Half Empty?

The Smoke & Mirrors Brigade hits The Big Apple today.

Okay, readers, so you think I'm a negative guy. Think I'm also crazy because I'm complaining about the team that's held the best record in the Bigs since early May? Think what you want, and perhaps you're right, but I consider myself a realist. I know baseball and I know the Dodgers and as of today, with their MLB best 52-30 record, 7 games ahead of the Giants, I still believe the Giants will ovetake the Blue and win the West unless major changes take place. Why? 2 BIG REASONS: Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Good pitching beats good hitting almost all the time and decent pitching beats the Dodgers every time. They're the closest thing the West Coast has seen to Koufax and Drysdale since Koufax and Drysdale. One can argue Hershiser and Valenzuela, but in no one year were both of those Dodgers as effective as Lincecum and Cain appear to be now. Season ends today, who gets the NL Cy Young? It's a tie between Cain and Lincecum with honorable mention going to Jason Marquis and Chad Billingsley. Josh Johnson, Happ and Carpenter would also need to be mentioned. Then you take their #'s 3 and 4 starters in Barry Zito and the Big Unit and you have an absolutely formidable starting staff with a solid bullpen and closer in Brian Wilson. The bats? Outside of Pablo Sandoval, they're not as strong as the Blue's (which is saying a lot because the Dodgers have some pretty weak bats) but it's pitching that tends to win in the NL. Again, that's why the season is 162 games instead of 82 games. Beyond Billinsgley, you have the extremely talented, but erratic and young Kershaw, the consistently inconsistent Wolf, the uncertain Kuroda and no 5th starter. In the pen, you have Ronald Beli-sorry-o (He's not that good, folks, as evidenced recently) and Ramon Troncos-oh no! who's pitched rather well. Neither of those guys have enough experience to handle the pressure of a stretch run and both have thrown way too many innings, a Joe Torre signature flaw. Wade is in the minors for stinking too much and Broxton's recent implosion doesn't bode well. Ned Colletti needs to find a way to bring Roy Halladay overe here fast and there's absolutely no way that's gonna happen. Cliff Lee? He's been pretty inconsistent thus far with Cleveland? Jake Peavy? Injured. Out until mid August. The Dodgers blew Billingsley's 10th win AGAIN the other day, but at least they ended up with the win. League low ERA or not, if they don't acquire another top of the line starter and reliever, they're in some deep doo-doo. SF'll catch 'em and pass 'em. 'Specially if they go out and get a bat or two. And go tell it on the mountain, the Rockies could be right there as well. Pitching, pitching, pitching. Don't let the numbers fool ya. The Dodgers don't have it.

Their hitting? This just in. For quite a while, now, they've stunk. When Torre decides to stop giving up precious outs with the game on the line with that stupid ass sac bunt (I HATE the sacrifice bunt - more later) they may actually have a chance to get more wins, but in case you haevn't noticed, only Juan Pierre, who's now relgated back to the bench, and the unproductive, free swinging Matt Kemp - if he's an All Star over Sandoval, it's a crime - are hitting at or over the .300 mark. Everyone else is in a prolonged slump. Blake is bouncing back and he's clearly the best hitter on that team whose name isn't Manny. Ethier is hitting .250. A productive .250, but .250 nonetheless. Perhaps Manny's presence can make him or everyone a more consistent hitter but it better happen quickly. Loney had a big homer the other day. He has over 50 RBI's as well. But he's not very good, really. He's getting stupider at the plate and having some extremely poor AB's. The O Dog's bat has parvo. He could be done. He hasn't been the same hitter since early June. Furcal and Martin are terrible. (Must be Raffy never really recovered from that back injury he suffered last year) This team is in trouble. Bats are going to have to wake up quickly and consistently and the Manny is going to have to be injected into the veins of that lineup like a potent dose of ECG.

As I've said many times before, I love the Dodgers and I desperately want them to win. But, I feel huge alterations need to be made to make them a true contender. Other NL teams besisdes the Giants and Rockies - the Cards, Cubs, Brew Crew, 'Stros, Mets and Phils - will improve greatly in the second half. The Blue better not sit on their laurels. They need to take action. It's a work in progress.

Most Valuable Dodger for the first half? My vote goes to Casey Blake. He's been a stud.

Tonight they go up against the underachieving Metropolitans and I like Pelfrey's chances against Kershaw. Especially after the nearly demoralizing loss they almost suffered at the hands of the deadbeat Dads. It's crucial they take 2 out of 3 in both series leading up to the break.

I HATE the sacrifice bunt in most situations and Torre loves it. He loves giving up those outs with no one out and runners on with a team that doesn't hit too well. The other day he had Juan Pierre sacrifice with no outs and runners on first and second on the road! Let me ask you this? Why didn't Juan just bunt for a base hit. That way he at least has a chance of beating it out and loading the bases. What about a hit and run? The Dodgers didn't score that inning. Why do ya have to purposely give up that out? It's one thing if you have Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay coming up, or Mark Teixeira and A rod, but not with Loney and Kemp. They just make too many weak outs. Also, no one knows how to freaking bunt anymore. Furcal, Martin, Hudson and every pitcher on the club seem to think you bunt the ball in the air. NO! You catch the ball with the bat. It's the easiest thing to do in baseball and the Dodgers can't do it. Only your pitcher or your number 8 hitter in certain situations should be sacrifice bunting.

Pierre should be an All Star, not Matt Kemp.