It was considered by many to be a foregone conclusion. The Los Angeles Dodgers were, in October, going to capture its third consecutive World Series Title. And that was before the franchise traded for two-time Cy Young award winner, Tarik Skubal.
As I write this Skubal has made two starts on the mound and the Dodgers lost both games. In fact, they have dropped eight of their last nine games. The losing skid has shown the baseball world that this version of the Dodgers cannot hit anymore and that the roster is getting old.
It will have to be the pitching that carries this version of the Dodgers. I saw a note that stated, since the start of the 2023 season, four of the top pitchers in the game in terms of ERA are on the Los Angeles roster. Yes, anyone who meets the Dodgers in the playoffs will face Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Skubal.
The quartet better be healthy and be throwing well. Because we are looking at a veteran team that is struggling to score runs. Remember LA was somewhat lucky to win last year’s championship over Toronto. Skubal and company might not be so fortunate this time around.
More Offseason Chaos For UNC
I spoke recently about the woes of Tar Heel Football recently. SInce then, there has been more chaos. Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, the son of head coach Bill Belichick, is on indefinite medical leave and not with the team as the Tar Heels continue their preseason practices, No further details on his health were disclosed.
Steve Belichick is entering his second season with the Tar Heels, having previously spent one season as the defensive coordinator at Washington. He joined his father’s staff when Bill took over as head coach at North Carolina last season.
The news comes amidst turmoil at Chapel Hill. UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi was placed on paid administrative leave last month following a human resources complaint from a former front office employee.
The College Sports Commission, which investigates potential NIL violations, is also investigating the program. On Thursday, The Assembly reported that outside lawyers had been hired to participate in the Lombardi investigation.
The Tar Heels are coming off an embarrassing 4-8 2025 campaign in Bill Belichick’s first year at the helm.
While Bill Belichick continues to speak very positively about the upcoming season, the continued off-the-field stories are piling up and have to be somewhat distracting to the program.
