to the playoffs and these are the “rowdy” ones. If you want “rowdy” fans lower the prices and let the “loyal” fans afford a ticket to the playoffs.
Kike, you are just frustrated because we played awful. Apologize to Dodger fans and Grandahl needs to catch the ball and stop striking out….PERIOD!!!!!
Linda Hutchens
Lets put it behind us .I’ts a new day , Lets play ball, and kick some butt GO DODGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My disclaimer is that, like most of you, I love the Dodgers. But the bottom line is this: If our Dodgers want the NLCS, they will play as if they are competing for the NLCS. Last night, I painfully watched the Brewers do whatever they needed to do to “bring it.” And Kike, although you are one of my favorites, the Dodger’s lackluster performance was not about the fans. It was about the team as a whole, not any one player, underperforming. Now get out there tonight and play like the Dodgers team I still want to believe in!!!
I was at the game last night and I honestly have to agree with Kike. There was a lack of energy. I couldn’t believe the fans were actually booing Grandall! Maybe it was the 4:40 start time on a weekday in LA traffic or the crazy Santa Ana winds that put everyone in a funk. Also, the announcer was a bit too much, like a spirit leader at a high school pep rally. It felt too forced. I don’t know, it was just an off night.
The crowd was dead ! Get over it you whiners. ! Fan energy can assist players. He was just stating the obvious and didn’t blame fans for the loss. Kirk Gibson whom I respect said crowd had no energy. He was right, I was there !