Starving In Ethieropia?

As far as the remote possibility of Manny getting voted into the All Star Game? Who cares? Selig turned it into a fiasco years ago when he let it end in a tie and then tried to make it more relevant by awarding the winning league home field advantage in the World Series. So, as far as steroid guys playing, stealing a line from Bad News Bears: Breaking Training, I say, "Let them play! Let them play!"

The Dodgers are looking pretty lean these days. And not the good kind of lean. All the muscle seems to have disappeared along with the recipient of the HCG perscription. Since we last spoke, you and I, the Blue have split a series in Chi Town and lost the first game of the homestand to the lowly Snakes. Yes, those same Snakes I predicted would win the division. There's still time and there's the return of Brandon Webb to look forward to, but a Diamondback division championship doesn't seem to likely. These Dodgers seem like they're primed to at least take the West in '09. But will they do it as easily as they're doing it now? Not unless their starting pitching and their offense - yes, their league leading offense - improves. It's just a matter of time before the losses begin to mount up, in spite of the surprising performances of rebuilt Eric Milton and ertswhile medicore Randy Wolf. Kemp has started hitting, but he's Mastt Kemp. He'll stop hitting. Hudson is still hitting a little and the might Casey has been sidelined with hammy woes. So, who do we look to for the big 3 run bomb while Manny serves time? Well, Loney, in spite of his recent RBI surge, is poweless, as is Martin. (I know ya got robbed by some great plays by Reynolds at 3rd last night, Russell, but can you please explain your subsequent at bats?) Kemp's poor pitch selection makes his HRs too sporadic. But what about Andre the Giant Baby? You remember him, don't you? Andre Ethier, NL Player of the Week a while back? True, he's managed a few hits over the last 5 games, but he's clearly not the same Andre, he of the 25 RBI in April, and the 6 dongs Andre, I mean. What the hell happened to him, anyway? Is his game really THAT dependent on the presence of Manny in the lineup? THAT would be amazing if it was. Even though his tailing off actually began about a week before Manny got suspended, he has changed out of his Superman tights and back into Clark Kent (albeit, a whiney, pouty Clark Kent) perhaps, until Manny returns or, perhaps, permanently. And as Ethier's production goes, so it goes with the rest of the kiddie corps. Like I said, Kemp has hit a couple recently, but he's got only 6 and it's June. Loney has but 2 and it's June. Martin has nil, none, naught, not, the empty set, nada. They've lost Billingsley's last 2 starts, and if it wasn't for Pierre, Hudson, Blake, Wolf and maybe Kershaw, this team would have dropped to fewer than 10 games over .500 and the Dads and Giants would be right there. But, that is thye mark of a good team. When guys go down (or go to steroid jail) other guys pick them up and carry them. Especially other veteran guys like Juan, O Dog and Blake. But WHAT HAPPENED TO ANDRE? It's only 26 more games before the Dodgers have 4 starting outfielders and, as I recall, there are only 3 outfield positions and there is no DH in the NL. How will Joe Torre be able to sit the likeable, hardworking, Juan Pierre and play Andre should the current trends continue? Just askin'.