Dodgers Dugout: Steve Sax will answer your questions

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and this Corey Seager guy on Texas looks like just the type of postseason hitter the Dodgers need.

A couple of times a year we do a feature where readers of this newsletter send in questions for Dodgers of the past. We’ve done “Ask Orel Hershiser”, “Ask Jerry Reuss”, “Ask Tom Niedenfuer”, “Ask Peter O’Malley”, “Ask Fred Claire” and “Ask Maury Wills” among others.

Steve Sax, who was named National League rookie of the year in 1982 and won two World Series while playing second base for the Dodgers from 1981-88, is the next name to join the list.

Sax agreed to answer selected questions from Dodgers Dugout readers. So, start thinking and send them to me at [email protected]. The best and most-frequently asked questions will be chosen for Sax to answer in a future newsletter. You have until 11 p.m. Saturday to send a question. Please put “Ask Steve Sax” in the subject line of your email.

Sax is planning a golf tournament at Tierra Rejada Golf Course in Moorpark and a luncheon at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley on Nov. 5 to raise funds for the Captain John J. Sax Foundation. The foundation will help support others whose purpose is to offer scholarships and grants of hardship cases to aspiring aviators.

John Sax, who was with the Marines, died in a V-22 Osprey training accident on June 8, 2022.

Speakers at the luncheon will include Sax, Congressman Mike Garcia, former Dodger and California senatorial candidate Steve Garvey and Lt. Col. John Miller, who was John Sax’s commanding officer.

For more information and to enter the golf tournament, go to johnnyourhero.org.

What went wrong?

Andrew Friedman held a news conference a couple of days after the Dodgers were swept out of the postseason. Some key quotes (read the whole story here):

“Our goal was to win 11 games in October and we didn’t win one. So we need to figure out what we can do differently and how to go about it.”

On the Arizona series: “I think the number of mistakes that each pitching staff made wasn’t that different. I think they converted at a freakishly high rate. And we converted at a freakishly low rate.”

On the offense: “Obviously, there are three-game snippets throughout a year where our offense doesn’t perform. How much of it is that? How much of it is other things? I don’t know the answer.”

Just a case of bad luck? “I think there’s an element of it. But we didn’t hold a lead in this division series. For a team this talented to play 27 innings where we do not hold a lead is beyond that. It’s something we have to figure out and do what we can to put ourselves in a position to not have that happen.”

To sum up: “Organizational failure means it’s on all of us. We all have a hand in it. If this were one person or a small collection of people — in my estimation — then we would make changes. We just wouldn’t do it to say, ‘Look, we’ve made changes’ and try to cover up what has happened. Instead, we have a lot of extremely disappointed, angry people who are all gonna work really hard together to avoid being in this position next year.”

Up next

On Friday, we will look at the contract status of the 2023 Dodgers. Who’s a free agent? Who’s under contract?

In case you missed it

Dynasty derailed: Inside the October issues keeping the Dodgers from another World Series

Plaschke: What can Dodgers do differently? Andrew Friedman has plenty of remorse but no decent answer

Andrew Friedman bemoans Dodgers’ latest ‘organizational failure,’ but hints at little change

And finally

Steve Sax has a key hit in Game 7 of the 1988 NLCS. Watch and listen here.