Yes.

Ok, that’s not all I was going to post. There have been a number of excellent articles written about the slugger’s departure to greener (or Whiter?) pastures, including a couple on this very site, so I thought I’d look at the situation from a different angle. Seeing as how my focus is on the Dodgers’ farm system, I thought I’d look at some prospects who very well could be permeating the chasm left by Manny’s exodus.

Right now, there are two Dodgers’ outfield prospects who are having very good years. Both of them are 22, both are at Double A and both of them should be ready for a big league job next spring. However, the two are different types of prospects.

Jerry Sands

If you’ve been reading my articles this season, you’d know I’ve been on Sands’ bandwagon since last year. I predicted he’d break out in a big way this summer and he didn’t make a fool of me. In 69 Midwest League games, he batted .333/.432/.646 with 18 home runs. Jerry then skipped High A altogether and went to Chattanooga, where he homered in 4 of his first 5 games. However, he faltered in July, seeing his average dip to .244 and his strikeouts soar. However, he’s bounced back in August, batting a solid .277 with an OPS of .836.

Sands is your prototypical corner outfielder. He’s a big guy at 6’4 225 lbs but he has at least average speed. His arm is an asset defensively, as he’s amassed 23 outfield assists in 163 minor league games in the OF. If the outfield doesn’t fit, he can also play first base well, as he was named the best defensive first baseman in the Midwest League by the league’s managers.

At the plate, he gets the bat through the zone very quickly and has extremely strong wrists, enabling him to drive the ball out of any part of the park. He often uses the opposite field, but can turn on good fastballs as well. He’s major setback is his approach against quality breaking balls, as he often quits on them. He’ll also force swings when he’s behind in the count and chase bad pitches. However, the fact that he hits for so much power and draws a lot of walks can hopefully allow him to overcome those shortcomings.

Jerry has been compared to Jason Bay, which I think would make any Dodger fan happy. Were he lucky enough to live up to that comparison, you’re looking at a guy who could hit in the middle of the Dodgers’ order for the next several years.

Trayvon Robinson

Earlier today, Keith Law commented on Manny’s departure and said the real winner of this move was Tray. A 10th round pick out of Crenshaw High School in the 2005 draft, Robinson was slow to develop but really broke out last year by hitting .300 with 17 home runs and 47 stolen bases between the Inland Empire and Chattanooga (all but 19 games were played in High A). This April, Robinson looked like last year’s production was a Cally League mirage, as he hit just .224 in his first 21 games. But he improved over the next few months, hitting .262 in May and .370 in June. While his production has dropped off a bit, he’s still batting .300 with an .842 OPS to go along with 38 steals.

Robinson isn’t the biggest guy at 5’11 195 lbs, but he’s solidly built and strong, allowing him to post modest power numbers. His speed is his best tool, allowing him to wreak havoc on the basepaths and cover plenty of ground in the outfield. Most importantly, he’s developed a discerning eye at the plate, allowing him to draw an impressive amount of walks: his 73 free passes ranks second in the Southern League. However, like Sands, Tray is prone to strikeout and he places 3rd in the circuit with 125 whiffs. But like Sands, I don’t foresee that being a major hindrance, given his walk rate and ability to still make good contact.

He’s fully capable of handling CF, but were the Dodgers to play him in left, he’d offer a Carl Crawford type of skillset: lots of speed, some power, good contact. And when I say he could be like Crawford or Sands could be like Bay, I’m not saying they’re going to produce the same numbers, I’m simply comparing their skills. And again, I’m sure Dodger fans would be happy with having that type of player on the team.

Either of these guys would be a great replacement for the be-dreadlocked one. Sands is a quiet leader, a hard-worker who inspires his teammates with his professionalism, while Tray is a fun-loving crowd-pleaser who is loved by everyone who sees him. Maybe one day, we could see both of them together in Chavez Ravine. But for now, there can be only one.

Mannywood and Mannymania – It was fun for a season!

In 2008, Manny arrived in LA and proceeded to take the Dodgers on his back and carry them to the playoffs.  In 2009, he became a distraction, but was still a cog in the Dodger machine.  However, this year it was his inability to stay off the DL that cost the Dodgers their chance for a record three years in the post-season.  That, and Raffy’s extended stays there as well.

What happened this year was exactly what I feared when the Dodgers signed Manny for two years – and some people wanted the Dodgers to ink him for five?  Manny may be productive for a couple of more years as a DH, but his time in LA had expired.  I am sure Joe wasn’t playing him at the request of Ned to keep Manny healthy, but I doubt that Joe had to be prodded.  Manny was still being Manny.  Sometimes he didn’t hustle, other times he did.  His fielding was the major concern and he didn’t appear to have fun anymore.  Let’s face it, after his 50 game suspension, he was really never the same hitter – he had flashes, but he was not the difference-maker he once was.  It was time for him to go and when the Dodgers had someone (ChiSox) step forward, his fate was sealed.

When he got thrown out of the game with the bases loaded yesterday because some Ignorant Savage named Gary Cederstrom, behind the plate called a pitch that was 8″ outside a strike, and Manny dared question him, I thought that Manny got himself ejected on purpose.  However, after further review, I really saw no justification, other than the umpire was an Ignorant Savage!  I won’t go into some diatribe about the umpires, but I will say that was over-reaction.

Speaking of over-reaction, the opposite was true of Joe Torre.  He just sat there while Manny was ejected, serving out his time as Dodger Skipper barely going through the motions.  I will be glad when this season is over and he is gone, hopefully with all the rest of the coaches.  FREE TIM WALLACH!

The McCourt Divorce Trial Starts today and it should be interesting, unless a settlement is reached along the way.  If one side or the other begins to feel the pinch, they will be motivated to settle.  You just never know how a trail will go.

Me, I’ve got better things to thing about, like:

1. Will the Dodgers try and sign Ted Lilly (a 3-year deal might be nice)?
2. Is Ryan Theriot the answer or a question at 2B?
3. The Dodgers really won’t try and sign an aging Scott Podsednik?   Will they?
4. Can the Dodgers find a 3B like, oh, maybe Adrian Beltre and make Casey Blake a super-sub?
5. Who will get traded in a blockbuster deal?  The Dodgers need a REALLY big bat!
6. Can Russ Mitchell be a serviceable backup?  He’s really Casey Blake!

A week ago, the Dodgers were dead and buried.

Are They?

Everyone said it.  I said it!  That didn’t make it true.

There was one difference:  I have always maintained that this team had the talent to win it all.

I felt that they were dramatically under-performing.  It too much to ask them to win the division, but the Wild Card spot is realistic.  This team has too much talent to have played so poorly.  Sometimes baseball is a game of streaks and these guys have shown they are nothing if not streaky!   I may have thrown dirt on their grave too soon.  Not only do I think they can win the Wild Card, but I think they could be very difficult for other teams in the playoffs… providing they stay healthy.

• Jon Broxton looks better with the 9th inning heat off.
• Belisario is getting it together, not a moment too soon.
• Kuo is amazing.
• Jansen has the “swagger” of a closer!
• Lilly, Kuroda, Billingsley and Kershaw are about as good as any 4 in baseball and Padilla (if healthy) makes a nice staff.
• Rod Piazza may just get his 6 weeks of fame.

It’s a lot to ask!   Manny needs to stay healthy and Raffy needs to stay healthy.  Raffy was on his way to a career year.  Can he keep injury free?  I would doubt it… but you never know!  They could be helped by some call-ups in September, namely RDLR, AJ, IDJ2, Flash’s kid, X-Man and another one or two role players, and they would have to be really, really lucky, but it could happen.  Again, I will assert that the team has the talent.  Now, all they HAVE to do is win, Baby!

What happens against the Rockies will determine the Dodgers season.  They have until Tuesday to decide what to do with Manny.  If they sweep the Rockies (anything short of that won’t work), then it’s on, and Manny will stay in LA the rest of the season.  This team has some vets who have been there, done that, and can deliver in the clutch – Theriot, Podsednik, Belliard, Johnson, Ausmus, Barajas, Blake, Manny, Raffy, et al.

Factor in that Kemp, Ethier and Loney are due to get hot and the Dodgers could become an offensive juggernaut!

The fat lady ain’t singing!

It’s time to fish, not cut bait!

Will it happen?  I don’t know!

Can it happen? Yes, it can!

Could these be Destiny’s Dodgers?

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!

Of course, anything is possible, but being 11 games out of first place on August 17th is not a good position to be in.  It’s highly unlikely that the Dodgers can advance to the playoffs for the third straight year.  There are a variety of reasons for this, but the not the least of which is the disconnect between the coaches and the players.  Joe Torre and Company are not known for being brilliant strategists, and that issue was readily exposed this season.  In my opinion, none of the coaching staff should be back.  There needs to be a clean sweep.  I would give Ned Colletti one more year.  I think he has learned a lot, but I still think giving up James McDonald for Dotel was a bonehead move.  I believe that James McDonald IS BETTER RIGHT NOW than Octavio Dotel.   Giving up Santana was a little more understandable (and the jury is out on that one – I’m not saying it was smart), but McDonald was boneheaded!  I liked Blake DeWitt, but that wasn’t a big deal.  The Dodgers do have to decide what to do with Theriot and Lilly however.

Now, since the Dodgers are effectively out of the race, what happens over the next two weeks will help define their future.  Contrary to the naysayers, who said McCourt wouldn’t spend big on the draft, the Dodgers did just that and broke the bank to sign Zach Lee.  As Jared mentioned, those of you who doubted Logan White’s veracity should be ashamed!   If the Dodgers had offered arbitration to Wolf or Hudson, and one (or both) had accepted, there would have been no Zach Lee signing, and to those who said that they would not have accepted arbitration, I say:  ”You also said McCourt would not pay money for draftees – you have no credibility!”

Now, I freely admit that Frank McCourt has some problems and I think he really has taken too much money from the Dodgers and that his lifestyle is too decadent, but I don’t have all the inside info.  That’s not something anyone has.  I also see all the things he has accomplished and I believe Dodger Fans have an owner who is in it for the long haul.  ”The Divorce” looms large and will go a long in determining the Dodgers future.  It will be interesting as to what happens, but I believe Frank is in the “drivers’ seat.”  That is speculation on my part and I won’t spend much time saying much more because speculation is not worth ZIP!  We just have to wait and see what happens.

• Casey Blake has cleared waivers and it would be nice if someone took him, but I doubt it.  He has slipped badly this year and really can’t be counted on to be a starter next year.  He’ll be an expensive sub!  The Dodgers need a new 3B.
• As bad as Dodger Fans felt Russ Martin was playing, he looks like a Superstar compared to Ellis and Ausmus.  Dodger fans do need to realize that Martin may not be back next year.   Add a catcher to the shopping list.  AJ Ellis probably isn’t even a backup.  Add a catcher to the Dodgers’ shopping list.
• We all know that Manny will be gone after the season.  Let’s hope that he comes back strong and clears waivers, so that some AL team can absorb a little salary to give the Dodgers some relief next year.  Add a left fielder to the shopping list.
• My biggest hope is that Raffy come back and burns up the league and can be traded before August 31st.  I was against his signing because of his injury history and “all out style of play.”  The Dodgers can’t count on him to help much next year.  They should cut bait, if they can!  Add a Starting Shortstop to the equation, although I doubt he can be traded without eating half of his salary.
• As much as the relief pitching has sucked this year, the nature of relievers is that they frequently have off years and then bounce back with stellar seasons.  I believe that the Dodgers are OK in this area, regardless of what the stats say.
• Kuroda, Padilla and Lilly are all Free Agents.  No way the Dodgers offer Kuroda arbitration – maybe Padilla, and if Lilly wants to stay, they might opt to sign him top a 3-year deal.
• Kershaw has shown that he can be the Dodgers ace and Chad Billingsley has been excellent since the end of April with an ERA near 3.00.  I think Lilly fits nicely in the Dodgers rotation – it’s just a question of whether he is affordable.
• As crazy as you think it might be, Charlie Haeger may play the role of the 5th starter next year.  Think RA Dickey!
• Jon Broxton’s star has waned, but he still has good value and the Dodgers just need to trade him over the winter.  He’ll command too much for that position.  If I were the Dodgers, I would not pay it.  Kuo and Jansen can close.  If Belisario gets his head screwed on straight he’ll be an asset too, and Cheryl falls off the books (I hope).
• I have to wonder about the entire coaching staff in the minors and I think that has to be re-evaluated.  We have too many youngstersunderachieving (McDonald, Lindblom, Withrow, Martin, et al).  It’s time for a fresh look.  The Dodgers minor league system is under-preforming with regards to some very good prospects.  Nothing is sacred or off-limits.  The right people are not in place.  Heads must roll.
• I predict Matt Kemp will figure it out and be a Bison again in 2011!
• The Dodgers have a big “re-tooling job” to do in the off-season, which starts now!  C, 3B, SS and LF are wide open!

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.

I will preface what I am about to say, by stating that the Dodgers are capable of reeling off a 15 game winning streak!

Matt Kemp's Addiction

1. Jon Broxton can be a great closer, but he just lacks the “C” in closer, which makes him a loser.  According to some pin-headed bloggers (Jon Weisman not included), I have an irrational hatred of Broxton.   You are entitled to your own opinion and you are just as entitled to be a moron.  ”Broxton is great, look at his stats, la,la, la, la.”  You are fine.  Take your Prozac, Carry on!  Dig this:  Broxton needs to be traded.  NOW!
2. Rhianna!  The sooner she dumps Kemp, the sooner he heads to superstardom!  No explanation necessary.
3. Manny Ramirez needs to just go away.  He doesn’t want to play the field.  Even Ray Charles can see that!  Trade him to the Yanks or Tampa Bay.  Do it now!  X-Paul in LF makes us better. Live with it.  (I TOLD YOU THE DODGERS SHOULDN’T HAVE SIGNED MANNY, DIDN’T I?)
4. Cheryl and Anderson. They must go.  End of story!
5. Russell Martin needs to quit being a slugger and just be Russell Martin. Don’t be an idiot, Russ.  Let me re-phrase that:  Stop being and idiot, Russ!
6. Will the real Ronald Belisario Stand Up?  If he can’t come back strong, the Dodgers are screwed!
7. Can Ramon Troncoso re-discover his outstanding sinker?  (See Ronald Belisario)
8. Kenley Jansen needs to be in the Dodgers bullpen.  End of story!  What are you waiting for, Ned?
9. Joe Torre needs to be sipping Mint Julips at the Kentucky Derby and taking his Geritol with his Bigelow Tea.  His fire is gone.  Stick a fork in him, he’s done!  Ditto on Mattingly, Bowa, Schafer, Pentland and Honeycutt – It’s time for a new perspective!
10. If Frank McCourt doesn’t allow the Dodgers to get a  #1 or #2 Starter, then he has to go.  I have defended the fact that he would spend to get an arm, and with Broxton as a trading chip, he should be able to get Roy Oswalt.  If that doesn’t happen, then I hope Jamie’s argument is ruled upon favorably and the Dodgers will be sold.

CHAD BILLINGSLEY ROCKS!

Russell Martin?

Pavolv had this dog who heard a bell ring and he proceeded to salivate all over himself. That sometimes happens when you see an young attractive lady walking down the street too.  In the instant case, I think that Russell Martin is “Pavlov’s Dog.”

Jeff Pentland, Joe Torre and Don Mattingly work with him, and work with him, and work with him about “going the other way,” but when he sees a fastball, it’s like a bell goes off in his head and he salivates all over himself to pull the pitch.  Pavlov’s Dog – that’s what he is!

The cost of RBI’s for 1B is pretty steep these days.

Ryan Howard – $19 mil – 65 RBI

Albert Pujols –  $16 mil – 64 RBI

James Loney –  $3.1 mil – 63 RBI

I’m just sayin’….

Forget all the stats – James Loney IS the Dodgers MVP for the first half of the season. James Loney is 2 RBI’s away from being tied with the league leader.  He has accomplished that from mostly the 5th or 6th spot, whereas the leaders have mostly been #3 or #4 hitters.  I’d like to see James Loney hit more HR and I do think he will, but he’s pretty good right now.

The Dodgers  had another first basemen discover his power later and that would be Steve Garvey.  Through 2,159 AB’s, James Loney (Age 26) has 51 HR’s.  Through 2,424 AB’s Steve Garvey (Age 26) had 64 HR’s and he hit 37 of those at age 25 and 26.  You saw the HR James hit yesterday.  As he gets a little older, he’ll have more power and more ability to recognize when he can pull.

While Matt Kemp has been better lately, his base-running, fielding and lack of hitting has hurt his ability to be considered for MVP.  Andre Ethier and Manny have been injured too much.  Truth be known, Rafael Furcal is right up there too.

Right here, right now, if there are runners on 2B and 3B and you need an RBI, there’s no one on the Dodgers I’d rather see up there than James Loney!  Give him his props!

Congrats to the Dodgers All-Stars:

• Jon Broxton
• Andre Ethier
• Rafael Furcal
• Hong-chih Kuo

Make us proud!

Next blog post:  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

• 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!

I was going to do a post about how, no matter how microscopic his ERA, no matter how dominant he has been, no matter if he’s struck out everyone he’s faced, no matter what the stats

Big Sad Jon

say, that if you need that ONE BIG OUT, Jon Broxton won’t deliver.  I was going to write that the bigger the game, the smaller he becomes.  I was going to say that when JB came into the game, I said it was over, but, I decided not to.  I decided not to trash Jon Broxton, because, after all, he’s the best and the stats prove it, right?

Too many people would vilify me, castigate me and use big words and long numbers to prove that Broxton was the best closer in baseball, and I’m not going to go through that again, so I’ll bite my tongue.

I just wonder if the Dodgers can actually beat an AL team?  I really wonder if  Broxton can really deliver on a big stage?

Manny looked like a Spring Chicken – a stolen base?  Maybe he should lead off!

Let me spit this bitter stuff out of my mouth…

Future Dodger?

Several months ago, I was already sick of hearing how the Dodgers would not spend any money, the divorce was crippling the Dodgers, the Dodgers need a new owner and blah, blah, blah.  I was on-board with all their off-season moves – the non-tenders of Wolf and Hudson, the trade of Juan Pierre for Link and Ely and the signings of Jamey Carroll and Ronnie Belisario (OK, I hated the Garrett Anderson signing).  I knew what was happening – the Dodgers knew they couldn’t get Roy Halliday, and Cliff Lee wasn’t available.  They weren’t going to settle for chumps.  Many (strike that, most) of you thought that the Dodgers were just cheap and would not spend any money.  There was even some cowardly idiot named McCheapness who came on this board and make fun of what I said and made an ass of himself in the process.  Come to think of it MOST,  YES MOST, of you argued with me about the same thing.

Well, the fact of the matter is that the Dodgers are a very good team, are in the thick of the pennant race, and have as good or better chance of going to the World Series as any other NL team. The fact that Ned stood pat over the winter and didn’t sign a chump like John Lackey, means that the Dodgers have enough cash to trade for a high-profile pitcher.  Ken Gurnick reported today that the Dodgers were pursing starting pitching. That’s not news, I told you that a month ago! Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee, Zach Greinke and some others may be available and the Dodgers are players.  They won’t “gut” the farm, but they will be aggressive.  I guarantee it!  My preference is Cliff Lee – he’s a rent-a-player who the Dodgers could re-sign next season (or not), who would give them a legitimate ace.  He’s not going to command a lot of top prospects, but the Dodgers may have to give up Martin and Withrow along with someone like Ely.

Look, we have three (count ‘em 3) good starters:  Kershaw (near Ace), Kuroda (strong #2 or #3) and Billingsley (#2 -#4, depending upon a lot of factors).  Vicente Padilla or John Ely may be our #4, but Ely’s star is setting.  I am not writing him off, but he’s going to have to change what he’s been  doing lately.  I like the kid.  I like his moxie, but the league has “caught up to him” and he has to figure it out or go back to AAA.   Monasterios needs to pitch out of the pen – too young, too inexperienced.  He can be effective in middle relief.

Of as much concern is Ramon Troncoso who was Lights Out in Cincy and Lite Up in Boston.  He didn’t look like the same pitcher.   It appears to me that some days he has absolutely NO CONTROL of his curve-ball. Maybe he should abandon it altogether!  His velocity is fine.  It’s the curve that is doing him in.

Rants & Raves

• It hurts to have Raffy out of the lineup – a lot!
• Travis Schlichting has been a godsend!
• Adrian Beltre would look good in the middle of the Dodger order right about now.  He is leading the Red Sox in RBI (48), Hits (87) and is hitting .339 with 10 HR and 18 Doubles.  He is OPSing .908 and playing Gold Glove Defense.   And, And… he generally doesn’t really hit until the second half.  I hate to say it, but I told you so!  ;)   Of course, I told you so about Andy LaRoche too, but .500 would win a batting championship …
• James Loney – Dodger RBI Leader – an argument could be made he should hit 3rd!
• Andre Ethier – Struggles on the Road Continue
• The way Loney is hitting, I like this lineup:

1. Raffy  SS
2. Kemp  CF
3. Loney  1B
4. Ethier  RF
5. Manny  LF
6. Blake  3B
7. DeWitt 2B
8. Martin  C

I like Martin at #8 – DeWitt will see more pitches.

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!

It looked for a while that the Dodgers might have squandered a 3-0 lead through 4 innings in Cincinnati last night, so after a 2-1/2 hour rain delay, the Dodgers took batting practice and

Manny Dancing With Russell

tacked on 9 more runs to spank the Reds 12-0.  That score in itself, doesn’t mean much.  What means the most to me is that Rafael Furcal and Manny Ramirez (especially Raffy) looked like they were difference-makers again. Raffy went 5-6 and made some outstanding plays in the field, including two back-to-back plays from as deep in the hole as you can get.  He threw out both runners, which is a feat that I am convinced few, if any, other shortstops could have made.  If you didn’t see it, it’s worth a re-play.

There was a lot of good to take from that game:

• Ramirez was 3-4 with a HR and 4 RBI and looked a lot like “Manny” while raising his BA to .298
• James Loney got 4 hits and raised his BA to .304
• Raffy is now at .309
• Matt Kemp went 2-4 to bereak out of his personal malaise (watch out, someone is going to pay, soon)
• Hiroki Kuroda went 5 innings, including 1 inning after the 2-1/2 hour rain delay to get his 6th win and drop his ERA to 3.10.
• Troncoso looked as good as I have ever seen him, hitting 94 MPH and having the bottom fall out of his fastball.
• George Sherrill (he’s not Cheryl today) even looked pretty good and topped out at 90.  I’m not saying he’s “cured,” but it’s a step in the right direction.
• Justin Miller also pitched a scoreless inning and his ERA sits at 3.18.

The Dodgers will allegedly call up a reliever tonight.  It will probably be Link – I think Lindblom needs a few more games as a reliever before being called up.  When Vicente Padilla comes off the DL on Saturday, the pitcher who gets called up tonight, or Miller, or Anderson, or maybe even Blake DeWitt could be gone.

The Dodgers got out their brooms and proceeded to sweep the Cardinals, which is historic in the sense that this was something they had not done in LA since…

Yes, 1988!   The last “Magical Year.”  Now the writers are staring to get on the Dodger Bandwagon… driven by Yours Truly.    Tony Jackson of ESPN/LosAngeles is now proclaiming what I said months ago:

On April 3, 2010 I wrote:

Forget the spring – it doesn’t mean much to these guys.  They have a mission and that ’s to get back to the NL Championship and win it!  That’s what they are focused on and if you want to judge this book by it’s cover, well you would be dead wrong!   These guys are determined to atone for the last two “failures” in the NLCS – yes, they see them as “failures” and they are bent of succeeding. Hang on for the ride!

While I am throwing out “I told you so’s”, here’s something I wrote a few days earlier:

Jamey Carroll has proven that he is a solid hitter and can even fill in effectively at SS for short periods of time.

That happened, didn’t it?  Now, I also predicted Manny would return to form and that hasn’t happened … yet.

Some of you guys have made yourself miserable with the wild imaginings of how horrible the Dodgers would possibly be.  No matter what is happening between the McCourts, Frank know that he has to put an excellent product on the field in order to make money.  That’s the only thing you need to know.  Forget the Divorce – what will be will be.  The Dodgers  on the field are not part of that.  We’ll know soon enough about the Dodgers future.

Other Stuff:

• Bill Shaikin’s Story in The LA Times about … well it’s about a lot of craziness, but may not as crazy as you think.  However, this type of Pseudoscience is rampant with crackpots.  I have no opinion.
• Clayton Kershaw is pitching deeper and deeper into games.
• On the oil well which is blowing oil all over the Gulf:  I happen to know quite a bit about separation of oil and water, and BP and the Government have blown this more than the government blew Katrina, but as BD pointed out.  This is not the forum.  There are lots of blogs on just that.  Look them up.

How sweet it is!

It took the Dodgers exactly 59 games to take first place in what is, so far, the second toughest division in baseball. The National League West has 4 teams with 30 or more wins and better than a .500 records.  The teams of the NL West have more wins than any other division in baseball, except the AL East.  Whoever said the NL West was weak, is obviously not informed!  If you think this team is built on smoke and mirrors, you haven’t been paying attention.  Manny isn’t Manny anymore, but he’s still a piece of the puzzle, and you are seeing the maturation of the rest of the team.   The Dodgers now have the best record in the NL in the best division of the NL.

Hiroki Kuroda matched Chris Carpenter pitch-for-pitch.  In fact, in some ways he out-pitched Carpenter and then the pen did their job, while Raffy, Andre and Manny did theirs when it counted.  Today, the Dodgers look to sweep the Cards as Clayton Kershaw goes against Adam Wainwright.

Rants & Raves:

• One of the Dodgers draft picks was the son of former Dodger James Baldwin who is a 6-3 switch-hitting CF.  The 18 year-old is one of the fastest players in the country.  I’m sure we’ll be going to Jared for more info about the draft.
• Stephen Starasburg – What a debut!
• Logan White denies that the Dodgers are sandbagging this year first rounder.  Time might tell… or not!
• Complete list of Dodger Draft Picks compliments of MLB.com
• Jon Brox was awesome last night – that’s what we expect EVERY TIME!
• It will be interesting to see how Kyle Russell does in AA

Everyone seems to use the W.I.N. philosophy in business, in sales and motivation, but I don’t see that acronym much applied in sports.

On the way out the door?

What’s Important Now is something the Dodgers need to focus on.  Their hitting (actually the lack thereof) is the direct result of ignoring the Don Mattingly Plan which is to work the count, expose the pitcher and capitalize on high pitch counts.  Here’s what I think is important:

• Listen to Mattingly and work those counts.
• Quit being “homerun happy” – a string of hits can break a pitchers back JUST AS QUICK AS A HOME RUN.
• Find something to do with that sloth in LF – The Dodgers Cannot win with Manny Ramirez in LF – PERIOD!  I tried to tell you all that the Dodgers should not have signed him. I think he can still hit – as a DH in the AL – Ned can move him because his salary is low, but he will have to “eat” the deferred money.  The Dodgers simply have to move him.  I think the Yankees would give up a decent prospect for him – shoot, I’d take Javier Vasquez for him.    They could use a DH like Manny and I think that might be just the ticket.  I would not be opposed to using the X-MAN and Reed Johnson in RF.  I think we would be a better team.  It’s time to cut bait!

Justin Miller has been a nice addition to the pen.  He’s a guy who can pitch 2 innings in the 6th or the 7th and do a credible job, leaving Beliasrio and Kuo for later.  Sherrill and Padilla pitched well last night at IE (see Jared’s Minor League Report).  The Dodgers pitching is in great shape right now and Kuroda pitched well enough to win… and might have without that sloth in LF.