It's getting unbearable to watch the Dodgers play. Seems like they forgot how to play basic ball. They can't move runners over. They can't hit with runners in scoring position. They have an inning in a game where they give up five or more runs. And they haven't been able to hit their way out of a wet paper bag. I will give you reasons why the Dodgers are in a very deep funk and are in danger of missing the playoffs altogether.
INJURIES: with a 162-game schedule, injuries are bound to happen. It's inevitable. The key is sustaining as few injuries as possible and to keep your regulars fairly healthy. The Dodgers have been hit hard by injuries. Here's but a few:
Jason Schmidt: injured his shoulder very early in the season. He has one win this season. He's done for this year and maybe his career. He was counted on to be the innings eater of the rotation, the solid #3 that would give the bullpen an occasional rest. Without 200+ innings from Schmidt, it has taxed the pitching staff. Fortunately, Chad Billingsley has stepped in and become a solid #3. Billingsley did lose CONSECUTIVE 1-0 decisions during the Dodgers' slide.
Randy Wolf: he was counted on to be that lefty that was going to give the team a solid effort week in and week out. He hasn't pitched in nearly two months and may be done for the season.
Hong-Chih Kuo: was healthy for about a month this season (in which he hit a memorable home run off John Maine of the Mets; the bat flip was even better). Kuo has the tools to be a legitimate starter, if he ever stays healthy.
Yhency Brazoban: one of the game's best set-up men when he was healthy. He was never healthy all season and he's done for the season.
Nomar Garciaparra: he was put on the 15-day DL with a calf strain. He's getting older and as an older player it's harder to stay healthy.
HITTING: players will go through slumps at some point in the season. This is the first extended slump the Dodgers as a team have gone through this season. Luis Gonzalez started out slow, then went on a tear, now he's in a funk. Nomar was just starting to hit the ball like he did last year, now he goes on the DL. While Juan Pierre is hitting .284, I'd like to see him take a few more walks and get on base more often so he can utilize his blazing speed. I believe the Dodgers will break out of their funk, but it better happen soon or they'll be making tee times after September.
Overall, it's not quite time to panic yet, as I still believe that the Diamondbacks will hit a skid at some point and the Dodgers will go on a tear. No team can play .900 ball between now and the end of the season like the D-backs are. Everything evens out at the end. It's still going to be a three-team, maybe a four-team race at the end.
Vern, I hear ya there. Taking any pitcher, particularly one on the wrong side of 30, is a HUGE risk. The Dodgers chose to take that risk and it bit them in the ####. All those innings that Schmidt threw to that point took its toll. Fortunately, they have a stud pitcher at AA in James McDonald who's been tearing it up. At this rate he could be in the rotation NEXT SEASON. Eventually he could be a legitimate ace at the major league level. And they have ANOTHER stud pitcher in Clayton Kershaw.
I keep hearing everyone rave about the Dodgers farm system yet they seem to constantly sign old and injury prone players. Where are all of the young players? Ned Colleti seems to have brought the Giants philosophy of building a team by trading all of your young talent or not playing them at all unless you are forced to. He also seems to be building Giants south since the team has about 7 or 8 former Giants on the team. This team is a #### shoot every year and every year they choke.
jlew, It's nice to have a good mixture of vets and younger players. The Dodgers initially took off when they finally realized that James Loney should be playing every day. Now if they can realize that both Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier should be playing every day.
It is not time to panic but i feel that we will be a wild card team and hopefully we will be healthy enough to make a push in the playoffs. First of all, the line up needs some changes: Furcall,Nomar(when healthy),Martin,Kent,Kemp,Looney,Et hier,Pierre. Speed at the top and at the bottom. Nomar second because hit makes contact and would be a great hit and run situation for furcall when he gets on.
We made a bad move going out and getting Proctor. Penny,Lowe,Billingsley,Stults and Houlton should be rotation until Wolfe gets back. Tomko and Hendrickson should be set up men and not starters.
We have one more push but i just think the Dodgers need to win at least 27-28 games the rest of the way starting now. We need to losse no more than 2 games a week the next 6 weeks to have a chance. It will be interesting because we play the D-backs 6 times, the Padres 6 times, the Rockies 7 times, Phillies 3 times, the Mets 3 times, Nationals 3 times, the Cubs 3 timesand the Giants 7 times with a season ending series at home with them. Lets watch and enjoy, should be worth everything pennant races are made for!!!
chieft and bubbles, the Dodgers' meltdown mystified me. Now they seem to have righted the ship. Billingsley lost not one, but TWO 1-0 decisions. At this point in time, a wild card is more realistic than a division title. I do like the rotation of Penny, Lowe, Billingsley, Stults, and we still need a fifth starter. Houlton has shown flashes of being a dependable #5 starter but is too inconsistent. He has to show me a little more. Strangely enough, I like Nomar at #2 in the order.
I totally agree with you on just about everything you said. I do have a comment about Hong-Chih Kuo though. When he was brought up earlier this season, I really didn't beleive he could do much of anything. His pitching is just too wild. I was there when he won his only ML win of the season and hit that homer off of John Maine. I thought for sure he was going to turn around and start winning some games. Turns out it was his only win, then he was sent back down to AAA, then he got put out the rest of the season.
Kuo is out with a shoulder injury. He should be back for spring training next year. I've been hearing that the Dodgers may bring up James McDonald to be the #5 starter. It couldn't hurt--he'd probably do a LOT better than that stiff Brett Tomko. Hendrickson is best as a lefty set up man. He's actually pretty good in that role.
I am from Central California. I am passionate about sports, particularly the NFL and NASCAR. My favorite teams are: Panthers (NFL), Lakers (NBA), Flyers (NHL), and Dodgers (MLB). I am also a Kevin Harvick fan in NASCAR. I am a Fresno State honk. (I'll admit it!) And I am also a fan of MMA. Jackie Robinson to this day represents what is right about baseball. I also enjoy discussing the relevant (and sometimes irrelevant) issues of the day pertaining to sports. I will never understand why televised poker is so popular. Who wants to see a bunch of people sitting around a table, muttering to themselves? I do my best to keep politics out of my sports discussions. That is why I recently created a nonsports blog, cencalscribe. blogspot.com. That is where I post my nonsports topics.
