Dodgers holding their attention
Had Tommy Lasorda been alive, I bet his answer to “what did you think of Chris Taylor’s performance?” would have been vastly different to the answer he gave when asked about Dave Kingman’s performance.
Ken Feldman Tarzana
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Bullpen games in the postseason. Are you kidding me? Starters going five innings. Are you for real?
Dodgers have three legitimate Cy Young candidates yet each starts only one time in the first five games. Whatever happened to your ace pitching games 1-4-7 and your two other starters going games 2–5 and 3-6 respectively?
Ross Goldberg
Westlake Village
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Julio Urías throwing his arms out, palms up, in Game 4, as if to say, “What is that?” as Gavin Lux pulled up on a sinking line drive, is the epitome of bush league. You don’t show up your teammate in front of 50,000 paid, and another few million watching on TV. Can you imagine Koufax or Kershaw doing that?
I hope whoever has clubhouse cred — someone like Pujols or Kershaw — took Urías aside and explained the unwritten rules.
Mitch Paradise
Los Angeles
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The picture of Julio Urías unhappily gesturing at Gavin Lux for not risking extra bases to try to catch a bloop single was a textbook display of chutzpah, given his own poor performance. Mario Valvo
Ventura
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The Dodgers go into this postseason with a deep and talented bullpen and a three-man starting rotation, yet they opt to use two of the starting pitchers in relief. Nothing new here. Dave Roberts has been mismanaging his pitching staff in the playoffs for nearly a decade now, and one has to wonder how many World Series the Dodgers would have won if they’d had a remotely competent dugout tactician. Brad Wright
Irvine
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The old version of insanity, doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results, now has company. Dave Roberts statement, “A decision that doesn’t work out doesn’t mean it was the wrong decision“is now baseball’s definition of insanity.
Bruce Fischer Huntington Beach
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If the Braves go on to the World Series, I’m pretty certain that they’ll be giving Dave Roberts a full share. Dave Eng Thousand Oaks
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How great would it be at the end of this life if we all get greeted into heaven by Albert Pujols? I would love that, because that’ll mean I’ve hit a home run.
Dan Johnson Salem, Va.
The odds on that?
While watching the major league playoffs I am inundated with commercial gambling sites and ads urging me to use their “product.” Announcers constantly comment on the odds of any possible situation that occurs during the game. Wasn’t gambling the reason that Pete Rose was banned from baseball and the Hall of Fame? Ephraim A. Moxson Los Angeles
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Let me get this straight. Pete Rose is banned from baseball and the Hall of Fame for life for gambling on baseball games. But Draft Kings gets to run TV commercials while the game is still being played quoting bets and their potential payoffs.
And that’s OK?
How hypocritical can Major League Baseball get?
Bob Rufer Joshua Tree
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The TBS base cam proves that just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Marc Gerber Encino
Of age and ills
After Russell Westbrook put up a triple-single in the Lakers’ inauspicious opener, LeBron James suggested he go home, watch a comedy and have a few laughs. Westbrook could have simply watched a replay of the game.
Mark S. Roth
Los Angeles
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Westbrook obviously appears not to be the player he was of yore. As James was quoted in your article, “I understand the competitor you were.” Past tense. I took that not to mean Westbrook isn’t trying just as hard; rather that he isn’t as competitive as he once was.
Is this an elephant in the room? Not that he can’t play or even be the third option, but how far behind has he fallen?
John Snyder Newbury Park
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The one thing not addressed in any of the recent Lakers articles is missed free throws. We lost our season opener by a handful of points after a rough game. Add back half of the missed free throws and we win the game. What’s wrong with Lakers coaches that they don’t seriously address this ridiculous, treatable weakness in our game?
Barry Davis
Agoura Hills
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Early reviews indicate the 2021-22 Lakers are a circus in search of a tent. Ron Yukelson San Luis Obispo
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I can’t imagine that the Lakers 0-2 start is surprising anybody, as it’s common knowledge that old people start slower, tire out faster and in general their bodies don’t work like they did when they were young. Marty Foster
Honolulu
Goff ’s goofs
Regarding Jared Goff, when you give a player $110 million and four of seven losses can be traced to turnovers that player made, the player shouldn’t be surprised to get dumped. Mike Schaller
Temple City
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