So I’m still reeling from the Dodgers losses to the Giants this weekend. It’s not just that they lost, it’s how they lost. They had the lead and then they lost and gave the Giants momentum going into the next series. Twice now the Giants have had highlights worthy of their yearly film at the hands of the Dodgers. They beat up Broxton again (he still should never pitch against the Giants), and the Giants marched forward.

The Giants also found out that Tim Lincecum can pitch again, so there is much joy up here. With the Padres losing 10 in a row at one point, the Giants thought they could grab the division. They can thank the Dodgers though, rolling over and getting swept by the Padres to keep the Giants out of the top spot.

It just seems that the Dodgers have given up. I realize they are still playing, but it seems that they are ready to fold the season and start over next year. There is no offense, despite really strong starting pitching of late.

In my opinion, it is a really interesting challenge for Ned Colletti right now. Honestly, I think he is waiting for a few chips to fall and then some major decisions are going to be made.

First, the divorce. No one knows if the team will be sold, or kept, and by who, and it affects everything. Based on what has come out, it makes sense that the Dodgers couldn’t get the big pitchers. They should be playing small ball for a while until they can get the debt down.

Second, Joe Torre versus the Previous Core Nucleus. I put these together because without it being directly said, I think it is going to be one or the other. First the Previous Core Nucleus. I call it previous because this year has exposed what everyone dreaded. Everyone has waited for Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton, James Loney and Russell Martin to take the lead and push the team into a consistent playoff team. Manny was added as the last piece, but these guys were the core. I purposely left out Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley because they have earned their keep this year, the others have not. The Dodgers have the worst outfield production of any team in the majors. The guys supposed to rock the bats (and who got raises to do so last year) haven’t come through. So much so that I wonder if there are major changes in store and guys will be traded away. After 7 years, people would expect All-Star numbers from Matt Kemp, and it just isn’t happening.

So now to the other coin, Joe Torre. He is a hall of fame coach, but doesn’t have it this year. I think a lot of it has to do with the players and the feeling by the coaches that the players don’t do enough behind the scenes and aren’t mentally tough enough to be totally successful.

So I think it comes to this. Dodgers free some money and trade a few of the studs – Torre stays assuming that they also keep Ted Lilly. If the Dodgers stay with the core, then Torre is gone. He doesn’t feel he can motivate them, therefore he will see greener pastures.  Ironically, this decision is more Joe Torre’s than Ned Colletti’s, but it will be based on past conversations with Ned Colletti.

We’ll see what happens, but it could be a winter full of change.  At this point though…the Dodgers need to wave the white flag.

Lesson learned from the Dodgers/Giants game yesterday.

No matter how much Giants fans can’t stand seeing you in Dodger blue, if they feel you have cute kids in Dodger Blue…they won’t rip on you near as much.  I had my boy in Dodger blue and my girl in Dodger pink and the Giants fans just melted.  I do love Dodger Stadium, but I now love that AT&T has an area for young kids…it bought me at least one more inning at the game.

Well – as one of my friends put it…if you can’t score, you can’t win.  The Dodgers pitched great (really liked seeing Dotel hold the score), but they couldn’t score.  The Dodgers look really different with three lead off guys in a row.  If those three can start hitting, the Dodgers could get really fast.

The missing link yesterday in my opinion was Matt Kemp.  He just doesn’t have it.  He’s not hitting well and he didn’t play centerfield very well yesterday either.  I was behind him in the bleachers and more than once he lost the ball in the sun.  I realize it is the sun, but he just seemed to get late breaks as well. 

You should have heard the fans booing him.  Among the comments I heard…

“Hey Kemp, how’s Rihanna?” and “Hey Kemp, Chris Brown hits harder than you do…”  Not a nice one, but they were definitely going for blood with him.

If Ethier can come back hitting and Manny can hit again, the Dodgers can make a good run as they have a solid team now.  Ned Colletti did his job and now they just need the offense to hit.  I read to day that Joe Torre said that he wasn’t worried, that they will hit.  I think that is true.  They picked a bummer time to slump, but I still think they will be in it at the end.  Will they win the division?  Not sure yet….but if they start hitting, they could go far in the playoffs.  I’m calling it now though – the Dodgers and Giants are going to have a dog fight at the end.  Should be fun.

To close, found a great article in the L.A. Times today (click here) on Casey Blake and Ted Lilly.  It seems that all is washed away when you become teammates.  Casey Blake called out Ted Lilly earlier in the year when he was on the Cubs for “cheating” on the mound by not properly stepping on it and getting a little closer to home plate.  Below is the excerpt when asked about his new teammate.

Among the new teammates Lilly met Sunday was Casey Blake, who accused him of cheating when the Dodgers faced the Cubs in May. Blake said Lilly was pitching from in front of the rubber.

“I’ll tell him to keep doing it,” he said.

So long until next time…Frankly I’m glad to see the Dodgers get out of town.

Let me start by saying that I like the trade for Scott Posednik. The Dodgers needed depth in the outfield with a guy who could be a catalyst, and Scott fills that role. I tend not to focus as much on who is given away, as much as who is coming. I agree not to give up your top minor league talent, but too many times minor leaguers don’t develop into major league studs, so going with established major leaguers is a good policy. Picking up Scott Posednik is a classic Ned Colletti move as he is an established veteran who has previously won the World Series.

All right – now let’s get to the point. The Dodgers are now really missing Juan Pierre. I respect that Ned Colletti made a promise to Juan to try to trade him and John Ely has been a decent pickup. Having said that, everyone wondered this off-season who would come off the bench if Manny got injured. No we know the answer. No one.

Just for kicks, here is a comparison of Juan and Scott’s stats this year, Juan with the White Sox, and Scott with the Royals.

If you look at Games, At Bats and runs, they are really similar.  Thankfully though, it looks like Ned Colletti went for an upgrade in the other categories.  I definitely like the average, RBI’s.  I also like that he can occasionally hit a home run….something Juan Pierre really couldn’t do.

bottom line though…the Dodgers needed help and now had to give up two minor leaguers, plus pay Juan’s salary, rather than just keep paying Juan his salary….Such is modern baseball.

I had a friend who is a Royal’s fan thank me for taking Scott off their hands at his highest value and helping fill their farm system.  He also feels that there is no chance the Dodgers will re-sign him at the end of the season.  (Many thanks for rubbing it in Ryan…by the way, how does it feel to be 21.5 games out every year?)

I do have to give Ned Colletti credit as he is a great fans general manager.  He is always active at this time of year and you know the Dodgers are trying.  Not all his trades work, but he’s got a pretty good average at this point, and he definitely keeps the fans interested.  They didn’t get Oswalt (Phillies win again…and may in the NLCS again), but I like that he is obviously trying to improve the team.

Stay tuned for my next post, a pre-view to the Dodgers/Giants this weekend.  By the way, I’m betting Ted Lilly is a Dodger by the end of the day.

Nothing like shame, defeat and embarrassment coming from your most hated enemy. Last night is one I hope the Dodgers just chalk up as a weird loss and move on.

I hope this happens because the Giants fans were sure pumped up this morning. I didn’t get a lot of comments at work (I was expecting them), but the talk shows this morning were all about how this was Bruce Bochy’s best game and how this win may change the rest of the season. Wishful thinking can be a horrible thing…

Not sure where to start on this one. My predictions still ring true that the Giants would win the first two…but I wasn’t very accurate on how it came about.

Timmy Lincecum got beat up. Andre Ethier is hot and everything seemed fine. Then, there were some beanings and suddenly Clayton Kershaw and Joe Torre are heading home early.  The talk shows thought Joe Torre was stupid to have Clayton Kershaw bean him, rather than some reliever who wouldn’t matter being tossed.  Could be true, but it does say something that Kershaw stood up for the team.

Then the 9th.  Welcome to management Don Mattingly.  A lot of managers start 0-1, so hopefully you can rebound from this one.  If you didn’t see it Mattingly accidentally stepped on the mound twice while out between the lines, and therefore Jonathan Broxton had to leave.

He had to leave for George Sherrill.  That was Mattingly’s second mistake.  I just wrote yesterday that hopefully it wouldn’t come down to Mr. Sherrill.  He just doesn’t have it right now and definitely shouldn’t be the guy with the game on the line, no matter if the batter is right or left handed.

Sherrill gives up the hit and the Giants walk away with a come from behind victory that they can build on. 

This is one game, but the Dodgers better snap out of this.  Regardless of tonight, they aren’t looking good.  The bullpen is weak and they can’t beat the teams they need to.  I hate to say it, but I don’t see this team (the way they are currently playing right now) making the playoffs.  They may beat out the Giants, but the Padres and Rockies should claim the top two spots.  I”m sure Mad Colletti is working on stuff because he knows the train needs some maintenance.

Tonight Billingsley.  Time to show that last night can be quickly forgotten.  Here’s hoping.

Just like last year, there are few things better than doing some “silent bragging” via the use of a whiteboard at work. I started with the “Go Dodgers” before the series, but today added the brooms. The best part is the reactions.

Yesterday, the Giant fans were in arms that I even had the audacity to root for the Dodgers rather than the Giants. Today, ahh today, they just lower their head and walk on.

It’s such a funny thing it cracks me up. I knew it was coming too. There’s been a few times now that the Dodgers have taken the first two games of the series. The Giants fans know they are beaten, they lost the series, and now they just hope they don’t have to take too much crow from us Dodger Fans. I on the other hand take great joy coming to work and talking with anyone I can about how “good” the game was last night and how “bad” the Giants are.

The talk shows were all abuzz again this morning, some feeling that the Giants will never turn it around (fine with me), and those who feel it is just a long season and this will pass.  The thing interesting this morning is that there really is a feeling now that the Giants are free falling.  They have lost 4 series in a row, aren’t getting the production out of their veterans, and don’t trust their General Manager to help them at the trade deadline.  It’s looking bad with no real hope of change.  Again, that’s fine with me.  Get the Dodgers the sweep, and then Giant fans can continue to wallow in self pity.

On another note, I need to talk about Matt Kemp.  I haven’t touched on him a lot this year, but I now believe he is the key to the end of the Dodgers season.  Manny Ramirez went down yesterday which I don’t think will be that bad, but Kemp has been benched the last few games.  He fell apart after Ned Colletti called him out earlier this season, and now Joe Torre had a closed door meeting with him.  The expectation is that he will put it all together at some point, but he certainly doesn’t seem to be doing it after his new 10 million salary this last off season.  On one hand I consider putting him on my fantasy team because now he should figure this out.  On the other hand, if Joe Torre is benching him, there are fundamental work ethic questions involved.  Here’s hoping this can all be resolved as the Dodgers need him and he can bring great offense.  If the Dodgers have truly soured on him, I wonder if he could be trade bait.  We’ll see.

Go Blue and bring on the brooms!