Cody Belenger
Career stats
Year Team Games AB R H RBI BB SO HR Avg
2022 Dodgers 144 504 70 106 68 38 150 19 .210
2021 Dodgers 95 345 39 52 36 31 94 10 .165
2020 Dodgers 56 213 33 51 30 30 42 12 .239
2019 Dodgers 156 558 121 170 115 95 108 47 .305
2018 Dodgers 162 557 84 145 76 69 151 25 .260
2017 Dodgers 132 480 87 128 97 64 146 39 .267
Career 745 2,627 434 652 422 327 691 152 .248
C.: d.c, what is a “baker’s dozen”?
d.: It’s thirteen, Cal.E.
C.: What’s a dozen?
d.: Twelve. That’s six twos, or two sets of twos plus one times two sets of twos. A baker’s dozen is one more.
C.: Why is thirteen called a baker's dozen?
d.: The term originated in the sixteenth century, when bakers would give merchants an extra loaf of bread when the merchant asked for one dozen. That was the profit margin for the merchant, according to legend.
C.: Okay, got it. Math is strange on this planet.
d.: It can be, but even you know that one plus one equals two. That term also means that something is obvious, and that’s why I posted Cody Bellenger’s statistics over the six years he’s been in the Major Leagues at the beginning of this blog. It’s almost baseball season, and I have something to say about what you see posted.
Bellinger says that he, nor any of his teammates ever used electronics to steal signs. The baseball commissioner, Rob (he is NOT a) Man,Fred, conducted an investigation into the Astros’ organization after the 2019 season. Although there were rumors that other teams were using electronics to steal signs, Rob decided to take the word of a known cheater who was talking to a rag’s reporter looking for validation. The commissioner found what he was looking for in Houston, but never bothered to investigate other teams; despite the fact he had already caught the Red Sox and Yankees using cell phones and Apple watches to steal signs.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were indignant afterward, claiming that the Astros had cheated them out of a World Series victory, and the most vocal Dodger was Cody Bellenger. He swore that the Dodgers never used electronics to steal signs.
Bellinger batted .305 the year before the commissioner conducted his investigation. The next year, televisions were taken out of MLB’s clubhouses and players were forbidden to watch their at bats during a game. Bellenger hasn’t come close to batting .300 since. Bellinger also hit 47 home runs in ‘19, when televisions were allowed in MLB clubhouses. He has struggled to hit double digit home runs each year since. Hmm.
I am aware that Bellinger suffered a devastating injury during the ‘20 postseason, but the commissioner made his declaration to investigate any suspicious behavior before the season started. Bellenger was already mired in a season-long slump when the injury occurred. Also, players who don’t lift weights on a regular basis are more prone to injuries. Bellinger, who stands six foot four, weighs only two-hundred and five pounds. The Astros 6-4 former shortstop, Carlos Correra, had to diet diligently to keep his weight at a desirable one for someone playing his position. Correra tried to always play at a weight between 215 and 220 pounds. As I told Cal.E. one plus one equals two, in both situations. Be careful, Cody, your big mouth and lack of due diligence in the weight room may result in a loss of your job. Oh, wait, it already did.
The Dodgers dropped Bellenger, which may have been the smartest move the organization has made since they made the boneheaded decision to let a slugging outfielder with a plus arm be traded to the Astros for fifty grand and a washed-up relief pitcher. Josh Fields for Yordon Alverez was the best and most one-sided trade the Astros ever made.
The Chicago Cubs did pick Bellinger up, but that team isn’t known for making sound financial decisions. It sounds like a good fit to me, but that’s just my (correct) opinion.
C.: Can I say something now, d.c.?
d.: I’m afraid not, Cal.E., because we’re out of time for the day. Please join us tomorrow for another episode of Cal.E.’s Korner.