Before this season started and “The Divorce” was in full swing, many readers and fans held Arte Moreno up is as an ideal owner, and held FrankMcCourt up as a “scumbag owner.”  Now, on August 24, 2010, both Dodgers and Angels fans find themselves in just about the same predicament:  The Dodgers are one game over .500 and out of the pennant race (and wild card race), and the Angels are one game below .500 and out of the pennant race for all practical purposes.

It could happen to anyone.

The Yankees have spent over $2 billion on payroll since 2000 and have only one World Series Championship to show for it.

It could happen top anyone.

The Red Sox, whose GM is touted as among the smartest in baseball and have a payroll of over $160 million are also out of it for all practical purposes.

It could happen to anyone.

That’s what losers say.  I prefer to say that while it can happen to anyone, the good teams make sure that it doesn’t happen to them again.

Nothing is so constant as change and unless the Dodgers are insane (insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results), they need to make some big changes.  While those changes can’t all me made immediately, the white flag needs to be raised and the purge needs to begin.  12 games have been overcame in less time, but not with this team.  This is a team whose biggest question going into the season was lack of starting pitching.  Even the naysayers who predicted a .500 record said they didn’t doubt that the team would score runs.

Well, they haven’t scored – at least on the field!  Since the All-Star break the Dodgers have averaged about 3 runs a game.  That in itself, is horrible, but then the bullpen imploded and blew nearly every winnable game.  Surprisingly, the starting pitching has been solid.  The lack of hitting and lack of a bullpen has killed the Dodgers.  I also think there is one other factor:  The Manager and Coaches Have Lost This Team!

When it happened, I don’t know.

How it happened, I don’t know.

Look, Joe Torre is nor a cerebral manager.  He is a Hall-Of-Famer, but sometimes being a Hall-of-Famer is just being in the right place at the right time.   Maybe Joe Torre was the perfect manager for the Yankees and their big contracts and big egos and the bigger pressures of playing in NY.  I am not going to take away his HOF status, but this team has quit on him.

Speaking of being in the right place at the right time, I wonder if we would look at Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks differently if Dan Mario had played for the 49′ers with All-Pros 2 or 3 deep at every position and an offensive genius as a coach, and Joe Montana had played for the Dolphins with no running game and few All-Pros.  Time and place are everything.

Ned Colletti is part of the problem.  He has done some very good things and also some very bad things in his tenure.  I believe he deserves another year, but the last time the Dodgers had such a disappointing year, both the GM (Paul DePodesta) and the Manager (Jim Tracy) were shown the door.  That’s possible here as well, but I would give Ned another year, because he seems to learn from his mistakes, James McDoanld and Blake DeWitt notwithstanding.  In my opinion, this year is a bigger disappointment, because of the level of talent on this team.

Joe Torre and Company need to be shown the door.  We don’t need a manager who is ineffective as a hitting coach, and our pitching needs a fresh approach.  The new manager needs to be a younger guy (in my opinion) and needs to be someone who can “work a room.”  He needs to be a motivator, a disciplinarian and a tactician.  Could that guy be our backup catcher?    Maybe.  Maybe not!

I just know that change must come.  How sweeping it is needs to be determined soon.  At this juncture, Ned should make sure that Manny, Blake, Kuroda, Lilly, Theriot, Podsednik and Broxton are all on waivers.  The Dodgers could get lucky on one or two of them.

Russ Martin may never return and Loney, Kemp and Ethier have not blossomed as they should have.  It could happen to anyone is something that I will not accept as an excuse.

It’s time to turn the page!

We have all heard the term “Little Man Syndrome” used in connection with someone who might try to overcompensate for a lack of physical stature in some other fashion.  I think that just the opposite is true in the case of Jon Broxton, and in a minute I will explain why.

But first, let me be the first to say that it pains me very much to see Roxton blow games. I wish I would be eating my words, much like Andre Ethier stepped up and made me eat my words after I called him out for being a “soft hitter”  (a nickname which he now admits was valid at the time).  Andre Ethier was soft, and turned the tables to become a clutch hitter.  I would like to differentiate between Roxton and Ethier, however:  I never did say that Ethier would always be soft.  I just said that he WAS soft.  It could be different with J-ROX, because I suspect that he could always be “soft” as a (c)loser.

Before you label me a”hater” as many have, let me point out that I have had this same opinion of JB during the times he was “lights out” as well as when he was “lit up.” I have urged the Dodgers to trade him for three years, because I believe that he has “Big Man Syndrome” and simply cannot stand the pressure of tight games and big stages.  It’s possible that he could adapt and become that clutch closer every team craves, but here’s why I suspect he won’t make it there.  It’s Big Man Syndrome.”  Jon is a gentle giant.  He is a mountain of a man.  He is a horse.  He could break me in half with one hand behind his back.  Well, that last one is probably not true, because I don’t think he possesses the mean streak that I do.

Because he is so big, so bad and so strong, Jon has been told all his life “Don’t hurt him.”  ”Be careful – he’s a lot smaller than you.”  ”Now Jon, you have to watch out how you behave around those smaller boys.”  And as he get bigger and stronger, he was told that more and more, and when he started to be able to throw 80 MPH, 85 MPH, 90 MPH, 95 MPH and finally 100 MPH he was able to blow those boys away, without pitching inside, because after all, he was bigger and stronger than they were, and had to be careful.  Jon is a genuinely nice guy.  A guy who wouldn’t hurt a fly.  Jon is a guy who could break you in half, but wouldn’t, because he was afraid of hurting someone.    He has been told that all his life.

That’s probably an excellent quality in a human being, but it’s a horrible quality for a closer.  A closer is supposed to cut out your heart and feed it to you.  Jon Broxton can’t stand the sight of blood.  Jon doesn’t want to hurt anyone.  A closer has to have the guts of a cat burglar.  Jon Broxton is too nice to have ever developed anything like that.  A closer has to be a cold-blooded killer.  Jon Broxton is as nice a guy you could ever meet.  He’s the kind of guy you’d love your daughter to bring home.

In a nutshell, Jon Broxton is a very good human being, but he’s a bad closer.  He cares about other people too much!  Some people say he needs another pitch, and maybe that would be nice, but I think he needs a heart transplant.  Find a cat bugler and transplant that heart into him.  Maybe a serial killer’s heart would work too.   Jon Broxton doesn’t need a new pitch – he needs to pitch inside on a regular basis, and he knows that he might hurt or even kill someone if he did that, and has has been trained since childhood that “you are bigger and stronger than those boys, don’t hurt them, Jon.”

Jon Broxton is a gentle giant,  He’s probably a hell of a man, but he’s not a closer.  I know his stats are very good, but I can smell his fear of hurting someone.  Maybe you think I’m crazy… and that’s OK.  But, I am right.

The Dodgers should have traded Cheryl and Roxton last year.  Cheryl will walk with no compensation this year (hopefully) and Roxton’s market is smaller than it once was.   Kenley Jansen evidently has the guts of a serial killer.  Put him in there and let him learn.  Jon Broxton needs to be gone by Opening Day.

Here’s a list of others who should also be gone by then:

• Schaffer
• Bowa
• Torre
• Mattingly
• Honeycutt
• Colletti
• Blake
• Furcal
• Manny
• Belliard
• … and maybe McCourt

Maybe Brox would be better at home.  Would the ATL pony up for him?

It pains me greatly to say this.  I never raise the white flag, but Ned tried and it was too little, too late.  

Podsednik, Theriot, Lilly and Dotel arrived at the fort after the troops had already been massacred.

This year is done.  It’s time to hop on the Bus Gus, we don’t need to discuss much.

It is time to look at the core of this team, and decide who has to stay and who can go.  I think it’s really very simple:  most of the core of this team are players who are under team control for the next few years, but not all are “core players.”

Immediately, the following players should be placed on waivers (of course, some like Sherrill , Blake and Anderson will not be claimed, but some will):

• Sherrill
• Anderson
• Lilly
• Podsednik
• Theriot
• Dotel
• Broxton
• Padilla
• Kuroda
• Martin
• Blake
• Furcal
• Ramirez
• Weaver
• Belliard
• Carroll

You don’t need to be coy, Roy, just listen to me. Here’s my rationale:  The Dodgers will actually keep some of those players, but a few could bring us some TOP (I mean TOP) Prospects in return.  Tampa Bay or the White Sox covet Manny, and while the Dodgers won’t get a ton for him, they should be able to recover $2 to $4 mil and a Top 10 Prospect for him.  Broxton and Furcal will both bring two Top Prospects, I mean really good players.  Raffy can help a team win it all THIS year.  The Dodgers only control him one more year and he’s getting older, so they need to see what they can get.  If they can get two Top Prospects for him, they should do it.   Just drop off the key, Lee and set yourself free!

I am a believer that you don’t pay a closer $10 mil, and Broxton will be there soon.  Never mind that I have an “irrational hatred of him” – he needs to go, and get us a couple more top prospects.  Stockpile those bad boys.    Someone may want Podsednik, Theriot, Lilly, Dotel, Padilla, Kuroda, Martin, Weaver and Carroll or Belly.  They won’t all go, but some will.  Jansen, Lindblom, Belisario, Kuo, Guerra and others wait to close.

Just slip out the back, Jack. Look, I like Raffy – but let’s get real.  He’s having a career year.  Trade him before he gets hurt!

Here’s the Dodger’s core:

• Kemp
• Ethier
• Loney
• Kershaw
• Billingsley

That’s it!  Those 5 guys are the Dodgers Core.   I used to love Russ Martin, but he’s not a “core player.”  Matt Kemp showed how good he can be when he is focused, like last night.  He got called out in the press the day before, admitted he needed to do better, and immediately did it!  He has Superstar talent.  The play where Loney got thrown out at 3B could have happened to anyone in that same situation.  I  can’t fault Kemp on that one (and I have been critical of him this year).  Kemp was scoring easily and wasn’t dogging it, but was in a mode that wasn’t top speed (and rightfully so).   If anything, we should be ragging on Loney for going to 3B.

The Dodgers should lock those 5 guys  up long term!    RIGHT NOW!    Belisario, Kuo, Jansen, Monasterios, Paul, Hu, DeJesus, Sands (?), Lindblom,  Ely, Ellis and others will be around also.

Take the prospects the Dodgers can get for Martin, Broxton, Lilly, Manny and others and add them to their stable of prospects.  Oh, and sign Zach Lee!  NOW!

That’s my plan.  Make it so, Ned.

Oh, here’s your short list for managers next year:

• Gibson (if he’s available)
• Scioscia (yeah, I know, but…)
• Ausmus
• Wallach

Pick one!

1. We have all watched the hitters on this bipolar team for 3 years, and it seems that they are all smoking hot or all ice cold. Some of it was predictable.  When Andre Ethier was hitting .393 we all knew he couldn’t keep that up.  That his batting average has dropped a .100 points is no shock.  What will be a shock is if he doesn’t go on a tear and get it back up to the .310+ range.  I think his time off with family will help him re-focus and heal.  I will be shocked if he doesn’t start his late-inning heroics again.
2. Why this team runs hot and cold has to have some root in the coaching.  The Dodgers have 2 batting coaches and I see Torre talking to guys about hitting as well.  Could it be that they are irrelevant… or worse?  That has to be considered.  In my opinion, everything is on the table, up to and including the firing of Mattingly and Pentland!   Bring in a fresh face.  I know it’s late in the season, but in what way could it hurt?  Could they hit any worse?  It might serve as a “wake-up call.”
3. It’s probably too late in the year for Matt Kemp to recover his focus and screw his head on straight.  Matt Kemp should be carrying this team, but he is dragging it down.  The whispers around the ballpark are that he has a crappy attitude, and it is obvious to everyone that he has lost focus on the field.  He could regain it with a big SLAP IN THE FACE (like sit him for the next series and announce why), but it will probably take the whole off-season to do it, IF he can do it.    Matt Kemp is a classic case that proves the difference between a superstar and a journeyman lies almost solely between the ears!  Matt is at a crossroads in his career.  Robinson Cano was at a similar crossroads in 2008, when he hit .246 the first half of the season with 6 HR – he has rebounded nicely!  Is Kemp closer to being Robinson Cano or Raul Mondesi? That is the question.
4. Russ Martin and Casey Blake both hitting 20 to 30 points below their career averages does nothing but garner support that Pentland and Mattingly must go! I already have serious questions about Mattingly’s mangerial ability anyway!
5. I am certain that Ned had to take Theriot and give up DeWitt in order to get Lilly, and that may or may not have been a good move – time will tell.  This I do know – Blake DeWitt doesn’t have the arm and the power for 3B, so forget that nonsense.  He was never going to be the Dodgers (or for that matter, anyone’s) third baseman.  I think Blake DeWitt will be a fine 2B and I still believe he will hit 15-20 HR, especially at Wrigley.
6. Now, that I have pretty much trashed the team, I will say that we all know they are capable of getting “white hot.”   I can see a big run left in this team, say where they win 22 out of 25 games!  They have done it before.  Belisario will be back soon.  Reed Johnson will be back and Manny will return in a couple of weeks, and hopefully Garrett Anderson will retire.  I still think that they have one last BIG RUN left in them.  With Lilly filling the #5 spot, and the rotation very solid, the bullpen better with Dotel and the return of Belisario, I do not think the Dodgers are dead.  The next series will determine their fate.  They just need to bring their brooms!
7. Kershaw and Billingsley and Kuroda and Padilla are among the best quartets of starters in baseball right now.  Kershaw and Billingsley have certainly been stellar lately.  The Matt Kemp of 2009 may have caught the double in the gap last night…
8. I have also resolved to only say good things about Jon Broxton:  So here goes:  When he is gone – GOOD!

BTW – Lilly is an A Free Agent – The rest of the new trades are all B’s.

• Charlie Haeger cleared waivers (nobody, but nobody, wanted him).  That sums it up pretty well.
• Andre Ethier will be a starter in the All-Star Game.  Good for him.
• Other Dodgers who should be on the team:  Clayton Kershaw, Jon Broxton, Rafael Furcal.
• 5 – The over and under on how many games Manny misses.  Vote now, vote often.
• Casey Blake is better than you think and he’s better defensively than LaRoche.  Maybe Ned knew something we didn’t.  Josh Bell was called up after hitting just .266 at AAA.  Maybe the Dodgers had no 3B in the pipeline…
• I though Andy LaRoche would be much better than what he has shown.
• Raffy makes a huge difference on this team.  If he stays healthy, the Dodgers will be hard to beat.  He’s playing as well as he ever have.  EVER!
• The D-Backs fired Hinch and Byrnes – WOW! is all I can say…  But, what I really dislike is that Dodger Legend, Kirk Gibson is now manager.  This is just wrong…
• For those of you who think I hate Jon Broxton:  You can think what you want.  I like the Big Guy, I just think he melt’s down on the big stage too often.  Can he change that?  Andre Ethier did.  I used to rag on Andre…  Look, I run a business.  I own my own business and I manage people, and people who have talent, I often push harder.  Jon Broxton should be so much better than he is and that’s why it upsets me when he flames out.  Can he fix it?  Yes, Andre did.  Will he?  I don’t know.  I think his personality is as such that he is a “gentle giant.”  I think he lacks a “mean streak.”  So, if it makes you feel better that I irrationally hate JB, then think it.  I think it’s just as irrational to look only at “stats.”  Maybe Jon will “evolve,” but if he doesn’t, you will figure out later what I already know now!
• Will the real Matt Kemp please step up?
• For whatever it is worth, Cory Wade was outrighted to AAA, which opened up a roster spot.  I can think of no reason the Dodgers would do that now, except for a pending trade…
• Cheryl needs to go.  Now!  Ditto on GA!

There isn’t much difference between a dude and a dud – One Little Letter!

An offseason ago, it was proposed that the Yankees trade Robinson Cano for Matt Kemp.  It made sense for the Yankees:  Cano was under-performing and they needed a CF.  To me, it made no sense for the Dodgers – after all Matt was a “budding superstar”  and was growing into a Gold Glove center fielder, a feared base-stealer and a difference maker.  Through the first month of the season, Matt Kemp was taking the next step (at least offensively) to becoming an Elite Player.

Now, it’s nearly July and Robinson Cano and Matt Kemp both have three letters by their names:  Cano is MVP and Kemp is DFA!

Matt Kemp has went from one of the best center-fielders in baseball to one of the worst, and has went from a feared base-stealer to a sure out! Add in the fact that  he has hit .191 in June and you can see that Matt kemp has went from being anchor on the Dodgers team, to a boat anchor who is bringing the team down.  What is happening to Matt Kemp?  This we know:  He has incredible talent, talent to be a Superstar.  Most Fantasy Baseball guides had him in the Top 3 Outfielders.  So, if he’s not and yet shown on the major league level that he can excel (and he has), then the problem is in his head (unless he has lost his ability to see).  Head problems are hard to fix.  I don’t know Matt well and while I don’t know his parents well either, I can see that he was raised to be respectful, responsible and hard-working.  Matt was not raised to be a prima donna, and I am not saying he is, but I can only go by what I see, and what I see looks awful!  At times (like last night) he flashes leather in CF, but that’s not the usual.

Matt Kemp looks to me like a guy who just got a multi-million dollar contract and is living on his past press clippings. It’s not to last to do a 180 and get back on track, but Matt is going to have to re-dedicate himself to the game of baseball.  Something is missing – maybe he knows.  He best identify it before he becomes Raul Mondesi!

The same applies to one Russell Martin. While he is throwing out baserunners at  a 34% clip (his high), his defense has regressed and his hitting is putrid.  His OB% is decent at .351, but his bat is no longer feared.  Russell Martin is becoming a non-factor.  Look at the team woes right now and it’s easy to see that Martin and Kemp are almost single-handedly responsible for the lack of offense.  Sure, Andre Ethier has been declining, but he has a reason – he needs to nurse his pinkie back to health.   Kemp and Ethier combined for 6 K’s last night!

The Dodgers have a nice 2B combination with DeWitt and Carroll and Casey Blake is Casey Blake at 3B.  Raffy looks primed to have a good year, Manny is picking it up at bat, and the Dodger subs are doing their jobs.  Even Garrett Anderson has a pulse.  James Loney is the teams’ RBI Leader and is becoming more of a vocal leader by showing some fire with the umpires.  Atta Boy, James!  The fact is that the Dodgers cannot win unless Matt Kemp and Russ Martin play up to their talent level.  Dodger fans are calling you out!  Are you Dudes or Duds?

Dodger Notes:

• Charlie Haeger was DFA’ed – someone will probably give him a chance.  I’d be surprised if he goes back to the minors as a Dodger, but you never know.  He sure tanked… with a quickness!  Jon Link will probably get the call until C-Bill comes of the DL next week.
• I have not been impressed with Jerry Sands because of his lack of athleticism, but it’s starting to look like he could be a stone-cold hitter.  I would love to eat my words.
• Kyle Russell – AA Stats:  60 AB/26 K/5 BB – Can you say OVERMATCHED?
• Vicente Padilla was nearly as good as CC last night.  If Padilla and Ely can both pitch like they have the last two games, the back of the rotation will be solid, but I still want Lee or Oswalt!
• Josh Lindblom is excelling out of the pen for Albuquerque Isotopes – he has not allowed a run in his last 5 innings.

I think there comes a time when you have to assess what you have and what you could have if you are willing to roll the dice. Sure, the hitters have been slumping

Do it, Ned! Just Do It!

lately, but that’s only temporary.  This is a very good hitting team, especially when all the parts are in place.  I think the time has come for the Dodgers to pull the trigger, gut the farm and go for broke THIS year.  This is Manny’s last year in LA, Raffy is getting older and so is Casey Blake.  The hitting is fine – Manny is heating up, Matt will get his stroke back and Andre will take up where he left off a few weeks ago.  Offensively, I believe the Dodgers can play with anyone.  Pitching is the issue.  Starting pitching in particular.  Now I happen to believe that Kershaw, Kuroda and Billingsley are among the best trios in the league.  But to get past the NLCS, the Dodgers need more.   They need Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt!

The Dodgers will be loathe to give up any major league players, so they will have to overpay in prospects.  What would it take to get Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt?  Here’s the list and I think it would take every last one:

• Ethan Martin
• Aaron Miller
• Chris Withrow
• Dee Gordon
• Kyle Russell
• Ivan DeJesus, Jr.
• James McDonald
• Scott Elbert

That would effectively “gut” the farm.  I also think the Astros and Mariners would take Padilla and Ely in lieu of a couple of the prospects.

Me?  I would do it.  I’d go for it all.  Clayton Kershaw would be your #3.  Hiroki Kuroda would be the #4 and Chad Billingsley the #5 starter with Lee and Oswalt the 1,2 punch.  I think the Dodgers could win with that team… and I mean WIN IT ALL!

They would pay for it down the road, but it could be sweet this year!

Before you go off on “McCourt won’t spend the money”  you need to realize that Frank knows a Championship would pay off in much greater revenue.  If this deal doesn’t happen, a similar one will.  Watch and learn!

An Ace:  While no one on the Dodgers will say it publicly, Clayton Kershaw is morphing into that Ace the Dodger fans covet, probably sooner that most expected.  As Tony Jackson of ESPN/LosAngeles points out, he is 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA in his last 8 starts and is pitching much deeper into games.  He has allowed only 4 HR in 85 innings pitched – just one in the past six weeks.  He did get off to a poor start this year and walked a lot of batters early in the season, but last night he showed how much better his command has become.  Clayton threw 110 pitches last night, 79 of which were strikes.  When you are actually at a game, you can see what the other hitters think about the guy on the mound – when the Reds hitters walked to the plate, they looked like a death-row inmate going to the execution chamber, and when they walked back to the dugout, they were muttering under their breath.   The thing is, I have seen Clayton with a much better curve-ball than last night, but he has learned to work with what he has and he trusts whatever stuff he has.    I still would like to see the Dodgers get another Ace, but the fact is, they already have one.

The Chip: This has to be the thing on Manny’s shoulder.  He played last night with a vigor and a zeal I haven’t seen from him in quite a spell.  Forget the laser shot to right center field that got out of Great American ballpark in about 3 nanoseconds – he can still do that.  What impressed me is that he played a double off the wall into a single, and then threw the runner out at the plate when he tried to score from 2B on a slow single.  Manny caught the ball and threw in one quick motion, unleashing a laser-like throw which probably never got more than 20 feet off the ground.  I mean, I have watched Manny throw those “moon balls” back to the infield so many times that I had no clue he had a throw like that in him.  Maybe it was the last one, but it was a good one.

Rants & Raves

• Ronald Belisario’s stuff is not nearly as devastating as last season.  Kuo?  His ball “pops” and moves like crazy.
• Raffy is playing like a much younger man.
• Travis Schlichting was recalled last night and probably could see action this afternoon if needed.
• Print the tickets:  Claudio Vargas was re-signed by the Dodgers to a minor league deal.
• Andre Ethier gets all the ink, but James Loney is tied with him for the team RBI lead.
• The Reds are first in the NL in hitting, but the Dodgers are 2nd and they don’t play in a bandbox.
• The Dodgers are now 8th in the NL in pitching, and have moved from 15th to 12th in fielding.
• Even with DeWitt’s error last night, he is playing much better defense at 2B and looks very comfortable there.  If he’d just show some power…
• Don’t look now, but Kyle Russell is making adjustments.  See Jarod’s Minor League Report
• First Place!  Some of you don’t know what to do – there’s nobody to bash today!

• If you are going to get beat, you might as well make it a good one.  I’d say 10-1 is a good one.
• Billingsley didn’t trust his stuff last night.  Simple as that.  He wasn’t hammered hard, but he was hit.  One step back!
• The Dodgers need a RF and a LF.  They have a LF in RF, but who is going to play RF next year?  Andre Ethier used to be a much better outfielder, but as he has matured he seems stiff and slow.  I hope he can handle LF – if not, he’s headed to 1B.  Maybe the Dodgers will be forced to trade Loney for a Right- Fielder…
• Scott Elbert is on the Restricted List with some family issues.
• Kyle Russell has 7 K’s in 14 AB’s at AA and is hitting .143.  I think this is precisely the reason De Jon Watson waited to promote him.  They weren’t sure how he could handle the jump.  Now, let’s see if he can adjust.  If he can’t, he’s just another Billy Ashley (or less).
• For the record:  I don’t like McCourt, but he has learned to keep his nose out of stuff.  Give me a better option and I’ll take it, but teams have done a lot worse.  Just because someone has money doesn’t mean they will be a good owner.  Look at KC or Baltimore.  If someone finds a perfect owner, I’ll take him.  Right now, all we can do is let the McCourt saga play out.  Some of these billionaires got there by throwing nickels around like they were manhole covers!
• It’s good to see that Cheryl didn’t lose anything on his rehab.  He’s just as awful as ever! I told Ned to trade him over the winter.
• I have decided that the USC Trojans need a smarter athletic director, after Mike Garrett said:  ”As I read the decision by the NCAA, all I could get out of all of this was … I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy, and they wish they all were Trojans.”  Yeah Mike, everyone wants to a moronic cheater!  I’ve always thought he was a moron and now he’s confirmed it.
• Ely’s coming!
• I got nothing…

The Knucklehead:  Getting shot in the leg is enough to cause you to get branded as a knucklehead, but there’s a lot more to it than that.  Vicente Padilla arguably has some one thebest stuff you will ever see, but it’s his “knuckle-headedness”  which has kept him from achieving his potential.  Obviously, something happened in Texas which caused many of his teammates to turn on him and the Rangers to eat his contract.  In spring training this year, he was regarded as a “knucklehead” in several establishments which service alcoholic beverages and he was regarded as a “knucklehead” by people who leased him his expensive sports car and his neighbors around the condo he leased.  Thus, it comes as no surprise that Padilla is involved in some form of “incident” in a hotel room in the 3-4 AM hours.  Once a knucklehead, always a knucklehead.  I thought that since he was a 1-year deal, he might settled down and pitch like he is capable, and his stuff is #1 stuff, but his head is #13.  A True Knucklehead he is!

Linchpins: Matt Kemp, Manny Ramirez, Russell Martin and James Loney are all important to the Dodgers offense, but the Dodgers “Offensive Linchpins” are, without a doubt, Rafael Furcal and Andre Either.   After going 3-4, Raffy looks to be back and Andre is due back at any moment.  The Dodgers are an entirely different team when they are in the lineup.  Raffy sets the tone, but if you have to pick one true “linchpin” it is “Walkoff” Ethier.  I am considering changing his name from “Walkoff” to “Game-Over.”

Leftys:  It’s always something with left-handers.  Case-in-point – George Sherrill, who seems to be very good or very, very bad and lately it has been the later.  Hong-chih Kuo has outstanding “Closer” type stuff, but his arm hangs by a thread and each pitch could be his last.  An MRI could tell a lot, but I am sure that neithe he nor the Dodgers wants to know…  And then we have Mr. Scott Elbert, whose curve-ball and slider should play out much better than in the PCL, but who is wilder than a March Hare.  What is it with these left-handers anyway?  They are all wacky, except for Mr. Clayton Kershaw – he’s OK in my book, and after all, he is our Ace.  The Dodgers last two attempts to trade for an ace were exercises in futility (Brown and Schmidt).  I think the Dodgers have to get an Ace the old-fashioned way – you grow one!

I Told You Sos: In the off-season before this season, I said that I was in favor of not offering Orlando Hudson and Randy Wolf arbitration.  Most of you have disagreed with me, but you will change your minds soon enough.  Watch and learn.  You surely have learned that what I said in the off-season before the start of the 2009 season is true.  I said that I was not in favor of signing Manny Ramirez, but if I signed him it would only be for one year.  I was told by most of you that Manny would require a three to five year deal and was called all kinds of names for saying I wouldn’t sign him.  When the Dodgers signed him for two year against no other bidders, I was somewhat relieved, but felt that $45 mil for an aging superstar was too much and too long… and it was!  I root for Manny because he is a Dodger, but I fear that we are seeing the best of this aging-former-steroid-using-superstar-who-can’t-recover-as quickly-as-he-needs to.  I fear that there is little market for him and if the Dodgers can trade him, it will be at the expense of having to eat half his salary or more – they might as well keep him for that.  The only team I can see wanting or affording him is the Yankees and that would be “iffy.”  You got what you wanted with Manny and now you are stuck with him.  I hate to say I told you so, but “I told you so.”

Cliff Lee, Zach Greinke and Roy Oswalt will all be on the market this year.  Randy Wolf makes more than Cliff Lee.  Who would you rather have?  The Dodgers can now be players for those pitchers because they don’t have the salaries of Wolf or Hudson… or both.  They would really be sitting pretty if they didn’t have Ramirez!

2012:

Lineup:

1. Gordon  SS
2. DeWitt 2B
3. Ethier  -  LF
4. Pujols  - 1B
5. Kemp  CF
6. Beltre  3B
7. Sands  RF
8. Ellis  C

Subs:

• May
• Hu
• Paul
• Hoffman
• DeJesus

Rotation:

1. Kershaw
2. Lee
3. Martin
4. Ely
5. Haegar

Bullpen:

• Wade
• McDonald
• Guerra
• Link
• Adkins
• Leach
• Lindblom – Closer

Parting Shots:

• The Dodgers lack of hitting doesn’t concern me, right now – they will hit.
• Garrett Anderson is stealing space from a worthy ballplayer.  He is soooooooooooooo done – stick a fork in him!
• The Dodgers need to convert Lindblom back to a Closer
• James McDonald is back on the road to LA
• Xavier Paul will surprise you – watch and see.
• Rumor has it that Elbert will go back down today to make room for Ethier, and that Paul will go back to make make room for Haegar on Tuesday.  A better move would be to keep Paul and DFA Anderson.  Answer this question:  Are the Dodgers better with XP or GA?  End of discussion…

There may be another opportunity to get a “Top-of-the-Rotation Pitcher” in a month or so if the Mariners keep struggling, but one can be had RIGHT NOW! That pitcher is Roy Oswalt who has reportedly asked for a trade from the Astros.  Frank and Ned said it is business as usual, so let’s see if it is.  It didn’t make sense to pay Randy Wolf $10 mil.  John Lackey wasn’t worth what he got, but Roy Oswalt is a #1 and has dispelled any health questions this year after a poor 2009.  He has a 2.66 ERA and 1.07 WHIP  this year, and his stats suggest that he is still among the best at his trade.

If the Dodgers want to win it all, they need another pitcher – a pitcher like Roy Oswalt.  He is owed about $28 mil for the remainder of this year and next year.  Not many teams can take that on, but the Dodgers can.  I am sure that the Dodgers would have to part with at least Chris Withrow and another top prospect or two and the Astros could want homeboy James Loney if they could also move Lance Berkman. Would you trade Withrow and Loney for Roy Oswalt? The Astros would probably want another starter back.  Someone like Padilla or Haegar?

I hate to lose Loney, but Andre Ethier has a first-basemen’s glove and you have to give up something to get something.  A rotation of Oswalt, Kershaw, Billingsley, Kuroda and Ely would be excellent.  What about this lineup:

1. Furcal  SS
2. Martin  C
3. Ethier  1B
4. Manny  LF
5. Kemp  CF
6. Blake  3B
7. Paul/Johnson  RF
8. DeWitt/Carroll  2B

Or, Jermaine Dye is still out there.  Try him in RF.

Will Frank spend the money?  We’ll find out!

Want an Ace?

Would you trade Manny Ramirez, James McDonald and Chris Withrow for Cliff Lee?

Let’s not stop there.  Seattle sucks.  Their re-building is dead.

How about Manny Ramirez, James McDonald, Vicente Padilla, Dee Gordon, Chris Withrow,  Casey Blake, Xavier Paul and Jon Broxton for Cliff Lee and Ichiro Suzuki?

Eight for two!

Then trade an obscure player for Mike Lowell (the Red Sox will pay most of his salary).

Lineup:

1. Suzuki  CF
2. Furcal  SS
3. Kemp  RF
4. Ethier  LF
5. Loney  1B
6. Lowell  3B
7. DeWitt 2B
8. Martin  C

Rotation:

1. Lee
2. Kuroda
3. Kershaw
4. Billingsley
5. Ely

Think that would make the Dodgers “odds-on-favorites” for the Series?

Drink the Kool-Aid!

Drink it NOW!

“Walkoff” Ethier has a hurt pinkie that landed him on the DL.

Which One is Ramon Ortiz?

Manny Ramirez hurt his little toe last night and couldn’t start (hopefully no DL for Manny).

Ramon Ortiz can’t pitch because he’s toast!

Look, even Ray Charles can see that he can’t pitch.  He throws at least one pitch in the hitter’s “wheelhouse” every batter.  It’s like batting practice.  Now that he’s not available for 3 or 4 days, it would be best to cut him RIGHT NOW NED! and call up a LH reliever (Elbert), since George Cheryl can’t pitch either.

Why Troncoso?  Why not Monasterios last night instead of Ramon?

That was a painful game to watch.  In fact, I stopped after the 4th inning.

Raffy says that he might be back this weekend.

X.Paul looked horrible in the field last night and when he had an opportunity to show off his arm he misfired.  He looked like a deer-in-the-headlights rookie.

Upside-down ERA

I guess all good things have to come to an end, so Joe Torre might as well roll Ramon Ortiz out there tonight to put an end to this streak.

What?  You say that’s negative?

The Beard is Back and so is the Bat!

OK.  Well, I’m POSITIVE that Ramon Ortiz can put an end to this 9 game winning streak!  It would be nice if we didn’t lose a game the rest of this year, but I don’t see that happening.

If the Dodgers win tonight, it means that the Big Dodger in the Sky is very happy!

RANTS & RAVES

• It sounds to me like “Walkoff” Ethier can be out anywhere from two weeks to two months.  No kidding!  X.P. is getting another chance.  The more I see him, the more I like him.  Like getting that bunt down to advance the runners into scoring position.  Frequently, when you do the little things, you also can do the bigger things.
• Chin-lung Hu has quietly raised his BA to nearly .300 in AAA.
• Memories of Kevin Malone is working on ranking the Dodgers prospects, something that I used to do, which I think is an exercise in futility.  I can list my Top 10, but not in any order.  It’s like trying to rank Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Keira Knightley, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Eva Longoria, Kelly Brook, Megan Fox and Naomi Watts.  I mean, who knows?  Not that the Dodgers prospects are of that caliber, but how the heck can you do it?  I can’t – I’ll take ‘em all!
• Dodgers team ERA dropped to 4.31.
• The “Beard” is back and so is the “Bat.”
• From Tony Jackson of ESPN/LosAngeles:

Don’t be surprised if veteran infielder Alfredo Amezaga finds his way onto the Dodgers’ roster within the next few weeks. Amezaga, whom the Dodgers signed to a minor league contract on Feb. 2 knowing that he wouldn’t be fully recovered from microfracture surgery on his left knee until late spring, played in his first game in 366 days on Monday night when he went 2 for 2 with a walk in three plate appearances for Double-A Chattanooga.

Amezaga was held out of the lineup on Tuesday night at Mobile because of inclement weather that led to multiple delays and eventually to the game being called after six innings.

Amezaga, 32, spent the past four seasons with the Florida Marlins, but he missed most of last year with the knee problem. His contract with the Dodgers contains a pair of escape clauses if he isn’t in the majors, the first of which he can exercise on June 15 and the second of which triggers a month later. Given the time, effort and resources the Dodgers have put into his rehab, they aren’t likely to let him get away.

The versatile Amezaga has played every position in his career except pitcher and catcher. He will receive a prorated share of a $650,000 base salary for any time he spends on the active, major league roster, and his contract also contains several incentives based on plate appearances and games played.

I can see him being a very useful piece on the roster, but the question is “whose place does he take?”  Oh well, things like that have a way of taking care of themselves.

Many of you had the Dodgers dead and buried a couple of weeks ago (no, I am not going to just let it go – you need to learn a lesson) and now they are red-hot-on-fire-the-hottest-

Excellent Defense

team-in-baseball! Like it or not, here is what you are seeing:

• You are seeing the maturation of some young pitchers like Kershaw, Billingsley, Ely, Kuo, Belisario and Broxton;
• You are seeing the maturation of  some young hitters like Loney, Kemp, Martin, DeWitt and Walkoff Ethier;
• You are seeing Ned’s signing of Jamey Carroll pay off in spades (Garrett Anderson still sucks);
• You are seeing a team win seven in as row, 9 out of the last 10 games and 12 out of the last 15 games;
• You are seeing this team grow their own ace and number two in Kershaw and C-Bill;
• You are seeing a TEAM unite for a common goal; and
• You just might see history in the making if the Dodgers make the playoffs for the third straight year.

I am accused of seeing the baseball world through “BLUE” glasses and while I bleed Dodger Blue, I also have my eyes wide-open.  This Dodger team has warts.  It lacks a true ace (as yet) and it is young.  Some of our subs are old and some call them “geezers” but did you see the ages of the “Geezers” who won the last World Series?  Look it up!

However, I knew that this team would be “hungry” and want to win.  You have a few players who have experience and are of an age that they need to win NOW.  Players like Blake, Manny, Raffy, Belliard, Johnson and others.  Then you have the young bucks, like Kemp, Loney, Martin, Ethier, DeWitt, Broxton, Kershaw, Billingsley, Ely, Kuo, Belisario, Ellis and others who are trying to make a name (and fortune) for themselves.

Like it our not, Ned has put together a pretty effective team and I would not be surprised if Vicente Padilla wins 12 games!  Write that down.  He is motivated!  Charlie Haegar may still surprise us.

Lindblom, McDonald, Paul, Hoffman, May, Hu and others are at-the-ready.

You can continue to moan and bitch about the McCourt fisaco, or you can focus on the team and this team is REALLY GOOD… just like I told you two months ago!

You can believe what the fish hacks say (“Joe is tired of the McCourt penny-pinching and wants out”, “the Dodgers won’t spend any money”) or you can face reality.  Yes, you will get a lot of info from the “fish hacks”  but their conclusions are often erroneous.  Think what you want about Joe Torre, but do you really think he’s going to tell his friends and fish hacks anything confidential?

Use your brains, people!  Critics are everywhere, and critics are just people who criticize people about things they can’t do themselves!  They are “small” individuals.

The Dodgers haven’t swept the Padres in San Diego, since George Washington was in the White House!

Celebrate!

I was obviously wrong when I said that Joe Torre had lost this team and Rick Honeycutt couldn’t coach anymore.  My deepest apologies to them both – NOW DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!

(smile)

• Team ERA is now 4.53 as the Dodgers leapfrogged the Nats to take the 11th spot.  They need to get to the TOP 3 to win it all.
• Andre Ethier broke his right pinkie – regardless of whether he can play or not, they should DL him.  He’s only have to miss 14 more days.  Paul got hit last night and it is not known if he can return.
• Clayton Kershaw didn’t have his good stuff, but  Tony Jackson says that even when Clayton Kershaw doesn’t have his best stuff, he’s still better than most. After the game Clayton said:  ”To be honest, my command really wasn’t that great,” Kershaw said. “I guess I was what you call effectively wild. I didn’t really hit my spots a whole lot, and I just kind of battled through. Really, I only had my fastball.” You are watching history – Clayton is morphing into the Dodgers ACE .  To those of you who say the Dodgers needed an ace, I say “Grow Your Own.”  Clayton is becoming THAT guy, pitching deeper into games and getting by without his best stuff.  By Fall, he’ll be the stater in game 1 of the playoffs.
• Charlie Haegar pitched 5 innings at IE last night.  He’ll probably get one more rehab start and then return (Ortiz?).
• Jamey Carroll Bashers:  Wear paper bags on your heads!  The guy is hitting .300 and playing an effective SS during the Dodgers 6 game winning streak.
• We are no longer the Padres whipping boys.
• Congrats to Larry Bowa and his daughter who graduated from law school – Now go sue somebody!
• Let’s roll, Chad!

UPDATE:  See New Bios in the ABOUT US Section

While still leading all of major league baseball in hitting at .277, the Los Angeles Dodgers are quietly lowering their team ERA and raising their fielding percentage.  They have climbed from 15th to 12th in fielding and have shaved almost a run off their team ERA.  It now sits at 4.63…  and dropping.   The Dodgers have now won 5 in a row and 6 out of their last 7 games, causing the McCourt bashers to disappear because their BS doesn’t play well when the Dodgers are winning.   A lot can happen in baseball, and while I can’t predict that the Dodgers will win it all, I still say they are capable.  The Dodgers have as good a chance as any and a better chance than most teams to make it to the Wold Series.

Many of you were piling on early in the season, when practically the entire pitching staff was “blowing up” and the team fielding was deplorable.  You said stuff like:

• “This team is going nowhere.”
• “The Dodgers will be sellers.”  BY THE WAY, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT ONE YOU ARE A FOOL!
• “We’ll never win with McCourt and Ned.”
• “I told you this team was not built to win.”
• “McCourt is spending all the money on Jamie and himself, so he can’t afford to field a good team.”

I can’t believe some of the silly (ie., stupid) things that are said by some of you.  Maybe what I said was stupid too when I wrote that the Dodgers should fire Torre and Honeycutt, but I said it because I KNEW that this team was capable of winning it all and surmised that it had to be the manager and coaches.   Now that they have turned the corner, I will lay off, but some of you need to get a grip.  THIS IS A VERY GOOD TEAM. If you think the Padres will continue to have a 2.60 team ERA, you are silly.  If you don’t think the Dodgers will drop their team ERA to below 4.00 very soon, you are even sillier.  The NL West has some good teams, but the Dodgers are still as good, probably better than any of them.

I am beginning to think that some of you love to bash McCourt more than root for the Dodgers, because you disappear when the Dodgers win.  For the last time, Frank McCourt is irrelevant to me.  I don’t like him.  I don’t hate him.  While I wouldn’t live my life the way he does, that’s on him.   The Dodgers have been to the playoffs for two straight seasons and if they make it this year it will be an accomplishment that has never been achieved in the history of the franchise.  So, are you on the Bandwagon or do you just enjoy bitching?   Do you enjoy winning or whining?   Climb aboard!

RANTS & RAVES

• Still think Kemp can’t hit?   All players go through slumps, but it looks like Matt’s game is coming back.  He’s hitting, walking, stealing bases and playing good defense.
• Andre Ethier is playing as good as anyone I have ever seen over the past month.
• Russ Martin has a new-found aggressiveness about him at the bat and a quiet confidence when throwing.
• Ramon Ortiz tantalizes you by making some really outstanding pitches, but EVERY at-bat, he groves one right into the hitters’ “wheelhouse” – I think that’s the book on him:  Wait and he’ll give you a great pitch to hit EVERY at-bat. He needs to disappear as soon as possible.
• I hold my breath every time Hong-chih Kuo takes the mound – each pitch can be his last.
• James Loney is quietly playing at a very high level.
• The Dodger Keystone Combo during this current winning streak has been solid and efficient.  That has not been a problem area for the Dodgers.

Remember what I told you after Kershaw got bombed in his last start prior to Sunday?

http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2010/05/unleash-the-kracken/

In case you forgot, I said:

When Clayton Kershaw gets beat, he gets mad and gets even.

The pounding that he took yesterday is simply going to Unleash the Kracken!

Watch out, he’ll be back with a vengeance.  Sometimes it’s good to feel a good beating, so that you don’t want to experience it anymore.   When some people get beat, they get beat down mentally.  That’s not Clayton Kershaw.   His ERA is now 4.99.  He’ll be better for this.  Watch and see! Unleash the Kracken!

Some wondered how that could be. Look, I don’t know everything, but I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I have watched Clayton Kershaw for a long time.  I have spoken with Clayton Kershaw.  I have seen him in the dugout, the clubhouse and after games.  I watched Clayton as he chatted with 10 year-old son.   I saw the look in his eyes. Everyone sees Clayton’s talent, but I have seen his character. When I am in the dugout or in the clubhouse, I am not seeking an interview – I am watching what is going on.  I am a “fly-on-the-wall.”  I know Clayton has a million dollar arm, but he has a billion dollar heart!  He’s our Ace.  Maybe this year, maybe next year.  But he’s our ace.  Watch and Learn.

Rants & Raves:

• Some of you say that the Dodgers should have gotten an ace in the off-season.  Tell me who that should have been and leave out Doc Halliday because he wasn’t coming to the left coast!  If you come up with a name, then tell me what the Dodgers would have had to pay to get that guy….  Don’t say Lackey,  he’s not an ace and he has a 4.60 ERA AFTER giving up one run today.
• Speaking of getting ACES, there may be one or two available at the trade deadline.  If a Cliff Lee or the like is available, would you be willing to give up Broxton, Loney, Withrow and a couple more prospects?  That’s what it would take.   I would “sell high” with Broxton.  He’s good, but he’s not THAT good.  He’ll be expensive to re-sign, and the Dodgers have in-house options as closers, including Belisario, McDonald, and Lindblom.   You have to give up a lot to get a lot.  Loney?  I love him, but I am not sure we should keep him.
• You are right: the Dodgers will have to make some hard decisions in the next couple of years.  Who do you keep? The Dodgers have 3 players they have to keep:  Ethier, Kemp, Loney.  That’s it! I love Martin and Loney, but they are not worth big contracts…at least, in my opinion.
• To all you Jamey Carroll Bashers:  He has done a very credible job as a SS in Raffy’s absence.  He’s at his career average and, while not having the widest of ranges, he has covered it well.  What more do you want from a sub?
• It was Logan White who said that Withrow had better stuff than Kershaw, but as BD pointed out, he’s not a better pitcher, and I’ll say that I don’t see the depth of character that I see in Kershaw.
• Will the real Russ Martin please step up?
• Chad Billingsley is doing nicely…
• When the Dodgers make the playoffs this year, and do it for the first time ever 3 years in a row and win 90-95 games, how are you going to keep saying “Well, we knew this team wasn’t that good.”  Yeah, right!
• Conversation between Ned Colletti and Charlie Haeger:

Ned: “Charlie, we are going to have to DFA you…. unless you have something wrong with you…”

Charlie: “Well, my foot hurts.”

Ned: “Where?”

Charlie: “Right here on the side…  I mean bottom.”

Ned: “OK, we will put you on the DL and see what happens.”

Charlie: “Boy, it really hurts now.”

Ned:  ”Thanks, Charlie.  You are a good solider!”

I used to call him “Mr. Softee” because he often got hits which padded his stats but didn’t mean much.  He’d hit a home run when the Dodgers were ahead by 5 runs or behind by 6, but he didn’t deliver in the clutch.  I sensed that he could do so much better, so I hung the moniker “Mr. Softee” on him.  Well, Andre Ethier has put that nickname to rest.  It was dead and buried long ago, but now he has taken his game to a whole new plateau.   He’s on pace to hit .371, with 62 HR and 185 RBI (that would probably win him the Triple Crown, right?).  He’s OPS’ing 1.162 and has only struck out 11 times all year.  Guys like Mark Reynolds strike out 11 times in two games!  Andre Ethier will no longer be called “Andre.”  Henceforth, he is to be addressed as “Walkoff” Ethier or “Mr. Walkoff” to you.  While I don’t expect him to keep up that pace, I did say that he might hit 40 one year and this could be that year.

John Ely deserved to win last night.  He looked poised and in command and I love his intensity.  He looks like he could be a nice “back-of-the-rotation” starter.  See, Juan Pierre wasn’t worthless… and if Jon Link pans out, well all the better!  Before the game, the Dodgers had indicated that Ely was going to be sent down when Jeff Weaver was activated this weekend, but Weaver and Ortiz are the same guy and Ortiz is plain awful.  Ned and Joe would be ignorant savages to send Ely down and keep Weaver AND Ortiz.  After the way Ely pitched last night, that’s a no-brainer.  Let’s hope that Joe and Ned have not taken leave of their senses.

Rants & Raves:

• Maybe Charlie Haeger will turn it around at the last minute, before he is demoted.  I’m surprised Joe is giving him another shot, but he deserved it after his last relief appearance.  This one will determine his fate.
• Manny will be back soon and regardless of whether you think Xavier Paul needs to bat everyday, you should always put the best team on the field and Paul is flat-0ut better than Anderson – IN EVERY WAY!
• Raffy looks ready for a rehab game or two. He should be back next week.
• In case no one noticed, Russ Martin has settled back in as .250 hitter.
• Jon Broxton needs to pitch at a minimum of every 2-3 days Joe.  Write that down on your hand in a black Sharpie so that you don’t forget again.    I call Brox out when he blows one and it’s his fault.  This one was Joe’s fault!

• I think James McDonald and Josh Lindblom will both play a big role with the 2010 Dodgers.
• If Hiroki Kuroda can continue to hit 95 MPH on his fastball and mix up his pitches like he has, he will be an All-Star this year.
• The Kiddie Corps of Chad and Clayton are starting to hit their stride.  I’m liking the Dodgers top 3 starters.  You can buy and ace or grow an ace.  I prefer the later.
• With Padilla likely out until June, John Ely and Carlos Monasterios will each get another start or four.
• Charlie Haeger can’t even pitch in a 9-1 blowout?  That doesn’t bode well for his future.  He is in Joe’s doghouse.  Charlie Haeger and Been Sheets have similar ERA’s.  I guess I’d rather be Ned Colletti than Billy Beane on that one.
• George Sherrill needs another pitching coach.  He scares me, but he’s better than he shows.
• What’s not to like about Casey Blake? He gets big hits, makes good plays and is a good teammate.  He’s hitting .263 with 3 HR, 6 Doubles and 15 RBI, which is 3rd on the team.  He’s solid, steady and will benefit if he only has to start 125-130 games, but he can pinch hit in the rest.  Casey Blake can play on my team any time.
• Have the Dodgers fired Joe Torre yet?
• When do Sands and Russell move up?  With Lambo in Limbo, Russell should go to AA and Sands to IE.
• Somebody told me I was crazy last season when I suggested that Andre Ethier could hit 40 HR.  I may be crazy, but he CAN hit 40 HR, like THIS year! No more Mr. Softee.
• Speaking of Soft, Andy LaRoche looks “soft” to me.  It looks like I was wrong in his evaluation.
• Matt Kemp is a streaky hitter.  He’ll hit like crazy for 4 or 5 games and then look horrible the next 4 or 5 games.  Sooner or later, the bad times will be less and less.  I guess the same can be said about Ethier.
• Who likes Garrett Anderson over Xavier Paul? No me!  Paul has better speed, is better defensively, has a cannon on his shoulder compared to Anderson’s popgun and is hitting better than Anderson.  That kind of performance needs to be rewarded.  Paul has to stay on the team when Manny is activated.   Simple as that.  While Paul is not a great CF, he can play there as well, and Anderson can’t.
• Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com has a nice article about the reformed Pedro Guerrero.
• Don’t get too excited – it was only the Pirates…
• It looks like Hu will be called up on Tuesday and Raffy will go on the DL.