Dodgers: 2008 Midseason Assessment

I remember the 1968 baseball season---the first one I viewed from my Saturday seats at Shea Stadium. It was a year when all the pitchers throughout the majors were on top of their game. And nobody could hit. One game after another was either 3-2, 2-1, or 1-0.

Forty years later, it's still 1968 at Dodger Stadium. All the pitchers are top of their games. Nobody can hit. One game after another is 3-2, 2-1, or 1-0.

And you can be sure that, in the scores above, the Dodgers have the 2, the 1, and the 0 respectively.

In all my years following baseball, I cannot remember a team more inept in scoring. Let's face it, if Japanese WWII bombers hit like this year's Dodgers, Pearl Harbor would today be a Ritz-Carlton resort. And, thanks to injuries to veterans and inexperience from young players, this became a perfect storm that would have capsized most baseball teams. Shortstop Rafael Furcal had the month of his career in April and the spinal issues of an 80 year-old the rest of the way. Nomar Garciaparra played in only nine games prior to July 1, as he can pretty much pull a hamstring while doing the TV Guide crossword puzzle. Jeff Kent is usually one careening ground ball away from a pulled back muscle.

And then there's Andruw Jones. Counted on to rebound from a mediocre last season with the Atlanta Braves, Jones has shown just how quickly a baseball career can disintegrate. He's still trying to swing at balls that were thrown at him in May. Indeed, Jones' free agent signing could arguably be the worst ever in baseball history and might even rival the sale of Manhattan Island by the Indians. For the 18 million dollar annual salary, he has the highest cost per home run: $9 million per four bagger.

All of the above were supposed to support the still growing Dodger kiddie corps of Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Andre Ethier. While Loney and Ethier have been fine, albeit a little light in the power department, Matt Kemp is an enigma---the second coming of Willie Crawford and Raul Mondesi, two other Dodgers with unlimited potential that never amounted to anything more than unlimited potential. At times, Kemp looks like he went to the same focus classes as the Mets' Jose Reyes. And, most insiders will tell you that he doesn't bother to listen to Manager Joe Torre and the coaches. All in all, this pretty much amounts to the same scenario one day after another. The Dodgers with runners on second and third with nobody out. And no runs score.

Meanwhile, the Dodger pitching has been the best in the majors since June 1. It has to. The Dodgers actually got no hit last month, but still won the game, 1-0. Hiroki Kuroda and Derek Lowe both flirted with perfect games in the same home series. Young Chad Billingsley has emerged as the team ace, as he is backed by a solid bullpen, which may be hampered a bit now with closer Takashi Saito on the mend for six weeks. But, there are still enough good arms that, at least on the mound, the results will be there.

The Dodgers hope that hitting coach Don Mattingly, finally removed from his boozed up wife and able to work fulltime, can help in the second half. And, as bad as they have been, the Dodgers remain in the division hunt as the leading Arizona Diamondbacks are only a decimal point better. But it's doubtful anybody can connect with Matt Kemp, who probably listens only to his mother. That'll get his room clean, but that won't prevent him from swinging at three bad pitches. It may also get him to another team by the end of July and the trading deadline.

Regardless, I lean back into my season seats, savor the Dodger dog, and enjoy the fine California weather. It's still the best place to watch a baseball game. Oops, you'll have to excuse me while I mark my scorebook. Jones/Kemp just struck out again.

Dinner last night: A great meal of chicken kabobs, corn, etc. at 15thAve Bud's house.