From this morning's LA Times
The following is from this morning's Times:
"In these types of games, you look at these things, and they're magnified, no question about it," Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said. "I mean, Andruw overreacted to an overthrow at first, and all of a sudden you realize it didn't go in the dugout or very far away. Errors in judgment and in the field are the things that seem to stand out."
(The bold and italics are mine.)
The reason I bolded and italicized that final sentence is that, to me, it absolutely crystallizes the problems with this team. Torre and his perpetual lineups are a reaction to a team of players and coaches (Larry Bowa notwithstanding), and organizational leaders that are incompetent from a baseball perspective and NOT from a business perspective. In addition, his hands seem fundamentally tied by the contracts of Andrew Jones, Pierre, Furcal, Penny, Schmidt, Lowe, and the marketing necessity of having Nomar on the roster. In addition, the mess created by years of turnover and intensely bad general management replacements have devastated the Dodger's ability to right this sinking ship.
This starts at the top with the decision to make the Dodgers an attraction rather than a team, with Dodger Stadium more important than Dodger Baseball. The McCourts, as we say year in and year out, have other things to bother themselves with, such as the new concourse and the remodeling of the bathrooms, than to put together a winning franchise. The truth is, unfortunately, that this is not accidental and Jamie and Frank know perfectly well what they are doing as far as the demographics go: the fans will continue to come to Dodger Stadium whether they are in first place by ten games or in last place by ten games.
This is a Los Angeles phenomenon. In no city on the planet earth do you have the strange rotating fan base that the Dodgers have. Each city also have teams that mirror their particular Gotham. In Los Angeles, it appears that the makeup of the Dodgers is suited to reflect LA's own unprecedented brand of citizenry. Add to that the tourist dollar that fluidly comes to the ballpark as part of the Los Angeles experience, and you can understand why McCourt purchased the Dodgers in an effort to develop the land and bring us his long awaited dream: DODGERLAND, set to open in 2012.
While Frank would like to win, I have no doubt, that is a long way from deciding to win. If he made a decision to win, then he would have hired staff and players that did not lack the most important ingredient in winning: alertness.
You can count those individuals on one finger of one hand.
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posted by Tony Forkush at 1:15 PM
8 Comments:
I think you're absolutely right on. Even if the Dodgers had been winning games recently this would be true re: the McCourts. The starting pitching has been surprisingly wretched. I think even if they had Furcal (a crippling, season-altering-to-date loss) there would still be much grumbling about the starting pitching. Nobody could have predicted that. But it is only 5 and a half games - just to talk your miserable Forkush ass off the ledge. You guys can still win it. The Diamondbacks have shown themselves to actually be human and the rest of the division? Yikes.
The Dodgers could use that win last night. I like the Reds so I won't make any cruel comments about them. After that series with the Angles, (miss spelling intended) they need some wins.
I hate these cross town games. Both teams need victories and it didn't help that they split games, with the Angels winning the series.
Maybe in ChiTown it's no big deal 'cuz they hate each other. But in La La land, we like both teams and want to see the Freeway Series before we die.
Alright, two in a row. Let's keep it going. When we get negative, it's like the Big Dodger In The Sky gets mad and makes us suffer. Let's feel good about the wins and leave the losses for the end of the season.
Until now, let's relish this victory. (I like my relish on a Dodger Dog).
Dodgers are back on the winning track and I hear nothing. Well, then let's talk about that amazing comeback by the Lakers. I thought they were going to lose. Let's hope they can play that way again on Friday.
I'll continue to post on here as long as the Dodgers continue to win. Someone has to keep up beat. They are only two and half behind. Time to make a run.
And so we enter into a three game series with the vaunted Cardinals and the most dangerous slugger on the plaent, Albert Pujols.
We send Derrick Lowe to the mound tonight, possibly the young phenom lefty Clayton Kershaw tomorrow (or maybe a Chan ho Park/Kuo combo pu pu platter), and then back to Bills on Sunday day.
The game looks like it may be a tad wet with the skys looking pretty nasty. But nothing could be stranger than the wind game of two nights ago. Wow! How anyone could pitch and catch in that game is beyond me.
Somehow my friends, we are a mere 2 and 1/2 games out. This is a massively unpredictable team, but it now appears that Spring Training is officially over with Torre, he has his team and the make-overs are starting. I predict that Jones will be DL'd for some time and then be sent down to the Minors for Rehab. Gary Bennett will never be back, we have Danny Ardoin which isn't saying much, and Nomar will be retiring soon I believe, sadly.
But Bills and Kuroda are coming so its really up to Lowe and Penny.
Re: our bullpen...forgedabout it!
Oh and can all of you say:
BLAKE MY FUCKING DEWITT!!!!!
No, not the Cardinals. Why do we have to play the best team in baseball this soon? We came close tonight. Man on third and a rain delay, but we could not pick up the runner and we lost. At least we hung tough with them. Maybe tomorrow.
How about them Lakers?
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