Break out the bubbly! Time to party like it's 1988! "What?" you ask. "Have you abandoned the Blue and become a Cardinals fan?" Not at all, but today's news is the best news Dodger fans have heard since that wonderful day in October, 23 years ago. Yes, the Ass is leaving the building. That little bastard is selling the team, god willing, to someone who cares and knows what he's doing and we can return to being true blue fans. That means coming back to the Ravine, inhaling Dodger Dogs, hopefully cheering on a winning team again. It's been a long time coming, - 2 years - seems like forever, but believe me, it could've been longer. There was nothing subtle about McCourt. He was as obvious a bad guy as the Riddler in Batman, except without the tight green suit. The question marks, however, have been there for quite a while. This thing could have been protracted out for months, even years if judges couldn't make decisions. There's even a very slight chance McCourt could've prevailed and been able to keep the team. What a nightmare that would've been. But the reality is that it was likely just a matter of time before McCourt would've had to leave town with his pointy devil's tail between his spindly legs. We must thank Commissioner Selig as well as admonish him one more time for allowing this fiasco to happen in the first place. But now it's all water under the bridge and soon, some rich bastard who cares about the Dodgers, cares about the fans in LA, and loves and appreciates baseball and winning will fork out a billion bucks to buy back our team and make us whole again. Will it be Ron Burkle? Dennis Gilbert? Casdan? Attanasio? Hershiser/Garvey? Someone new? The word on the street is, that the venerable Peter O'Malley - the man who came to LA from Brooklyn with his dad and took over the team we all fell in love with - is interested in putting an investment group together and becoming chief exec of the Dodgers again. Man, it'd be amazing if he could do that and I'm sure Bud Selig would love it. We could relive our childhoods. The good parts. The Dodgers winning parts. Only time will tell, but hopefully, whoever the new owner is, he'll have his cash-flush hands on the team in time to sign Prince Fielder and maybe even a third baseman (Aramis Ramirez declined his option with the Cubs today. He could be a good fit for a year or two) and we'll have a viable contender with the right mix of youth and veterans that could both hit and pitch. Of course, any big free agent signings of Fielder's caliber is a long shot now, with no owner in place. Chances are, Fielder will be long signed by the time our new owner is named and no one expects lame duck McCourt to sign any big names to any long term deals. Still, things couldn't look rosier for Dodger fans. Yes, we have something to look forward to in 2012.
As far as my Postseason Post-mortem, since 1995, it has been proven that any one of the 8 teams that makes it to the playoffs have a reasonable chance of getting hot and winning it all. The Cards, though not altogether deserving of a a shot to take the crown, had been hot as Hades for the last 3 weeks of the season and proved themselves better than everybody when it counted. At least, as long as Nelson Cruz doesn't catch that very catchable ball with 2 outs in the 9th in Game 6. How must he feel? How must closer, Neftali Feliz feel? What an amazing game! And Ranger fans have to be a bit irritated that MLB exec, and ex-Cardinal manager, Joe Torre's odd decision to postpone Game 6, (it rained for 1 hour) thereby allowing an extra day of rest for Redbirds ace, Chris Carpenter to pitch a possible Game 7. And they should be a little upset with some of the odd decisions made by manager, Ron Washington. Feel bad for the Texas Rangers, but with that offense and President, Nolan Ryan's grit and determination, they should be back.
Now, if there's a God in his Heaven, Kemp will win the MVP (had no business winning the Gold Glove), Kershaw will win the Cy Young and an owner we can all be proud of will restore our beloved Blue to us. Hallelujah!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Long, Short Season
Been a while since you've heard from me. Reason being, I've been busy writing on a sitcom. Other reason being, I have emotionally banished the Dodgers from my very essence until that bastard relinquishes control. However, much has happened and I feel that it's time I chimed in. So, here are my all-important thoughts:
First, let's talk about the Dodgers.
"Beat LA! Beat LA!" were the chants coming from the crowd in Phoenix where the Dodgers wound up their difficult 2011 campaign winning 2 of 3 from the unlikely NL West champs. And, it occurred to me that the Snakes didn't need to "beat LA," that their evil owner had long ago beaten them to the punch. The Dodgers played rather well in the 2nd half. Surprisingly well, in spite of the distractions caused by the Evil One. Here are the Top 9 Reasons for Their resurgence:
1) Never thought I'd say this, but Don Mattingly did an outstanding job holding them together. I think this should perhaps earn him a shot at the job if and when a new owner takes over. Not sure it will, and I wouldn't be crying in my soup if it ends up being Bobby Cox coaxed out of retirement or even Riggleman or Dusty. But hats off to Donnie Baseball on a ship almost righted.
2) Loney. Out of nowhere, the light suddenly turned on and he became the James Loney of old, giving the Dodgers the much needed bat they needed behind the great Matt Kemp. Unfortunately for J Lo, it may be too little too late with the big, fat specter of Prince Fielder and his 38 homers and 120 RBI's (forget Pujols. Won't happen) looming in the free agent market - a market in which the bankrupt Blue may somehow be able to shop.
3) Juan Rivera - Makes Colletti look like a genius. He was the other big bat they needed behind Kemp. Makes for a tough decision if they don't go out in the offseason and land a left fielder. Sands or Rivera?
4) Dee Gordon & Jerry Sands - Two very bright-looking stars appeared to show us a glimpse of the future in the second half and made quite a difference in the lineup.
5) The Obvious - Matt Kemp became perhaps the best player in baseball before our eyes and Clayton Kershaw became perhaps the best pitcher. Phenomenal performances.
6) Kenley Jansen & Javy Guerra - In an otherwise abysmal bullpen situation, these two dudes lit the way for the late innings and the Dodgers blew fewer games with small leads by their offensively challenged ballclub.
7) Absence of Andre - Once Andre Ethier left the lineup things really started to gel. Was it because he was playing so poorly because of his bad knee or was it because he was a pouter in the clubhouse and when he was out of it, the mood got lighter? He'd better get his crap together for next year.
8) Aaron Miles - This guy needs to stay, as does Jamey Carroll. But Miles, especially, is a stud. He's a manager's dream. He can play 2nd,short and 3rd well and he battles every at bat. He's a catalyst.
9) Kuroda Consistency - I actually hope the guy I used to call "Hiroki MedioKuroda" sticks around. He was great in the second half and kept them in every game.
Now, we just have to hope that Bud Selig and MLB prevail in the courts, and that soon, so we can enjoy the baseball season again in LA and not feel bad about loving our once proud team. I doubt it's going to happen as quickly as we'd like and, until then, I hope yopu'll join me in continuing to boycott the Ravine.
Now, to the season:
I was right in most of my preseason predictions except the NL West, the AL East and the AL Central. So, I was wrong. The Red Sox and Braves chokes were legendary, but the Red Sox more so than the Braves because Boston spent so much money in the offseason on the likes of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. With the emergence of Ellsbury, the continuing contributions fro Pedroia and Ortiz, Beckett back to form and Jon Lester, along with Bucholz and Dice K, they had the makings of a super team. But both the latter hurlers went down with injuries, Youkilis got hurt and Crawford turned out to not be all his millions said he can be. Those losses at the very beginning of the season killed them in the end. Instead of winning in the very tough AL East, they succombed to the Yanks and the lowly Rays. The Rays have no business being in the postseason, and yet, their they are. A solid team with many holes, they should lose in the first round.
The Braves and Cards are two similarly talented teams, but I've always felt the Cards were a little better offensively and I guess that amounted to the one game difference in the end. They should lose to Philly pretty quickly. Philly to sweep St Louis. Milwaukee (I told you guys how good they'd be) over the Snakes in 4. Philly over the Brew Crew in 7.
The Chicago White Sox got less than nothing from Adam Dunn and Alex Rios and, strangely, Kenny Williams did nothing to imrpove their offense at the trade deadline. So, aside from Paul Konerko, they had no offense and fell easily to the Tigers who had more hitting than I expected. In addition to the obvious slugging of Cabrera and Victor Martinez, they got a lot of offense from Peralta and Aviles. Verlander is a stud. Look out, Yankees. Could be a tough series. It's a pick-em, but I'll take the safe road and pick the Pins over the Yanks in 5.
I like Texas but don't think, in spite of their AWESOME hitting, they have enough pitching to advance past the ALCS. But I sure like them to beat Tampa. Yanks over the Rangers in 7. Philly over the Yanks in 6.
AWARDS:
NL MVP - Kemp 2nd) Braun 3rd) Fielder
NL CY YOUNG - Kershaw 2nd) Halladay 3rd) Kennedy
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Kimbrel 2nd) Freeman 3rd) Worley
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Gibson 2nd) Roenicke 3rd) Mattingly
AL MVP - Adrian Gonzalez 2nd) Granderson 3rd) Cabrera
AL CY YOUNG Verlander 2nd) Weaver 3rd) Sabathia
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Hosmer 2nd) Hellickson 3rd) Trumbo
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Maddon 2nd) Leyland 3rd) Washington
First, let's talk about the Dodgers.
"Beat LA! Beat LA!" were the chants coming from the crowd in Phoenix where the Dodgers wound up their difficult 2011 campaign winning 2 of 3 from the unlikely NL West champs. And, it occurred to me that the Snakes didn't need to "beat LA," that their evil owner had long ago beaten them to the punch. The Dodgers played rather well in the 2nd half. Surprisingly well, in spite of the distractions caused by the Evil One. Here are the Top 9 Reasons for Their resurgence:
1) Never thought I'd say this, but Don Mattingly did an outstanding job holding them together. I think this should perhaps earn him a shot at the job if and when a new owner takes over. Not sure it will, and I wouldn't be crying in my soup if it ends up being Bobby Cox coaxed out of retirement or even Riggleman or Dusty. But hats off to Donnie Baseball on a ship almost righted.
2) Loney. Out of nowhere, the light suddenly turned on and he became the James Loney of old, giving the Dodgers the much needed bat they needed behind the great Matt Kemp. Unfortunately for J Lo, it may be too little too late with the big, fat specter of Prince Fielder and his 38 homers and 120 RBI's (forget Pujols. Won't happen) looming in the free agent market - a market in which the bankrupt Blue may somehow be able to shop.
3) Juan Rivera - Makes Colletti look like a genius. He was the other big bat they needed behind Kemp. Makes for a tough decision if they don't go out in the offseason and land a left fielder. Sands or Rivera?
4) Dee Gordon & Jerry Sands - Two very bright-looking stars appeared to show us a glimpse of the future in the second half and made quite a difference in the lineup.
5) The Obvious - Matt Kemp became perhaps the best player in baseball before our eyes and Clayton Kershaw became perhaps the best pitcher. Phenomenal performances.
6) Kenley Jansen & Javy Guerra - In an otherwise abysmal bullpen situation, these two dudes lit the way for the late innings and the Dodgers blew fewer games with small leads by their offensively challenged ballclub.
7) Absence of Andre - Once Andre Ethier left the lineup things really started to gel. Was it because he was playing so poorly because of his bad knee or was it because he was a pouter in the clubhouse and when he was out of it, the mood got lighter? He'd better get his crap together for next year.
8) Aaron Miles - This guy needs to stay, as does Jamey Carroll. But Miles, especially, is a stud. He's a manager's dream. He can play 2nd,short and 3rd well and he battles every at bat. He's a catalyst.
9) Kuroda Consistency - I actually hope the guy I used to call "Hiroki MedioKuroda" sticks around. He was great in the second half and kept them in every game.
Now, we just have to hope that Bud Selig and MLB prevail in the courts, and that soon, so we can enjoy the baseball season again in LA and not feel bad about loving our once proud team. I doubt it's going to happen as quickly as we'd like and, until then, I hope yopu'll join me in continuing to boycott the Ravine.
Now, to the season:
I was right in most of my preseason predictions except the NL West, the AL East and the AL Central. So, I was wrong. The Red Sox and Braves chokes were legendary, but the Red Sox more so than the Braves because Boston spent so much money in the offseason on the likes of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. With the emergence of Ellsbury, the continuing contributions fro Pedroia and Ortiz, Beckett back to form and Jon Lester, along with Bucholz and Dice K, they had the makings of a super team. But both the latter hurlers went down with injuries, Youkilis got hurt and Crawford turned out to not be all his millions said he can be. Those losses at the very beginning of the season killed them in the end. Instead of winning in the very tough AL East, they succombed to the Yanks and the lowly Rays. The Rays have no business being in the postseason, and yet, their they are. A solid team with many holes, they should lose in the first round.
The Braves and Cards are two similarly talented teams, but I've always felt the Cards were a little better offensively and I guess that amounted to the one game difference in the end. They should lose to Philly pretty quickly. Philly to sweep St Louis. Milwaukee (I told you guys how good they'd be) over the Snakes in 4. Philly over the Brew Crew in 7.
The Chicago White Sox got less than nothing from Adam Dunn and Alex Rios and, strangely, Kenny Williams did nothing to imrpove their offense at the trade deadline. So, aside from Paul Konerko, they had no offense and fell easily to the Tigers who had more hitting than I expected. In addition to the obvious slugging of Cabrera and Victor Martinez, they got a lot of offense from Peralta and Aviles. Verlander is a stud. Look out, Yankees. Could be a tough series. It's a pick-em, but I'll take the safe road and pick the Pins over the Yanks in 5.
I like Texas but don't think, in spite of their AWESOME hitting, they have enough pitching to advance past the ALCS. But I sure like them to beat Tampa. Yanks over the Rangers in 7. Philly over the Yanks in 6.
AWARDS:
NL MVP - Kemp 2nd) Braun 3rd) Fielder
NL CY YOUNG - Kershaw 2nd) Halladay 3rd) Kennedy
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Kimbrel 2nd) Freeman 3rd) Worley
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Gibson 2nd) Roenicke 3rd) Mattingly
AL MVP - Adrian Gonzalez 2nd) Granderson 3rd) Cabrera
AL CY YOUNG Verlander 2nd) Weaver 3rd) Sabathia
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Hosmer 2nd) Hellickson 3rd) Trumbo
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Maddon 2nd) Leyland 3rd) Washington
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
A Break at the Break
The dismalness, the dismality, the dismalaciousness and the dismaltacity of this awful Dodgers season has now mercifully passed the halfway mark and things are looking dismal, but they could also be looking up. Here are nine reasons why:
1) Bud Selig is working hard to oust the Bad man and get a new owner for the Dodgers. The bankruptcy will likely backfire on McCourt and we'll eventually be rid of him.
2) The Dodgers entered the All-Star break with 4 straight wins, first time all season they've had a winning streak of more than 3 games.
3) Clayton Kershaw appears to be coming into his own as one of the best in the game.
4) Matt Kemp is having an MVP type year.
5) Marcus Thames has been designated for assignment.
6) Kemp, Ethier and Kershaw each acquitted themselves rather well in the All-Star Game last night.
7) Vin Scully is still in the booth.
8) Rookie pitchers Rubbe De la Rosa and Javy Guerra have shown promise.
9) With his two on Sunday, Andre Ethier now has 9 home runs.
Now, here are 13 reasons why things are looking horrible:
1) At least for now, Frank McCourt still owns the team.
2) The Dodgers entered the All-Star game 10 games below .500 and 162 games out of first place.
3) The Dodgers have acquired ex-Angel, Juan Rivera to play left field.
4) In light of the team's financial struggles, Kemp and Ethier could easily leave for better climes.
5) James Loney is still their first baseman.
6) More than likely, the Dodgers will be sellers instead of buyers at the trade deadline. Say adios to Furcal, Kuroda, Maybe even Jamey Carroll or Aaron Miles (and, hopefully, Juan Uribe.)
7) Vin Scully is in his 80's and may not be in the booth much longer.
8) Charley Steiner isn't in his 80's and may be in the booth much longer.
9) Ted Lily is still in the rotation
10) There still is no closer.
11) Don Mattingly, in spite of the hand he's been dealt, still seems in overwhelmed and under competent.
12) Rick Honeycutt is the pitching coach.
13) With his two on Sunday, Andre Ethier now has 9 home runs
Enjoy the rest of the season and remember to boycott the ballpark until the bad man leaves. Join Boycott the Dodgers Til the Bad Man Leaves on Facebook!
1) Bud Selig is working hard to oust the Bad man and get a new owner for the Dodgers. The bankruptcy will likely backfire on McCourt and we'll eventually be rid of him.
2) The Dodgers entered the All-Star break with 4 straight wins, first time all season they've had a winning streak of more than 3 games.
3) Clayton Kershaw appears to be coming into his own as one of the best in the game.
4) Matt Kemp is having an MVP type year.
5) Marcus Thames has been designated for assignment.
6) Kemp, Ethier and Kershaw each acquitted themselves rather well in the All-Star Game last night.
7) Vin Scully is still in the booth.
8) Rookie pitchers Rubbe De la Rosa and Javy Guerra have shown promise.
9) With his two on Sunday, Andre Ethier now has 9 home runs.
Now, here are 13 reasons why things are looking horrible:
1) At least for now, Frank McCourt still owns the team.
2) The Dodgers entered the All-Star game 10 games below .500 and 162 games out of first place.
3) The Dodgers have acquired ex-Angel, Juan Rivera to play left field.
4) In light of the team's financial struggles, Kemp and Ethier could easily leave for better climes.
5) James Loney is still their first baseman.
6) More than likely, the Dodgers will be sellers instead of buyers at the trade deadline. Say adios to Furcal, Kuroda, Maybe even Jamey Carroll or Aaron Miles (and, hopefully, Juan Uribe.)
7) Vin Scully is in his 80's and may not be in the booth much longer.
8) Charley Steiner isn't in his 80's and may be in the booth much longer.
9) Ted Lily is still in the rotation
10) There still is no closer.
11) Don Mattingly, in spite of the hand he's been dealt, still seems in overwhelmed and under competent.
12) Rick Honeycutt is the pitching coach.
13) With his two on Sunday, Andre Ethier now has 9 home runs
Enjoy the rest of the season and remember to boycott the ballpark until the bad man leaves. Join Boycott the Dodgers Til the Bad Man Leaves on Facebook!
An Open Letter To Frank McCourt:
An Open Letter to Frank McCourt:
Dear, Mr. McCourt,
We don't think you quite understand the scope of the situation, so we simply want to clarify. We understand that you think Commissioner Selig is treating you differently than other owners who've had financial trouble and that you feel he has it in for you and wants a new owner for the Dodgers no matter what. This is all true. That's because Mr. Selig realizes the kind of owner and the kind of man you are and he doesn't like you. He feels you're bad for the Dodgers and bad for baseball. We, the fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agree, (as evidenced by our turnout or lack thereof at the Ravine this season.) It isn't us, it's you. We don't like you, Mr. McCourt. In fact, we hate you. I doubt there is ONE Dodger fan in LA who's support you have. It's not just the divorce, but the revelation that you are a selfish, greedy, awful person. What Mr. Selig is doing is tantamount to a commando raid intended to free hostages. You've kidnapped our beloved team. The Dodgers - one of the elements that makes us Angelinos - is being held for ransom by you. As long as you own the Dodgers, no matter what deal you may try to make, we won't show up. It's over. We want you to sell the Dodgers, Mr. McCourt. We want you to sell the parking lot. We want you to leave town. We don't want to see you driving or walking down the street. I'm not sure how much clearer the message needs to be.
Sincerely,
The Loyal Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers National League Baseball Club
Dear, Mr. McCourt,
We don't think you quite understand the scope of the situation, so we simply want to clarify. We understand that you think Commissioner Selig is treating you differently than other owners who've had financial trouble and that you feel he has it in for you and wants a new owner for the Dodgers no matter what. This is all true. That's because Mr. Selig realizes the kind of owner and the kind of man you are and he doesn't like you. He feels you're bad for the Dodgers and bad for baseball. We, the fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agree, (as evidenced by our turnout or lack thereof at the Ravine this season.) It isn't us, it's you. We don't like you, Mr. McCourt. In fact, we hate you. I doubt there is ONE Dodger fan in LA who's support you have. It's not just the divorce, but the revelation that you are a selfish, greedy, awful person. What Mr. Selig is doing is tantamount to a commando raid intended to free hostages. You've kidnapped our beloved team. The Dodgers - one of the elements that makes us Angelinos - is being held for ransom by you. As long as you own the Dodgers, no matter what deal you may try to make, we won't show up. It's over. We want you to sell the Dodgers, Mr. McCourt. We want you to sell the parking lot. We want you to leave town. We don't want to see you driving or walking down the street. I'm not sure how much clearer the message needs to be.
Sincerely,
The Loyal Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers National League Baseball Club
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
"Daddy, Why Won't the Bad Man Go Away?"
Well, son, because he's bad. And bad people don't know when to go away. They're mean and greedy and selfish and they stay as long as they can, no matter how much they're not wanted, no matter how much they're hated, no matter how many millions of people want them to leave. The only thing we can hope for is that good prevails over evil and a hero emerges.
Eventually, in spite of all his tactics and attorneys, in spite of all the legal types who think McCourt may wind up hanging onto to the team through his latest strategy - the bankruptcy filing - don't believe for a minute that Frank McCourt will continue to be the owner of the Dodgers much longer. May take a little more time than I initially predicted once the Commish assigned a trustee to oversee operations of the club in April, but it will happen. Maybe he'll get to keep the parking lot for awhile, but sooner or later, Frank McCourt will be ousted as the owner of the Dodgers and the team and it's fans will finally be free. Long live Bud Selig for his attempts to restore our beloved Blue to the fans. I want a Dodger Dog. Maybe one day soon when he's long gone.
The team? Sorry hopefuls and wishfuls. Those 25 hits and 15 runs against the Siblings Who Were Born At The Same Time And Look Exactly Alike were nothing more than a history-making aberration. A fluke. A mirage. An oasis in a hot, dry, endless Sahara. I was wrong in my earlier blog. This team DOES stink. Matt Kemp is great. MVP material for sure. Andre Ethier is very good, but his pop has left the ballpark. Kershaw, as it turns out, is finally looking like the real deal. I like what I'm seeing from The Thin Man and who doesn't like Mattingly's "Mighty Mites," Carroll and Miles? That's it. Six very good players. Even though Loney is coming out of his funk, the rest of the team is mediocre to lousy. (Though I'm curious to see what Tony Gwynn can do if he plays every day and what Kuroda could do if his team had an offense.) But, they just can't put it together for any length of time and, in spite of the general weakness of the division, they won't. Their pitching actually sucks from the starting rotation through the bullpen. Kemp can't do it all by himself and Kershaw can't pitch every day. Gordon is still too young to have the responsibility of the team's fortunes heaped on his rather unsubstantial shoulders and Ethier is just a singles hitter now. Thames stinks. Totally clueless. Loney is weak. Uribe and Blake are engaged in a stinking contest. Uribe is winning. They have no catcher. Billingsley is extremely inconsistent, usually bad. Lilly is having a terrible year. De La Rosa isn't the answer, at least not yet. (He pitched great today) Their awful bullpen rests on the young arms of Javvy Guerra and Kenley Jansen. Mattingly looks in over his head. They're just terrible.
Barring a miracle, I expect them to be sellers instead of buyers before the deadline and that could mean we could be saying good-bye to some of the bigger contracts. Kuroda, maybe Billingsley, maybe Loney, and hopefully, Uribe and Thames. I don't know if anyone would want Blake, but you never know. However, we want to root for them because of the predicament they're in. These Dodgers are the product of greed. What? Isn't that moniker reserved for the Yankees and Red Sox? No. In fact, it's more apt when used to reference the Dodgers. They're the product of McCourt's greed and avarice. Had he actually cared about the team and spent money to improve them, the Dodgers would have a pretty good shot at the division. Fans would come to the ballpark. It would be a completely different summer. Why does McCourt not seem to realize that Selig turning down the Fox deal is NOT the reason he and the Dodgers are in this position. It's his greed, mismanagement and overall eely slipperiness. It's that he's a horrible jackass and everybody truly despises him. This is indeed why Selig and every Dodger fan in LA wants him gone. Now. Please. What would Albert Pujols look like in a Dodger uniform? We'll probably never find out. By the time this is all resolved, the Dodgers may be taking a shot at signing Mike Moustakis in his first year of free agency. ... in 2018. Here's hoping it happens much, much sooner.
Eventually, in spite of all his tactics and attorneys, in spite of all the legal types who think McCourt may wind up hanging onto to the team through his latest strategy - the bankruptcy filing - don't believe for a minute that Frank McCourt will continue to be the owner of the Dodgers much longer. May take a little more time than I initially predicted once the Commish assigned a trustee to oversee operations of the club in April, but it will happen. Maybe he'll get to keep the parking lot for awhile, but sooner or later, Frank McCourt will be ousted as the owner of the Dodgers and the team and it's fans will finally be free. Long live Bud Selig for his attempts to restore our beloved Blue to the fans. I want a Dodger Dog. Maybe one day soon when he's long gone.
The team? Sorry hopefuls and wishfuls. Those 25 hits and 15 runs against the Siblings Who Were Born At The Same Time And Look Exactly Alike were nothing more than a history-making aberration. A fluke. A mirage. An oasis in a hot, dry, endless Sahara. I was wrong in my earlier blog. This team DOES stink. Matt Kemp is great. MVP material for sure. Andre Ethier is very good, but his pop has left the ballpark. Kershaw, as it turns out, is finally looking like the real deal. I like what I'm seeing from The Thin Man and who doesn't like Mattingly's "Mighty Mites," Carroll and Miles? That's it. Six very good players. Even though Loney is coming out of his funk, the rest of the team is mediocre to lousy. (Though I'm curious to see what Tony Gwynn can do if he plays every day and what Kuroda could do if his team had an offense.) But, they just can't put it together for any length of time and, in spite of the general weakness of the division, they won't. Their pitching actually sucks from the starting rotation through the bullpen. Kemp can't do it all by himself and Kershaw can't pitch every day. Gordon is still too young to have the responsibility of the team's fortunes heaped on his rather unsubstantial shoulders and Ethier is just a singles hitter now. Thames stinks. Totally clueless. Loney is weak. Uribe and Blake are engaged in a stinking contest. Uribe is winning. They have no catcher. Billingsley is extremely inconsistent, usually bad. Lilly is having a terrible year. De La Rosa isn't the answer, at least not yet. (He pitched great today) Their awful bullpen rests on the young arms of Javvy Guerra and Kenley Jansen. Mattingly looks in over his head. They're just terrible.
Barring a miracle, I expect them to be sellers instead of buyers before the deadline and that could mean we could be saying good-bye to some of the bigger contracts. Kuroda, maybe Billingsley, maybe Loney, and hopefully, Uribe and Thames. I don't know if anyone would want Blake, but you never know. However, we want to root for them because of the predicament they're in. These Dodgers are the product of greed. What? Isn't that moniker reserved for the Yankees and Red Sox? No. In fact, it's more apt when used to reference the Dodgers. They're the product of McCourt's greed and avarice. Had he actually cared about the team and spent money to improve them, the Dodgers would have a pretty good shot at the division. Fans would come to the ballpark. It would be a completely different summer. Why does McCourt not seem to realize that Selig turning down the Fox deal is NOT the reason he and the Dodgers are in this position. It's his greed, mismanagement and overall eely slipperiness. It's that he's a horrible jackass and everybody truly despises him. This is indeed why Selig and every Dodger fan in LA wants him gone. Now. Please. What would Albert Pujols look like in a Dodger uniform? We'll probably never find out. By the time this is all resolved, the Dodgers may be taking a shot at signing Mike Moustakis in his first year of free agency. ... in 2018. Here's hoping it happens much, much sooner.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Things Are Looking Thin a 3rd of the Way Through
"Thin." 'Paper thin." What other words could you use to describe Dodgers unripe shortstop, Dee Gordon? I can actually think of a few. "Amazing" comes to mind. "Grease-lightning" is another one. "Great" may also be in his future. Poor Rafael Furcal? Not really. I think he can read the handwriting on the wall. Though Furcal is a fine player when he actually plays, when your body is made of fine, delicate Japanese porcelain, baseball is a little too rough to play on a nightly basis. So, Dee Gordon's time has come.
I was wrong. This team does not stink. They're a bad team, but they don't stink. Here's where they are about a 3rd of the way in:
THE OFFENSE: Jamey Carroll reminds me of an anime superhero. He does everything that's asked of him in a Brett Butler-like, Astro-Boy-like, dutiful manner. What a find he turned out to be and a feather in the fairly sparse fedora of Ned Colletti. Matt Kemp is the NL MVP in this blogger's mind if the season ends today. Though the Baseball Writer's of America would hand the ward to big fat, Prince Fielder of the 1st place Brewers, (I told ya so about the Brew Crew) Kemp is easily the better player. Somebody or something or some Davey Lopes crawled up into his butt and sent Kemp a strong message. Ethier is fine. Lots of BA, but no pop. O, Wherefore art the Ethier pop? We need some HR's and some doubles from the pouty Andre. Loney is showing signs of life, but Loney has a talent limit that will only take the team so far. Casey Blake offers little. Uribe offers even less. Mattingly has made some odd moves. Why would you take the dynamic duo of Carroll and Miles out of the lineup with all the production they're providing. You really think Blake and Uribe are going to contribute as much as they do? It's like replacing a sporty Toyota with an old pickup truck. I like the way he picks the ball, but I'm not a big Uribe fan. And I've never been a Blake fan. He makes a lot of excuses and he's just not that good. Also, why did the Dodgers designate left-handed hitting Jay Gibbons for assignment and keep the awful Marcus Thames?? Why is Marcus Thames even on the team?? I can see why they sent Jerry Sands back down. He needs a little more seasoning. He'll be a great player, but he's not quite ready.
Both catchers - Barajas and Navarro - are weak but they can play the position. Why is Aussie, Trent Oeltjen out there? Tie me Kangaroo Down, he strikes out too much. Tony Gwynn - like I've said all year - should be their starting left fielder until or unless they acquire a big hitter who can roam the outfield. Maybe they'll finally get the message. Bottom line is, they have four guys who can hit, and only two of them have any real power and only one of THEM is using it. They need Prince Fielder. Think the Brew Crew will give 'im up? Yeah, sure.
THE STARTING PITCHING: Severely overrated. Kershaw has been fairly solid but by no means stellar. He's still not there, or at least where everyone predicted he'd be. He seems to fall apart, quite often, after the 5th inning. Unfortunately for the perennially young Clayton, these games are 9 innings. Dang. Billingsley has been mediocre to decent. Same story with Hiroki Kuroda who is portrayed as a constant victim of lack of run support. And he is. Lilly has been slightly south of decent. Just ok. Garland was terrible before his injury, but his replacement, young Rubby De La Rosa looks might interesting. Keep an eye on him.
THE BULLPEN - PEE-U! Now, THEY stink! What a disaster, injuries or no injuries! Rookie, Javvy Guerra, looks like the only one who can pitch. Guerrier - stinks. Kuo - suddenly neurotic. McDougal - stinks. Troncoso - stinks, but not as badly as he used to. Elbert - stinks, but not as badly as he used to. Jansen - stunk. Let's see what we get when he gets back. Broxton - stinks.
MANAGEMENT - Not sure yet, but I don't think Donnie Baseball is doing too well. It's not all his fault, but he seems somewhat unsure as to who to play sometimes. Or what the hell to do. Lots of odd moves and non-moves, typical of a rookie manager. The jury is still way, way out on him. Suffice it to say, he's been dealt a weak hand. Speaking of hands, Colletti's are manicled by budget constraints. It still remains to be seen whether they'll just call up the farm and call it a year.
OWNERSHIP - All we can do is hope and pray that June 30th will be the McCourt's last day of officially owning the team. If he gets that Fox deal and gets to keep the team, I may never set foot in Dodger Stadium again. He's just an awful dude. And now this latest thing about the clergy coming to his defense in an appeal to Bud Selg. And their assurances that he didn't pay them off? PLEASE. That has got to be the new all-time low since the Black Sox scandal. Yeah, beleaguered Mets owner, Fred Wilpon and one-time Maddoff associate, is also a little filthy and, sure, he's a friend of Selig, so he gets special treatment. But that doesn't mean McCourt should get to stay.
Everything will go as I predicted it would at the beginning of the year. Go back to my blog entitled: 2011 Predictions By Bleaky Bleakington. So far, now that the Tribe is beginning to fold their teepee, the only thing I've been terribly wrong about, it seems, are the Diamondbacks. And even then, I covered my bases. But it's a long season and there's big news coming. See ya all soon.
I was wrong. This team does not stink. They're a bad team, but they don't stink. Here's where they are about a 3rd of the way in:
THE OFFENSE: Jamey Carroll reminds me of an anime superhero. He does everything that's asked of him in a Brett Butler-like, Astro-Boy-like, dutiful manner. What a find he turned out to be and a feather in the fairly sparse fedora of Ned Colletti. Matt Kemp is the NL MVP in this blogger's mind if the season ends today. Though the Baseball Writer's of America would hand the ward to big fat, Prince Fielder of the 1st place Brewers, (I told ya so about the Brew Crew) Kemp is easily the better player. Somebody or something or some Davey Lopes crawled up into his butt and sent Kemp a strong message. Ethier is fine. Lots of BA, but no pop. O, Wherefore art the Ethier pop? We need some HR's and some doubles from the pouty Andre. Loney is showing signs of life, but Loney has a talent limit that will only take the team so far. Casey Blake offers little. Uribe offers even less. Mattingly has made some odd moves. Why would you take the dynamic duo of Carroll and Miles out of the lineup with all the production they're providing. You really think Blake and Uribe are going to contribute as much as they do? It's like replacing a sporty Toyota with an old pickup truck. I like the way he picks the ball, but I'm not a big Uribe fan. And I've never been a Blake fan. He makes a lot of excuses and he's just not that good. Also, why did the Dodgers designate left-handed hitting Jay Gibbons for assignment and keep the awful Marcus Thames?? Why is Marcus Thames even on the team?? I can see why they sent Jerry Sands back down. He needs a little more seasoning. He'll be a great player, but he's not quite ready.
Both catchers - Barajas and Navarro - are weak but they can play the position. Why is Aussie, Trent Oeltjen out there? Tie me Kangaroo Down, he strikes out too much. Tony Gwynn - like I've said all year - should be their starting left fielder until or unless they acquire a big hitter who can roam the outfield. Maybe they'll finally get the message. Bottom line is, they have four guys who can hit, and only two of them have any real power and only one of THEM is using it. They need Prince Fielder. Think the Brew Crew will give 'im up? Yeah, sure.
THE STARTING PITCHING: Severely overrated. Kershaw has been fairly solid but by no means stellar. He's still not there, or at least where everyone predicted he'd be. He seems to fall apart, quite often, after the 5th inning. Unfortunately for the perennially young Clayton, these games are 9 innings. Dang. Billingsley has been mediocre to decent. Same story with Hiroki Kuroda who is portrayed as a constant victim of lack of run support. And he is. Lilly has been slightly south of decent. Just ok. Garland was terrible before his injury, but his replacement, young Rubby De La Rosa looks might interesting. Keep an eye on him.
THE BULLPEN - PEE-U! Now, THEY stink! What a disaster, injuries or no injuries! Rookie, Javvy Guerra, looks like the only one who can pitch. Guerrier - stinks. Kuo - suddenly neurotic. McDougal - stinks. Troncoso - stinks, but not as badly as he used to. Elbert - stinks, but not as badly as he used to. Jansen - stunk. Let's see what we get when he gets back. Broxton - stinks.
MANAGEMENT - Not sure yet, but I don't think Donnie Baseball is doing too well. It's not all his fault, but he seems somewhat unsure as to who to play sometimes. Or what the hell to do. Lots of odd moves and non-moves, typical of a rookie manager. The jury is still way, way out on him. Suffice it to say, he's been dealt a weak hand. Speaking of hands, Colletti's are manicled by budget constraints. It still remains to be seen whether they'll just call up the farm and call it a year.
OWNERSHIP - All we can do is hope and pray that June 30th will be the McCourt's last day of officially owning the team. If he gets that Fox deal and gets to keep the team, I may never set foot in Dodger Stadium again. He's just an awful dude. And now this latest thing about the clergy coming to his defense in an appeal to Bud Selg. And their assurances that he didn't pay them off? PLEASE. That has got to be the new all-time low since the Black Sox scandal. Yeah, beleaguered Mets owner, Fred Wilpon and one-time Maddoff associate, is also a little filthy and, sure, he's a friend of Selig, so he gets special treatment. But that doesn't mean McCourt should get to stay.
Everything will go as I predicted it would at the beginning of the year. Go back to my blog entitled: 2011 Predictions By Bleaky Bleakington. So far, now that the Tribe is beginning to fold their teepee, the only thing I've been terribly wrong about, it seems, are the Diamondbacks. And even then, I covered my bases. But it's a long season and there's big news coming. See ya all soon.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Andre the Giant Infant
Get this guy a diaper. What the hell is wrong with Andre Ethier? Yeah, the team stinks, but is that why he's been such a Pouty Poutington lately? Doesn't seem like it. One impression I get from Ethier is that he's always been a little bit more about himself than the team. The team can be up 8 runs (not often these days) and he can be seen sulking in the dugout because he's 0 for 3. His 30 game hitting streak ended and he's suddenly flipping the bird to LA Times beat writers and photographers because they're taking photos of him during bp. Welcome to the Bigs, Andre. And then he crashes into the chain link right field fence at U.S. Cellular Field against the Chisox on Sunday and hurts himself. (I think he shoulda made that play) A little banged up, he doesn't play in the woeful Houston series. So, when asked by a reporter how he feels, he responds, "I don't need you to check on me. We have trainers to do that." Waah! What's the matter, Andre, didn't get your nap? Grow up, stop pouting, show some grace and some class, get out there and lead. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut and play. You're not THAT good.
Look, folks, this team is terrible. I know, I know. The injuries. Furcal, (he's back, but mighty, mighty rusty.) Blake, Uribe, Broxton (not a problem) Kuo (he's anxious) Hawksworth, now Barajas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have all of those guys back and healthy and you're still teetering on last place. It's just the way this team is assembled. Matt Kemp is having a monster year thus far, Ethier was, then he stopped, and Jamey Carroll has been as awesome as a Jamey Carroll can be. I like Jerry Sands, he of the 2 HRs of late, including a grand slam, and maybe Rubby De LaRosa will prove to be a key guy, but, aside from Kemp, there just isn't enough consistent pop and there's not enough BA. As predicted, offensively, too many K's, not enough guys making things happen. Their starting pitching is overrated but solid. Kershaw is NOT the lights out ace we hoped he'd be. Not yet. Billingsley has been solid but not great. Kuroda has been mostly good. Lilly has been OK and Garland has been passable. No world beaters in the bunch. Face it. This team has lousy personnel and the only way it'll change is if their top prospects were all ready NOW or, more realistically, to get that new owner with deep pockets in there and hope for quick improvements via free agency and trades. Why anyone would think this team can improve greatly or contend is beyond me. It doesn't help when the guy that's supposed to be the team leader is behaving like a spoiled brat. It's going to continue to be a dismal, horrid year unless things change quickly in the clubhouse, in the front office and in the West. The only bright spot will be the MLB seizure of the club from the despot, McCourt, and the hope of a happy future.
Look, folks, this team is terrible. I know, I know. The injuries. Furcal, (he's back, but mighty, mighty rusty.) Blake, Uribe, Broxton (not a problem) Kuo (he's anxious) Hawksworth, now Barajas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have all of those guys back and healthy and you're still teetering on last place. It's just the way this team is assembled. Matt Kemp is having a monster year thus far, Ethier was, then he stopped, and Jamey Carroll has been as awesome as a Jamey Carroll can be. I like Jerry Sands, he of the 2 HRs of late, including a grand slam, and maybe Rubby De LaRosa will prove to be a key guy, but, aside from Kemp, there just isn't enough consistent pop and there's not enough BA. As predicted, offensively, too many K's, not enough guys making things happen. Their starting pitching is overrated but solid. Kershaw is NOT the lights out ace we hoped he'd be. Not yet. Billingsley has been solid but not great. Kuroda has been mostly good. Lilly has been OK and Garland has been passable. No world beaters in the bunch. Face it. This team has lousy personnel and the only way it'll change is if their top prospects were all ready NOW or, more realistically, to get that new owner with deep pockets in there and hope for quick improvements via free agency and trades. Why anyone would think this team can improve greatly or contend is beyond me. It doesn't help when the guy that's supposed to be the team leader is behaving like a spoiled brat. It's going to continue to be a dismal, horrid year unless things change quickly in the clubhouse, in the front office and in the West. The only bright spot will be the MLB seizure of the club from the despot, McCourt, and the hope of a happy future.
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