(YAWWWNN!) After suffering through another dismal Dodgers/Angels series in which the Blue managed to get one lousy victory in the last game, I've realized just how boring this Dodger team is. The grieving Furcal has shown signs of life, but this team has no exciting players, unless, of course, you enjoy wondering if Matt Kemp will catch a routine fly ball or, god forbid, he needs to run and catch at the same time, like he tried and failed to do last night. Ethier, who's power has diminished mightily since his pinky injury, is the only regular hitting over .300. I try to stay awake when Casey Blake and Russell Martin step up to the plate, but watching them makes me feel like I just ate half a turkey and downed a jug of red wine. James Loney puts me to sleep just watching him take his stance. In fact, I think Loney, himself, looks like he's about to nod off. Blake DeWitt is a smart hitter and fun to watch sometimes, but he's so methodical, I can leave the room, make a sandwich and come back and he'll still be up there. Manny Ramirez, since his hormones have hit below normal levels, is no fun at all anymore and Matt Kemp has an 0-2 count before he leaves the batter's box. If he doesn't get a hanger in the zone, I guess it's kind of interesting to see how he'll react to the next strikeout. And to see when Rianna is gonna dump him. All you have to do is say "Garret Anderson" and I'm already bored. Reed Johnson doesn't do much for me either, but he might if he got to play more. A.J. Ellis should probably be their starting catcher, but he's so boring, Torre doesn't even know he's on the bench. I guess my vote for most exciting Dodger hitter is a tie between Ronnie Belliard and Jamie Carroll. They usually get hits and they make things happen. Too bad Belliard never gets to play. As far as pitching, let's face it, this ain't no Padres staff. We know what we're gonna get from our 2 healthy starters and it's kind of boring. Kershaw will walk 2 guys in the 6th or 7th, get yanked and hope to get the win. Kuroda will bring his "A" game most of the time, but the boring offense won't score for him. Ely's been fun to watch and Billingsley's kinda fun because you never know when he'll implode and give up a huge inning. You know Troncos-ohno!, Belli-sorry-o, and Sherrill are going to give up the runs they inherited, so there are no surprises there. (Of all the guys the Dodgers have acquired with girls' first names for last names - Mark Loretta, Jamie Carroll and George Sherrill, I gotta give Carroll the nod)
I guess it's kind of exciting to watch a team run themselves out of a game like they did the other night. If Joe Torre actually cared, Matt Kemp and Russell Martin would've been riding the pine last night after that debacle, but not so much. A player's manager, through and through, the lassez-faire Torre put 'em right back in there. (Yeah, I'm sure that "tongue lashing" Torre gave them was real severe. Maybe he said "darn" a couple of times with his arm around Kemp's shoulder) Then, last night, Carroll starts sashaying off second base because he figures he was out when he was called safe. There are bad Little League teams that have better base running skills than the Dodgers. They play like they just don't care. So much so, I think the Dodger Stadium PA system should play "If Everyone Cared" by Nickelback just to send a message.
The Dodgers are on the precipice of a disaster. The Mighty Pins hit town tonight and I think the Dodgers should, by all intents and purposes, get swept. They may not, but the way they're playing, only if the Yanks take a game off. Sure, they won last night, but all teams win once in a while. Sure, it's only June, it's a long season and the Dads haven't proven themselves and don't seem capable of running away with it. But, as we approach the All-Star break, the Dodgers, from a personnel standpoint (including pitching staff) and from a performance standpoint, are not as good as the Giants, Rockies and Padres. Their offense isn't what it was cracked up to be. Sure, Casey Blake will blow hot and cold again before the season concludes and Loney will hit a couple more home runs. Sure Matt Kemp may have another hot streak, and Andre may even repeat what he did last season. But without a solid pitching staff, this offense cannot do enough. Kemp is not merely slumping. He has proven himself to be a bad baseball player. Casey Blake has 29 RBIs in late June. Terrible for a supposed power guy in a corner infield position who strikes out as much as he does. (How is it Torre doesn't ask Blake to bunt with no outs and runners on 1st and 2nd in the 9th with the team down 2-1, I have no idea. And if Blake can't bunt, get a guy up there who can.) Bill Shaikin thinks Pedro may be the answer, but they need more than just Pedro. If they want to win more than just the division, they need a starting staff of Lee or Oswalt or Haren, Kershaw, Pedro, Kuroda and Billingsley. That, in my opinion, is the only way to counteract their lack of offense and lack of a decent bullpen. (Save Kuo, Weaver and Broxton, they're awful)
It ultimately comes down to management. When management doesn't care, why should the team? Love Joe Torre, but he's mailing it in. McCourt cares about just a few guys: Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson, Grant and Franklin. Mostly Franklin. Colletti, I've decided, financially restricted or not, is a buffoon. Look for him to try to acquire insufficient options like a Brian Bannister from KC or a Brett Myers from Houston. Can he "de-buffoon" himself in my eyes come the trading deadline? Probably not, but it'll be reeeal exciting to find out. Yawwwwwn...
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Downward Slide to Reality
It's been so boring lately, I haven't really had anything of note to say about the Dodgers and life, in general. Oh, yeah, congrats once again to the Lakers. What a great owner that Dr. Jerry Buss is. What a bad, bad, naughty owner that Frank McCourt is. Once again, Times baseball writer, Bill Shaikin echoed my sentiments. This time in Sunday's column about the upstart, pitching-laden San Diego Daddies, with whom the Dodgers must now compete for a playoff spot, along with the Giants and Rockies. In commenting on how some Dodger fans think the interleague schedule is unfair because the Dodgers have to play Detroit, the Angels, Boston and the Yanks while the Dads get to play Baltimore, Seattle and Toronto (not that Toronto is bad) he writes: "But perhaps it is not fair to Dodgers fans that their team did not leverage its major-market advantage to buy the one or two more pitchers that might have buried the Padres." And the rest of the NL for that matter. Like I've always said, kind of hard when you have an owner who cares more about his own profits than about winning.
The Dodgers were simply outplayed and outclassed by the Boston Red Sox over the weekend. It may not have been evident in all the scores, but it certainly was evident if you watched every inning. The Dodgers were and are pretty terrible. Consider how badly Matt Kemp and Casey Blake have been playing. Remember what a great glove Blake has had at third base the last 2 years? What happened to that? He's been killing us in that corner. He should've been charged with an error on that ball he booted off the bat of (Pedroia?) that led to a run. Balls are going through his legs, off the heel of his glove. He's awful out there. And he can't hit a lick, except for a few 3 or 4 day stretches here and there. Look, Joe, if Casey ain't gonna field, you may as well play Belliard. At least Belliard can rake. They've needed his bat in the lineup all season long.
OverMATTched Kemp has looked like horse manure ever since Colletti opened his yap, like, 7 weeks ago. It was incredibly stupid for Colletti to say what he said at the time he said it, but any ballplayer worth his salt would've responded heroically instead of slumping into a corner and shriveling up. He's clueless. Trying to hit everything to right, no matter where it's pitched, striking out like a mad man and pulling his head all over town. Rhianna should dump his butt. He can't run the bases and he's not much of a glove in center with his misjudgments and bad jumps and all. So, at what point does Torre decide to start Reed Johnson, who can actually be productive, in center? And if we truly are looking to get a Cliff Lee, is Kemp long for this town, rich 2-year deal or not? Xavier Paul may just be the answer. And so much for this great Dodgers outfield being the class of baseball. That distinction now goes to the Detroit Tigers with rookie phenoms Brennan Boesch from Santa Monica and Austin Jackson both having amazing years and Magglio Ordonez in right having a great year. With Kemp stinking, Manny's power down and strikeouts up, and Ethier free-falling since his pinkie injury, the Dodgers outfield is very human. As far as production the last month and a half, I rank it below a host of productive outfields including those of Arizona, (Young, Upton, Parra) Colorado, (Cargo, Hawpe, Smith/Spillborghs) Texas (Cruz and Hamilton are studs) Milwaukee (Braun & Hart) and St Louis (Holliday, Rasmus, Ludwick) Pittsburgh, (McCutheon, Milledge, Jones) Cincy,(Gomes, Stubbs, Bruce) the Angels (Rivera, Hunter, Abreu) the Cubs (Soriano, Byrd, Fukudome/Colvin) the list goes on. And did anyone read Ethier's ridiculous comments in the paper to Dylan Hernandez on Friday? He says he's 'not a very good player and would rather be a .270 hitter than a .390 hitter because he wouldn't be focused on so much.' What kind of an idiot says something like that? You're the 3 hole hitter on a team trying to make the playoffs and you'd rather be mediocre? And HE'S the most passionate guy out there, next to maybe Blake De Witt. (What does that say about the team's passion?) Well, Andre, looks like you're getting your wish. Your average has dropped 70 points in less than a week.
Well, so much for the John Ely - Fernandomania connection. John's ship has sailed, for right now, anyway. I'm afraid he's landed on a very lonely and remote island, far from the cheering crowds of a few weeks ago. He's destined for Albuquerque should the Blue ever get another arm. He never had great stuff to begin with, just lots and lots of poise. I still like the guy, but this is more than just a slump, I fear. The Monasterios hysterios is also over. He's ... not good. But they have to keep him up with the big club or risk losing him. Is it that much of a risk? I think HE'S the guy you trade for Delino DeShields. Also, isn't it time to think about getting rid of Ramon Troncos-ohno!? He's taken "terrible" to a whole new level.
Luckily, for the Dodgers, they could be in this until the end. The Giants, even with Buster Posey and a resurgent Burrell and Huff, can't hit so well and the Rockies have lost Tulo for a couple of months at least. Still, I figure the Dodgers to land down in 4th place unless they add a Lee, Oswalt or Haren and unless overMATTched Kemp can start hitting again. Rest assured, the Dads, Giants and Rockies, whose owners CAN'T use the excuse of a messy divorce, will do something to improve their chances. If somehow the now 3rd place Dodgers manage to eke out a division win , they have absolutely no chance of advancing to the World Series with their current pitching staff. None. Nil. The null set.
By listening to Joe Torre and watching him manage the team, I could swear he had decided in his last year with the Yankees, "I think I'm gonna retire and go manage the Dodgers." He just doesn't seem to care that much and, for that matter, nor does their owner nor the rest of the team. Bring back the good ol' days when Manny did female fertility drugs and the Dodgers had a Russian physicist and supernatural guru on the payroll sending them "V" energy from across the country. Look for the Blue to drop at least 2 of 3 to the Halos in the Heim. This is not a very good team.
The Dodgers were simply outplayed and outclassed by the Boston Red Sox over the weekend. It may not have been evident in all the scores, but it certainly was evident if you watched every inning. The Dodgers were and are pretty terrible. Consider how badly Matt Kemp and Casey Blake have been playing. Remember what a great glove Blake has had at third base the last 2 years? What happened to that? He's been killing us in that corner. He should've been charged with an error on that ball he booted off the bat of (Pedroia?) that led to a run. Balls are going through his legs, off the heel of his glove. He's awful out there. And he can't hit a lick, except for a few 3 or 4 day stretches here and there. Look, Joe, if Casey ain't gonna field, you may as well play Belliard. At least Belliard can rake. They've needed his bat in the lineup all season long.
OverMATTched Kemp has looked like horse manure ever since Colletti opened his yap, like, 7 weeks ago. It was incredibly stupid for Colletti to say what he said at the time he said it, but any ballplayer worth his salt would've responded heroically instead of slumping into a corner and shriveling up. He's clueless. Trying to hit everything to right, no matter where it's pitched, striking out like a mad man and pulling his head all over town. Rhianna should dump his butt. He can't run the bases and he's not much of a glove in center with his misjudgments and bad jumps and all. So, at what point does Torre decide to start Reed Johnson, who can actually be productive, in center? And if we truly are looking to get a Cliff Lee, is Kemp long for this town, rich 2-year deal or not? Xavier Paul may just be the answer. And so much for this great Dodgers outfield being the class of baseball. That distinction now goes to the Detroit Tigers with rookie phenoms Brennan Boesch from Santa Monica and Austin Jackson both having amazing years and Magglio Ordonez in right having a great year. With Kemp stinking, Manny's power down and strikeouts up, and Ethier free-falling since his pinkie injury, the Dodgers outfield is very human. As far as production the last month and a half, I rank it below a host of productive outfields including those of Arizona, (Young, Upton, Parra) Colorado, (Cargo, Hawpe, Smith/Spillborghs) Texas (Cruz and Hamilton are studs) Milwaukee (Braun & Hart) and St Louis (Holliday, Rasmus, Ludwick) Pittsburgh, (McCutheon, Milledge, Jones) Cincy,(Gomes, Stubbs, Bruce) the Angels (Rivera, Hunter, Abreu) the Cubs (Soriano, Byrd, Fukudome/Colvin) the list goes on. And did anyone read Ethier's ridiculous comments in the paper to Dylan Hernandez on Friday? He says he's 'not a very good player and would rather be a .270 hitter than a .390 hitter because he wouldn't be focused on so much.' What kind of an idiot says something like that? You're the 3 hole hitter on a team trying to make the playoffs and you'd rather be mediocre? And HE'S the most passionate guy out there, next to maybe Blake De Witt. (What does that say about the team's passion?) Well, Andre, looks like you're getting your wish. Your average has dropped 70 points in less than a week.
Well, so much for the John Ely - Fernandomania connection. John's ship has sailed, for right now, anyway. I'm afraid he's landed on a very lonely and remote island, far from the cheering crowds of a few weeks ago. He's destined for Albuquerque should the Blue ever get another arm. He never had great stuff to begin with, just lots and lots of poise. I still like the guy, but this is more than just a slump, I fear. The Monasterios hysterios is also over. He's ... not good. But they have to keep him up with the big club or risk losing him. Is it that much of a risk? I think HE'S the guy you trade for Delino DeShields. Also, isn't it time to think about getting rid of Ramon Troncos-ohno!? He's taken "terrible" to a whole new level.
Luckily, for the Dodgers, they could be in this until the end. The Giants, even with Buster Posey and a resurgent Burrell and Huff, can't hit so well and the Rockies have lost Tulo for a couple of months at least. Still, I figure the Dodgers to land down in 4th place unless they add a Lee, Oswalt or Haren and unless overMATTched Kemp can start hitting again. Rest assured, the Dads, Giants and Rockies, whose owners CAN'T use the excuse of a messy divorce, will do something to improve their chances. If somehow the now 3rd place Dodgers manage to eke out a division win , they have absolutely no chance of advancing to the World Series with their current pitching staff. None. Nil. The null set.
By listening to Joe Torre and watching him manage the team, I could swear he had decided in his last year with the Yankees, "I think I'm gonna retire and go manage the Dodgers." He just doesn't seem to care that much and, for that matter, nor does their owner nor the rest of the team. Bring back the good ol' days when Manny did female fertility drugs and the Dodgers had a Russian physicist and supernatural guru on the payroll sending them "V" energy from across the country. Look for the Blue to drop at least 2 of 3 to the Halos in the Heim. This is not a very good team.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Smoke & Mirrors... again.
Sorry to the millions of fans who were reading my blog on a daily basis. It's been a while since my last post, but I'm back. So much has happened since my last piece about the coming of the remarkable John Ely. Now, we're in first place and we have the best record in the NL with the 3rd best record in MLB. So, what does that mean on June 9th?
Nothing.
I'm still not a believer in this Dodgers team. I know, I know, I wasn't much of a believer last year either, but more so than this year. But, once again, they seem to be winning with smoke & mirrors. Why am I not a believer yet? Here are 7 major reasons:
1) WHERE'S THAT HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE? The Dodgers supposedly high-powered offense really isn't that high powered after all. At least not for the last month. True, Andre's been on the shelf, but it's more than that. Basically, they just may not be that potent. 4 lousy HR's from Manny, 4 HRs from Loney, 4 from Martin, 7 from Blake, 1 from DeWitt, 1 from Furcal, and 11 each for Kemo and Ethier. Not exactly impressive. That's less than 50 homers from their starting 8 and it's almost mid-June.
2) MANNY, in spite of his late inning heroics last night against a good Cards' club, is no longer Manny, but rather a shell of his former self. Whatever excuse you want to use, without the "pharmaceutical enhancement," he can no longer turn on an inside fastball the way he used to and he just doesn't have the same pop. Without his big bat, the Dodgers no longer have the great hitting outfield they were supposed to have and soon, Ethier and/or Kemp will stop benefitting from hitting in front of or behind him. Also, he is SO BAD in left field, it's almost like having 8 players out there instead of 9. His glove and legs have allowed as many runs to score as runs he's driven in. He's turned so many singles into doubles already, it's hard to watch. I still kind of feel that, unless he can find a way to get it going, he could well be someone's DH by the trade deadline. To be honest, if Manny isn't going to be effective, I'd just as soon see the impressive Xavier Paul in left. Is a 3 way deal involving Houston or Seattle possible? A scenario in which Manny goes to the AL and the Dodgers get Oswalt and Berkman without having to pay all of Berkman's huge salary? Might help. Right now, in spite of the BAs, Berkman is better than Manny.
3) MATT KEMP had 4 amazing weeks to begin the season and 6 crappy weeks after. His major numbers are just okay, now, (except he does still lead the NL in runs scored.) People have passed him 3 times over, making his numbers - .279, 11 HRs, 33 RBI - fairly pedestrian. Ever since GM Ned Colletti called Kemp out for poor concentration and work habits, he's lost his mojo. Unless he can find it again, that further weakens the Dodgers "Big 3" attack and makes Ethier, coming off his pinky injury, the sole go-to guy. Ethier's hitting, but hasn't homered since his return and his power seems to have been affected by the injury.
4) THE CORNERS, PARTICULARLY, LONEY - I don't know what it is, he's driving in runs, I guess, he's hitting @.280, I just don't like that guy so much anymore. There seems to still be that lack of focus that ends up hurting the team on the field. Believe me. I WANT TO LIKE HIM. I just don't trust James to come up with the big play or the big hit, though I must admit he does manage it sometimes. He has a lackadaisical style that's infuriating and he's starting to become Matt Kemp on the bases. Being a Garvey/Cey disciple, I still think we need power at the corners. Remember, those Dodger teams had Garvey, Cey, AND and an outfield that produced almost 90 home runs. This team does not. I like Casey Blake and he seems to have taken more of a leadership role, which is great. But can he produce enough to justify his hold on the position? Remember, this isn't about getting back to the playoffs as much as it is getting them to the next level. Are Casey Blake and James Loney strong enough at the corners to take the Blue to the World Series with only one or two guys providing the pop?
5) THE OTHER TEAMS IN THE DIVISION - The Dodgers may have an amazing record within their division, but the other teams frighten me. The Rockies and Giants pitching staffs are scary and the Padres has proven to be pretty damn solid. When a healthy Jorge De la Rosa comes back, the Rockies staff looks formidable, led by Ubaldo Jiminez, the best pitcher in baseball (perhaps next to Stephen Strasburg if you saw his debut yesterday) I still think the Rockies Carlos Gonzalez will prve to be one of the 5 best players in baseball. He has all the tools and carries himself like Roberto Clemente. Tulo is hitting and Hawpe is bat. In my opinion, that Big 3 hits better than our Big 3. Olivo hits better than Martin and the aging Helton is still potentially more dangerous than Loney. I think the Rocks just haven't gotten it going yet. A VERY dangerous team when they do.
The Giants staff have perhaps the best 1-4 in baseball with the recently scuffling Lincecum, then Cain, Zito and Jonathan Sanchez. Their hitting, however, is bad. De Rosa is done, Molina is having a terrible year and they're relying on fatty Sandoval and recently brought-up phenom Buster Posey and re-tread Pat Burrell to provide some pop. If they're in the running, another deal for a hitter or two can be made. If that happens, look out.
The Dads have the 2nd best record in the NL today and their staff of Garland, Richard, LeBlanc, Latos and Correia is a surprisingly strong one. Adrian Gonzalez is excellent (he'd look real good in Dodger blue) and they've been getting a lot of production from Chase Headly and Jerry Hairston of late. But, their offense is simply too weak to compete when the dog days of summer take hold. I still pick the Dads to finish 4th or last, if the Snakes ever slither out of their hole.
The Dodgers pitching staff, though they've been the sole reason for the resurgence, has still not convinced me. Hiroki Medio-Kuroda was amazing against the great Chris Carpenter last night, but his last few outings prior to that were pretty bad. Kershaw and Bills have done a solid job of late and you have to like Ely and even young Rule 5 draftee, Carlos Monasterios has been a rather pleasant surprise. But I still believe they need to get that number 1 guy before the deadline - that guy who's going to be a difference-maker. That Cliff Lee, that Oswalt, that Santana. (Santana, as far as I know, is not on the market) Because, come playing time, the Phils and Cards will have the arms they need to win. True, the Phillies are not playing well. Their entire lineup is slumping and Rollins has just played in 12 games or something like that. But, trust me, they'll be there in October and Holliday, Hamels, and, likely, a rejuvenated and healed J.A. Happ will be strong. The Dodgers, if they can somehow get past the Rockies and the Giants to win the West or a Wild Card, will need to be able to match arms with a Philly or a St. Louis (or even an Atlanta) in a short series. Right now, in spite of how their starters are doing of late, they couldn't.
6) RAMONE TRONCOSO stinks. (I call him Troncos-oh no!) If Torre continues to use him on a regular basis, along with Beli-sorry-o-no! the Blue could wind up giving up a lot of games. In spite of last year's performance, I've never trusted these guys. They like to give up other pitcher's runs. Troncoso-no! leaves the ball out over the plate way too often and Beli-sorry-o no! doesn't look like he has much this year. Those two clowns along with an awful George Sherrill must improve for the Dodgers to have a viable shot at winning anything. Weaver, Kuo and Broxton can't do it all.
7) Finally, FRANK McCOURT will likely not do anything to improve the team. To prove my point, let's look at the Dodger's draft pick in the first round of the amateur draft the other day. Zach Lee is a fine high school pitcher but he's signed a letter of intent to play quarterback for LSU! HE'S GONNA PLAY FOOTBALL and the Dodgers were well aware of this! They had no intention of paying a large signing bonus, so by picking a player who they know WON'T SIGN, McCourt has saved himself more cash. So, if that's the case, how can we expect McCheapskate to go after a top-of-the-line arm by the trade deadline?
So, it's good to be back, folks, but we'll see. I want to believe, so here's a Go Dodgers! for all those who think I'm a hater.
Now, a couple of other brief comments. Vin Scully's short eulogy to the great John Wooden during the game against Atlanta brought tears to my eyes. A UCLA grad, I love John Wooden, but I'd still love him had I attended USC. Never met him. Wish I had, but I will now read his books and try to learn from him again. Thanks to Fox sports for re-airing the Scully/Wooden broadcast. That being said, let's talk about the Dodgers flagship radio station, KABC. I was listening to KABC radio the other day, just before the Dodger broadcast came on, and there was a talk show called "The Mark Levin Show." Even more so than some of their other personalities, this guy is a freaking jerk. What is KABC thinking? Do they actually espouse his political viewpoints? A staunch right winger who's arrogance and ignorance are through the roof, he called Barack Obama a "vapid idiot" the other day. Barack Obama is a vapid idiot?? What would that make his predecessor who I'm certain Levin supported? Levin is brash, insulting and ridiculous and to top it off, he's got a voice like Bugs Bunny. All I'm saying is, how can KABC allow the venerable Scully to follow this clown? It's an insult to both Scully and the Dodger organization. It's like putting a brothel in the Disneyland parking lot. I urge my readers to call KABC and complain and to boycott their sponsors.
Nothing.
I'm still not a believer in this Dodgers team. I know, I know, I wasn't much of a believer last year either, but more so than this year. But, once again, they seem to be winning with smoke & mirrors. Why am I not a believer yet? Here are 7 major reasons:
1) WHERE'S THAT HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE? The Dodgers supposedly high-powered offense really isn't that high powered after all. At least not for the last month. True, Andre's been on the shelf, but it's more than that. Basically, they just may not be that potent. 4 lousy HR's from Manny, 4 HRs from Loney, 4 from Martin, 7 from Blake, 1 from DeWitt, 1 from Furcal, and 11 each for Kemo and Ethier. Not exactly impressive. That's less than 50 homers from their starting 8 and it's almost mid-June.
2) MANNY, in spite of his late inning heroics last night against a good Cards' club, is no longer Manny, but rather a shell of his former self. Whatever excuse you want to use, without the "pharmaceutical enhancement," he can no longer turn on an inside fastball the way he used to and he just doesn't have the same pop. Without his big bat, the Dodgers no longer have the great hitting outfield they were supposed to have and soon, Ethier and/or Kemp will stop benefitting from hitting in front of or behind him. Also, he is SO BAD in left field, it's almost like having 8 players out there instead of 9. His glove and legs have allowed as many runs to score as runs he's driven in. He's turned so many singles into doubles already, it's hard to watch. I still kind of feel that, unless he can find a way to get it going, he could well be someone's DH by the trade deadline. To be honest, if Manny isn't going to be effective, I'd just as soon see the impressive Xavier Paul in left. Is a 3 way deal involving Houston or Seattle possible? A scenario in which Manny goes to the AL and the Dodgers get Oswalt and Berkman without having to pay all of Berkman's huge salary? Might help. Right now, in spite of the BAs, Berkman is better than Manny.
3) MATT KEMP had 4 amazing weeks to begin the season and 6 crappy weeks after. His major numbers are just okay, now, (except he does still lead the NL in runs scored.) People have passed him 3 times over, making his numbers - .279, 11 HRs, 33 RBI - fairly pedestrian. Ever since GM Ned Colletti called Kemp out for poor concentration and work habits, he's lost his mojo. Unless he can find it again, that further weakens the Dodgers "Big 3" attack and makes Ethier, coming off his pinky injury, the sole go-to guy. Ethier's hitting, but hasn't homered since his return and his power seems to have been affected by the injury.
4) THE CORNERS, PARTICULARLY, LONEY - I don't know what it is, he's driving in runs, I guess, he's hitting @.280, I just don't like that guy so much anymore. There seems to still be that lack of focus that ends up hurting the team on the field. Believe me. I WANT TO LIKE HIM. I just don't trust James to come up with the big play or the big hit, though I must admit he does manage it sometimes. He has a lackadaisical style that's infuriating and he's starting to become Matt Kemp on the bases. Being a Garvey/Cey disciple, I still think we need power at the corners. Remember, those Dodger teams had Garvey, Cey, AND and an outfield that produced almost 90 home runs. This team does not. I like Casey Blake and he seems to have taken more of a leadership role, which is great. But can he produce enough to justify his hold on the position? Remember, this isn't about getting back to the playoffs as much as it is getting them to the next level. Are Casey Blake and James Loney strong enough at the corners to take the Blue to the World Series with only one or two guys providing the pop?
5) THE OTHER TEAMS IN THE DIVISION - The Dodgers may have an amazing record within their division, but the other teams frighten me. The Rockies and Giants pitching staffs are scary and the Padres has proven to be pretty damn solid. When a healthy Jorge De la Rosa comes back, the Rockies staff looks formidable, led by Ubaldo Jiminez, the best pitcher in baseball (perhaps next to Stephen Strasburg if you saw his debut yesterday) I still think the Rockies Carlos Gonzalez will prve to be one of the 5 best players in baseball. He has all the tools and carries himself like Roberto Clemente. Tulo is hitting and Hawpe is bat. In my opinion, that Big 3 hits better than our Big 3. Olivo hits better than Martin and the aging Helton is still potentially more dangerous than Loney. I think the Rocks just haven't gotten it going yet. A VERY dangerous team when they do.
The Giants staff have perhaps the best 1-4 in baseball with the recently scuffling Lincecum, then Cain, Zito and Jonathan Sanchez. Their hitting, however, is bad. De Rosa is done, Molina is having a terrible year and they're relying on fatty Sandoval and recently brought-up phenom Buster Posey and re-tread Pat Burrell to provide some pop. If they're in the running, another deal for a hitter or two can be made. If that happens, look out.
The Dads have the 2nd best record in the NL today and their staff of Garland, Richard, LeBlanc, Latos and Correia is a surprisingly strong one. Adrian Gonzalez is excellent (he'd look real good in Dodger blue) and they've been getting a lot of production from Chase Headly and Jerry Hairston of late. But, their offense is simply too weak to compete when the dog days of summer take hold. I still pick the Dads to finish 4th or last, if the Snakes ever slither out of their hole.
The Dodgers pitching staff, though they've been the sole reason for the resurgence, has still not convinced me. Hiroki Medio-Kuroda was amazing against the great Chris Carpenter last night, but his last few outings prior to that were pretty bad. Kershaw and Bills have done a solid job of late and you have to like Ely and even young Rule 5 draftee, Carlos Monasterios has been a rather pleasant surprise. But I still believe they need to get that number 1 guy before the deadline - that guy who's going to be a difference-maker. That Cliff Lee, that Oswalt, that Santana. (Santana, as far as I know, is not on the market) Because, come playing time, the Phils and Cards will have the arms they need to win. True, the Phillies are not playing well. Their entire lineup is slumping and Rollins has just played in 12 games or something like that. But, trust me, they'll be there in October and Holliday, Hamels, and, likely, a rejuvenated and healed J.A. Happ will be strong. The Dodgers, if they can somehow get past the Rockies and the Giants to win the West or a Wild Card, will need to be able to match arms with a Philly or a St. Louis (or even an Atlanta) in a short series. Right now, in spite of how their starters are doing of late, they couldn't.
6) RAMONE TRONCOSO stinks. (I call him Troncos-oh no!) If Torre continues to use him on a regular basis, along with Beli-sorry-o-no! the Blue could wind up giving up a lot of games. In spite of last year's performance, I've never trusted these guys. They like to give up other pitcher's runs. Troncoso-no! leaves the ball out over the plate way too often and Beli-sorry-o no! doesn't look like he has much this year. Those two clowns along with an awful George Sherrill must improve for the Dodgers to have a viable shot at winning anything. Weaver, Kuo and Broxton can't do it all.
7) Finally, FRANK McCOURT will likely not do anything to improve the team. To prove my point, let's look at the Dodger's draft pick in the first round of the amateur draft the other day. Zach Lee is a fine high school pitcher but he's signed a letter of intent to play quarterback for LSU! HE'S GONNA PLAY FOOTBALL and the Dodgers were well aware of this! They had no intention of paying a large signing bonus, so by picking a player who they know WON'T SIGN, McCourt has saved himself more cash. So, if that's the case, how can we expect McCheapskate to go after a top-of-the-line arm by the trade deadline?
So, it's good to be back, folks, but we'll see. I want to believe, so here's a Go Dodgers! for all those who think I'm a hater.
Now, a couple of other brief comments. Vin Scully's short eulogy to the great John Wooden during the game against Atlanta brought tears to my eyes. A UCLA grad, I love John Wooden, but I'd still love him had I attended USC. Never met him. Wish I had, but I will now read his books and try to learn from him again. Thanks to Fox sports for re-airing the Scully/Wooden broadcast. That being said, let's talk about the Dodgers flagship radio station, KABC. I was listening to KABC radio the other day, just before the Dodger broadcast came on, and there was a talk show called "The Mark Levin Show." Even more so than some of their other personalities, this guy is a freaking jerk. What is KABC thinking? Do they actually espouse his political viewpoints? A staunch right winger who's arrogance and ignorance are through the roof, he called Barack Obama a "vapid idiot" the other day. Barack Obama is a vapid idiot?? What would that make his predecessor who I'm certain Levin supported? Levin is brash, insulting and ridiculous and to top it off, he's got a voice like Bugs Bunny. All I'm saying is, how can KABC allow the venerable Scully to follow this clown? It's an insult to both Scully and the Dodger organization. It's like putting a brothel in the Disneyland parking lot. I urge my readers to call KABC and complain and to boycott their sponsors.
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