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Deliverance!

2011-11-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Break out the bubbly! Time to party like it's 1988! "What?" you ask. "Have you abandoned the Blue and become a Cardinals fan?" Not at all, but today's news is the best news Dodger fans have heard since that wonderful day in October, 23 years ago. Yes, the Ass is leaving the building. That little bastard is selling the team, god willing, to someone who cares and knows what he's doing and we can return to being true blue fans. That means coming back to the Ravine, inhaling Dodger Dogs, hopefully cheering on a winning team again. It's been a long time coming, - 2 years - seems like forever, but believe me, it could've been longer. There was nothing subtle about McCourt. He was as obvious a bad guy as the Riddler in Batman, except without the tight green suit. The question marks, however, have been there for quite a while. This thing could have been protracted out for months, even years if judges couldn't make decisions. There's even a very slight chance McCourt could've prevailed and been able to keep the team. What a nightmare that would've been. But the reality is that it was likely just a matter of time before McCourt would've had to leave town with his pointy devil's tail between his spindly legs. We must thank Commissioner Selig as well as admonish him one more time for allowing this fiasco to happen in the first place. But now it's all water under the bridge and soon, some rich bastard who cares about the Dodgers, cares about the fans in LA, and loves and appreciates baseball and winning will fork out a billion bucks to buy back our team and make us whole again. Will it be Ron Burkle? Dennis Gilbert? Casdan? Attanasio? Hershiser/Garvey? Someone new? The word on the street is, that the venerable Peter O'Malley - the man who came to LA from Brooklyn with his dad and took over the team we all fell in love with - is interested in putting an investment group together and becoming chief exec of the Dodgers again. Man, it'd be amazing if he could do that and I'm sure Bud Selig would love it. We could relive our childhoods. The good parts. The Dodgers winning parts. Only time will tell, but hopefully, whoever the new owner is, he'll have his cash-flush hands on the team in time to sign Prince Fielder and maybe even a third baseman (Aramis Ramirez declined his option with the Cubs today. He could be a good fit for a year or two) and we'll have a viable contender with the right mix of youth and veterans that could both hit and pitch. Of course, any big free agent signings of Fielder's caliber is a long shot now, with no owner in place. Chances are, Fielder will be long signed by the time our new owner is named and no one expects lame duck McCourt to sign any big names to any long term deals. Still, things couldn't look rosier for Dodger fans. Yes, we have something to look forward to in 2012.

As far as my Postseason Post-mortem, since 1995, it has been proven that any one of the 8 teams that makes it to the playoffs have a reasonable chance of getting hot and winning it all. The Cards, though not altogether deserving of a a shot to take the crown, had been hot as Hades for the last 3 weeks of the season and proved themselves better than everybody when it counted. At least, as long as Nelson Cruz doesn't catch that very catchable ball with 2 outs in the 9th in Game 6. How must he feel? How must closer, Neftali Feliz feel? What an amazing game! And Ranger fans have to be a bit irritated that MLB exec, and ex-Cardinal manager, Joe Torre's odd decision to postpone Game 6, (it rained for 1 hour) thereby allowing an extra day of rest for Redbirds ace, Chris Carpenter to pitch a possible Game 7. And they should be a little upset with some of the odd decisions made by manager, Ron Washington. Feel bad for the Texas Rangers, but with that offense and President, Nolan Ryan's grit and determination, they should be back.

Now, if there's a God in his Heaven, Kemp will win the MVP (had no business winning the Gold Glove), Kershaw will win the Cy Young and an owner we can all be proud of will restore our beloved Blue to us. Hallelujah!

Long, Short Season

2011-09-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Been a while since you've heard from me. Reason being, I've been busy writing on a sitcom. Other reason being, I have emotionally banished the Dodgers from my very essence until that bastard relinquishes control. However, much has happened and I feel that it's time I chimed in. So, here are my all-important thoughts:

First, let's talk about the Dodgers.

"Beat LA! Beat LA!" were the chants coming from the crowd in Phoenix where the Dodgers wound up their difficult 2011 campaign winning 2 of 3 from the unlikely NL West champs. And, it occurred to me that the Snakes didn't need to "beat LA," that their evil owner had long ago beaten them to the punch. The Dodgers played rather well in the 2nd half. Surprisingly well, in spite of the distractions caused by the Evil One. Here are the Top 9 Reasons for Their resurgence:

1) Never thought I'd say this, but Don Mattingly did an outstanding job holding them together. I think this should perhaps earn him a shot at the job if and when a new owner takes over. Not sure it will, and I wouldn't be crying in my soup if it ends up being Bobby Cox coaxed out of retirement or even Riggleman or Dusty. But hats off to Donnie Baseball on a ship almost righted.

2) Loney. Out of nowhere, the light suddenly turned on and he became the James Loney of old, giving the Dodgers the much needed bat they needed behind the great Matt Kemp. Unfortunately for J Lo, it may be too little too late with the big, fat specter of Prince Fielder and his 38 homers and 120 RBI's (forget Pujols. Won't happen) looming in the free agent market - a market in which the bankrupt Blue may somehow be able to shop.

3) Juan Rivera - Makes Colletti look like a genius. He was the other big bat they needed behind Kemp. Makes for a tough decision if they don't go out in the offseason and land a left fielder. Sands or Rivera?

4) Dee Gordon & Jerry Sands - Two very bright-looking stars appeared to show us a glimpse of the future in the second half and made quite a difference in the lineup.

5) The Obvious - Matt Kemp became perhaps the best player in baseball before our eyes and Clayton Kershaw became perhaps the best pitcher. Phenomenal performances.

6) Kenley Jansen & Javy Guerra - In an otherwise abysmal bullpen situation, these two dudes lit the way for the late innings and the Dodgers blew fewer games with small leads by their offensively challenged ballclub.

7) Absence of Andre - Once Andre Ethier left the lineup things really started to gel. Was it because he was playing so poorly because of his bad knee or was it because he was a pouter in the clubhouse and when he was out of it, the mood got lighter? He'd better get his crap together for next year.

8) Aaron Miles - This guy needs to stay, as does Jamey Carroll. But Miles, especially, is a stud. He's a manager's dream. He can play 2nd,short and 3rd well and he battles every at bat. He's a catalyst.

9) Kuroda Consistency - I actually hope the guy I used to call "Hiroki MedioKuroda" sticks around. He was great in the second half and kept them in every game.

Now, we just have to hope that Bud Selig and MLB prevail in the courts, and that soon, so we can enjoy the baseball season again in LA and not feel bad about loving our once proud team. I doubt it's going to happen as quickly as we'd like and, until then, I hope yopu'll join me in continuing to boycott the Ravine.

Now, to the season:

I was right in most of my preseason predictions except the NL West, the AL East and the AL Central. So, I was wrong. The Red Sox and Braves chokes were legendary, but the Red Sox more so than the Braves because Boston spent so much money in the offseason on the likes of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. With the emergence of Ellsbury, the continuing contributions fro Pedroia and Ortiz, Beckett back to form and Jon Lester, along with Bucholz and Dice K, they had the makings of a super team. But both the latter hurlers went down with injuries, Youkilis got hurt and Crawford turned out to not be all his millions said he can be. Those losses at the very beginning of the season killed them in the end. Instead of winning in the very tough AL East, they succombed to the Yanks and the lowly Rays. The Rays have no business being in the postseason, and yet, their they are. A solid team with many holes, they should lose in the first round.

The Braves and Cards are two similarly talented teams, but I've always felt the Cards were a little better offensively and I guess that amounted to the one game difference in the end. They should lose to Philly pretty quickly. Philly to sweep St Louis. Milwaukee (I told you guys how good they'd be) over the Snakes in 4. Philly over the Brew Crew in 7.

The Chicago White Sox got less than nothing from Adam Dunn and Alex Rios and, strangely, Kenny Williams did nothing to imrpove their offense at the trade deadline. So, aside from Paul Konerko, they had no offense and fell easily to the Tigers who had more hitting than I expected. In addition to the obvious slugging of Cabrera and Victor Martinez, they got a lot of offense from Peralta and Aviles. Verlander is a stud. Look out, Yankees. Could be a tough series. It's a pick-em, but I'll take the safe road and pick the Pins over the Yanks in 5.

I like Texas but don't think, in spite of their AWESOME hitting, they have enough pitching to advance past the ALCS. But I sure like them to beat Tampa. Yanks over the Rangers in 7. Philly over the Yanks in 6.

AWARDS:

NL MVP - Kemp 2nd) Braun 3rd) Fielder
NL CY YOUNG - Kershaw 2nd) Halladay 3rd) Kennedy
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Kimbrel 2nd) Freeman 3rd) Worley
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Gibson 2nd) Roenicke 3rd) Mattingly

AL MVP - Adrian Gonzalez 2nd) Granderson 3rd) Cabrera
AL CY YOUNG Verlander 2nd) Weaver 3rd) Sabathia
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Hosmer 2nd) Hellickson 3rd) Trumbo
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR - Maddon 2nd) Leyland 3rd) Washington

A Break at the Break

2011-07-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

The dismalness, the dismality, the dismalaciousness and the dismaltacity of this awful Dodgers season has now mercifully passed the halfway mark and things are looking dismal, but they could also be looking up. Here are nine reasons why:

1) Bud Selig is working hard to oust the Bad man and get a new owner for the Dodgers. The bankruptcy will likely backfire on McCourt and we'll eventually be rid of him.
2) The Dodgers entered the All-Star break with 4 straight wins, first time all season they've had a winning streak of more than 3 games.
3) Clayton Kershaw appears to be coming into his own as one of the best in the game.
4) Matt Kemp is having an MVP type year.
5) Marcus Thames has been designated for assignment.
6) Kemp, Ethier and Kershaw each acquitted themselves rather well in the All-Star Game last night.
7) Vin Scully is still in the booth.
8) Rookie pitchers Rubbe De la Rosa and Javy Guerra have shown promise.
9) With his two on Sunday, Andre Ethier now has 9 home runs.

Now, here are 13 reasons why things are looking horrible:
1) At least for now, Frank McCourt still owns the team.
2) The Dodgers entered the All-Star game 10 games below .500 and 162 games out of first place.
3) The Dodgers have acquired ex-Angel, Juan Rivera to play left field.
4) In light of the team's financial struggles, Kemp and Ethier could easily leave for better climes.
5) James Loney is still their first baseman.
6) More than likely, the Dodgers will be sellers instead of buyers at the trade deadline. Say adios to Furcal, Kuroda, Maybe even Jamey Carroll or Aaron Miles (and, hopefully, Juan Uribe.)
7) Vin Scully is in his 80's and may not be in the booth much longer.
8) Charley Steiner isn't in his 80's and may be in the booth much longer.
9) Ted Lily is still in the rotation
10) There still is no closer.
11) Don Mattingly, in spite of the hand he's been dealt, still seems in overwhelmed and under competent.
12) Rick Honeycutt is the pitching coach.
13) With his two on Sunday, Andre Ethier now has 9 home runs

Enjoy the rest of the season and remember to boycott the ballpark until the bad man leaves. Join Boycott the Dodgers Til the Bad Man Leaves on Facebook!

An Open Letter To Frank McCourt:

2011-07-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

An Open Letter to Frank McCourt:

Dear, Mr. McCourt,

We don't think you quite understand the scope of the situation, so we simply want to clarify. We understand that you think Commissioner Selig is treating you differently than other owners who've had financial trouble and that you feel he has it in for you and wants a new owner for the Dodgers no matter what. This is all true. That's because Mr. Selig realizes the kind of owner and the kind of man you are and he doesn't like you. He feels you're bad for the Dodgers and bad for baseball. We, the fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agree, (as evidenced by our turnout or lack thereof at the Ravine this season.) It isn't us, it's you. We don't like you, Mr. McCourt. In fact, we hate you. I doubt there is ONE Dodger fan in LA who's support you have. It's not just the divorce, but the revelation that you are a selfish, greedy, awful person. What Mr. Selig is doing is tantamount to a commando raid intended to free hostages. You've kidnapped our beloved team. The Dodgers - one of the elements that makes us Angelinos - is being held for ransom by you. As long as you own the Dodgers, no matter what deal you may try to make, we won't show up. It's over. We want you to sell the Dodgers, Mr. McCourt. We want you to sell the parking lot. We want you to leave town. We don't want to see you driving or walking down the street. I'm not sure how much clearer the message needs to be.

Sincerely,
The Loyal Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers National League Baseball Club

"Daddy, Why Won't the Bad Man Go Away?"

2011-06-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well, son, because he's bad. And bad people don't know when to go away. They're mean and greedy and selfish and they stay as long as they can, no matter how much they're not wanted, no matter how much they're hated, no matter how many millions of people want them to leave. The only thing we can hope for is that good prevails over evil and a hero emerges.

Eventually, in spite of all his tactics and attorneys, in spite of all the legal types who think McCourt may wind up hanging onto to the team through his latest strategy - the bankruptcy filing - don't believe for a minute that Frank McCourt will continue to be the owner of the Dodgers much longer. May take a little more time than I initially predicted once the Commish assigned a trustee to oversee operations of the club in April, but it will happen. Maybe he'll get to keep the parking lot for awhile, but sooner or later, Frank McCourt will be ousted as the owner of the Dodgers and the team and it's fans will finally be free. Long live Bud Selig for his attempts to restore our beloved Blue to the fans. I want a Dodger Dog. Maybe one day soon when he's long gone.

The team? Sorry hopefuls and wishfuls. Those 25 hits and 15 runs against the Siblings Who Were Born At The Same Time And Look Exactly Alike were nothing more than a history-making aberration. A fluke. A mirage. An oasis in a hot, dry, endless Sahara. I was wrong in my earlier blog. This team DOES stink. Matt Kemp is great. MVP material for sure. Andre Ethier is very good, but his pop has left the ballpark. Kershaw, as it turns out, is finally looking like the real deal. I like what I'm seeing from The Thin Man and who doesn't like Mattingly's "Mighty Mites," Carroll and Miles? That's it. Six very good players. Even though Loney is coming out of his funk, the rest of the team is mediocre to lousy. (Though I'm curious to see what Tony Gwynn can do if he plays every day and what Kuroda could do if his team had an offense.) But, they just can't put it together for any length of time and, in spite of the general weakness of the division, they won't. Their pitching actually sucks from the starting rotation through the bullpen. Kemp can't do it all by himself and Kershaw can't pitch every day. Gordon is still too young to have the responsibility of the team's fortunes heaped on his rather unsubstantial shoulders and Ethier is just a singles hitter now. Thames stinks. Totally clueless. Loney is weak. Uribe and Blake are engaged in a stinking contest. Uribe is winning. They have no catcher. Billingsley is extremely inconsistent, usually bad. Lilly is having a terrible year. De La Rosa isn't the answer, at least not yet. (He pitched great today) Their awful bullpen rests on the young arms of Javvy Guerra and Kenley Jansen. Mattingly looks in over his head. They're just terrible.

Barring a miracle, I expect them to be sellers instead of buyers before the deadline and that could mean we could be saying good-bye to some of the bigger contracts. Kuroda, maybe Billingsley, maybe Loney, and hopefully, Uribe and Thames. I don't know if anyone would want Blake, but you never know. However, we want to root for them because of the predicament they're in. These Dodgers are the product of greed. What? Isn't that moniker reserved for the Yankees and Red Sox? No. In fact, it's more apt when used to reference the Dodgers. They're the product of McCourt's greed and avarice. Had he actually cared about the team and spent money to improve them, the Dodgers would have a pretty good shot at the division. Fans would come to the ballpark. It would be a completely different summer. Why does McCourt not seem to realize that Selig turning down the Fox deal is NOT the reason he and the Dodgers are in this position. It's his greed, mismanagement and overall eely slipperiness. It's that he's a horrible jackass and everybody truly despises him. This is indeed why Selig and every Dodger fan in LA wants him gone. Now. Please. What would Albert Pujols look like in a Dodger uniform? We'll probably never find out. By the time this is all resolved, the Dodgers may be taking a shot at signing Mike Moustakis in his first year of free agency. ... in 2018. Here's hoping it happens much, much sooner.

Things Are Looking Thin a 3rd of the Way Through

2011-06-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

"Thin." 'Paper thin." What other words could you use to describe Dodgers unripe shortstop, Dee Gordon? I can actually think of a few. "Amazing" comes to mind. "Grease-lightning" is another one. "Great" may also be in his future. Poor Rafael Furcal? Not really. I think he can read the handwriting on the wall. Though Furcal is a fine player when he actually plays, when your body is made of fine, delicate Japanese porcelain, baseball is a little too rough to play on a nightly basis. So, Dee Gordon's time has come.

I was wrong. This team does not stink. They're a bad team, but they don't stink. Here's where they are about a 3rd of the way in:

THE OFFENSE: Jamey Carroll reminds me of an anime superhero. He does everything that's asked of him in a Brett Butler-like, Astro-Boy-like, dutiful manner. What a find he turned out to be and a feather in the fairly sparse fedora of Ned Colletti. Matt Kemp is the NL MVP in this blogger's mind if the season ends today. Though the Baseball Writer's of America would hand the ward to big fat, Prince Fielder of the 1st place Brewers, (I told ya so about the Brew Crew) Kemp is easily the better player. Somebody or something or some Davey Lopes crawled up into his butt and sent Kemp a strong message. Ethier is fine. Lots of BA, but no pop. O, Wherefore art the Ethier pop? We need some HR's and some doubles from the pouty Andre. Loney is showing signs of life, but Loney has a talent limit that will only take the team so far. Casey Blake offers little. Uribe offers even less. Mattingly has made some odd moves. Why would you take the dynamic duo of Carroll and Miles out of the lineup with all the production they're providing. You really think Blake and Uribe are going to contribute as much as they do? It's like replacing a sporty Toyota with an old pickup truck. I like the way he picks the ball, but I'm not a big Uribe fan. And I've never been a Blake fan. He makes a lot of excuses and he's just not that good. Also, why did the Dodgers designate left-handed hitting Jay Gibbons for assignment and keep the awful Marcus Thames?? Why is Marcus Thames even on the team?? I can see why they sent Jerry Sands back down. He needs a little more seasoning. He'll be a great player, but he's not quite ready.

Both catchers - Barajas and Navarro - are weak but they can play the position. Why is Aussie, Trent Oeltjen out there? Tie me Kangaroo Down, he strikes out too much. Tony Gwynn - like I've said all year - should be their starting left fielder until or unless they acquire a big hitter who can roam the outfield. Maybe they'll finally get the message. Bottom line is, they have four guys who can hit, and only two of them have any real power and only one of THEM is using it. They need Prince Fielder. Think the Brew Crew will give 'im up? Yeah, sure.

THE STARTING PITCHING: Severely overrated. Kershaw has been fairly solid but by no means stellar. He's still not there, or at least where everyone predicted he'd be. He seems to fall apart, quite often, after the 5th inning. Unfortunately for the perennially young Clayton, these games are 9 innings. Dang. Billingsley has been mediocre to decent. Same story with Hiroki Kuroda who is portrayed as a constant victim of lack of run support. And he is. Lilly has been slightly south of decent. Just ok. Garland was terrible before his injury, but his replacement, young Rubby De La Rosa looks might interesting. Keep an eye on him.

THE BULLPEN - PEE-U! Now, THEY stink! What a disaster, injuries or no injuries! Rookie, Javvy Guerra, looks like the only one who can pitch. Guerrier - stinks. Kuo - suddenly neurotic. McDougal - stinks. Troncoso - stinks, but not as badly as he used to. Elbert - stinks, but not as badly as he used to. Jansen - stunk. Let's see what we get when he gets back. Broxton - stinks.

MANAGEMENT - Not sure yet, but I don't think Donnie Baseball is doing too well. It's not all his fault, but he seems somewhat unsure as to who to play sometimes. Or what the hell to do. Lots of odd moves and non-moves, typical of a rookie manager. The jury is still way, way out on him. Suffice it to say, he's been dealt a weak hand. Speaking of hands, Colletti's are manicled by budget constraints. It still remains to be seen whether they'll just call up the farm and call it a year.

OWNERSHIP - All we can do is hope and pray that June 30th will be the McCourt's last day of officially owning the team. If he gets that Fox deal and gets to keep the team, I may never set foot in Dodger Stadium again. He's just an awful dude. And now this latest thing about the clergy coming to his defense in an appeal to Bud Selg. And their assurances that he didn't pay them off? PLEASE. That has got to be the new all-time low since the Black Sox scandal. Yeah, beleaguered Mets owner, Fred Wilpon and one-time Maddoff associate, is also a little filthy and, sure, he's a friend of Selig, so he gets special treatment. But that doesn't mean McCourt should get to stay.

Everything will go as I predicted it would at the beginning of the year. Go back to my blog entitled: 2011 Predictions By Bleaky Bleakington. So far, now that the Tribe is beginning to fold their teepee, the only thing I've been terribly wrong about, it seems, are the Diamondbacks. And even then, I covered my bases. But it's a long season and there's big news coming. See ya all soon.

Andre the Giant Infant

2011-05-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Get this guy a diaper. What the hell is wrong with Andre Ethier? Yeah, the team stinks, but is that why he's been such a Pouty Poutington lately? Doesn't seem like it. One impression I get from Ethier is that he's always been a little bit more about himself than the team. The team can be up 8 runs (not often these days) and he can be seen sulking in the dugout because he's 0 for 3. His 30 game hitting streak ended and he's suddenly flipping the bird to LA Times beat writers and photographers because they're taking photos of him during bp. Welcome to the Bigs, Andre. And then he crashes into the chain link right field fence at U.S. Cellular Field against the Chisox on Sunday and hurts himself. (I think he shoulda made that play) A little banged up, he doesn't play in the woeful Houston series. So, when asked by a reporter how he feels, he responds, "I don't need you to check on me. We have trainers to do that." Waah! What's the matter, Andre, didn't get your nap? Grow up, stop pouting, show some grace and some class, get out there and lead. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut and play. You're not THAT good.

Look, folks, this team is terrible. I know, I know. The injuries. Furcal, (he's back, but mighty, mighty rusty.) Blake, Uribe, Broxton (not a problem) Kuo (he's anxious) Hawksworth, now Barajas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have all of those guys back and healthy and you're still teetering on last place. It's just the way this team is assembled. Matt Kemp is having a monster year thus far, Ethier was, then he stopped, and Jamey Carroll has been as awesome as a Jamey Carroll can be. I like Jerry Sands, he of the 2 HRs of late, including a grand slam, and maybe Rubby De LaRosa will prove to be a key guy, but, aside from Kemp, there just isn't enough consistent pop and there's not enough BA. As predicted, offensively, too many K's, not enough guys making things happen. Their starting pitching is overrated but solid. Kershaw is NOT the lights out ace we hoped he'd be. Not yet. Billingsley has been solid but not great. Kuroda has been mostly good. Lilly has been OK and Garland has been passable. No world beaters in the bunch. Face it. This team has lousy personnel and the only way it'll change is if their top prospects were all ready NOW or, more realistically, to get that new owner with deep pockets in there and hope for quick improvements via free agency and trades. Why anyone would think this team can improve greatly or contend is beyond me. It doesn't help when the guy that's supposed to be the team leader is behaving like a spoiled brat. It's going to continue to be a dismal, horrid year unless things change quickly in the clubhouse, in the front office and in the West. The only bright spot will be the MLB seizure of the club from the despot, McCourt, and the hope of a happy future.

Back to the Malaise

2011-05-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the euphoria of Commissioner Bud Selig's "takeover" of the Dodgers has all but worn off and the club is back to playing exactly the way they should be playing based on the personnel they've put together: lousy. They're almost precisely where they should be and precisely where they're likely to be at the end of the year. Outside of Kemp and Ethier, owner of a recently snapped 30 game hitting streak, and a reliable Jamey Carroll, they simply have no hitting. (By the way, has anyone noticed Ethier's glaring lack of pop?) Jerry Sands will likely return to Albuquerque when the great Marcus Thames comes off the DL. Gibbons looks awful, they should just start Gwynn. Loney is terrible. Barajas has pop but no OBP. The starting pitching has been as good as advertised, a solid 1-5, but nothing to get too excited about. Kershaw has been good, not great, (He's stinking against SF as I write this) Billingsley has been very good, not always great, but certainly great his last start, in which he allowed one hit and lost one to nothing against the lowly Snakes. Kuroda has been surprisingly good, Garland has been solid and Lilly has been good. The bullpen has been awful, with Kuo on the DL for an anxiety disorder (probably from having to watch Broxton pitch) Broxton, hopefully, will never return as closer, and their bench pretty much sucks, although Jamey Carroll will soon return to that bench when Furcal and Blake return. I'm not terribly excited about either one them coming back, to be honest. No, unless "owner pro temps," Schieffer, can really wheel and deal before the deadline, this team is dismal. Like I said, the West should continue to belong to San Fran and Colorado. It's not Donnie Baseball's fault. Though I still have no idea what kind of manager he is or will become, he has no control over the cards he's been dealt. Oh, well, at least, HOPEFULLY, the McCourts are on their way out.

McCourt's recent comments that the team would be exactly the same even if the Dodgers weren't in financial trouble only serves to solidify the fact that he should be gone. I can't envision a scenario in which Selig will cave and allow McCourt to remain as owner of the Dodgers and allow his big Fox deal to go through, allegedly funneling billions into the team's coffers. And fans, please don't come to any games until McCourt is officially out. Again, we don't want any money going into his greedy, pitiful little hands. I do hate him so. What McCourt doesn't seem to get as he complains that Selig's reluctance and delay in approving the Fox deal is responsible for the Dodgers' and his financial woes is that, he shouldn't have been in this position to begin with and why would the Commissioner trust such a man to be the beneficiary of such a huge deal? I'm sure the deal would be just fine with Selig, but with a new owner. Also, Selig would probably prefer the Dodgers have their own network than make a long term deal with Fox. Any way you slice it, this isn't going to be resolved for some time, I'm guessing. At least, not before the All-Star break. Unless, of course, when the Dodgers can't meet payroll at the end of the month and Selig has to cover it and then officially seize the club and push McCourt out, permanently. We shall see...

Surprises thus far in the season: Obviously, the Cleveland Indians. Are they for real? It would seem so. They have a fairly potent lineup and Masterson and Tomlin have provided unexpected mound prowess. But, believe it or not, I still like the White Sox to turn it around and take that division. They have to start hitting sometime and they have a very strong staff.

The Rays. The Yanks and Bosox will still be the teams to beat in the AL East, but the Rays have been surprising. Matt Joyce and Sam Fuld have been unlikely studs and their pitching has been strong. The Yankees will get over the Posada saga and return to form. The Red Sox had a bad start but they'll be there, in spite of pitching injuries.

The Cards. I knew they'd contend, but I still kind of like the Brew Crew in the NL Central. The Reds are also as tough as advertised. So, what's up with the Red Birds? Well, three unlikely sources have provided a fount of efficacy: Jaime Garcia is the Cy Young Award winner, edging out Florida's Josh Johnson if the season ends today. Kyle McClellan has been awesome. Kyle who? And the Renaissance of one Lance Berkman, who'd be the NL MVP over teammate Matt Holliday if the season ended today. Good team.

The Fish. Great starting pitching from Johnson, Sanchez and Nolasco. Great bats from everyone in their lineup, practically, EXCEPT Hanley Ramirez, who suddenly stinks. They can contend for the WC with Atlanta and possible an NL West and NL Central club - take your pick.

There's talk that, perhaps as soon as next year, there'll be two Wild Card teams. Not sure how I feel about that.

It's gonna be a long season, Dodger fans, but at least the bad man should soon be gone.

My brother and I had a Topps poster of Harmon Killebrew on our bedroom wall for years and years. I read his biography which I checked out of the school library in fourth grade. We were Angel fans back then and "Killer" used to live up to his nickname against them. I can still hear Dick Enberg calling one of his blasts. He was truly a class act and a wonderful ballplayer. When I think of baseball in the 60's, I think of Mantle, Koufax, Gibson, Mays, Frank Robinson, Kaline and Harmon Killebrew. Rest in Peace.

Evils Has Left the Building!

2011-04-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

As if a good fairy from a 60's Jay Ward cartoon flitted down and waved her star-shaped wand on Dodger fans everywhere, the Dodgers have been miraculously delivered from bondage from their ogre of an owner. The pointy-hatted sprite in question, Bud Selig, also seems to have sprinkled the Dodgers, themselves, with a mojo-packed pixie dust, evidenced by their 3 victories in as many days since the Selig Extermination Company came to the house. Ethier's 19 game hitting streak, Kemp's walk-off heroics and the re-emergence of veterans Uribe and Blake, along with stellar performances from Garland, Kershaw and Billingsley have made recently liberated Dodger fans actually wonder about the possibilities for not only 2012 and beyond, but for 2011. This is a good thing. Not that I'll go as far as to predict the team will finish higher than 3rd or 4th this year, but their chances of doing so have certainly been raised exponentially by the infusion of Selig's grace upon them. I would also continue to encourage fans to stay away from the ballpark until McCourt's office is cleared out and his ownership is entirely ceased to be. After all, we don't want to put any money in the bad man's coffers if we can help it.

Now to the shutting up part: Steve Soboroff, please shut up. You are an idiot. A rich idiot, granted, but an idiot nonetheless. You were stupid to accept the job as "Whatever, Whatever President of Whatever Dodger Operations" in the first place and now you're ranting about how unfair the Commish is being to your beloved new employer of all of a couple of days. Steve, you want to know why Selig is treating the cash-strapped Mets one way and the cash-strapped Dodgers another way? Because the Mets aren't run by douchebags, and the Dodgers are, that's why. Selig will never come out and say it, but plainly and simply, that's the reason. The Mets owners are being assisted by MLB because they were victimized by Bernie Maddoff and his Ponzi scheme. The McCourts ARE the Maddoffs and the Ponzis. Might I suggest, Soboroff, you jackass, that since you're going to have a lot of time on your hands, why not take a poll of Dodger fans who want the McCourts to remain the owners of the Dodgers? Hold on... Let's just find out what the population of LA County is... Ok, got it. You'll find the total will be 9,818, 599 - 6. So, that's 9 million, eight hundred and eighteen thousand, five hundred and ninety-nine people who want both McCourts to go, to six people- you, Josh Rawitch, Jamie and Frank and their undeserving sons. So, Steve, please, for your own good, just shut the hell up and go away.

And as far as the McCourts, don't you think it's time to take the hint? I'll quote the brilliant Dr. Seuss from "Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now?" ...

The time has come
The time is now
Just go.
Go.
GO!
I don't care how.

Frank & Jamie McCourt,
Will you please go now?

You can go on stilts.
You can go by fish.
You can go
in a Crunk-Car
if you wish.

Frank & Jamie McCourt
Will you please go now?

This is fun. Yes, McCourt, that litigious ass, will surely sue MLB and the Commissioner's office and he'll lose miserably while spending more money he no longer has. (This is if he doesn't wind up in jail) Meanwhile, Dodger fans can eagerly look forward to new ownership - god willing, ownership with a memory and a heart and, oh yeah... some cash. This is a good thing... to love the Dodgers again.

Ding Ding! An Angel Gets His Wings! Hostage Crisis Over! ...Now What...?

2011-04-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Our prayers have been heard, (or, perhaps, read,) and finally answered. Ding ding! The bell has rung and Bud Selig has played the part of the winged angel, just like I begged for two blogs ago. No more Frank McCourt! Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead! No more Jamie McCourt! The hostage-takers have been vanquished. Gilligan, the Skipper and the other castaways have finally gotten off the island. And any other metaphors you can come up with for the liberation of our beloved Blue after more than 7 years in the evil clutches of the McCourts.

As my witty friend, local KFWB sportscaster, Bret Lewis says, "You know you're in bad shape when Bud Selig is an upgrade." That's how bad things have been. As of today, the Los Angeles Dodgers Major League Baseball Club and all their affiliates and holdings have been taken away from the McCourts and will be in the control of Major League Baseball and an appointee brought in by Selig in a few days. Why did Selig do this? What comes to mind initially is he finally felt the need to right the wrong he perpetrated on LA fans in 2004 when he allowed the highly leveraged sale of the team to the McCourts to take place in the first place. McCourt was hardly responsible for the Dodgers division win in 2004 and and 2006. What he was responsible for was not acquiring the players they needed to get further in the Playoffs those years. He just didn't care. He wanted to keep fans in the seats and stay just competitive enough. In 2008, he acquired a steroid-enhanced Manny Ramirez for free. Manny took the team from 3rd to first and led them past the Cubs in the first round. McCourt made a fortune off Ramirez, so he ponied up for the next two years. The team had just enough Manny, in spite of his long suspension, to win the West again and, frankly, got a little lucky in the NLDS in getting by St Louis. (Holliday's dropped line drive helped immensely) However, had McCourt cared enough to acquire someone like a Cliff Lee or any of the other available players prior to the deadline, the Blue may have had what it took to overcome Philly. But McCourt didn't care. And it's since come out in his divorce that, all this time, he's been cheating the team and the fans, using the profits for his own luxuries and personal needs and letting the team go to hell. Now, it's going to come out that there may have been serious tax violations and we know there's an investigation regarding his paying a $400,000 salary to a guy who was running a charity. With the beating up of a Giants fan on opening day, thus shedding light on the fact that McCourt made major cuts in stadium security and with McCourt having to take out a $30 million loan from Fox just to meet payroll this month, Selig finally had enough. Selig did the right thing. The long and short of it: Frank McCourt and his wife were awful owners and I question their character as human beings.

And as my other witty friend, Bob Brody - a lifetime Dodgers fan who's always looking for the positive, even when there is none - directs the following to Frank McCourt, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out." I couldn't agree more, Brody. Don't let the goddamn door hit your sorry ass criminal asses on the way out. In fact, Frank, if you don't end up in prison for your questionable business practices and tax issues, please take your sons, your whole kit and kaboodle - that's right, I said "kit and kaboodle" - and get out of town. Go back to Boston. Go anywhere. Ya just gotta get da the hell outta here! Your days of destroying our Dodgers and their once brilliant reputation are over. Go away.

Now, what about the Dodgers? Fans, feel free to come back to the ballpark... as soon as there's a new owner and you're no longer enriching the McCourts. In the meantime, the Allies have landed, they just have to get the armistice signed. Don't get too excited yet. The team will likely continue to stink. With Selig and MLB running the team, it's doubtful anyone's going to let Colletti go shopping for any big names by the deadline, although, there is precedent of the opposite happening. See Texas Rangers circa 2010. Also, there's a chance Dennis Gilbert or Tony Attanasio or one of the other interested parties, may buy the team before the season is over and changes could be made quickly. Should be interesting. Hopefully, MLB doesn't institute a fire sale and we can hang on to Kershaw and "Kethier." Beyond those two guys, with the exception of possibly Billingsley, I don't care who they lose. There is hope, once again, in the Ravine. Maybe not for this year, but, depending on who our new owner is, perhaps for the very near future. Please let it be someone who loves the Dodgers and what they have always meant to the National League, to baseball and to sports. Please let it be someone who loves Los Angeles, preferably, a local, but the O'Malleys weren't from here and they did just fine. Here's hoping maybe, at least for the time being, it could actually BE Mr. OMalley.

Today, George Bailey reached into his pocket... "How about that, Clarence! It's Zuzu's petals!"

Sands in an Hour Glass

2011-04-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

Don't get all excited, Dodger fans, just because they haven't lost all their games and just because they're not yet mathematically eliminated. Thus far, the first few weeks of the 2011 season has been a microcosm of what the entire season should be. The Rockies, energized by great pitching from Jhoulys Chacin and Esmil Rogers and, of course, the two-headed monster, Tulo & Cargo, and offensive support from Old Man Helton and Seth Smith, are rolling. The Giants will certainly be there - I think atop the West by summer if not sooner - but the Rockies should be right there with them. Meanwhile, the Dads and Blue should trade off 3rd & 4th place, but I kind of like what this blog's namesake is doing with the Snakes. I guess what I'm saying is, I wouldn't be surprised if the Dodgers finished last in the NL West.

True Dodger fans have got to love that my "Boycott the Dodgers Til the Bad Man Leaves" campaign appears to be working. Attendance is way, way down. If Selig doesn't approve this huge deal with Fox for new cable TV rights, it's bye-bye, assholes. (McCourts) If Selig approves it, we're stuck with the demons indefinitely.

So, where's the hope? Where's the proverbial glow at the end of the tunnel right before the 110 North meets the 5? Well, the only offense the team can lay claim to has been their own version of a two-headed monster. Kemp and Ethier or "Kethier" as I call them - have been amazing! Better than I had hoped, though Ethier, in spite of his awesome 15 game hitting streak, has yet to show any of his impressive power, but that should come. Tony Gwynn and Jamey Carroll have been great role players and have done everything Donnie Baseball has asked of them to do. Kershaw has been his usual very good but inconsistent self. Kuroda started strong but will fall back into being a little better than average. Billingsley and Lilly have each had one good start. Whee! Otherwise, this team has been awful. Juan Uribe is terrible. Marcus Thames is a joke. James Loney looks like he's ready to retire... or fall asleep... or put ME to sleep. Casey Blake SHOULD retire. Furcal is... hurt again. What a shocker. The bullpen, especially Broxton, has been crap. (Guerrier's been ok) So, again, where's the hope? Well, the hope arrived yesterday from Albuquerque in the form of Jerry Sands, their phenom performer from spring training. The team needed to call him up early. To energize the offense? Perhaps for awhile, until the league gets used to him. The real reason for his early call-up was to try to fill some seats. Like I said, attendance is down and Dodger fans throughout the years have loved unexpectedly big, hopeful rookie call-ups in the beginning of, or early on in the season. Pedro, Sax, Fernando, Piazza, Russell Martin, Loney and Kemp when they first came up, all of whom each had an energizing effect on the crowds. Even soon-to-be nobodies like Matt Luke made an impact for awhile. Fans love these young hopefuls and tend to come through the turnstiles in high numbers to see them, at least until the shine wears off. I like Jerry Sands and I think he could end up being the real deal. I think he needs another year in the minors, but I agree with calling him up now. It could end up backfiring, though. If Sands starts struggling, it could hurt his confidence unnecessarily. They had no money to spend on veteran free agents and probably won't be in the market for anyone before the trade deadline, so why not see what he can do? We'll see what happens. Still, I think Mattingly, who has been doing about the job I thought he'd be doing at this point - some good moves some terrible rookie moves like leaving guys in too long - would be better served by having Sands play third over Blake or first over Loney. Leave Gwynn alone and just let him play everyday. And forget about the Marcus Thames/Jay "Blind Man" Gibbons experiment. And why won't Donnie B move Gwynn to center and Kemp to left? Or better yet, Kemp to right and Ethier to left? Guess he doesn't want to screw with Kemp's fragile ego. You saw what Ned Colletti's comments did to his performance last year.

So, as the hour glass fills, so should Jerry Sands perhaps fill his lofty potential. Only time will tell.

Pottersville in the Ravine

2011-04-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

It's been over a week since opening day and the horrific incident in which a Giants fan was beaten half to death in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. Forget about the team and their performance, this is more important and I'm finally chiming in. Ya hear that, Clarence? Whenever a bell rings an angel gets his wings. Except it may just be too late. Mike Scioscia and Mickey Hatcher don their wings in a different Heaven and there may be only one or two cherubim left that can help to restore our beloved home.

Dodger Stadium, imbued for decades with the stuff of wholesome Americana, a happy, secure place with a small town feel, the green and white jewel set amidst a teeming megalopolis - our own little Bedford Falls of baseball - has become Pottersville. George Bailey long ago sold out to the evil Potter. No more Building and Loan, no more security, no longer a place to cherish. It began in 1998 when the venerable Peter O'Malley couldn't get his football stadium and had to sell to Fox. The door was opened for the greedy and the corrupt and, let's face it, Frank McCourt does Potter as well as, if not better than, Lionel Barrymore. Certainly no less subtle. All that's missing is the wheelchair. And so, like George Bailey's living nightmare, Dodger Stadium has given way to the excessive, the violent and the immoral. The friendliness has left the building. There's more drinking. There are more fights in the stands. There are commercials everywhere. Prices are sky high, except for the bleachers where they've been made barely affordable to the less fortunate. Except now the less fortunate are the poor souls who have to sit in those stands with the gangbangers and the drunks. The security? Evidently the stadium is now patrolled by the same Latino gangs that claim territories around the ballpark and in areas throughout the Southland. This is not a racist comment. I'm not making a slur about Latinos. I'm making a statement about gangs. And if anyone thinks for a minute that this Giants fan wasn't beaten up by two "cholo" gangbangers, then they're simply delusional. Instead of discouraging this element from coming to the ballpark, the evil McCourt entices them. He feeds them free-flowing beer in his bleachers and markets his gear to their sensibilities and tastes. He allows them to use his stadium as their turf and even encourages a turf mentality among them by quietly condoning their behavior. This has been a growing problem for years, but McCourt, in the true spirit of Mr. Potter, has turned a blind eye for the sake of the almighty dollar. That dollar that he uses to buy houses and cars for himself rather than put back into the team.

For a minute, Potter almost fools George Bailey into thinking he's not so bad after all. Our Potter brought over Manny Ramirez and we thought it was a gift. Turns out, not so much. "The Devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape" and so did Manny for exactly half a season. McCourt knew what he was getting but it brought him dollars. "Mannywood" became Nick's Bar and the PED's flowed as freely as the beer. "Hey, look, mister. We serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast, and we don't need any characters around to give the joint atmosphere, is that clear?" Sound familiar? Potter doesn't care about Bedford Falls and its citizens and McCourt doesn't care about the Dodgers or their fans. His first comment was his truest comment after the beating on Opening Day: "... let me just say it's tragic," the evil man said, "It's very, very unfair to take what was otherwise a fantastic day — everything from the weather to the result of the game to just the overall experience — and to have a few individuals mar that. It's a terrible thing." Can't you just hear Barrymore delivering that line? And who is the spokesman for this nightmare? None other than McCourt lackey, Josh Rawitch. He's the Smithers to McCourt's Burns. He may just be doing his job but we're all so tired of hearing him spew out the Potter rhetoric and the weak excuses and the terse dismissals to rightly inquiring reporters. If he was smart, he'd leave his position before his reputation is permanently tarnished.

It used to be a Giants fan could wear his team's gear and he'd practically be welcomed with open arms. Not anymore. This is a horrible place run by a horrible man and the only person who can help us is the Commissioner of Baseball, himself, Bud Selig. In order to stop Potter, Selig must not flinch, he must not blink. He must stare him in the face and say, "no." Lawsuit? Let him try it. Every fan in LA will come to Bud's defense. We want some modicum of our unique class and humility back. The class and humility that once made the Dodgers a great organization and what made us an enviable community. We want our Bedford Falls back. And we want our team back. We need an owner like George Bailey, like Peter O'Malley. In the meantime, whenever we believe we may have finally awakened from our nightmare, we all reach into our pockets only to find that Zuzu's petals are not there.

2011 Predictions by Bleaky Bleakington

2011-03-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, once again we embark upon another season and, once again, I write of little hope for Dodger fans - even less so than in previous years. My apologies to all those rosy cheeked die hard Blue crew Dodger maniacs who think their beloved bums actually stand a chance. In fact, this year more than ever, I encourage those Dodger fans - TRUE Dodger fans - to stay away from the Ravine and avoid giving any money to the horrible bastard(s) who has/have been holding our beloved Dodgers hostage for the last 8 years. I don't want to hear about the playoff appearances under the McCourts' stewardship. They meant nothing before '08. He doesn't get Manny for free in '08 and the Dodgers finish 3rd in the West. A weak division in '09, along with great years by Ethier and Kemp, partly generated by Manny's presence in the lineup during the majority of the season, allowed them to reach the playoffs a second consecutive time. A Loney line drive resulting in a severe miscue by Matt Holliday helped enable them to reach the NLCS a second consecutive time and put them in position to once again be embarrassed by Philadelphia... for a second consecutive time. A good owner - an owner who cares about his loyal fan base - does what's necessary to put the winning cogs in a machine that would enable it to reach it's peak performance. McCourt, having spent nothing to buy the team, having used his profits from the team for his own personal use - houses, cars, private jets, etc - did nothing except sign Manny to a 2-year deal. He never made a serious run at the Lees, Sabathias and Halladays. He never seriously pursued the Mark Teixeiras, Prince Fielders, Michael Youngs and Carl Crawfords. He has no real interest in seeing this team win. What is and always has been most important to Frank McCourt and his awful wife, is their bottom line. And we, the fans, pay the price. The team traditionally overrates its homegrown talent, and has perfected that offense in the McCourt era. The team doesn't move to augment its limited talent with top established performers and subsequently suffers for it. If the Martins, Loneys, Kemps and Billingsleys underperform - and they invariably do - we're left with nothing. This year, more than ever, that bargain basement practice will be brought to light. This team looks bad going into 2011 and I think will continue to look bad until there's an owner in the owner's box who actually cares about the Dodgers, their legacy and their fans. The Dodgers may have finally truly become the Chicago Cubs West and, if Frank McCourt gets his way, could be well on their way to becoming the Kansas City Royals West. HOWEVER...

THE IFS HAVE IT

Once again, the ifs - and there are so damn many of them this year for the Dodgers - are the factor in determining if the Dodgers will be successful at all. Here are the main ones:

IF Clayton Kershaw does more than just show signs of being the ace left hander he's supposed to be - and he's still quite young - and performs like one of the top 10 pitchers in baseball - that means 18-20 wins, plenty of k's and a low ERA while limiting his walks and losing his deer-in-the-headlights mentality when something doesn't go his way...

IF Matt Kemp has a MONSTER YEAR - and I mean a MONSTER YEAR, which would mean he'd have to at least double his numbers from last year, which would mean he'd have to get his head on straight and play hard all the time and actually care and be smarter... (I actually feel, with the addition of mentor, Davey Lopes, Kemp will have a much better year. That's really putting myself on the line)

IF Andre Ethier has a MONSTER YEAR - and establishes himself as a true force to be reckoned with in the National League and becomes a bon-a-fide superstar, putting up .300 +, 30+ and 100 +...

IF Chad Billingsley can put together an entire season in which he's extremely effective and grows a pair, and finish around 17+, with an ERA @ or under 3.00...

IF the rest of the Dodgers starting staff - Lilly, Garland and Kuroda can pitch up to their over hyped expectations (people keep saying the Dodgers have a great staff because they have "five viable starters." Viable?? So what? Compare their staff to the Phillies and the Giants) and each win 14 - 16 games...

IF Juan Uribe can at least duplicate his power numbers from last year while bringing up his BA and OBP...

IF James Loney can start hitting consistently and for more power and actually play like he's awake...

IF Rafael Furcal can avoid hurting his back or something else... (he won't)

IF their awful-looking left field platoon of Gibbons/Thames produces and doesn't blow too many plays in the outfield....

IF they find a suitable EVERYDAY replacement for Casey Blake...

IF Rod Barajas or an AJ Ellis or Hector Giminez emerges as a solid everyday catcher...

IF their bullpen can hold any leads with the new acquisition of over-hyped Matt Guerrier AND Kenley Jansen or Hong Chih Kuo can effectively replace Broxton as closer when he loses the job by late May...

IF Don Mattingly doesn't choke in his first year as a manager and actually looks like he knows what he's doing (which is highly doubtful) and he uses his bench properly and doesn't detroy his bullpen like his predecessor...

IF someone buys the team mid-season and is willing to make a deal for the player or players they need to get over the top...

IF ALL OF THE ABOVE HAPPENS... THEN, they have a shot. Otherwise, forget it. 4th place again.

If I were Ned Colletti and Donnie Baseball, this is how I would construct the team as they prepare to break camp.

My first order of business would be to RELEASE CASEY BLAKE. This would be my opening day lineup:

Gwynn - CF
Furcal - SS
Ethier - RF
Kemp - LF
Uribe - 3B
Loney - 1B
Giminez - C
DeJesus - 2B
Kershaw -P

The above lineup would give the Dodgers an actual attack with speed at the top, some semblance of power in the middle of the order and would strengthen their defense up the middle and all around for that matter. Why Giminez instead of Barajas? Catcher is a fluid position for this team and the way Giminez has hit this spring, tough to take him out of the lineup. He's a decent enough catcher. Let him slump his way out of it.

THE REST OF MY STAFF:
Billingsley
Lilly
Garland
Kuroda
Hawksworth
(Padilla) Redding
Guerrier
Jansen
Kuo
Broxton

MY BENCH:

Gibbons
Thames
Paul
Barajas
Carroll
Miles

SEND DOWN (players with options)

Ellis
Ely
Troncoso
Navarro
Sands (for a while)
Gordon
Smith
Hoffman
Velez
Kapler (if he accepts)

SAY BYE-BYE TO:
Blake
Castro

I believe that's the best lineup the Dodgers can put on the field at this time. Gibbons could spell Loney at first and play left on occasion, spelling the young Gwynn. Thames should pinch hit and learn to play first base.

MY PREDICTIONS:

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL WEST

Giants- Sorry, the World Champs are for real. They should be better than last year

Rockies - Their pitching is weakened somewhat, but they have a solid team, anchored by an ace in Jiminez and two of the 10 best players in baseball in Cargo and Tulo. If starting pitchers, Chacin and Rogers live up to their hype, they could give the Giants a run for their money.

Padres - They still have strong starting pitching and they know how the game is played. Without Adrian Gonzalez, they're greatly weakened, however, and will not contend. But Bud Black is an excellent skipper and should find a way to finish ahead of Mattingly and the Dodgers. The two teams should be very close when the season ends.

Dodgers - I just don't feel they have a chance as composed, made up of Kemp, Ethier, Kershaw, Billingsley and Loney and a bunch of bargain basement items. Bullpen should be slightly improved and Mattingly's novice status will be a huge factor.

D'Backs - Young team. Upton, Young and the rest. Daniel Hudson should emerge. Could surprise but probably not this season.

NL CENTRAL

Brewers - If Zack Greinke returns to health and the addition of Marcum and a seasoned Gallardo, this team should give the Reds and Cards something to worry about. They have a violently potent offense with Fielder in his walk year, Braun, Weeks, McGehee and Hart. Look out for the Brew Crew. They may well have arrived.

Reds - It won't be easy for the Brewers. MVP Votto and company have tasted 1st place and no reason why they shouldn't be pretty darn good again. Key factors are the long awaited emergence of Jay Bruce and Rolen's performance given his age. Aroldis Chapman should be a starter. He won't be. I don't get it. Johnny Gomes could be a key.

Cards - Losing Adam Wainright was huge. Colby Rasmus should become a force to join Pujols and Holliday, but thier bats could be weak beyond those three. Unless Freese becomes a stud or they can trade for Michael Young and they can grab another arm, they should have a rough time winning the Central. But I wouldn't be shocked if they found a way to do it. After all, they do have the best player in baseball.

Pirates - Finally, the Bucs should finish higher than 5th. They're coming. Don't start buying playoff tickets yet, but they're coming. Alvarez, Walker, and Dodger castoff, MacDonald. I think it would be a mistake to platoon Garret Jones.

Cubs - When Starlin Castro is the star of your team, you may be in trouble.

Astros - When Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee are your entire offense, you ARE in trouble.

NL EAST

Phillies - Pitching, pitching and more pitching. Offensive challenges and the loss of Utley can maybe make it interesting but there's no way they'll stand pat if Utley stays on the DL or they get no production. Too much money in their pitching staff.

Braves - Good team. Jurgens and Hudson need good years. Looking to Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman for big things.

Marlins - They have young studs in Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison who could join a resurgent Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson is a top five NL arm. They could surprise.

Nationals - This is the year Ryan Zimmerman becomes a household name. No Strasburg will hurt them but the addition of Werth makes them an interesting club.

Mets - On their way down faster than the Dodgers but you never know. Their left side of the infield is always dangerous and if Johan Santana comes back strong and Pelfrey has a good year, it could be interesting. But no way they're as good as Philly or the Braves.

Wild Card - Braves

NLCS - Phils over Giants in 7

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL WEST

Rangers - Well, hold on there, partner! I reckon we don't aim to leave quite just yet... Look for anopther potent offensevie club with young arms getting better.

Angels - It's all Mike Scioscia. His owner did next to nothing in the offseason in acquiring Vernon Wells. They have no 3rd baseman, a broken first baseman, not much of a catcher, no real additions to their pitching staff and I still think they'll compete til the final week.

A's - Could be right up their with the Halos and the Rangers this year. Anderson, Gonzales, Cahill and Braden make a fine young staff and they've added Matsui and Kouzmanoff. They could contend.

Mariners - Don't underestimate their pitching staff, especially if Pineda is the real deal to join King Felix and Doug Fister. My prediction, however, is they don't have the bats and King Felix is in pinstripes by August,

AL CENTRAL

White Sox - What a race this is gonna be! The White Sox on paper aren't any better than Minnesota or Detoit, really, just slightly more balanced. I think they're going to win a very close race. Look for Gordon Beckham and Alezei Ramirez to perform well up the middle and look for Carlos Quentin to return to form with Adam Dunn and Konerko creating a formidable one-two punch. If Peavy comes back healthy, that could be a clincher.

Twins - If Morneau recovers completely from his concussion, this team can be extremely dangerous. Their pitching could be problematic, with Liriano and Pavano being the keys. Watch out for this kid, Duensing. He came up huge for them on the mound last year. If Danny Valencia can hit, they could make things very tough for opposing teams.

Tigers - The Twins, Tigers and Chisox likely will finish within 3 games of each other. Hard to say who's better. Verlander leads a tough staff. I like another year of Austin Jackson and Max Scherzer is supposed to be a stud. They've added Victor Martinez to join Miguel Cabrera. Wow.

Royals - Like the Pirates, they're on their way. Don't get too excited, but they're coming.. some time... soon. Should be an exciting team in a year or two... or who know? Maybe it's coming sooner than expected.

Indians - What a mess the Tribe has become. Grady who? Will he ever be healthy enough to play to his potential? They have the Cabreras up the middle and Choo in right and Carmona on the mound and pray for rain or the next season of Hot in Cleveland. Because it's likely to be mighty cold and empty at the old Jake. Still, any team in this division can turn it on and be a surprise.

AL EAST

Red Sox - tough to predict otherwise. What DON'T they have? With the additions of Adrian Gonzales and Carl Crawford, no ones' going to out hit them. Their Achilles heel could be shortstop and their starting pitching. Look for an upgrade from Marco Scutaro at short. John Lester needs to have a monster season and Josh Beckett and Dice K and Lackey need to really rebound. And what of young Buchholz? Suffice it to say, their offense will score a lot of runs.

Yankees - Can never count out the Pins. They'll have pitching issues for awhile until Cashman lands King Felix or someone. But as they're composed now, with Russell Martin as their starting catcher, they're a game or two behind Boston in my standings. (Watch. Now that Martin is no longer a Dodger, he'll shine in pinstripes) Cano must continue to be a monster and Teixeira must rebound from an off year. It's always a pick 'em in the AL East between the above 2 teams.

Rays - They lost Crawford, Pena and Bartlett but they still have Longoria and David Price. Niemann and Hellickson are up and comers on the mound. James Shields, Manny, Damon and BJ Upton are the keys. Dan Johnson is a weak alternative at first base if you ask me.

Orioles - Yes, the birds are coming back as well. Buck Showalter and company will not sit still and get their birdbrains beat out them every night. Look for improved starting pitching from guys like Guthrie, Matusz and Arietta. Guerrero will put up good numbers and maybe even Matt Wieters will start hitting. Then Brian Roberts and Markakis will have something to play for. They could even finish at .500.

Blue Jays - Aside from the freak year of Jose Bautista, the Blue Jays haven't a lot to look forward to in 2011. Good young pitching in Cecil and Morrow may sustain them but their offense appears to be too weak to challenge in this tough division.

Wild Card - Yanks/Twins

ALCS

Red Sox over the Yankees in 6

World Series

Phils over the Red Sox in 7

You heard it hear first. Have a good season, everyone.

I Can See For Aaron Miles and Miles

2011-02-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

I love to say "I told ya so," but I told ya so. Just had a conversation with a friend on Saturday who told me the Dodgers were interested in acquiring future Hall of Famer, Michael Young from Texas. The Rangers oddly decided to part ways with Vlad Guerrero and sign the aging Adrian Beltre, who came off one good year in tiny Fenway, to replace the great Michael Young at 3rd base. Why would they do that? I have no idea, but knowing Michael Young, who is one of the greatest Rangers of all time and is still in his prime, would not be happy about the deal and would certainly ask for a trade, is tantalizing to clubs who lack a third baseman or shortstop. The Dodgers have Casey Blake and, therefore, lack a third baseman. But, alas, the Dodgers selfish, evil, and, perhaps, temporary owner(s) would never allow a deal to be made for a player of Young's caliber, especially given their ongoing ownership debacle. This is not an organization that has any intention of winning more than half their games in 2011 and would never be in the running for a potential season-changing, impact player like Young, whom they desperately need.

"No," I told my naive friend, "look for the Dodgers to sign a free agent who can't find a team, like journeyman, Aaron Miles and try to pawn him off as their answer to their infield depth and offensive impotence, rather than pursue someone like Young." Today, I read that the Dodgers have indeed offered a contract to Aaron Miles. So pathetic and so predictable has this organization become.

Marveling at the Homers

2010-12-10T19:48:00.001-08:00

I'm marveling at Ned Colletti's claim that the Dodgers have done well to improve their team thus far in the winter and I marvel even more at Dylan's and Bill Shaikin's apparent agreement with that contention. (Meanwhile, TJ and Plaschke seem to have it a little more in perspective.) Guys, come on! What are you thinking? Have you been over-spiking the egg nog? And why compare the Dodgers to the Angels, Bill? Who cares? Why not compare the Dodgers to the Giants or the Rockies, who have two perennial MVP candidates and a Cy Young candidate on the field? And come on, Plaschke, curb your enthusiasm. We're all tickled pink about the likelihood of the evil Frank McCourt having to sell the team, but by the time that happens, the Royals odds in Vegas of making it to the World Series will be double those of the Dodgers. It'll be the future. By the time Bud Selig actually does anything about it, we'll all be wearing silver jumpsuits and flying around in jet packs.

So, what are these big moves? Let's see... they've added journeyman starter, Jon Garland who's coming off a decent 14-12 year with the Dads, but is by no means an impact starter of the caliber of any one member of the Giants starting four. They added chubby Juan Uribe who's a decent, versatile fielder who has some pop - at least he did in 2010, let's see what he does when he's in a non-contract year - and swings at everything. Are they seriously trying to pass Uribe off as a viable middle of the order bat who can replace what we were hoping Manny would be in the beginning of last season?? And why would they choose to deal Theriot and continue to go with the awful Casey Blake at 3rd? Wouldn't they have been slightly better hanging on to Theriot and having Uribe play 3rd? And, finally, they've added two guys who can't hit in Navarro and Gwynn Jr. (Feels weird equating the name "Gwynn" with "can't hit" but nonetheless, he can't).

In truth, all they've really done by re-signing Kuroda, Lilly and Padilla is to keep a good portion of their crappy 2010 team in tact! And you guys are playing it off like the team is improved because we start the season with 5 "viable" starters. Why not sign every club's 4th starter? It's the same thing. They're all viable. And did I miss something? When did Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley emerge as top flight aces at the same level as Halladay, Hamels, Lincecum, Caine, Jiminez, Wainwright, et al? Who needs a pitching staff made up of 2 number 3's and 3 number 4's? We need an ace. In the meantime, they have no catcher, no 1st baseman, no 3rd baseman, a shortstop who can't play a full season, no closer, and no left fielder. I don't really see where they're that much better off. Do you? Unless the ignorant, lazy Kemp and the pouty Ethier come off sub par seasons to simultaneously reach their so-called full potentials, this team is gonna stink to high heaven in 2011. Were the Brewers TRULY interested in trading Prince Fielder for Loney and Broxton? And, if so, why wouldn't the Dodgers do it? I'd make that deal in a heartbeat. Why is Colletti saying it's business as usual with no payroll restraints as a result of the divorce, when, as far as I know, the Dodgers have NEVER been in the running for Werth, Crawford, Lee, Dunn, Konerko, Beltre, Adrian Gonzalez, Mike Young or any of the impact players that were out there. What a joke! Print the truth. This current owner simply doesn't have the money, nor does he care and his GM is trying to piss on our heads and tell us it's raining spring water. If I were you, Hernandez and Shaikin, I'd get Lysol-coated umbrellas.

Another HUGE Mistake

2010-09-17T12:44:00.001-07:00

I want to publicly thank Bill Plaschke for his article in today's LA Times, in which he states that now that venerable ex-Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley has come out against the evil Frank McCourt and has said they need to go, that, regardless of the outcome of the trial, the Dodgers are no longer his to keep. Plaschke should be fitted for spandex tights and a cape. If he's out of shape in any way, and the superhero garb doesn't flatter him, I'll train him at Golds Venice for free. Bravo, Bill! And Bravo, Peter!

The Dodgers are so bad that the offensive ineptitude perpetrated by their so-called core of Kemp, Ethier and Loney has spread to guys who can actually hit a little, like Gibbons, Theriot and Furcal. Matt Kemp should be sat down the rest of the year. Why play him? He's shown what he can do. Not much. He's arrogant and lazy. He must go. Loney, too, must go. Ethier needs to learn to hit lefties and stop pouting. Rumor is his knee is bugging him. Not sure I believe it. You see, folks, Major League Baseball teams have networks of advanced scouts that attend various games and whose jobs are to find players' weaknesses and exploit them. So, maybe Kemp, Ethier and Loney were solid players for a while, but the league has adjusted to them. The mark of a truly good player is his ability to adjust to the adjustments made against him. If you're truly a great ballplayer, you'll figure out a way to always be one step ahead of the scouts or your game/approach will be diverse and/or simple enough to minimize your exploitable weaknesses and overcome any adjustments that opposing pitchers will make against you. However, when a player and his coaching staff fail to come up with an approach to counteract those adjustments, that player's career tends to go south. Matt Kemp's career is already on a downward slide for that very reason. He has too many exploitable flaws. Loney, who's hitting the weakest .276 I've seen in many moons, is also one of those players without a plan. And, lefty pitchers have certainly found the answer for Andre Eithier, who will soon become a platoon player if he doesn't figure it out. Russell Martin? Career over as far as I'm concerned. So, when asked the question, "why were they so good the last couple of years and now they suck?" The answer is, the league made adjustments to them and they were not good enough to overcome those adjustments. The great ones always do. The not-so-great ones don't, and that's how we find out who's great and who's not. With no Manny in the middle to protect them from pitcher's exploiting their weaknesses, Kemp, Loney, Ethier? Not so great, as it turns out.

Now, let's talk Don Mattingly. Thankfully, the great Joe Torre is stepping down, it's just been announced, and none too soon as far as this blogger is concerned. The obvious choice for his replacement has been sitting in the Dodger dugout. Don Mattingly? No fkn' way. Tim Wallach. Tim managed their Triple A team in Albuquerque and he is the clear choice to come in and succeed Joe Torre. We need to get rid of the entire Torre regime, (except we should hang on to Larry Bowa.) Wallach reminds us of a Mike Scioscia. We already blew the opportunity to hang on to Scioscia. Are the Dodgers going to make the same mistake twice? Don Mattingly has proven he's certainly not much of a hitting coach. He's never managed at any level except one game where Torre got tossed and he actually blew the game by inadvertently making 2 trips to the mound on one trip. Tim Wallach has proven himself, the players love him and he may have the ability to turn this thing around, especially if there's new and vital ownership. He's evidently not too easy on the players like Torre is, he's sharp when it comes to in-game situations and he apparently knows how to handle a pitching staff. Mattingly, meanwhile, isn't even on my short list. Here, by the way, is my short list:
1) Wallach
2) Bobby Valentine
3) Larry Bowa
4) Jim Riggleman
5) Lou Pinella
6) Fredi Gonzalez

What an awful, awful year for Dodger fans. And we have Mattingly and company to look forward to for next year. It's bleak. When will there once again be good news about our once beloved Blue?

Just Call Me Nostradamus

2010-08-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Manny for the memories. You did us a HUGE favor in '08. After that, not so much. But thanks.

Well, I hate to say this, (as you well know by now) but almost everything I predicted at the beginning of the season has come to pass. A few things I said were wrong and let me enumerate the wrongness in first:

WRONGNESS #1 - The Dodgers have the best hitting outfield in baseball. ... Uh... not. Matt Kemp has become a legend of lousy and Andre Ethier has frankly been a disappointment. You can say it's all the fault of the fractured pinky finger, but I find him inconsistent with not nearly as much power. Also, I'm a little tired of seeing him sulking in the dugout. His getting kicked out the other day in Colorado by arguing a ball call on Loney from the dugout - saying that if that same pitch was called a strike to him, it should be called a strike on Loney - was incredibly selfish and stupid. I sometimes feel Ethier cares more about his own performance than that of the team's. Anyway, even with Podsednik, not the best hitting outfield in baseball by a long shot. That distinction goes to the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, or... well... someone else.

WRONGNESS #2 - Ned Colletti is an idiot. Not so much. I thought he did a great job with trades and acquisitions at the deadlines, given the tightfisted restrictions he was up against under the evil McCheap regime.

WRONGNESS #3 - Believed their pitching, not their offense, would be the reason for their demise. True, they have no true #1 starter, but their offense, for the most part, has been crap and, along with their terrible bullpen, has cost them the 2010 season.

WRONGNESS #4 - The downtrodden Dads will finish last in the West. Guess I was wrong. You can turn that upside down. Last, first, what's the difference?

WRONGNESS #5 - Hiroki MedioKuroda is, well, mediocre. He's actually a solid, above average pitcher and I apologize to him.

WRONGNESS #6 - Offseason acquisition, Jamey Carroll will not be a difference-maker. He was, actually, in so many ways.

WRONGNESS #7 - That Logan White is a liar and the Dodgers had no intention of actually trying to sign top pick, Zach Lee. They actually signed him. Kudos.

NOW, to the rightness. At least so far,,,

RIGHTNESS #1 - The Dodgers will finish 4th in the West. It seems a pretty safe bet at this point.

RIGHTNESS #2 - Manny will no longer be a Dodger come season's end.

RIGHTNESS #3 - Matt Kemp's lack of baseball instincts will trump his athletic ability and he will be of little help.

RIGHTNESS #4 - The CORE of the Dodgers - Ethier, Kemp, Loney, Martin, Billingsley, Broxton and Kershaw - are simply NOT AS GOOD AS BILLED.

RIGHTNESS #5 - Russell Martin, clearly on PED's his first couple of seasons, is awful and his days as a Dodger are numbered.

RIGHTNESS #6 - You can't win without acquiring a number one starter and the Dodgers have clearly proved that. C.C Sabathia should've been a Dodger before last season.

RIGHTNESS #7 - Clayton Kershaw is simply not ready to be an ace. Not yet.

RIGHTNESS #8 - Jonathan Broxton does not have a true closer's mentality and not enough stuff to ensure his continued success. Hong Chih Kuo should be the Dodgers closer. At least for now, he is.

RIGHTNESS #9 - Rafael Furcal is too injury-prone to really be of much help to the team.

RIGHTNESS #10 - The lack of power in the corners will prove to hurt the Dodgers offense. Between Blake and Loney, they have barely 20 HRs combined.

RIGHTNESS #11 - Ronald Beli-sorryass and Ramon Troncos-ohno! are awful and should not be used.

RIGHTNESS #12 - Manager Joe Torre is a really nice guy, but not so adept at handling the pitching staff and the daily grind on the field. Many will want him gone.

RIGHTNESS #13 - The McCourts have never had the Dodgers', baseball's or the fans' best interest in mind and are truly horrible people.

Well, about a month of baseball left. Feel free to go back to my earlier blogs to search for more things I may have been wrong about. Good luck.

Mea Culpa

2010-08-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

My apologies to Dodgers scouting director, Logan White. I mean, who knew? I was flabbergasted. The Dodgers actually signed Zach Lee. So, I was wrong. I was wrong a few times in last couple of years and I used to love being wrong because that usually meant the Dodgers were winning when I didn't expect them to or that someone was performing who wasn't supposed to. I have a feeling that, this time, a lot of people were wrong. Anyway, my White, you are NOT a liar. Congrats to you and your peeps for signing your big fish.

What the hell is wrong with Joe Torre? Hong Chih Kuo should not have been used to be a 2 inning closer. That wasn't fair. Look, you either use Kuo or Dotel for an inning apiece. One guy is your setup dude the other is your closer. Take turns, or do whatever you have to do, but just one inning apiece. How hard can that be?

I appreciate Ned Colletti's "never say die" attitude, but Ned, it's dead. Now is the time for to start getting looks at some guys. Start calling some players up early from Triple and Double A. Let's bring up Dee Gordon from Chattanooga and let him play some short. Let's bring up 3rd baseman, Russ Mitchell from Albuquerque and 1st baseman John Lindsay and his 20 HR's and see what they have. We know Lindsay's been around awhile, but we certainly know what Loney can and can't do at this point. (Maybe release Casey Blake?) Find a catcher somewhere in the organization who can play a few games at the big league level. The season in over, so when all you have are lemons, make some damn lemonade.

The latest revelation that Frank McCourt pays huge rent to himself and then pockets the money takes his greed to a whole new level. The "deep pocket" Phillies, in my opinion, will likely wind up winning this thing again, with Utley and Howard soon to return from the DL and their rotation solidified. And let's face it, the Dads are better than we thought and they made some great moves in landing Ludwick and Tejada, but they're a very lucky team. The Giants and, even the Rockies, can still get back in there, but it's becoming more and more of a foregone conclusion the Friars will be in the post-season. As far as I'm concerned, the Reds and the Cars, their animosities aside, are interchangeable. Neither team will make it to the Fall Classic. Nope. This was the Dodgers year to shine if they only had an owner who cared about taking them to the next level. Have I mentioned that I despise him, as should every true Dodger fan?

In spite of what a few writers and experts think, I do believe Matt Kemp is, unfortunately or otherwise, the best trade bait the team has to get some real players or prospects. I do not believe he will become the player that many in the game still project he will become. Move him now while you still can.

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Worse...

2010-08-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Ned Colletti. In spite of Podsednik getting picked off tonight with one out in the 9th, behind 1-0, and even though he's not running enough, I think he's a great addition to the club. Ya gotta love Ted Lilly thus far, and you also gotta love little Ryan Theriot. With Ned's budget restrictions from El Evil Cheapo, he did a helluva job. And he finally said happy trails to Garret Anderson and brought up a guy who can actually hit in Jay Gibbons. Good job, Ned. These are the highlights of the year. Now, the season's over and it's time to start hoping that the McCourts are forced to sell the team to someone who cares and isn't planning on doubling ticket prices while cutting the payroll to $80 million by 2015. If you've read the ESPN and LA Weekly articles, I encourage you to do so:
http://www.laweekly.com/2010-08-05/news/dodger-dog/
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5374371

These are two perfectly horrible people, their Dickensian greed is the stuff legends are made of. I really hate them. We all should really hate them. They highjacked our beloved Dodgers and we want them back. Who will rescue them from their wicked hands? I still can't comprehend why Bud Selig allowed the entirely leveraged sale to go through to this man.

Dodgers head of scouting, Logan White is a liar. Who does he think he's kidding? He says the Dodgers did not make football star Zach Lee their #1 pick because they knew there was no way they could sign him - Zach is set to play QB for LSU - thereby saving the Dodgers a few million in signing bonuses. The deadline for signing Lee is Monday and he has yet to have a conversation with the Dodgers. I've lost a great deal of respect for Logan White. Instead of his obsequious cow towing, he should resign from the Dodgers and take his talents elsewhere.

Jonathan Broxton, as I've said all year, has the physicality but not the mental makeup of a closer. The other night, during his latest meltdown against Philly, Joe Torre came out to the mound and you can see his lips move. He said to Broxton, "Trust your stuff." What stuff? He hasn't any stuff. He just stands there on the mound and throws as hard as he can. Sometimes guys can't hit it, sometimes they can, but most of the time lately, it's out of the strike zone... by a lot. Anytime he tries to throw "stuff" it gets clobbered. They need to move him while they still can.

Matt Kemp's agent Dave Stewart was a fine pitcher, but he's a crybaby. Shut up, Dave and sit down with your client and tell him how it really is. Stop blaming everyone else. Bob Schaeffer and Larry Bowa did nothing wrong. In fact, they did everything right. If Kemp is going to be the superstar his skills would otherwise dictate, it likely won't happen with the Dodgers. Get rid of him and start rebuilding. I'll tell you right now, the Yankees would NEVER put up with that B.S.

Ethier has become rather unreliable in the clutch. 180 degree turn from last year.

Casey Blake stinks. His 14 errors this season have all been extremely costly. His hitting is just way too sporadic to justify keeping him. Ronnie Belliard, as far as I'm concerned, the job is yours for the remainder of the season.

Joe Torre needs to retire. When you're more worried about hurting players' feelings than winning, it's time to start watching the games from a seat in the stands or on TV.

In spite of some improvements to their starting pitching, this has been a butt ugly season. Their bullpen has been atrocious and has not been able to keep them in games. When their bullpen is on, their starting pitching and hitting have been off. Actually, with the exception of April and a few games here and there, their hitting has been awful. The bad part is, there's still a month and a half of torture.

JULY ESPN THE MAG, ARTICLE...

2010-08-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

Originally Published: July 13, 2010

'Til debt do us part
The Dodgers' pennant run will not be half as entertaining as the owners' divorce trial
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By Molly Knight
ESPN The Magazine
Archive

Reed Saxon/AP Images
Jamie and Frank McCourt's divorce is taking its toll on the Dodgers franchise.
This story appears in the July 26 issue of ESPN The Magazine.

She knows it was a Wednesday last October. She knows it was 10:55 a.m. But for all the Dodger Dogs in Chavez Ravine, Jamie McCourt can't recall where she was when she opened the most important e-mail of her life, because her world went blank. As she scrolled down her BlackBerry, Jamie thought she might be sick. It had taken almost 30 years for Jamie and her husband, Frank, to build a billion-dollar empire -- a nest egg that included seven homes and the Los Angeles Dodgers -- but it took only five paragraphs to destroy it.

On the surface, the e-mail -- a letter scanned and forwarded by her attorney -- was a formal but fairly routine termination notice from an owner of a sports team to a CEO for whom he no longer had use. But buried beneath the instructions for how said CEO might clean out her office was the subtext of a family in shambles, a husband firing a wife, a father canning the mother of his four sons.

"There was a saying in the front office that the three worst days of our jobs would be when Vin Scully died, when Tommy Lasorda died and when the McCourts decided to split," said one Dodgers official. "There was never any question it was gonna go lethal."
In the 405-word electronic missive that began "Dear Jamie," she read Frank's reasons for her removal as CEO of the Dodgers, a job that made her the highest-ranking female exec in baseball. They included insubordination, a failure to follow procedure and inappropriate behavior with regard to a direct subordinate (an allusion that she was allegedly sleeping with Jeff Fuller, whom the Dodgers had hired to protect Jamie and ferry her around town). Ironically, of all the perks the McCourts enjoyed as black-card-carrying members of the LA nouveaux riches, a driver for Jamie was the most legit. Shortly after the couple moved to LA from Boston to take over the Dodgers, in 2004, Jamie had nearly lost her right eye from a bacterial infection contracted while swimming. Jamie had sought traditional medical treatment -- and also employed a Russian healer named Vladimir Shpunt -- but could no longer drive at night. Now Frank was, allegedly, a cuckold because of it.

But Frank and Jamie had known their marriage was rocky long before her need for a driver. The two barely resembled the couple that, just six years ago, promised to rescue the Dodgers from the corporate clutches of Rupert Murdoch and return them to family ownership, reminiscent of the glory days when the O'Malley clan ran the show. No, these McCourts had been estranged since July 2009, when they took separate vacations -- she to France with Fuller as her driver, he to the family's estate on Cape Cod -- and found they didn't miss each other. They attended counseling later that month, but it didn't stick. Now they were gearing up to take their bitter private drama excruciatingly public.

Hours before the Phillies flushed the Dodgers from the National League championship series in five games last October, Frank had the termination letter hand-delivered to Jamie's attorney, Dennis Wasser. Earlier, the couple had made a handshake agreement to put off any war over their estimated $1.2 billion fortune until after the season. But with the Dodgers only one loss from elimination, Frank knew that Jamie could file for divorce in LA Superior Court the following morning, before he had a chance to fire her. And because judges tend to preserve the status quo while lawyers settle who gets the toaster, the china and the baseball team, he could be forced to work an entire off-season with a woman he could no longer stand. Unless he fired her immediately. Plus, not cutting her loose would put her in a stronger position for a takeover attempt; Frank couldn't risk it. Jamie responded to her dismissal by filing for divorce on Oct. 27.

Today, what began as boardroom and bedroom bickering has become tabloid fodder in LA. Details of their spat, once the domain of baseball blogs and Twitter feeds, now rival the latest nuttiness from Lindsay Lohan and Mel Gibson for splashy headlines in the Los Angeles Times. The McCourts came to Hollywood expecting star treatment. They just didn't expect to star in a reality show about their crumbling marriage. Once the divorce trial begins, on Aug. 30, sordid details of their troubles will likely be aired coast-to-coast.

To report this story over the course of two months, The Magazine reviewed several thousand pages of court documents and interviewed dozens of people close to the team and couple, including lawyers for Frank and Jamie. Not one source was surprised when the split was announced. "They hated each other from the moment they set foot in Los Angeles," says a former high-ranking Dodgers official. "There was a saying in the front office that the three worst days of our jobs would be when Vin Scully died, when Tommy Lasorda died and when the McCourts decided to split. There was never any question it was gonna go lethal."

And depending on the trial, millions of Dodgers fans could be collateral damage.

On Nov. 3, 1979, Jamie Luskin married Frank McCourt in a quiet ceremony in their apartment on East 52nd Street in Manhattan, where a rabbi played piano to entertain guests. Frank showed up late, without the ring. It wasn't long before the couple moved to Boston, where two years earlier Frank had bought an abandoned waterfront railroad yard. He promised Jamie they would live in Boston for only a year or so, but one year became many as Frank tried to wring profit from the land, which he had turned into a parking lot.

It wasn't easy. Frank spent the next 17 years in litigation over the waterfront property, trying to clear the way for even bigger plans: a retail and residential complex meant to ensure the family's fortunes for generations. He settled for parking spaces. "To understand who Frank is you have to realize he's not a developer, he's a litigator," says a former business associate who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearful Frank might sue him.

Courtesy of Jamie Enterprises
Frank and Jamie met at Georgetown in the 1970's.
The McCourts have come a long way from those early days when Jamie had to lend Frank $1,000 to start his development company, which became the McCourt Group. In 2004, Frank used that Boston parking lot to buy the Dodgers from Murdoch's News Corp., which was losing an estimated $30 million to $60 million a year on the team and was desperate to sell. McCourt secured a staggering $421 million in loans to make the deal, including one for $200 million from News Corp. itself, using the parking lot, then worth $125 million, as collateral. When McCourt failed to fully repay the loan by 2006, News Corp. took the property and resold it for $203.7 million.

Since moving west, the McCourts have been on quite the home-buying spree. In the past six years, they acquired four houses -- palaces, really -- within 10 miles of each other in the thick of US Weekly's Los Angeles. First, they plunked down $20 million for music producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' 15,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, 10-bathroom home on Charing Cross Road in Beverly Hills.

Despite the shortage of bedrooms, that location must have been popular with the couple's four boys, Drew, Travis, Casey and Gavin, who were 22, 20, 17 and 13 at the time. The house was across the street from the Playboy Mansion. When a house next door went on the market for a modest $6.5 million weeks later, the McCourts snapped that up to be used as an 8,400-square-foot guesthouse and headquarters of the McCourt Group. Three years later, they paid Courteney Cox and David Arquette $27 million for their Malibu beachfront home designed by architect John Lautner, a Frank Lloyd Wright disciple. Frank loved that home so much he changed his e-mail handle to "Malibu." When the McCourts later realized that the property wasn't big enough for a pool suitable for Jamie's mile-and-a-half morning swim regimen (her e-mail handle: swimmer), they spent another $19 million for the place next door. Which explains, in an odd sort of way, why Jamie can't remember where she was the moment she learned her husband had fired her. She was alone in her home, yes, but which one? It was hard to keep them straight.

Since the couple separated last July, Jamie has lived in the Lautner house (referred to in divorce documents as Malibu #1), so she most likely read the e-mail there. But it's possible she checked her BlackBerry from Charing Cross #1 if she went to use its indoor lap pool that morning. She had secured custody of the pool from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Frank was still with the Dodgers in Philly, so there would have been no repeat of the alleged incident a month earlier trumpeted by the website TMZ.

According to Frank's lawyer, Jamie went for a dip in the company of Fuller -- whose job title with the Dodgers, in a Shakespearean twist, was director of protocol -- and Frank came to the house. Jamie called 911, telling police that Frank's presence was threatening (Frank, unaware of the 911 call, left before authorities arrived, and denied the allegation). Jamie's counsel, in turn, denied that Fuller was even there that morning. Frank lived at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel, a couple of blocks down the road (at a cost of $30,000 a month).

Why was Frank at the Montage? Because Jamie had sole possession of the houses, as stipulated in a marital property agreement the couple had signed in 2004. That MPA is at the heart of their fight. Frank was so leveraged financially when he bought the team from Murdoch that Jamie became concerned that creditors would seize their homes should he ever default on the loans he obtained to complete the sale. To protect their nest egg, they drafted a post-nup that transferred all current and future residential property to Jamie. That was good news for her. The bad news? Jamie, who used to practice family law and has an MBA from MIT, may not have read the fine print. Jamie gets the houses, but Frank gets the Dodgers.

To many estranged wives, the real estate might be enough. In addition to the LA cribs, Jamie has in her name a condo in Vail (bought for $6 million), a lot in Cabo San Lucas ($4.6 million), a place at the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Montana ($7.7 million) and that 100-acre Cape Cod estate, now on the market for $50 million and awaiting what Jamie calls in divorce papers "a very special buyer." How serious were the McCourts about their living arrangements? After selling their Brookline, Mass., home to Red Sox owner John Henry, they spent $180,000 to move the kitchen to Charing Cross #1 because they found out Henry planned to raze the joint. In total, the McCourts have spent $14 million improving that residence, adding the indoor pool, a dance studio and a massage room.

That a man who made his bones in real estate would willingly give up so much valuable property is a head-scratcher, until one considers that the Dodgers are worth $727 million, according to a 2010 Forbes estimate.

Jamie, who spoke to The Magazine in early July, says she had no idea she was signing away the ball club: "If someone had said to me, Oh, by the way, you're not going to have the Dodgers or the other assets you've worked your whole life for -- is that okay with you? Believe me, not only would that not be okay, I would remember if someone had said that to me."

Frank declined repeated requests for interviews, but his lawyers say Jamie gambled on real estate because she thought it was a better bet than a sports team. And now that the property market has soured and the team is making money, Jamie wants to unsign. That's their reasoning, anyway. As Frank's attorney Marshall Grossman told the Los Angeles Times: "Jamie McCourt saying she didn't understand [the MPA] is like John Hancock saying he didn't understand the Declaration of Independence when he signed it."

Their legal arms race will cost the McCourts an estimated $19 million, the fees (as high as $1,100 per hour) for some of the hottest trial lawyers in the country. When all the fees are tallied, experts predict that McCourt v. McCourt could be the most expensive divorce in California history. Jamie's counsel, David Boies, will square off against Frank's attorney, Stephen Susman. They have already faced each other in court twice (and are 1-1). Strangely, they are partners on another case, a class-action suit on behalf of commercial fishermen in the Gulf.

Boies has four reasons to believe the MPA will be overturned. Susman has an answer for each.

"First off, I don't even believe it exists," Boies says of the MPA. "Or at least not the piece of paper they claim to have saying Jamie signed away the Dodgers." Boies contends Frank pulled a switcheroo on his wife, that the document he had her sign just before the couple decamped for Los Angeles didn't mention the Dodgers.

According to Boies, the two schedules (listing his take and her take) tacked to the end of agreement (following the signature page) were switched after she signed. Susman says: nonsense. He's getting a forensics expert to verify that the original staples are still in place on the original document.

Boies will also argue that California law states a marital property agreement cannot be conditional, and since it was signed in Massachusetts (which is not a community property state) it is not valid in California (which is, meaning all assets acquired in a marriage belong equally to both spouses). Susman's counter: The document became valid as soon as the McCourts became Golden State residents.

If the validity argument fails, Boies will remind the judge that Jamie didn't have independent counsel; the lawyer who advised her to sign the post-nup was one of her husband's personal attorneys. Susman asserts that Jamie was the driving force behind the post-nup. "Her husband had nearly gone bankrupt three times," says Susman. "She wanted to make sure they would keep the homes if the team wiped Frank out."

In the end, Boies' best hope may be that the Honorable Scott Gordon rules that the MPA creates an unfair division of assets, and that he rips it up. To that, Susman says: "In retrospect, yes, it was a horrible deal for Jamie. But it's fair to say, given the history of Frank's finances, she didn't have much tolerance for risk. This deal gave her security."

Boies, who in March took Jamie and a TMZ crew to Dodger Stadium to retrieve belongings (they were turned away), doesn't mince words when discussing Frank's fiscal strategies. The Dodgers' payroll has dropped from $119 million in 2008 to $95 million this year, raising eyebrows across the league. He echoes frustrated fans -- with an eye to public opinion, no doubt -- who worry that the team is in payroll lockdown until the trial concludes. Says Boies: "Every dollar Frank spends on attorneys to keep Jamie from getting a penny could be spent on starting pitching." Boies says that even if Frank wins on the post-nup, he'll have to pay Jamie a percentage (maybe half) of the Dodgers' appreciation in value -- which is community property -- since the agreement was signed. McCourt paid $431 million for the team in 2004, and the team now could be worth nearly twice that. Given that Frank's lawyers argued he couldn't afford to pay the nearly $1 million per month in temporary spousal support that Jamie requested (he first offered nothing; in May the judge settled on $637,159), he may not be in any position to pay her the hundreds of millions he might owe.

In the six years he's owned the Dodgers, Frank has borrowed an estimated $390 million against the team -- staking future ticket sales -- which he used to live the high life, complete with a private jet ($2 million a year) and a hairstylist who came to the house five days a week ($150,000 a year). The McCourts also spent six figures on Vladimir Shpunt -- the healer who treated Jamie's eye -- asking him to use his "V Energy" to help the team and to "Think Blue" from his home in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, Frank engaged in a perfectly legal shell game and has not paid a dime in state or federal taxes since 2004. More eyebrows were raised when The New York Times revealed on July 9 that a Dodgers executive had drawn more than $400,000 in salary to run a $1.6 million charitable fund for the Dodgers Dream Foundation. The trial will force open even more of the club's books, bringing even closer scrutiny to the couple's professional and private finances.

While the McCourts were living large, the Dodgers, in 2008 and 2009, spent less than any other MLB team on the draft and international-player signings, an area the team once dominated. Frank told reporters during spring training that the divorce has nothing to do with the payroll; and multiple former club execs say there's truth to the claim. "It was Frank's plan all along to run a team with a payroll of about $80 million," says a former high-ranking club official speaking on condition of anonymity. "His thinking since he bought the team was: 'This isn't the AL East. Why would I spend $150 million to win 98 games when I can spend half that to win 90, if that's all it takes to make the playoffs in our division?' " So while the Dodgers have spent money on free agents such as Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, Rafael Furcal and Manny Ramirez -- plus Joe Torre, the game's highest-paid manager -- GM Ned Colletti has structured deals creatively, offering fewer years (Furcal, Jones) and deferring payments (Ramirez, Jones).

When asked how the McCourts' divorce is affecting the Dodgers' payroll, Colletti, weary of the question, joked: "You think I can answer that?" He says he's never "heard a number" like $80 million and holds the company line, saying the team would add payroll down the stretch if the right deal presented itself. If the Dodgers were to deal for, say, Cubs lefty Ted Lilly at the July 31 trade deadline, Lilly would be owed just $4 million for the rest of 2010, or roughly one-fifth of what McCourt will pay to divorce attorneys this year. "For the life of me, I cannot figure out why he hasn't just settled," says another former executive. "It's like he's lost his mind."

Frank McCourt would rather this story be about his accomplishments as owner of the Dodgers, and he has a point. His team has been to the playoffs four times in his six-year tenure, after making just two postseasons in the prior 15 years. It advanced to the NLCS two straight years after not winning a playoff series for two decades. His Dodgers have broken club attendance records. Why, friends say Frank wonders, does the LA press abuse him?

Maybe it's because the Dodgers were his third choice. He lost a bid to buy his hometown Red Sox in 2001, in part because the community balked at his plans to move the team from Fenway Park to a proposed stadium on his lot. "No one wanted to work with him," says a former Dodgers executive familiar with the negotiations. Frank next went after the Angels, but MLB commissioner Bud Selig was said to be keen on having Hispanic-American Arte Moreno join baseball's lily-white owners' club. And Disney, which was selling the team, was happy with Moreno's ability to write a check. "Would you take a parking lot over cash?" the source says.

It's not as if the media started giving Frank a hard time only after his marriage fell apart and details of his expenses trickled out. The criticism dates to Day 1 in LA, when McCourt showed up to his first press conference at Dodger Stadium, face full of makeup, and stammered through prepared remarks that he handed out to reporters. "It looked like he was running for president of the Dodgers, not announcing he just bought the team," says a former employee who attended the ceremony. It didn't help public trust when the Los Angeles Times reported that Frank had bought the team with those heavy loans and almost no money down.

That led to speculation in the press that Frank had purchased the team only for the real estate that came with it. Dodger Stadium sits on one of the most valuable pieces of property in sports, and he'd never even set foot in it before buying the team. Whispers that Frank was planning to level the city treasure to develop the surrounding 276 acres rose to a roar when it was revealed that the Dodgers were losing so much money. Why, people wondered, would a real estate maven buy a baseball team bleeding cash if not for the potential billions he could make by developing the land? But McCourt has said he never considered razing the stadium. "He took a look at those books and knew he could turn a profit within three years," says a former executive who was part of McCourt's transition team. "Fox was the worst owner in the history of baseball. They inflated their losses with accounting tricks. They were hemorrhaging money on the most ridiculous things you could imagine, from terrible gardening deals to the way the yearbook was published to the soda distributor. It wasn't rocket science to turn it around."

And the McCourts did almost double the team's value. But at what cost? Dodger Stadium had become a battlefield. Last September, Jamie filed a formal complaint with the team citing workplace harassment. Although CEO, Jamie claims Frank's staff told Dodgers employees to stop speaking to her. Jamie argues that she was more than a figurehead executive or owner's wife content to sit in the luxury box. In court filings, she contends she sat in on weekly owners' conference calls with Selig. She also says she regularly led meetings with other Dodgers execs and was involved in discussions on everything from ticket prices to Yoga Day with Andre Ethier.

Maybe so, but her role with the team was confusing. Jamie started as vice chairman, became team president in 2005 and CEO in March 2009. "We rewrote her bio for the 2005 media guide 20 times," says a former Dodgers executive. "There was a daily fight over what her title was."

Whatever was on her business card, Jamie clearly had an agenda that went far beyond taking over the Dodgers. In 2007, the McCourts hired PR guru Charles Steinberg, who is credited with revamping the Red Sox fan experience at Fenway, to do the same with the Dodgers. But within a year, Steinberg had aligned himself with Jamie, bringing in people from Boston and inserting them in every department. "It was a giant mess, because you had a Jamie person and a Frank person doing the same job," says a current Dodgers employee. "And as things got tenser, it was like they were each using moles to spy on each other."

Steinberg went so far as to unveil "Project Jamie," a seven-page action plan with a goal to make her president of the United States, with support from a coalition of "women, minorities, Hollywood types, and sports-loving males." Frank had seen enough of the Jamie Show. Steinberg was fired last September; his people were out by Christmas.

Project Jamie came to light in court proceedings connected to the divorce, which in general has been a wellspring of joyous discovery for the local media, celebrity voyeurs and anyone else curious about the foibles of the rich and famous. Frank, for example, once harbored desires to build an NFL stadium -- project code name Gorilla -- adjacent to Dodger Stadium. Trying to secure Chinese investors for the project, as well as financing for a stake in a Premiership soccer team, Frank wrote a plan to double Dodger ticket prices over the next eight years while lowering payroll. None of this would be known had Jamie's side not revealed Frank's scheme through court papers.

In any event, after Jamie got the termination e-mail, Frank had the locks to her office changed and canceled her Dodgers Amex card. Her health insurance was cut off, and she had to go on Cobra. Frank was just getting started. He axed dozens of Dodgers employees seen as Jamie loyalists, from ticket salespeople to in-game entertainment producers. "At the Christmas party last fall I found out 40 people had been fired, 35 of whom probably did not deserve to go," says a current Dodgers employee speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear he might be next. "But you could kind of see why he did it because it seemed like the queen was amassing an army for a possible takeover." Still, another current Dodgers exec says the housecleaning may have been Frank's biggest mistake, creating a legion of "pissed-off ex-employees."

Steinberg is now senior adviser of public affairs for MLB commissioner Bud Selig.

The point of no return in this real-life War of the Roses may have been crossed in August 2008, when Jamie tried to get Frank to sign a revised version of the MPA, giving her co-ownership of the team. Frank stalled through the fall and winter. On May 13, unaware that Frank had sent her an e-mail the day before saying he would not change the MPA, Jamie sent him a last-ditch e-mail to resolve the fight over the team. It read:

"We should both remember that we've been life partners for nearly 40 years. We have been enormously fortunate with our love, our health, our children and our success together. I would really like to get this annoying estate work behind us for a variety of reasons. It's pretty unclear to me why you've canceled yet another meeting with [our estate attorneys] to tie this up in a bow. What about this am I missing, because it really makes me feel that you don't care about me? If we come through this troubling time in our lives we should think about renewing our vows ... I love you."

A BLUE FUTURE?

Dodgers fans wonder, who'll stay and who'll go? And they're not just talking about the McCourts. LA can't afford to lock in all of its homegrown talent due to hit free agency after 2012. So The Mag asked Dan Szymborski of Baseball Think Factory to forecast each player's production from 2013 through 2017 and rank them by runs created above average (RCAA), a metric that factors all aspects of performance and compares a player to the average at his position. We give reasons for keeping and cutting each, as if LA's horizon weren't hazy enough.

Matt Kemp | CF | Age 25
Projected RCAA: 62
He's having a down year (.322 OBP), but he's still a rare five-tool talent. Don't be surprised if there is a 30/30 season (or two) in his future.There have been questions about his focus on the field, concerns that are backed up by his poor ratings in certain advanced defensive metrics.

Chad Billingsley | RHP | Age 25
Projected RCAA: 48
A workhorse who strikes out almost a man per inning, he projects to have a 3.75 ERA during the period in question. Billingsley faltered in the second half of last year (5.20 ERA), and the Dodgers' farm system is flush with pitching. He may not be worth the risk.

Andre Ethier | RF | Age 28
Projected RCAA: 11
He's the best pure hitter of the group, and the Dodgers don't have a comparable prospect in the pipeline. Expect an OPS above .850 through 2015.A one-dimensional player with poor defensive skills. The market is typically rich with players who fit this profile.

Russell Martin | C | Age 27
Projected RCAA: minus-12
He has a .365 OBP as a Dodger, and catchers with any offensive skill are always hard to find. He's thrown out more than 31% of runners. After slugging .469 in 2007, that number has dropped in three straight years, all the way to .327 this year. An alarming trend.

James Loney | 1B | Age 26
Projected RCAA: minus-23
He's a disciplined, consistent hitter whose average always hovers around .300 and who would likely cost the least of anyone on this list. Most teams count on a first baseman to hit for power, and Loney's career high (15 HRs in 2007) is below average in that department.

Frank refused to waver from his position. He said in filings that he was just protecting his and the family's interests, that at the same time she was asking him to sign over half the Dodgers she was consulting divorce attorneys behind his back and cheating on him with Fuller. Not helping her case on the fidelity front, claim Frank's lawyers, Jamie went with Fuller on a two-and-a-half-week trip, first to Israel on business for a baseball tournament, then to France -- all on the Dodgers' dime. When she returned, she moved from the Charing Cross house to Malibu. (Jamie refuses to say whether she and Fuller are together.)

Despite continued legal wrangling, stubbornness and general mistrust, the McCourts, according to those who see them daily, both seem more sad than angry these days. One current Dodgers exec and confidant of Frank's says, "People think he hates her, but he never trashes her to us. He's more sad than anything else." And Jamie expresses grief, at least for one former love: "I miss the Dodgers more than anything in the world."

Always involved and engaged parents, Frank and Jamie put aside differences for one day to sit together as son Casey graduated from Stanford this past June. But their lingering sadness and momentary détente will be forgotten when the divorce goes to trial, Aug. 30. And while both sides hope to get their way, it's likely neither will. Frank wants his position as sole owner to be upheld by the judge and for Jamie to walk away with just the houses. He wants to own the Dodgers, then pass the team on to his beloved sons. If he has to give Jamie a chunk of the team, he'll be even more financially strapped than he is now -- just as stars such as Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton hit free agency.

Jamie, who set up offices for Jamie Enterprises 500 feet from Frank's refuge at the Montage hotel, wants to be reinstated as co-owner. Her lawyers suggested to the Los Angeles Times that she's in a position to buy Frank out, but after the drama the couple has put Major League Baseball through, it's unlikely she'd get the necessary approval from other owners. Boies says Frank can buy Jamie out with a back-loaded deal, paying some now and a lot later if he realizes a potential windfall. As it turns out, Fox's TV deal with the Dodgers ends in 2013, and McCourt can start a network that could be worth billions. No surprise, Frank has tapped Susman to ensure that Jamie sees none of that loot.

For now, the games go on and the players try not to pay attention to the turmoil upstairs.

"We don't really worry about all that stuff," says catcher Russell Martin.

"It doesn't really affect me at all," says second baseman Blake DeWitt.

Adds former Dodgers and current Rockies reliever Joe Beimel: "An owner is your employer, so you pretty much just take your paycheck and play. I rarely interacted with the McCourts. They liked to sit in the front row behind home plate and be on TV, but they don't meddle in the clubhouse."

At least Joe Torre has that going for him. Late last month, after closer Broxton blew a four-run lead against the Yankees, Torre sat at his desk in Dodger Stadium, still in uniform, looking very tired. Reflecting on his 12 years in New York, Torre said he left mainly because "the stress got to me. The scrutiny was never-ending." When asked how handling questions from the New York media about why his Yankees teams couldn't win 162 games every year compared with handling questions about divorces, frozen payrolls and Russian healers, Torre said: "It's the same stress, really. The difference is out here it's coming from only one paper."

Torre denies reports that he's tired of the McCourts' drama and frustrated that he doesn't have the war chest he enjoyed in New York. Those same reports say he won't be back after his contract expires at the end of the season. Torre says he'll let the team know by September.

Reflecting after that loss to his former team, Torre said: "It's tough to manage in a city where baseball doesn't stay in the sports section, where it spills over into other sections."

As far as anyone could tell, he was referring to New York.

Molly Knight is a contributing writer for ESPN The Magazine.

Not Enough. ... Sorry.

2010-08-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

Nice job by Ned Colletti, while tied down by the tight reins of McCheap. Although I'm EXTREMELY disappointed Matt Kemp is still a Dodger. Thought maybe that was why they got Podsednik. I predicted Manny would be gone by the deadline, and many inquiries were made about him, but it seems he'll remain a Dodger at least 'til the August 31st waiver deadline. As I have always said, I really, really like Blake DeWitt, and he may wind up becoming a fine second baseman with the Cubbies, (or third baseman, the way Aramis Ramirez is looking) but Colletti made a good deal. Ryan Theriot is a notch better. Slightly better defensively, quicker, faster, hIgher BA. And, of course, Ted Lilly, the centerpiece of the deal, is no Cliff Lee. But he's a starter with an ERA under 4.00 who can eat innings. Also, we finally said bye-bye to the awful James McDonald. At one time very promising, maybe one day he will be again ... with Pittsburgh? From what I've heard about young Andrew Lambo, I'm also not too upset about parting ways with him. Once a #1 prospect for the Blue, the kid is a real nasty jerk who can't stop makin' with the marijuana. Octavio Dotel may make a nice segue to Kuo and/or Jansen, before Broxton comes in and blows the game. But, alas, these have all been pretty much lateral moves. Podsednik is an improvement, but if Kemp still plays, what good is he sitting on the bench when Manny comes back? None of the players acquired are difference-makers and they're still strapped with the mediocre offensive core of Kemp, Loney, Martin and Ethier. Meanwhile, the Fathers have greatly improved themselves with the acquisitions of Miguel Tejada - though he's not the steroid-enhanced Tejada of old - and Ryan Ludwick. Now, Adrian Gonzalez has real hitters batting around him. If Matt Latos, Richard and Garland continue to pitch as well as they have been, you can forget about it. It'll be the Dads and The Giants battling it out for the West with the ever-improving Rockies still looming (can you BELIEVE how good Carlos Gonzalez is??) and the offensively impotent Dodgers, in spite of their recently GREAT starting pitching, falling into the abyss currently occupied by the Dbacks.

Casey Blake homered yesterday for the Dodgers' only run. Still, he's TERRIBLE. Russell Martin is still their catcher and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Why? Matt Kemp still has his head somewhere in or around Rheanna instead of on the field. He still plays. Why? (Ethier's wife is giving birth again and Manny's still on the DL are 2 good reasons) James Loney still isn't a hundred percent focused. Why not? So, Don Mattingly is going to be their next manager? Why? He hasn't been able to get through to any of the core hitters. Thus, he's not a good hitting coach. What has Mattingly done to make us think he's going to be an effective manager? Only a handful of ex-superstars have made good managers. I don't necessarily believe Donnie Baseball will be one of them.

Normally I agree with LA Times columnist, Bill Shaikin, but in today's paper, he says he hopes Fox will return as part owners of the Dodgers and help finance McCourt. MCCOURT DOES NOT CARE WHETHER OR NOT THE TEAM WINS. And neither does Fox. I sure hope Fox doesn't come back in. LA needs to get the tastes of Fox AND the McCourts out of our mouths. We need to get an owner who's going to spend money in the draft and get the team back to the Dominican.

Plaschke was right today. The LA teams are done.

BEATen LA!

2010-07-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

The wood and the nails have been purchased. The better team took 2 of 3. The Dads are for real and the Blue are fakers. This is the worst Dodger team I've seen since 1993. Except that '92 team at least had some nice role players. Unless they can make an unlikely blockbuster deal, this campaign is as good as over. I mean, come on! They stink. They can't hit. They don't have enough pitching. They don't have enough heart. But, more importantly, as evidenced by his performance today, they kind of have no manager. Joe Torre has been mailing it in all year and his bizarre non-move today against the Dads in what was the most important game of the year, proved startlingly idiotic. Only complacency could be responsible for such stupidity from a man who's been around baseball as long as Torre. He just doesn't really care. How else could you explain using your all-time worst with the game on the line, with Jonathan Broxton loose in the pen and ready to go? What was he saving him for?

George Sherrill needs to be given his unconditional release. It's the only way to keep him from causing any further damage.

As far as good ol' Joe, so many bad calls at first base not going the Dodgers' way, so many times Joe sits on his ass in the dugout not saying a word. The call last week when the umps charged replacement manager, Donny Baseball with a second trip to the mound and removed Broxton from the game went unchallenged. The umps blew the ruling. Broxton should've been made to pitch to that batter - can't even remember who it was - THEN, he was supposed to be removed. Could've changed the outcome of the game, which turned out to be a Dodger loss. Unprotested. What manager who's actually been given a chance to pull a win out of the loss column doesn't even lodge a protest?

So, now to the trade deadline. Lee is a Ranger, Haren is a Halo and now, Oswalt is one of the Phillies, (who I believe are going back to the World Series.) The Dodgers acquired Scott Podsednik from KC yesterday. A good move by Colletti given his employer's tightfisted policy. Pod is a fine, hard-nosed ballplayer with speed, a little power and a lot of fundamentals. I was hoping they landed him so they can move Kemp somewhere. Anywhere. Kemp is awful, but some team may not think he's as bad as he is. Ok, so Oswalt's out. Greinke? I really doubt it.

Once again, it comes down to the weakness of what we used to affectionately call the "kiddie corps." The corps has become their "core" and they're just not enough. Andre Ethier is a fine ballplayer, but let's face it, he's so bad against lefties you almost want to platoon him. Loney homered today - his 8th, which means he has one more than Furcal - then proceeded to look like Hell the rest of his at bats. Loney is not the kind of first baseman that can lead the team to a division title or pennant. Kemp cannot stop pulling off the ball. He just doesn't get it. Kemp and Loney, both, take many at bats off and I have no idea why Torre puts up with it. Russell Martin, simply put, has become one of the worst hitters I've ever seen. Broxton is good, not great, certainly not a lights out closer. In fact, he shouldn't even be there closer. Let's give it to Kuo and Jansen. (I like the look of this Kelly Jansen, although, in spite of my disdain for Broxton, I still think he was a far better choice than Sherrill in the 9th.) Billingsley has turned out to be a sometimes solid middle of the rotation guy, not so much the difference-maker he was touted to be. Kershaw could be the real deal, but he's not quite there yet. There's your core. Not much without a vital Manny hitting somewhere in the middle. Not much without another starter to anchor a slightly better-than-average staff.

Casey Blake? Take him off the grill. He's done. Blake DeWitt? Not good enough, not yet, anyway. But more importantly, the owner has no passion for winning and will not open his wallet to give the fans what they deserve and have deserved for many, many years. He's a greedy, miserly SOB and I hope the divorce ruins him. This team has no chance.

For next year, my dream is for McCheap to sell to someone with a beating heart who knows what the Dodgers once meant to baseball. I hope this owner installs either Bobby Valentine or Dusty Baker, someone with blue in his blood, as their new manager.

Ladies & Gentlemen, Your Lose Angeles Dodgers.

2010-07-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

I hate 2 things:

1) Blowing my own horn.
2) When the Dodgers lose (and stink)

That being said, I hate to blow my own horn, but I told you the Dodgers would stink. Back in early April I made a series of predictions and one of those predictions was that the Blue would finish in 4th place in the West. Where are they on 7/20/10? Mired in 4th place after losing 5 straight. Is the season over? Not by a long shot. There's plenty of baseball left to be played and plenty of opportunity for the Dodgers to climb right back up there. The question is, can they? My answer at this time is an emphatic "no."

They're right where Frank McCourt's team oughta be. They have poor starting pitching. They have a horrific bullpen. They have rather little hitting. They have poor defense. They play extremely poor fundamental baseball. They have very little heart. They have a dispassionate manager. They have an owner who doesn't care. Hence, 4th place. It is this blogger's opinion that, so long as McCheap isn't going to try to land an ace or a big bat, the Dodgers should consider being sellers rather than buyers in the next 2 weeks. Shall we go through the lineup?

THE OUTFIELD

One of my more recent predictions was that Manny would again be on the DL before season's. Who knew he would hurt himself again THAT NIGHT? Manny is absent. Manny is powerless. Manny is over. I'm over Manny.

Bill Shaikin's Sunday article regarding possibly moving the plateaued Matt Kemp made sense. Sure Kemp is still only 25 and, with his incredible natural gifts, should have many great years in front of him. Problem is, he doesn't. Not unless he gets a personality and brain overhaul. He just doesn't make the adjustments and doesn't have the baseball smarts. Opposing pitchers toy with him. Most of his power numbers were put up in April and early May. I no longer believe in Matt Kemp as a potential superstar and the face of the team. If they could move him for a top notch starter whom they could hang onto for a few years, it might be well worth it. Watching him makes me miss Reed Johnson.

Andre Ethier is the new face of the Dodgers. He's great. Problem is, he's the only one. And he has a few flaws that hurt the team. One is, he simply can't hit lefties very well at all. And there are lefties in baseball. This makes him kind of streaky. The other is, it still seems like he regards his personal performance over that of the team. I know that's not fair for me to say without having spoken to Andre or knowing him personally, but I can read his body language. The other is, he's not the fastest guy out there by a long shot. He's also pressing a little. I don't blame him. He's got very little support around him in the lineup.

THE INFIELD

James Loney is having a career year. He's now officially an effective singles-hitting first baseman. I used to compare him to Mark Grace, but at least Grace hit doubles. I disagree with most on his defense. I think Loney plays a mediocre to under par first base. This team has no pop. We need a first baseman with pop. I don''t hate Loney. But if you can move him for some prospects or someone who can be a game changer, let's do it.

I love Blake DeWitt's efforts and he may end up being a mainstay in someone's lineup one of these days, and he does a lot of little things that people don't notice, but he's no Ian Kinsler or Chase Utley. Jaimie Carroll does everything better than De Witt and should play everyday.

Furcal is on fire and made a well-deserved appearance in the All-Star game. I can't say anything negative about this man. He's their only offense right now. He's a solid choice at short until, at such time, Dee Gordon is ready.

Casey Blake is not a particularly good ballplayer. He's a better than average fielder and a very poor hitter. A little pop down the line - he hits practically EVERYTHING down the line, and if he doesn't, he usually strikes out. He's been trying to drive the ball the other way of late, but it ain't working. He's hitting .247 with far too few RBI's for an everyday 3rd baseman. I'm sure he's a great guy. I don't like him as a ballplayer. I'd rather give Ronnie Belliard a shot everyday.

Russell Martin - Martin stinks. Of all 14 starting catchers in the NL, I rank him nearly last. I even rank him behind some of the backup catchers. Don't believe me? I'd rather have Hundley, Posey, Olivo, Montero, Snyder, Soto, Molina, Doumit, Ruiz, Pudge, Paulino, McCann, Barajas or Hernandez.

THE BENCH

Carroll and Reed Johnson are great. AJ Ellis and Garret Anderson are awful. I like Xavier Paul, but he has no pop.

STARTING PITCHING

I was watching Giants 20 year-old Ross Bumgarner shut down the Blue last night and I was noticing how much more poise and confidence he has on the mound than Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw's a fine pitcher, but he needs to get tougher. So far, he's just an ace by default.

I'm not particularly impressed with Billingsley. He's had a few solid games. He doesn't exactly strike fear in the hearts of men. His stuff isn't that impressive and he gives up a lot of dongs. Kuroda is solid, has some great games and some terrible games sandwiched in. I don't trust him to be the man. I mean, let's fact it, he's not exactly C.C. Sabathia. Can't complain about Vicente Padilla. He's been a great 4th starter. Could be the best number 4 guy in the league along with Jonathan Sanchez and R.A Dickey. They have no number five guy because McCheap doesn't want to spend the money.

THE PEN

Broxton is not a great closer. He throws gas. He has loads of talent. But he's a lucky closer a lot of the time. He just gets too freaked out and still doesn't know how to shut teams down. Looks the part, but doesn't appear to have the psyche for it. I would prefer Kuo, but Hong Chih can't throw 2 days in a row. The rest of the pen is lousy with the exception of Weaver and Schlichting who are just okay.

THE MANAGER

After getting beaten down 2 straight games in blazing hot St. Louie, the Dodgers and Hiroki Kuroda had a shot in the next game. John Jay hits a double play grounder and the umpire blows the call at first base, leading to the Cards first run. Torre just sits in the dugout. Not a peep out of him. Need I say more? Okay, then I will... what the hell is he doing batting Casey Blake in the cleanup spot last night? Is he out of his 70 year-old mind? Happy birthday, Joe.

We're beginning to learn about these young guys they brought up a few years ago to be the future of the organization. They're simply not a strong enough core. They won the West the last 2 seasons because they got quality innings from their starters and their pen and they were girded by a potent Manny for much of that time. If they start moving some of these guys for some real prospects, they could have a shot in a few years. This core, however, are just not good enough to win anything this year or any year. They could've be with some valuable additions, but their soon-to-be-divorced owner doesn't want to spend the money. And why should he? It's not like the Dodgers led the Majors in attendance or anything last year. ... Oh, wait a minute, they did.

2nd Half, Shmecond Half

2010-07-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Been awhile... again. My apologies... again. Had to finish a project. Deadlines and all. I know my worldwide capacity crowd of faithful readers have missed my plaintive cries about the Dodgers. Before the complaining begins, let me first say that I am extremely and pleasantly surprised the Dodgers begin the "2nd half" of the season, or, more aptly put, the post-All-Star break period only 2 games out of first, currently tied with the Rockies who I had predicted would eventually take the West. The Blue could do much worse than 10 games over .500, as they're not a very good club. Good club? See the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and 3/5ths of the AL Central. Yes, all AL teams. That's why the Dodgers still have a chance. The NL kinda sucks this year from a team standpoint. However, I still believe in the power of a healthy Phillies team, so we'll see what happens.

The All-Star game was excellent this year and I was quite pleased the NL eked our a win after 13 years. Now the Phillies, Braves, Met, Reds, Cards, Rockies, Dads, or Giants will have home field advantage. I think it was appalling that no Padres starting pitchers were on the team and I find it equally appalling, that, though Molina got a hit and McCann delivered the game-winning blow, Muguel Olivo who's hitting a ton for Colorado. (And, up until tonight, I also felt like Clayton Kershaw got robbed.) Was afraid the Dodgers were gonna blow it for the NL when Hong Chih Kuo lobbed that ball over Adiran Gonzalez's head and let in the game's only run until McCann hit his double. Then I thought Broxton looked primed to blow it. Lucky play (and a nice play) by Marlon Byrd to save Broxton's bacon.

So long, Mr. Steinbrenner. I don't know, you may have hated him, but I grew to love him. Why? Because he loved and respected Yankee fans and would do whatever it took to put a winner on the field. If the Pins didn't win the World Series, the Big Stein would apologize to the fans. I'm not saying that's what Dodger ownership should do every year, but damn it, if McCourt or any Dodger owner in the past 12 years had one iota of the passion that The Boss had for winning, we'd all be happier Dodger fans. Thank you, Mr. Steinbrenner for your loyalty and commitment to your fan base.

So long, Bob Sheppard, the Voice of God. I love the deep, reliable tones of the Dodgers public address announcer, (don't know his name) but Bob Sheppard - even though all he said were basically names and numbers, he said them better than anyone ever. It was a nice touch having him posthumously announce Jeter's at the All-Star game.

So, now to the second half of the 2010 season. As I type, the Blue just lost an ugly one to the Cards. Kershaw looked as bad as he's ever looked. From the first pithc in the dirt on, you could tell he just didn't have it. They were wailing on his curve and fastball. I must say, I'm getting kind of tired of hearing how he's only 22. He's been in the Bigs now for 3 years. He needs to learn how to come out and throw strikes. As talented as he may be, that baby-faced look of overwhelming fear and frustration every few starts is getting old. The kid needs to give his team a chance to win and not walk the world every first inning. Between him and Ely, (who's done, by the way) and Kuroda's recent starts, this team simply just doesn't have the starting arms, and certainly not the bullpen to win the West. Padilla has pitched nicely since coming back and Billingsley has looked pretty good. But Kershaw MUST be their ace and pitch like it. I think in the end, he just may not be there... yet.

There are simply too many holes in the pitching staff AND the lineup to sustain a 90 + win season. Colletti is supposed to deal for a pitcher, but, they didn't have anything close to what Seattle wanted for Cliff Lee and McCheap will NOT pay for Roy Oswalt. I'm tired of hearing about how strapped he is from the divorce. Steinbrenner would make the moves that were needed to be made to win). Dan Haren, if he goes, will go elsewhere. The Dodgers don't have the prospects to trade within their division unless they're willing to part ways with Kemp, Loney or Billingsley. Who else can they get? Ted Lily - very inconsistent, certainly not a season-changer. Crazy Carlos Zambrano? No, thanks. Brian Bannister from KC? Marcum fro Toronto? I just don't see anyone out there who could really help boost them over the top. Their bullpen is basically down to 4 guys - Broxton and Kuo, and that's only when they're ahead, normally, and Schlichting (pleasant surprise) and Weaver.

And their offense? It's very weak in spots. Furcal and Loney have been hot and it's nice to see. Ethier hit a bomb tonight and he may indeed be back. Casey Blake made some nice defensive plays tonight and he hit one ball pretty hard, but his bat is just too inconsistent and he strikes out way too much in crucial sitches. Martin stinks. DeWitt, bless his heart, is no Brandon Phillips, Utley or Kinsler. (He still needs to lear how to turn DPs.) And so much for Matt Kemp's hot streak following his disciplinary benching. He looks terrible ... again. Not just tonight but the last few games. And Manny? Manny was hitting a little before his latest DL stint, but rest assured, his power is all but gone and he'll be back on the DL before season's end.

Nope. In spite of their stellar record against NL West teams, the Dads aren't going to just go gentle into that good night. And the Rocks and Giants have improved and will continue to improve a great deal while the Blue fades. Pessimistic... again.

Here's my "2nd half" predictions:

NL WEST
Rockies
Giants
Dads
Blue
Snakes

NL CENTRAL
Reds!
Cards
Brew Crew
Cubs
'Stros
Bucs

NL EAST
Phils
Braves (W.C.)
Mets
Fish
Nats

AL WEST
Rangers
Angels
A's
M's

AL CENTRAL
Twins
Chisox
Tigers
Royals
Tribe

AL EAST
Yanks
Rays (WC)
Bosox
Jays
Orioles

NLCS
Phils-Rockies

ALCS
Yanks-Rangers

World Series
Phils-Yankees

Winner - Yankees

As always, I could be wrong.

Bad News Bores

2010-06-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

(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...