Dodgers: Analyzing the Panic Meter for Disappointing Players

SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 2: Yu Darvish
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 2: Yu Darvish /
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SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 2: Yu Darvish /

By now it’s been well documented that the Dodgers are in the middle of their worst streak this season. The club has lost six consecutive games and has dropped 11 out of the last 12, including being swept by the second place Diamondbacks twice.

Naturally, Dodger fans are beginning to panic. But the reality is that baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, and stretches like these are bound to happen to any team. Going back to the last two season, the defending World Champion Chicago Cubs had two poor stretches similar to the one the Dodgers are currently on. The Cubs lost nine of ten at the end of June and eight of 12 in the middle of May. Before the Cubs, the Kansas City Royals also had a losing streak, losing nine of eleven and nine of twelve at the beginning of September.

The point here is that stretches like these happen to even championship caliber teams. Does it bring a sense of anxiety for Dodger fans? Sure, but it’s not the end of the season. A few days ago we asked our followers on Twitter if it was time to panic.

The results we’re torn, but after this recent sweep and fourth consecutive series loss. I’m sure if we ask again the answer will surely be swayed more in one direction. And it’s perfectly reasonable, the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West is now only 10.5 games after being over 20 games for the greater part of the last two months. I know that sentence sound very spoiled, but that in fact, is what Dodger fans have been this season. Perhaps a more important stat to look at is their lead for the best record in the NL is down to only seven games over the Nationals.

So should Dodger fans panic? It depends on what you consider to be panic? Will we miss the playoffs? No. Will we break the record for most wins in a season? No. Will we win the World Series? I’m not sure, but was our regular season hot streak ever any indication that we were? I may not be able to answer whether you should panic on this team, but I’ll look into a few players that are frustrating Dodger fans and determine if and how bad we should panic over these particular players.