|
> JULY 2008 July 31, 2008 - Diamondbacks 2, Dodgers 1
The Ramirez deal is obviously something that came together in the last day or two, which says that it was never on Colletti’s radar. From all accounts, Ned was looking for a shortstop, a pitcher, and maybe a couple veteran stiffs to come off the bench. So why Manny? Because Manny became available. I can picture Ned out shopping for a sweater when suddenly he sees a beautiful toaster oven. He already has a toaster oven, and didn’t set out looking for a toaster oven, but damn, that’s a nice toaster oven. So he buys the toaster oven, takes it home, and never thinks about the sweater that was on his list—yet he walks outside at night and freezes his moustache off. And then buys two more toaster ovens. The Dodgers have obviously lacked quite a bit this season (big hitter, ace pitcher, regular third baseman, steady replacement at short…), but there’s nothing they lack more than direction. I’ve written this many times before, and I guess I’ll say it again: every move they make seems to happen in a bubble. There’s no connection to moves made prior and no foresight as to what comes next. One day it’s this, the next it's that. Ned has had three years to not only develop a plan, but to implement it—yet he seems completely lost. “We didn’t plan in advance how to move things around,” said Joe Torre after the trade, referring to the fact that the Dodgers now have five outfielders. Didn’t plan in advance? Yeah, no shit—but why the hell not? If I have a two-car garage and decide to go out and buy three more cars, I’d probably give a little thought as to where I’d park them. How can you get Manny Ramirez (or anyone, really) without thinking about how it’s going to impact Andre Ethier, the team’s steadiest outfielder? Or Matt Kemp, the team’s prized future star? Or Juan Pierre, the guy with three years left on his contract? Or even Andruw Jones, the team’s biggest mistake? (By the way, if Jones isn't one of the two outfielders now sitting on the bench, I'm moving to Iceland.) Again, I think Manny Ramirez is great—especially when his salary is being paid by Boston—and I’m not necessarily brokenhearted about losing LaRoche, but where’s the goddamn plan? You can attack me with hate mail about how I'm too negative or too stupid or too whatever, but I just can't fully get behind a trade that seems more of an F-you to the Angels for picking up Mark Texiera than it does an integral piece to a bigger picture. No plan, no plan, no plan. On the field, the Dodgers’ plan certainly didn’t involve losing the first game of a four-game series against Arizona. A win would have put the Dodgers in a tie for first, a loss two games back. The Dodgers opted for the latter, falling to the Diamondbacks 2-1. Had he not been busy simulating oral on a Manny Ramirez baseball card, Ned Colletti might have seen Andruw Jones make the last out of the game with the tying run on base. July 31, 2008 LOS ANGELES - Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made a phone call to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig’s office this afternoon to petition that baseball add a tenth fielder for all games starting immediately. The idea for the position, which Colletti suggested be called “short-center” or “rover,” came just moments before he acquired outfielder Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox and immediately after a conversation with a Dodger scout about “Rec League” softball rules. Colletti proposed the idea in an attempt to keep outfielder Andre Ethier in the Dodger lineup. “I completely lost track of how many outfielders we have and I feel bad,” said Colletti who now has five outfielders and only three slots to play them. “But I am confident that the Dodgers have the best fourth and fifth outfielders in all of Major League Baseball." When asked if he was taking the proposal seriously, Commissioner Selig said that he had received the proposal and has filed it next to Colletti’s other proposals. This was the third such proposal by Colletti in recent months who has also lobbied to start each batter with one strike and a “mercy rule” if a team is losing by ten or more runs after the 4th inning. July 30, 2008 - Dodgers 4, Giants 0
On this night, of course, Chad Billingsley was a lot better than mediocre. Billingsley pitched a complete game shutout, giving up just five hits and striking out eight. Anyone miss Brad Penny? Yeah, not so much. Despite a record of 11-9, Billingsley has definitely stepped up to become the Dodgers ace—a big step considering the rest of the starting staff is making a combined $40 million. The Dodgers’ offense came early on Wednesday, with Russell Martin knocking in a run in the first inning, and again in the third. His third-inning single was followed by a Jeff Kent double and a James Loney sac fly. Surprisingly enough, Andruw Jones was not involved in the Dodgers’ four runs. He was involved, however, in the post-game buffet. So, the Dodgers have a winning record just in time for Ned Colletti to ruin the organization by Thursday’s 1 p.m. trading deadline. He’s been plenty busy this season making inconsequential acquisitions (Angel Berroa, Pablo Ozuna, Danny Ardoin) and sold low on Jonathan Meloan last week to get Casey Blake. All of that could be the calm before the storm, though, if Ned thinks a rent-a-player is going to be the difference between second place and a World Series championship. Here’s hoping there’s a little bit of common sense behind that giant moustache. July 28, 2008 - Giants 7, Dodgers 6
I didn’t see a single second of the weekend series against the Nationals. The Dodgers, of course, completed a sweep. I turn on Monday night’s game and in a matter of minutes they’re losing 7-0. I walk away from Monday night’s game for a couple minutes and when I come back, the Dodgers have scored five runs to get right back into it. I watch the rest of the game and, of course, see them lose 7-6. Among the Dodgers’ five runs they scored in the fifth, I hear three were driven in by Mark Sweeney and Andruw Jones. I figure that’s got to be a mistake, especially after watching Jones go down swinging in the ninth inning. Sadly, of the three guys the Dodgers sent to the plate in the ninth, Jones was probably the Dodgers’ best shot. That doesn’t say much for Angel Berroa and Pablo Ozuna, but how can you say much about them? Key to the loss, of course, was Hiroki Kuroda’s failure to get an out on a comebacker in the fourth inning with the Giants leading 2-0. Despite the runner from first on the move, Kuroda threw to second—late. Instead of two outs and two on, it was one out and the bases juiced. The bases didn’t stay juiced, though, as the Giants quickly scored five. The good news for the Dodgers is that they stay a game back of the Diamondbacks, who lost to the Padres. The bad news is that it’s only good news if you’re a moron. Eventually the Dodgers have to take advantage of a D’Backs loss, and until they do, there’s no good news in the Ravine… except, I guess, that you can take the bus to the game now. Nothing more enjoyable than sitting on a bus after a 7-6 loss to the Giants. July 23, 2008 - Rockies 5, Dodgers 3
Or maybe not. Because of circumstances beyond my control, I missed Tuesday night’s game, and Wednesday’s too… and they lost both. I mean, I’m sure they would have done even worse if I was watching, but I’m starting to think my theory is complete shit. Kind of like Clayton Kershaw. Okay, okay, he’s really young and he’s got a lot to learn—but in the meantime, he’s painful to watch. Good thing I don’t watch games anymore. Definitely a good thing that I didn’t watch Wednesday’s game, as it seemed like one of those that would have made me take bites out of my arm in frustration. Hiroki Kuroda and the Dodger bullpen kept the Dodgers somewhat in the game, but the offense apparently had little interest in helping the cause. Despite scoring three runs in the first four innings, the Dodgers went hitless in their final seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. All that really needs to be said is that they lost to Glendon Rusch at Coors Field. That’s something to be proud of because I guarantee you it doesn’t happen very often. With the two losses this week, the Dodgers’ record drops back down to 49-52, but more significantly, the momentum they started to build in Arizona is completely gone. They scored 16 runs in the first nine innings of the Colorado series, and then a total of four over the final 18 innings. It would be one thing if they were just a bad team. But they’re not just a bad team—they’re bad and inconsistent. For a fan, that’s a miserable fucking combination. July 20, 2008 - Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 5
It helped, of course, that luck happened to be on their side. With runners at first and third an nobody out, Andruw Jones—who should no longer be allowed to bat after the second inning—hit a perfect double-play ball that Stephen Drew botched. Instead of two outs, a run in, and nobody on, the Dodgers had a run in, only one out, and a guy in scoring position. They certainly capitalized, putting together their biggest ninth-inning rally in, well, a long time. And who was the rally was fueled by? The kids, for the most part. Kemp, Loney, LaRoche, Martin, Ethier… and then a save (albeit a shaky one) by Jonathan Broxton. Let’s face it, the Dodgers aren’t going all the way this year—despite now being once again tied for first—but a win like this has to inspire some confidence in the future. I’d like to think Ned Colletti shares that confidence, but unfortunately he’s going to be spending the next ten days fighting to save his job. That’s dangerous. What that means is that he’ll probably pull the trigger on a big trade or two that will cost the Dodgers a prospect, won’t get them any further into the postseason, and will saddle a new GM with another absurd contract. You want to make moves, Ned? Keep picking up guys like Pablo Ozuna. He won’t help the team, but at least you won’t be destroying it. July 18, 2008 - Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 7
Two of the Dodgers home runs came off the bat of Nomar Garciaparra (who has now appeared in a career-high ten straight games), with Matt Kemp and James Loney delivering the game-tying and game-winning blows, respectively. The heroes weren’t all holding bats, though, as a huge defensive play by Blake DeWitt in the bottom of the ninth saved Chan Ho Park and the Dodgers from a sure loss. Along with Mattingly, the Dodgers brought in roving hitting instructor Jeff Pentland, formerly of the god-awful Seattle Mariners. Pentland was given one main assignment: Figure out how to right the sinking ship named Andruw Jones. Pentland will have to wait another day, however, as Jones left in the fifth inning with the stomach flu—clearly nauseated by his own at-bats (of which he had two on Friday, both strikeouts). The victory (the win over Arizona, I mean, not Jones’ stomach flu) puts the Dodgers in a first-place tie. That’s right, Dodgers—you let the league know who’s the best of the worst! July 14, 2008
Jesus, you say—they’re only a game out of first place! True, but they’re three games under .500 and if they happened to be in the NL Central they’d be eleven games back. The Dodgers have certainly had their share of injuries, but you can’t use injuries as an excuse when a team is built around guys who are injury-prone. What you can use as an excuse is the intelligence level of the general manager. Aside from the 2006 trade that brought Greg Maddux to the Dodgers for two months—the success of which was negated by Ned Colletti’s refusal to negotiate with Scott Boras that winter—practically every move the Dodger GM has made has been a bust. Jae Seo, Mark Hendrickson, Lance Carter, Danys Baez, Wilson Betemit, Kenny Lofton, Bill Mueller, Luis Gonzalez, Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, Brett Tomko, Julio Lugo, Randy Wolf, Nomar Garciaparra’s contract extension, Jeff Kent’s contract extension, Scott Proctor, Esteban Loaiza, Mark Sweeney, Andruw Jones… the list is longer than Joe Torre’s drooping cheeks. Colletti’s choices have been particularly poor this season, with so much money dished out to useless stiffs that there’s little left, if any, to spend at the trading deadline. With Colletti’s track record, though, maybe it’s a good thing that Frank McCourt’s wallet is empty. Okay, in reality McCourt has the dough, but why would he trust a guy like Ned to keep spending it? He won’t. Colletti will be gone after the season, if not sooner, and the next GM will be left to deal with three more years of Juan Pierre. Okay, okay… so this has turned into more of a Ned-bashing than a Dodger analysis, but what exactly about the first half would you like me to write about? Brad Penny’s injury? A blockbuster trade for Angel Berroa? A feeble Nomar Garciaparra suddenly playing shortstop? Takashi Saito being bad to the bone—his elbow bone? The tremendous contribution of Jason Repko? The fact that Derek Lowe’s batting average is just two points lower than the Dodgers’ $18 million centerfielder? No thanks, I’ll pass on the nausea. July 6, 2008 - Dodgers 5, Giants 3
Meanwhile, as Dodgers were getting denied invitations to the All-Star game (and rightly so), the guys on the field Sunday got the job done against the Giants. The lineup was far from intimidating, but Andre Ethier, James Loney, and Eric Stults (at the plate, not so much on the mound) helped the Dodgers take two of three this weekend in San Francisco. Even Brian Falkenborg contributed, bailing out Stults in the fifth inning after inheriting runners on the corners with nobody out. Falkenborg lowered his ERA to 7.71 and is sure to draw some interest as the trading dealine approaches later this month. Ned Colletti has already inquired about him—uh, evidently unaware that he's a Dodger. July 4, 2008 - Dodgers 10, Giants 7
The more important victory came from the Dodgers' late-inning comeback fueled by Fred Lewis' error in left to start the sixth inning. The Dodgers went on to score five that inning and turn a 5-3 deficit into an 8-5 lead. The scoring included three consecutive doubles, part of seven on the day for the Dodgers—the most they've had in twenty years. Overall, the Dodgers had thirteen hits including two Nomar Garciaparra doubles and home runs by Andre Ethier and Andy LaRoche. Derek Lowe wasn't particularly sharp, giving up eight hits over five innings and standing on the mound dreaming of fireworks while 56-year-old Omar Vizquel picked his pocket. Nonetheless, the win coupled with Arizona's loss to San Diego means the Dodgers are suddenly just a half game back in the West. Still under .500, but a half game back. July 3, 2008
|
Manny Ramirez is a Dodger. It sounds bizarre, and will probably look even odder, but one of baseball’s most feared hitters is headed west—baggage and all. There’s no doubt that he’ll make the Dodgers a better team for the next two months—at least offensively—but the questions are endless. Whose place in the outfield does Ramirez take? What happened to the desperate search for a shortstop? What happens to Ramirez after the season? Or in two weeks when he starts bitching about a contract extension? What happens at third base next year with Andy LaRoche gone? What happens when Ramirez realizes Dodger fans leave in the 6th inning and cheer mid-inning car races more vociferously than late-inning heroics? And the biggest question of all: Does Ned Colletti have a fucking clue what he’s doing? 
Shaking hands after Wednesday night’s game, the Dodgers could feel something special in the air. No, they hadn’t just acquired Manny Ramirez. No, Rafael Furcal hadn’t announced that he’s suddenly healthy and coming off the disabled list. No, the Diamondbacks pitching staff wasn’t just diagnosed with cholera. It was a feeling of accomplishment, of pride, of… of… of finally being above the goddamn .500 mark. Congratulations, Dodgers! You’re now a tiny bit better than mediocre.
The other day I wrote about how the Dodgers’ performance is directly connected to whether I’m watching a game or not. If I watch, they lose. If I don’t watch, they win. After a game last week didn’t follow that pattern, though, I started to doubt my theory. Maybe I’m just crazy, I thought. After this weekend, though, I have no doubts: I am completely responsible for the Dodgers’ record. 
I’m sure I’m not alone, but it’s always been a belief of mine that the Dodgers win more often when I’m not watching the game. If I was to ignore them for a season, they’d win the World Series—no doubt about it. This pattern of no watch/good play reared its head again on Sunday. For eight innings I watched the Dodgers helplessly flail away against Brandon Webb. I had to be somewhere, though, so I turned off the TV and left. Bam, the minute I get in the car they come alive and score five runs in the ninth. The next day the Dodgers were in Colorado. I didn’t see the game. They scored sixteen runs. That’s twenty-one runs over ten innings, and I didn’t see a single Dodger cross the plate. It’s me, I’m the jinx.
Apparently the Dodgers are capable of playing exciting baseball—at least for an inning. That inning came in the ninth on Sunday afternoon with five Dodgers coming around to score. The Diamondbacks led 4-1 going into the inning, but singles by James Loney, Adam LaRoche, and Russell Martin, doubles by Nomar Garciaparra and Matt Kemp, and a triple by Andre Ethier turned the game around in a matter of minutes. The Dodgers had as many hits in the ninth as they had over the first eight against Brandon Webb. 
Don Mattingly’s message before Friday night’s game must have been clear: Stop being a bunch of single-hitting pussies and hit the goddamn ball over the fence. Okay, that’s probably not like Mattingly, but the Dodgers definitely responded to the presence of their new hitting coach, crushing four home runs in an 11-inning 8-7 victory over Arizona to start the second half of the season. Fifteen pitchers were used, and it was ultimately Cory Wade picking up his first Major League win and Jonathan Broxton notching his first save since taking over for the aging—and now vacationing—Takashi Saito.
With the All-Star break upon us marking the halfway point in the season, it’s time for me to provide a half-assed analysis of the Dodgers. Half is the key word, since I’ve been a little distracted by some other things the past half month or so, probably only seen half of the games, and could really only give half a shit. It’s clear, though, that the Dodgers’ glass is half empty… and the half that’s full is filled with dog crap.
The Dodgers may very well be a half game back in the National League West, but they got a honest reminder on Sunday of how crappy they really are: Only one of them was selected for the All-Star team. And no, it's not Luis Maza. (I know, it's hard to believe.) Russell Martin will be the lone Dodger representative in New York on July 15th—and he'll be sharing the backup catcher duties with Braves catcher Brian McCann. This, of course, means that a team with a payroll of $120 million (the Dodgers) will get about ten seconds of attention during the game (aimed at a guy making 1/240th of the team payroll). Once again, good work Ned.
The Dodgers, among other things, got Andruw Jones back on Friday. For anyone who didn't believe he was back, he struck out four times to prove it (while smiling, of course). He finally made contact in his fifth at-bat, grounding out to the left side—a victory of sorts, I imagine.
Jesus, did I miss four days of the season or a month? Since I last wrote on Monday, it seems just a few things have gone down…