This Is Torture...

It's been one of those lost days that began with an endless night. Nearly coughed up a lung in my sleep with a rare summertime upper respiratory infection. As I lay there last night, my lungs filling with mucous, I couldn’t help thinking how I could still climb out of that bed and hit as well as any Dodger. The morning came and went. Missed out on a day of summertime fun. Watched Huckleberry Hound and tried to do some work. Was really looking forward to 5:00 where I could lay back and watch the Dodgers take on Houston and Roy Oswalt. After all, a weekend of winning 2 games against the not-so-hated Halos, one without the benefit of a lousy single or a ground ball with eyes, I really expected them to break out and score... maybe 2 runs.

Jered Weaver made the Dodgers look hopeless and John Lackey made the Blue look just like he was supposed to make them look, bad and overmatched. That’s the word. “Over matched.” Dodger bats are simply overmatched by Major League pitching.

This is becoming not only the worst hitting Dodger team I've ever seen, but the worst hitting team I've ever seen, period. Poor Eric Stults. The guy has to pitch like the game is over if the opponent scores a run. Meanwhile, he’s hanging curveballs like a piñata from a tree branch. There's little chance they could beat someone like Oswalt who need only resort to his basics to shut them down with ease. The inimitable (thank God) Charlie Steiner says Oswalt has brought his "A" game, but all pitchers have their "A" game when they face that lineup. I know what you're thinking. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Freeman. But what about all the injuries?" People, do you really think the return of one leadoff hitter – Rafael Furcal - is going to turn this team around? Only if Furcal gets to bat 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. Do you really think you'll get the Andruw Jones that Ned Colletti envisioned? Or ya think you’ll get the Carribbean personification of a doughnut who can no longer hit. And, again, where is the fragile Nomore going to play? And now, their most consistent offensive performer, Juan Pierre, is out for at least a month. Who cares if they're only 2 1/2 games out? THIS TEAM CAN'T HIT. So, the question is, what will the awful Ned Colletti do? At this point, I'm willing to part with certain of the children. Now that the steroid era is over, I don't see Loney ever becoming what the team hoped. I still say keep him, but not if you can land someone like a Berkman or a Holliday. (I'm making these scenarios up, of course) I'm not sure if Matt Kemp will ever pan out to his five tool potential? Do you? This team needs to win NOW. This team needs to guarantee its fans some October baseball. The current group can't do it. I hope I'm wrong, but I haven't been yet.

When the Dodgers moved here in 1958, LA had to wait one year for a World Series appearance and victory. Then, they had to wait only 4 more years for their next one, two more years for their next one, made the series in a consecutive year in '66 and got swept and then the big draught came. From 1967 to 1973, the Dodgers failed to make the World Series. Wow. Seven long years. They got there in '77 and '78, won it all in '81 and '88 and then... 20 years and counting. And they're not even close. They're not even trying. Why not? Because 3.5 million of you keep showing up, regardless, that's why. What fiscal motivation does their money minded, PR minded owner have to bring a pennant back to LA? In my next installment, I'll talk about why we may have to boycott the Blue in order to make a point. I wonder if Huckleberry Hound is on again.