Blue Potpourri!
First, a semi-facetious/semi-serious multiple choice quiz:
Do you think the Dodgers' seven game losing streak is due to:
a) Joe Torre asking Manny Ramirez to cut his hair- triggering a "Samson" effect- as opposed to the obvious approach of requiring the other 24 players on the roster to grow dreadlocks. Or at the very least, get dreadlock extensions.
b) Casey Blake opting (voluntarily, to the best of my knowledge) to trim up his once glorious and majestic beard, destroying the aura of a man who could not only come up with timely hits, but casually snap with one hand the neck of grizzly bear wandering through the Dodger clubhouse. He was the closest thing the Dodgers had to "The World's Most Interesting Man."
c) Jeff Kent protesting that Manny's presence behind him had nothing to do with his immediate uptick in production, which has since been grounded in fashion similar to the overall team's production. Is it possible Kent managed to single-handedly suck all the energy out of Manny Mania?
d) Manny Mania's energy running out of steam on its own, leaving us with the sobering realization that this team wasn't "one player away," meaning one player can't make a sustained difference by himself.
e) The team is allergic to hitting a runner from second to home. Or just unable to crank solo shots at least once an inning.
f) Takashi Saito's absence finally catching up to a shuffled pen.
g)
Torre instructing the Dodgers to play possum as part of a cagey plan to
lull the Diamondbacks into complacency. And if that's the case, it may
very well be working.
h) Raffy Furcal was the Dodgers'
most important player when he began the season healthy. With Manny in
town, he's now the Dodgers' second most important player. Teams tend
to miss their second most important player.
i) No Repko or Tiffee.
j) Team-wide haircuts that are anything but "quality."
k)
Russell Martin clearly wearing down (which, perhaps, is a sign that
playing third may not qualify as a true "off day" traditionally used to
keep players fresh come August and September. Especially when they put you on pace to play in as many or even more games as the previous season.).
l) Giving up on Estaban Loaiza too soon.
m) None of the above.
n) All of the above
Quiz out of the way, we have two takes on the ultra-crucial Dodgers-D-Backs series- although you wouldn't know the way either team is playing- about to kick off. The first is an exchange between Dodger Thoughts' Jon Weisman and AZ Snakepit's Jim McLennan about the reasons both teams are scuffling. The second is SportsHubLA.com's Phil Gurnee summing up the Dodger portion of the blase that is the NL West race.
And finally, the "Question of the Day." Simply put, how many games to the Dodgers need to take against the Snakes to remain in contention for the division crown. Personally, I don't think there's much wiggle room or debate. The answer is "three."
Between the uncashed opportunities to gain ground over the last seven games and the additional ground surrendered when you not only lose, but lose to the team you're chasing, plus a seasonal hourglass running out of sand, the Dodgers are officially in "backs against the wall" territory. Could they still make a race of it winning two of three? Probably, but that just makes the road ahead that much harder. Sweep in the desert and you're now one and a half games out and on a roll heading back to the Ravine. You may be even looking at a season saved. But lose two of three (much less the whole kit and kaboodle) and you might as well be the Padres. The Dodgers may not be mathematically eliminated (especially with three more games coming against 'Zona in your house), but their playoff chances won't feel much more realistic than San Diego's. At least not in my mind.
How about yours?
AK
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AK -
I do think that is rather drastic assesment that they have to win all 3.
Yes, they do stink, but I they stink like a good cheese. Yummy stink.
Everything is Kent's fault, but I do think Joe should focus more on managing than hair. As your bro (and I) can attest, hair aint nothing but a g thing.
Posted by: Benzo Jones | August 29, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Benzo,
I can see why you'd find the idea of needing to win all three" dramatic, but I honestly believe it. They're not in position, particularly with how poorly they're playing, to trust they could make up the ground falling anywhere from 4-5 games behind. If nothing else, they avoid being in a position where they no doubt MUST sweep AZ at the Ravine.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | August 29, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Broxton head hurt from so many choices
Broxton write in "Broxton."
But Broxton no can spell Broxton, so Broxton just write X on bottom line.
Posted by: SaMo | August 29, 2008 at 12:44 PM
SaMo,
If only that were true? If he could write in X (I doubt it), can you see if he knows how to write K or SO or OUT...or SAVE? ... I know this is a hard to ask for 4 consecutive letters.. big jump from 1 letter but it could happen w/ many hours of tutoring.. I heard Donkey's are able to come close.
Posted by: Rob | August 29, 2008 at 01:02 PM
AK/BK,
I'll vote for D, F and H from above, with a special emphasis on the loss of Furcal. Go replay his early season games. What a difference in intensity and, obviously, results.
Losing Saito has hurt, but doesn't account for the feeble offense. The Manny Mania had to run its course and you're quite right. This team was not just "one player away."
Posted by: Chunkdog | August 29, 2008 at 01:13 PM
The Dodgers problems start at the top! Frank McCourt needs to sale the team. Since that won't happen anytime soon he needs to can Ned and take Joe to a retirement home.
Posted by: Adrian | August 29, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Forget the Lakers (Dodgers)...look at what's happening in America!
http://www.tenientemikeopinions.org/
mike t.
Does that meet the requirement?
LOL!
Posted by: Michael C. Teniente | August 29, 2008 at 02:02 PM
Don't worry about a thing, Young Broxton! Weebles always wobble, but they don't fall down!!!
http://tinyurl.com/2pk4uo
Posted by: DodgerBlueBalls | August 29, 2008 at 02:18 PM
Great article by Shaikin - by the way - the shill is Bill Plashke - any press release goes thru his hands and then to LA Times. Joe has drunk the Matt Kemp Kool Aid and violating his own instincts of playing veterans down the stretch. Sitting Pierre in September is like sitting Kenny Lofton in September. See you in Arizona in February Joe. Nice work.
Posted by: Hollywood Dodger Mark | August 29, 2008 at 03:43 PM
AK
It was always wishful thinking to imagine that the Dodgers were one player away. When the player was Furcal, they were only a few games above .500 (18-14). Now that the one player is Manny, they're below .500. They have only one starter (Billingsley) with a winning record and an ERA near 3.00. They have no superstar position player, other than one they've rented for two months, one who had some fine years way back when for the Giants, and one who used to be a phenom for the Red Sox. Last year we heard that the young players just needed another season to mature. Now that it's next year, Loney, Kemp, and Martin have poorer numbers than they did in 2007. The Dodgers need to sweep in AZ to have a chance. Even if they do, they might stumble against the Padres and Giants. They'll almost certainly lose against the Rockies. And even if they win the division, their most notable achievement will probably be a dubious one--the first playoff team in MLB history with a losing record. Let's get real. The Dodgers are a mediocre team. Big changes are necessary in the roster, but, even more important, in management. It's time to have a baseball person, rather than a PR guy, making decisions about players and making trades. If the Dodgers tank in AZ, I just hope that no one buys tickets to the remaining home games or signs up for season tickets next year. That's the only way to get the message to McCourt that what real Dodger fans want is winning baseball.
Posted by: Orel in Ohio | August 29, 2008 at 05:20 PM
samo is the new broxton
Posted by: Benzo Jones | August 29, 2008 at 05:54 PM
Mike T - Shocker.
Posted by: Benzo Jones | August 29, 2008 at 05:57 PM
Rob:
Please no konfuse Broxton.
Broxton change his appearance music to "Hey Kool Aid!"
Posted by: SaMo | August 29, 2008 at 07:12 PM
Orel in Ohio
I agree with you that the Dodgers were never good enough to win. The kids, Martin, Kemp, and Loney are not performing as good as they did last year and that includes the kids. You are also right in saying that the Dodgers are medocre. The management has made poor decisions on which vets to persue. I have been saying that regularly but everytime I say it, it is misconstrued, twisted and put out there for everyone to pile on and give answers to things that I never said. Good luck with your points. Maybe you said it better than I did. Most of the folks on this blog take exception to you when you find fault with the kids. Any kids. Major or Minor league kids.
Package
Posted by: Package | August 29, 2008 at 07:37 PM
The answer is A, B, and C.
Is there any way to recruit Mike Scioscia without running afoul of tampering rules?
Posted by: WBB | August 29, 2008 at 07:43 PM
AK,
My choices are C H and K in that order along with the fact we don't have enough Live Blogs :)
Posted by: K T | August 29, 2008 at 08:33 PM
Just wait til Manny starts being Manny. It won't be long and he will divide the team just like he did in Boston.
Posted by: Chris | August 30, 2008 at 10:20 AM