Step Away From That Ledge!
To call Thursday night's 7-0 debacle against the Mets a debacle is an insult to debacles. In a season that has seen its fair share of poor efforts, last night's might have topped them all. Not just because a week ago, people were talking about this series as a potential matchup in the NLCS, or because Dodgers were hoping to show the league that they were more the team of the winning streak, rather than the bunch imbued with The Stank after the All Star break.
Forget all the symbols, the Dodgers needed to show up for practical purposes. After bricking two of three against the Brewers, their cushion in the West was disappearing faster than Rafael Palmiero, they had their one-time ace on the mound, and have two untested pitchers going this weekend in Hong-Chih Kuo and Aaron Stults (assuming it's not Aaron Sele- does he inspire confidence these days?- or Derek Lowe on three days rest).
I would have been encouraged by the Dodgers if they had played a tight game and forced the Mets to work. Didn't happen. I don't believe they quit, but they looked like a team that knew they'd lose around the fourth inning. Now the Blue are in the unenviable position of needing to hold off the Padres (who visit San Francisco this weekend) while playing against the NL's best squad, possible the best in baseball. No easy task for any team, let alone one that's nine games under .500 on the road. And Nomar has gone .215, .261, .158 in July, August, and September. Just thought I'd toss that in there.
So that's the bad news. But take deep breath. I'm not ready to back off my start-'o-the-season prediction of a big Blue NL West. And I'm certainly not ready to back off the notion that they'll make the playoffs. Even if the Dodgers drop the remaining three games of the Mets series, if my calculations are correct (and they're often not), they can't be any worse off than tied for the Wild Card. After an off day Monday, they'll head to Chicago for a trio of games against the Cubs. The small bears are awful. How awful? A full eight games behind Milwaukee awful. "Thank God for the Royals!" awful. "If Our Park Wasn't a National Treasure, Seven People Would Show Up To Watch Us Play" awful. If there's any team in baseball against whom the Dodgers can take two of three on the road, it's those guys. Hopefully, the Dodgers come back to the Ravine for the MASSIVE (note the capital letters for emphasis) four game set against San Diego in a situation where a split doesn't do any damage because they're not trying to make up ground. And there's more good news in Chad Billingsley, who looks like he could be back next week. Man alive, do the Dodgers need him. So it's not all bad.
And there you have it. The yin and the yang. The Jekyll and Hyde routine L.A. has performed all year. So here's the question, one we've asked before on Blue Notes and the Lakers Blog. Are you pounding on the panic button? Gently tapping? Looking at it, but not touching? Or are you so chill right now that you don't even know where the damn thing is? That, by the way, is smooth.
Consider this a giant, interweb thermometer, taking the temperature of the Dodger Nation.
BK
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Little must have the guts to put Nomar on the DL and get his legs completely healthy. We need him healthy and swinging the bat well if the Dodgers are going to do anything in the postseason.
Posted by: Chris | September 08, 2006 at 02:40 PM
MY PANIC BUTTON GOT BADLY DAMAGED WHEN WE LOST 13 OUT OF 14 AND IS THEREFORE NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL.
Posted by: stargazin | September 08, 2006 at 02:47 PM
IN ADDITION TO THE BROKEN PANIC BUTTON, IM DOWN TO TWO TVS AS I FINALLY , AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS,
WAS SUCESSFUL IN THROWING MY REMOTE THROW THE TV SCREEN LAST NIGHT.
Posted by: stargazin | September 08, 2006 at 02:49 PM
I LIKE THE LEDGE. THE LEDGE IS MY FRIEND.
Posted by: stargazin | September 08, 2006 at 02:49 PM
I think I'm somewhere between looking at it and not knowing where it is... like that winter coat I brought with me from Ohio when I moved here. I know it's somewhere in my closet... but I haven't had to use it for quite some time. And just like my coat, if I have to use it, it means the weather's not lookin too good.
Posted by: Ryan | September 08, 2006 at 03:04 PM
BK,
Ledge or water tower? Your pick. HAHAHA!!!
Posted by: LoLo | September 08, 2006 at 03:16 PM
I WAS JUST CHECKING OUT THE LEDGE THE OTHER DAY
AND I SWEAR I SAW NOMAR THERE.
Posted by: stargazin | September 08, 2006 at 03:21 PM
THE LEDGE IS KINDA LIKE A SECURITY BLANKET, YOU
ALWAYS KNOW ITS THERE AND IT CAN STOP THE PAIN.
Posted by: stargazin | September 08, 2006 at 03:23 PM
AK AND BK HAVE GOT US THIS FAR, TONITE WE'RE DEPENDING ON CK ( OR IS IT HCK).
Posted by: stargazin | September 08, 2006 at 03:25 PM
SOMEONE NEEDS TO KNOCK THAT SILLY SMILE OFF OF REYES
STUPID FACE.( MORE RAGE AND ANGER- GOOD THING I GOT A PLACE TO VENT IT.
Posted by: stargazin | September 08, 2006 at 03:36 PM
Riddle me this:
The NY Post reports that "A top second baseman could end up being the Mets' main winter offensive acquisition, and Julio Lugo, the Dodgers' future free agent, said the Mets would be attractive to him."
Lugo been crying" "I am a SS. I will always be a SS. When I hit free agncy I will market myself as a SS. I will play other positions for the Dodgers so long as people understand I am a SS. I have "SS" tatooed on my legs and "SS" written on the SS shoes that I use when I play SS."
So he complains about not playing SS for us yet he finds playing 2B for the Mets "attractive"?? WTF!! Drop this F'n turd right F'n now. DFA him. What a sorry sack of s***!!!!! Dodgerdog, I know you want in on this, HAHA!!
Let this be a lesson, Ned. NEVER pick up a Devil Ray, ever again!
Posted by: LoLo | September 08, 2006 at 03:40 PM
LoLo:
I share your sentiments re Julio LUGGO. Grady should wake up and recognize that the only reason the Dodgers even traded for who, who, Julio, was for insurance purposes in case Furcal got hurt, since they were going to trade Izzy for Maddux.
What does that mean? Play dear, sweet, Julio "play me every day at Short and bat me third" Lugo only at short if, and when, Raffy is hurt, i.e., NEVER!!
Heck, even IZZY could out hit this LUGo of a player.
Posted by: CamTheFan | September 08, 2006 at 04:26 PM