Agenda For 2010: We Need A Real Closer

Did ya ever have someone break up with you one night, then you wake up the next morning, realize she's/he's really gone, and you feel like puking? That's how I feel this morning and I'm sure many Dodger fans feel the same way. I know what you're thinking. There he goes again with his negativity about a team that advanced all the way to the NLCS for the second year in a row. To be honest, I'd rather we never even made the Playoffs than suffer this repetitious indignity. And to know that we could've actually gone to the World Series had we a GM or owner with any balls. (or, if in fact, Jaimie is the actual owner, then we'll use the word, "chutzpah.") If Cliff Lee and Pedro were wearing Dodger blue, like they should've been, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Bill Plaschke has been right on the ball the last couple of days. Who, dear God, WHO, did Ned Colletti feel was so worth hanging onto that we couldn't have acquired Lee? Billingsley? Broxton? No, I would not have dealt Kershaw, but I'm convinced the Tribe would've taken less. I want to know who we felt was so valuable that we couldn't let go. The Dodgers, for as long as I remember, have overrated their prospects. Remember Greg Brock? Mike Marshall? Jose Offerman? Andy LaRoche? Russell Martin?

But, since the 2009 season, for all intents and purposes, is over for the Dodgers, and since we ARE having this conversation, we may as well finish it. Jonathan Broxton did not exactly blow the heartbreaking game last night. The Dodgers incredibly weak offense blew it by not tacking on more runs when they had plenty of opportunities to do so. Once again, Matt Kemp hit a very important homer, only to follow it up with lousy at bats. (I won't even mention the piss poor umpiring behind the plate in this series, because that would seem like an excuse and there are none) Lousy at bats by Manny and Blake and an extremely lousy at bat by Hudson contributed. They had their chances, but let's face it. This is not a real good hitting team, I don't care what the team BA is. The Phillies, on the other hand, are the most potent team in baseball next to the Pinstripers. You just can't get through that lineup. They're heads and shoulders better than the Dodgers' lineup. Awful, undisciplined, unfocused at bats tells me Mattingly is not terribly effective as a hitting coach but may be more effective as a manager. Who knows? But what's plainly obvious is this team has no plate discipline and cannot perform the fundamentals.

Should they still have won? Yes. Jonathan Broxton clearly does not have what it takes to be a closer in the big leagues. He's not lights out and he does not have a lights out mentality. He has no confidence in his stuff and he is way too easily intimidated. Matt Stairs beat him a year ago with a towering home run that put Game 4 on ice. So what? A real closer can't wait to go up against him again and redeem himself. What did Broxton do? He got scared. Like a Little Leaguer, he got scared. With the game and the series and the season on the line, he pitched around an old, fat pinch hitter who hadn't moved the entire game and hadn't done a thing the entire series. It's not Ryan Howard. It's not Chase Utley or Jayson Werth. It's not Raul Ibanez. It's not Rollins or Victorino. It's freaking Matt Stairs! Go get him! Nope. Broxton was afraid the big, bad veteran pinch hitter was going to hurt him again. So he ran and hid. Where have all the Gagnes gone? The Gossages? The Lee Smiths? That's what we need. A real closer, not a scared, oversized kid. Broxton will have more chances, but probably not with the Dodgers. I think it'll take a trade to finally light a fire under his ass and make him mad enough to want some payback. Meanwhile, his market value is still high and for 2010 the Dodgers need starting pitching desperately, a first baseman with power, a catcher who can take charge behind the plate, maybe a second baseman and maybe ... just maybe... a left fielder.

Make no mistake. The reason for the Dodgers failure falls squarely on starting pitching. Other than Vicente the other day, they have no one who can regulalry step on the mound and shut the opponent down. The Dodgers' future was mapped out when they failed to acquire Lee, Halladay, Peavy and Pedro. They don't have decent starting pitching. They have WEAK starting pitching. I don't care how good your bullpen is, you can't go to the World Series with weak starting pitching. The Dodgers would try to make you believe Randy Wolf is the red haired version of Ron Guidry, but he's just okay. Kershaw isn't there yet. Billingsley could be done. Kuroda is too inconsistent and injury prone and should be traded. Garland is terrible. Padilla is now their ace. What does that tell you about your staff? The Phillies starting staff is better than the Yankees staff. That's why they're going to the World Series and the Blue are coming back to LA to get their things. Another long winter. If only McCourt(s) and Colletti understood the importance of starting pitching the way O'Malley and Campanis did.

BTW, tried to listen to the Angels' LA radio network, 710 AM the other evening, but the ALCS game was preempted for Trojan Talk. The USC football postgame show and call in show were more important than the Angels/Yankees ALCS game?? What is this thing people have with college football? USC got punked by Washington a few weeks ago. Their season is over. They have 0 shot at a National Championship. Ya think we can get baseball history being made on their flagship station? Jesu Cristo!