August 26, 2005

So Frank McCourt says “the biggest single lesson I’ve learned since I’ve been here is just how important character is.” Sure, now!!

Hey, it’s great that the Dodgers owner finally agrees with the rest of Earth, that yeah, maybe letting the rookie g.m. dismantle the whole team wasn’t exactly a Phi Beta Kappa move. Now he gets it!! That’s just bleeping great!!

Let’s hope the organization can learn more than one or two lessons per season, because there’s a ton of curriculum to cover yet. With a field manager, a general manager and an owner all on the job for the first time, they’d better be ready for a little after school tutoring.

Here’s the Thing: This trio of Dodgers department heads has so little ability to predict the stuff that is so obviously apt to happen, it’s just mind boggling to those of us who can.

They couldn't imagine that a center fielder with a history of attitude and anger management and injury problems was going to have attitude and anger management and injury problems.

They couldn't predict J.D. Drew visiting the disabled list in 2005, or Jayson Werth landing there twice. Now they think they can move Werth to center, and keep him in the lineup for the duration.

Precedent? What precedent?

They weren't expecting Odalis Perez to get hurt twice, they couldn't predict that he might say something stupid, and they were so caught off guard by Wilson Alvarez’ ailments, that when he wanted to retire, they actually talked him out of it!!

A little spring knee injury for Eric Gagne, plus a five or six mile per hour drop in the fastball when he even bothered to throw one? Well, get on out there and deal, big fella. Knock yourself out.

They thought “Two Dollar Tuesday” was a brilliant idea, that firing vice presidents would fix them right up, and that Los Angeles would celebrate their plan to invest in the infrastructure, because that’s just as good as springing for ball players, after all.

They were convinced spending major league minimum on crisis management consultation was a smart move and they thought promoting from within, within the family that is, was something to brag about. Crisis? What crisis?

They thought Jose Valentin would hit better than he had in years, as if he wasn’t 35 and playing a new position and switching leagues all at the same time. With the odds of that happening not astronomical enough, they thought he could miss three months, change positions again and then lead the Dodgers to greatness.

Nostradamus these men are not.

They thought Jason Grabowski would eventually top .170 by continuing to put him in the batter’s box again and again and again because, well, who wouldn’t?

They thought Hee Seop Choi could replace Shawn Green at first, since he was younger and appeared to be left-handed. They thought Jason Phillips had a better arm than Todd Hundley, and that he’d make us forget Paul Lo Duca, Mike Piazza and maybe even Jack Fimple.

They thought they could teach the bleeping slide step and they thought we wouldn't want to hurl if we heard the bleeping term one more bleeping time.

They couldn’t predict even a partial meltdown for Yhency Brazoban since, well shoot, anyone with a heater and two years at the position can pitch the ninth.

Derek Lowe shrinking the ERA from 5.42 to one less large, transforming into an ace, since he had pitched three nice games in a month, albeit the month being last October? Piece of cake.

They thought Antonio Perez could play second base, they thought he could play third base, and what the bleep, let’s try him in the outfield!! Jonathan Broxton going from starting to relieving after two whole weeks of doing it in double A? A masterful piece of forecasting.

They thought that not replacing injured or unqualified players or improving the team in May or June, at the All-Star break, or by the trading deadline was acceptable baseball strategy in a small market city like Los Angeles.

They thought the fans would still turn out. Oopps…

The Dreaded “C” Word: The only place where chemistry is misunderstood, feared and just generally avoided more than in high school is Chavez Ravine. And let’s remember please, that some of the things that have been said recently about Jeff Kent were said about another intense player who wore Dodger blue. A guy named Kirk Gibson…

Statue for Sandy : The Koufax in bronze campaign continues, so please scroll down to the photo below and vote yes on 32…

Remember, glove conquers all….