Kuzul

The fans who have not yet lost hope with their beloved Los Angeles Dodgers are pulling out their hair, racking their brains, and seeing their stress levels reach dangerous peaks.

If it was a simple task to isolate one problem area that is causing the Dodgers’ horrible play, the coaching staff would have taken care of it already. After all, that’s what they get paid to do.

But perhaps the one thing that has plagued the Boys in Blue the most this season is drama—2010 hasn’t seen a moment without it.

On top of the McCourt divorce and the potential sale of the club, a supposition the team was controlled by a wizard in years past, a constantly shrinking payroll, and an overpopulated disabled list, the story that is beginning to take center stage now is whether or not Joe Torre will return as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager.

And if Torre decides to walk away from Los Angeles, more drama surfaces—who becomes the heir to Torre’s throne?

Well, that’s entirely a whole other can of worms that will be front page news in every paper on the west coast about three weeks from now.

But one of the candidates certainly in front of the pack is current batting coach Don Mattingly. As a matter of fact, Mattingly has been picked apart with endless criticism about his managerial skills—so much so that the organization has assigned him the task of managing the Phoenix Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League once the Dodgers’ season ends.

So is it possible that amidst all of these theatrics that Mattingly is slacking with his coaching duties?

Since the All-Star break, the Dodgers have been hitting .199 as a team; and on paper the additions of Scott Podsednik and Ryan Theriot will not help the squad’s collective slugging percentage of .297.

The normally hot sticks of James Loney, Casey Blake and Andre Ethier have been silent since the mid-season intermission. Loney is batting .183 with a .317 slugging percentage, Blake is hitting .172 while slugging .293, and Andre Ethier is at a dreadful .135 average with a .269 slugging percentage.

Just looking at those numbers makes Dodger fans want to praise Garret Anderson for his contributions this season.

And up until Monday night, Matt Kemp’s bat looked like a fishing pole being cast into the trees. There were no logical mechanics in his swing whatsoever. Somebody must have been giving him somekind of instruction.

Yet through all of this, the Dodgers may have just one small glimmer of hope.

That being in the form of one Manny Ramirez.

Say what you will about Manny’s actions off the field; but scores of players around the League will tell you that there are few players who step onto the field more prepared than Ramirez.

Manny probably knows the tendencies of opposing pitchers better than several batting coaches around the Majors.

Ramirez never stops watching film. Most players around the League won’t change a thing when they’re in the middle of a hot streak, but that’s when Manny experiments. He actually plays games with the pitchers within the actual game itself—battles, if you will.

He changes the mood of the team; he reduces the stress level. He may even tell a funny joke at an appropriate time. He informs his teammates what to expect from opposing pitchers. The bottom line is that he creates positive chemistry—he creates an entirely new outlook to the game. All the things that a batting coach is paid to do.

It’s tough to even remember looking into the dugout and seeing one of those Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier trademark smiles—or even that shifty little grin from James Loney that Dodger fans all know and love. It’s been a long time.

Time and time again, players on championship squads echo the secret to their success, “We just go out there and have fun every night.”

The Dodgers’ players aren’t having fun at all.

Many folks around Dodgertown feel let down by Manny Ramirez. With three trips to the disabled list, they feel he’s not contributing to the squad at all. They believe he’s old, that his bat has slowed down, and that there’s nothing left in the tank.

Still, he’s still putting up strong numbers when he’s healthy—a .317 average, eight homeruns and 39 RBI. With runners in scoring position he’s batting .352 with 29 RBI.

But yet he offers so much more than statistics.

Okay, so maybe he’s not going to be the real hitting coach when he returns sometime next week.

But just ask Matt Kemp, Rafael Furcal, Ronnie Belliard, James Loney or Andre Ethier if they would mind having Manny as their hitting instructor. The answer would be unanimous.

The notion of being in the same lineup as one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game will elevate a player’s performance in a hurry.

And watch each one of those five guys erupt with a smile when Manny walks back onto the field again.

Sometimes it just takes the littlest of things…

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This season’s trade deadline held no surprises for the Dodgers and General Manager Ned Colletti.

As per usual, the tenacious GM pulled off some big moves in the 11th hour, acquiring best-of-the-remaining starters Ted Lilly, a reliable infielder and everyday starter in Ryan Theriot, a seasoned veteran fireballer in Octavio Dotel, and stability and speed in the outfield with Scott Podsednik.

However, there are still several players on the Dodgers’ roster that should have been shipped out in the process.

It is certainly considered a victory when a team can pick up established stars for little more than prospects and cash, but Los Angeles has expendable players to move to make room for the regular starters to have a place on the active 25-man roster.

Here are five players squatting on the Dodgers’ roster that should have found new homes.

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Entering another critical intra-division series against the San Francisco Giants over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves continuing to fade in the standings while their offense remains dormant. 

The entire squad is struggling at the dish, especially in terms of power, which is reflected in the team ranking 25th among the 30 teams in Major League Baseball in the homerun department.

From the National League perspective, the Dodgers stand in 14th position out of all 16 teams in long balls. Even the San Diego Padres, not known for their power capability, have gone yard 79 times compared to the Dodgers 77 round-trippers.

And the Padres, hoping to bolster their slugging capabilities, added to their potential pop by acquiring sluggers Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada.

Yet, it seems that the Dodgers prefer speed over power as they made deals to bring second baseman Ryan Theriot and utility outfielder Scott Podsednik to Los Angeles.

Theriot was acquired with starting pitcher Ted Lilly from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Dodgers’ second baseman Blake DeWitt and pitching prospects Kyle Smit and Brett Wallach.

In another move made in the waning minutes of the deadline, the Dodgers acquired 36-year-old reliever Octavio Dotel from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for James McDonald and minor league outfielder Andrew Lambo.

Swapping DeWitt and Theriot is a virtual wash, as their statistics, both offensively and defensively, are nearly identical. Dewitt is batting .270 with one homerun, 15 doubles, four triples, 30 RBI and a .352 on-base percentage; while Theriot comes in with a .284 average, one homerun, 10 doubles, two triples, 21 RBI and a .320 OBP. The only difference between the two is that Theriot is a much higher threat on the base paths.

The Dodgers didn’t show interest in Ludwick or Tejada, both whom unquestionably bring power potential to the finesse style offense of the San Diego Padres.

Ludwick’s signature year came in 2008 with the St. Louis Cardinals, when he hit .299 with 37 HR, 40 doubles, 104 runs scored and 113 RBI.

Although Tejada is in his twilight years, it was only in 2004 when he hit .311 with 203 hits, 107 runs scored, 40 doubles, 34 HR and 150 RBI for the Baltimore Orioles.

In their last 10 games, Los Angeles has only scored a total of 12 runs, five of which came in the 6-5 loss to the Giants on Friday night.

The Dodgers hope that the return of left fielder Manny Ramirez will provide a spark to their sluggish offense, but according to the team’s website, Ramirez is still more than a week away from running full speed, and will likely require a rehab assignment before returning to the Los Angeles batting order.

Even with Manny in the regular lineup, the Dodger bench still lacks any type of power boost off the pine.

Podsednik (5 HR), Reed Johnson (0 HR), Jamey Carroll (0 HR), Brad Ausmus (0 HR), Garret Anderson (2 HR), and even Ronnie Belliard (2 HR) pose the least bit of threat to knock the ball out of the yard if used in pinch hitting roles.

Matt Kemp (17 HR, .262 avg.), Andre Ethier (16 HR, .294 avg.), Casey Blake (11 HR, .246 avg.) and Russell Martin (5 HR, .245 avg.), who are normally huge power threats, continue to struggle and produce beneath their potential.

With the additions of Podsednik and Theriot however, perhaps the Dodgers can begin to manufacture much needed run production by utilizing finesse and speed.

Regardless, Los Angeles hopes to find some type of offensive spark as they close out the series with the Giants on Sunday, and begin a crucial four game set against the Padres at home on Monday. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The MLB “Non-Waiver” Trade Deadline has come and gone but another has yet to arrive, the August 31st Waiver Trade Deadline. This simply means teams can still trade players but with the requirement of placing their players on the waiver wire, which is pretty secret in MLB and often if a contract is too hefty a player goes free.

Last year the Chicago White Sox shocked the baseball world by claiming outfielder Alex Rios from the Toronto Blue Jays and his expensive contract, in the neighborhood of $50 million left on it and getting him with no trade whatsoever. This scenario is unlikely to happen this time around but I can tell you that there are a handful of players out there likely to clear waivers for postseason hungry teams needing a final piece in order to win and here they are…..

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With July 31 rapidly approaching, teams throughout Major League Baseball are scrambling to bolster their squads for the remaining two months of the regular season, hoping to propel themselves into October baseball.

Whether your team is in the market for a middle of the order bat, a veteran utility man to cover for potential injuries or rest a few regulars down the stretch, an ace starting pitcher, or a dependable reliever to add depth to your bullpen, there is likely a player available to suit your needs.

Teams have long since determined whether hope remains for their 2010 aspirations or if the club is best served by turning their collective eye toward the future. Do we hold on to the few recognizable names we have to help fill seats over the remainder of 2010 or is it best to jettison those in favor of youth and potential building blocks for the future foundation of the franchise?

It’s clearly never an easy decision to make, but the time is now to either act decisively or stand pat and take your chances with the squad you’ve constructed up to this point. Of course, there is always additional maneuvering prior to the August 31 waiver deadline, but that’s an entirely different story altogether.

A clever deal for the right player can alter the destiny of your team but can also prove fruitless and make the baseball world question your sanity. Occasionally, you end up with a scintillating Randy Johnson at the deadline, as the Houston Astros did in 1998, and other times, you may get a woefully over-matched Denny Neagle like the Yankees did during the summer of 2000.

With several high-profile deals already completed, the majority of the deadline dealing may be finished. There are still plenty of rumors floating around several teams and occasionally one team’s move forces the other contenders to attempt to counteract their rivals’ maneuvers. No one wants to remain stagnant while their potential playoff foes are fortifying their squads.

In light of all the recent activity around the league, let’s take a closer look at several of the most significant mid-season trades of the last decade.

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With the latest installment of Hall of Fame inductees being honored Sunday, the concept of current players with the ability to make it to the Hall of Fame is once again on the minds of fans around the league.

The Dodgers have a talented outfield and some well-known names in the infield. There’s a “sure thing,” a “quite likely,” and a “possibly,” on the Dodgers roster when it comes to the Hall of Fame, and some big names that may not make it.

Here are three players I feel have a legitimate chance at finding their way to Cooperstown, and some honorable mentions that might just miss the mark.

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Even before the 2010 MLB season began, almost every team in baseball was in awe of the offensive potential of the Los Angeles Dodgers powerhouse outfield.

With 2009 Silver Slugger Award winners Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, along with a rejuvenated Manny Ramirez, the Los Angeles outfield was sure to wreak havoc on the best pitching staffs around the league in 2010.

Now, with nine days remaining before the non-waiver trade deadline, reports around the Majors indicate that the Dodgers have shown interest in Cody Ross of the Florida Marlins and Jeff Francoeur of the New York Mets. They have also been involved in talks to possibly bring B.J. Upton of the Tampa Bay Rays to Los Angeles.

What a difference four months make.

After a torrid start, then returning from a broken finger, Ethier never regained his power stroke. Ramirez has already made his third trip to the disabled list just after the All-Star break. Kemp, who has recently shown sparks of productivity, hasn’t been the same high-impact player he was in 2009.

Still, with Xavier Paul settling into the Major League roster, one would think the Dodgers should be fine until both Reed Johnson and Ramirez regain a full bill of health.

Perhaps it’s like when somebody heads out to the store and says they’re going to walk in, buy one item, check out, and leave. Then they are walking down an aisle and see all kinds of things they fancy, and ultimately check out with a cart full of goodies. In an effort to fill their shopping basket with several pitchers, the Dodgers may just walk away with an outfielder as well.

The insanity of the trade deadline and the pressure on a general manager to improve his roster could have that effect.

However, with a seemingly empty pocketbook, Los Angeles would be foolish to make such a move.

One could argue that the Dodgers need more pinch-hitting pop off the bench, but they have several players on the farm who could fill that role, most specifically Jay Gibbons, John Lindsey or Kyle Russell.

Maybe the Dodgers are looking past the 2010 season when they will no longer have the services of Manny. Perhaps they see an opportunity now to assemble a formidable outfield now moving forward into 2011.

Finally, maybe general manager Ned Colletti is moving in a completely different direction, and is forming a multi-player deal involving several players on the Dodgers’ current big league roster and is merely replenishing the stock.

The possibilities are endless.

Regardless, citizens of Dodgertown are itching and praying Colletti doesn’t lose focus of acquiring a high-caliber starting pitcher and at least one dependable reliever.

It was reported yesterday by ESPN that Dodgers’ owner Frank McCourt has approved added payroll in the $3 million range; and although it was an unexpected move, it isn’t nearly enough cash to make a legitimate run at Roy Oswalt or Dan Haren.

Nevertheless, Colletti is very capable of putting together a series of moves that could push the Dodgers to the top of the contenders list.

Many Dodger fans just hope he doesn’t give away the farm for a three-month rental or someone who can’t contribute. Although the Dodger faithful would like nothing more than a deep run into the 2010 playoffs, they still want security moving into the future.

Only nine days remain—let the speculation flow, the tension mount, and the craziness begin.

(Michelle Mitchell also contributed to this article)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers are quickly letting the 2010 season slip away. They have few options for trade bait and haven’t been seriously included in many trade talks.

Perhaps the biggest name on the roster, left fielder Manny Ramirez, is currently sitting out with his third stint on the disabled list this season, diminishing his trade value even more.

It is clear Ramirez is showing his age. At 38, his legs can no longer stand up to the vigorous workout routines and long fly balls encountered by MLB outfielders on a daily basis.

So, the questions remain:

Are there any teams in the American League that would be willing to employ a designated hitter with a $20 million contract?

Even if there is a trade possibility for the slugger, would the Dodgers get players that will contribute significantly to the 2010 campaign?

Here are five teams, in no particular order, that may at least have a remote chance of inquiring about No. 99, and what they have to offer in return.

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What’s wrong with baseball today?

In 2010, our best hitter, Albert Pujols, is a hardworking, wholesome Christian. The best pitcher? Some say it’s the soft-speaking Rockie who lives with his parents, Ubaldo Jimenez. Others say it’s the humble, consistent Philly, Roy Halladay.

Rewind the clock ten years, back to 2000.

The best hitter? A juiced-up, muscle-bound, record-breaking freak who punished teammates or reporters who got too close. The best pitcher? A jheri-curled 12-year old trapped in a 28-year old’s body, putting up one of the greatest pitching seasons ever.

The colorful hues of our national pastime are quickly fading into the background of America’s football obsession.

Some people might ask if this is really a problem, or just a change in the dynamic of baseball.

For the last three seasons, attendance in Major League Baseball has been down. Many have blamed the economy, but economics are not the only factor lowering interest in baseball.

Poor teams, such as the Royals and Padres, have been unable to draw crowds, even with newly renovated parks.

Back in the 1980’s, crowds would turn out in droves to see competitive Royals and Blue Jays teams, who had characters like George Brett and George Bell. That decade, Kansas City was fifth in overall attendance. Toronto placed seventh, despite only making the playoffs twice.

When you’ve got players who charge the field over an overturned home run or MVPs who tell the media that fans can “kiss their purple butt,” people are going to come out to the stadium to see your team.

But nowadays, teams like Kansas City and Toronto have fallen on hard times. Only three teams had larger drops in attendance since last year.

For the Royals, whose best players are a socially anxious Cy Young winner and a quiet slugger who’s one of only five players to ever hit at least 20 HR and 50 doubles in a season by age 24, it hasn’t been for lack of talent.

Attendance around baseball is down across the board. Almost two-thirds of teams experienced attendance drops. Can you name some current characters similar to the likes of Bonds or Martinez or Canseco or Wendell? Ozzie Guillen? Milton Bradley? An aging Manny Ramirez? Sure, but there’s not nearly the comical menagerie of clowns that we saw from the 1980’s and 90’s and even into the early part of last decade.

At the end of the season, we may have to say goodbye to a few of baseball’s great characters in fiery managers Lou Piniella and Bobby Cox. Even free agent Pedro Martinez could have thrown his last pitch in the major leagues. Once Manny Ramirez is gone, well have little reason to laugh at a baseball game.

So is baseball becoming less entertaining?

Some might say so. Baseball has been called “boring” and “dull” by those who prefer the quick pace and loud-mouthed players of football or basketball. And it’s my biggest fear that if baseball doesn’t get some personality back into the game, ther interest of the casual fan will fizzle out.

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He said what?! You support steroids in baseball? Are you serious?

In a way, I do. I miss seeing mammoth home runs being shot to the upper deck on the simple flick of the wrist. The shouts of “Wow” that would emanate throughout the stadium from the fans. Plus, the naive state that many baseball fans stayed in (including many today) in believing their baseball heroes were clean and played pure baseball was hogwash then and now. 

Well, to those who are purists and want answers, all I can say is this: I do miss players staying with their original teams; I miss every team having a chance to win the World Series title and I miss the days when you didn’t have to throw away a full day’s itinerary around a Sox-Yanks game. If that’s your thing, fine. I on the other hand, am so numb to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry that the desire to address this topic awoken in me.

Let me be the first to state that my favorite baseball player of All-Time is and will probably always be Ken Griffey Jr. I don’t believe he used, so whether or not you believe he used ‘roids, I am not a particular fan of players who use steroids, I am just a fan of the type of game that was being played during that time.

Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, and others as the list goes on are not going to be on my favorite players sheet. I have a feeling others feel the same way. Their cowardice from not speaking honestly about the steroids is my main issue, not the steroids themselves.

I really wish one of them would have just come out and said: “Yeah, I use steroids. I play better, get paid more and give my team a better chance at winning. That’s why I use them.” Nope. Not a single word of that dialogue was spoken by a single player at the time. Everything was hush hush around the league which made more of an annoyance looking at things now, but also made them more intriguing as time progressed.

I, for one, enjoyed the other side of baseball that was forgotten as all of these recording breaking Home Run numbers were being put up. That would be the pitching aspect of the game.

Watching Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Mike Mussina, John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez going at it in the Steroid era was great. Having these behemoths of meat staring you down at the plate and still being able to be effective at pitching is simply impressive.

It makes what Pedro Martinez did from 1997-2003 astounding and an almost resounding reason to put him into the Hall of Fame.

In 1997, back when he was with Montreal, he posted a 1.90 ERA with 13 Complete Games over 241 Innings Pitched. Already a fantastic season under his belt as the Steroids Era was under way, he would follow this with a trip down to Boston to continue his career.

Now Martinez would take on competition during the hey day of Steroids. How would he respond?

During 1999, Pedro only allowed 9 Home Runs over the season while pitching 213 innings. A ratio that works out to only one Home Run in every 23.6 at bats. That went with a 2.07 ERA that year. He would follow the next season with a “decent” 1.74 ERA. He would hold a 2.21 ERA over this seven-year period.

That is part of what was so great about the Home Run Era over the Dead Ball Era to me; it truly showcased the great pitchers of the time. I also believe with this blueprint put in place, it should resolve any questions about Mike Mussina legitimately making it into the hall.

Now to the opposing side of the field and focusing on Offense, who doesn’t like scoring? Americans are starting to come around on Hockey and Soccer/Football depending on how you want to address it, but scoring still reigns.

Did the West Coast Offense not make the 49ers and Professional Football all the more appetizing? I believe so. With that thought in mind, Americans love scoring whether it’s with each other or when its watching an event in front of them.

I was living in Seattle when Brett Boone was a Mariner, and I can say he was 100 times more fun to watch on ‘Roids. Not only was he belting Home Runs at a record pace for a second basemen, but he was making unbelievable defensive stops to save games.

I can just imagine if Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth would have been able to Juice. That would have been crazy. So crazy that no matter how much one might be against steroids, you know seeing a Mantle/Aaron/Mays fight for Home Run supremacy today/then would be great. A healthy Mickey Mantle against a young Aaron and a primed Mays would  be awesome, no other way to face it.

Everyone hates Barry Lamar Bonds, however no one argues that he wasn’t a fantastic player on steroids or that he wasn’t also fantastic at being an ass. People didn’t need reality T.V., they had the ups and downs of a Major League player on the juice to watch. He showed us the numerous strengths and faults we can find in humans displayed in so many ways in just one person. He was a truly polarizing figure.

I also miss the days of hating Bud Selig and the owners. I personally see them as the main contributors to this Era in baseball. Selig had a chance to nip this steroid problem in the bud; but following the strike of ’94, integrity was not going to go ahead of dollar signs and the long ball fun was going to continue. He was a fun villain to root against and today unfortunately, he is just that guy who allowed a tie in an All-Star Game.

My frustration now, is that so many players had to use just to compete with others who were using at the time. No one wanted to be taken down to the minors, so you did what you had to to survive. If your rival third basemen on the team is taking, are you going to stay clean and get demoted? That was an issue many faced and with Selig not cleaning things up, players had to say yay over nay way too many times.

With the past transactions however, have we become so sensitive to steroids that we have taken them out from everything in our society?

The new Predator movie called “Predators” is coming out and who does it star: Adrien Brody and Topher Grace! Now I love Adrien Brody, he deserved the Best Actor award for the Pianist in 2001, there is no question about that in my mind. Turning towards the movie Predators however, how can I take him and Topher Grace serious as the men who are going to stop a Predator.

I need the Steroid base men who fill their meat head roles. Brody and Grace are lovers, not fighters and I would like it if Hollywood realized that. Please leave my favorite Hollywood movies remade realistically. No one wants to see Schwarzenegger in a love story, same with Brody in an Action flick.

Steroids can have negative and positive effects, it is acknowledging their uses that is key. I don’t condone players to use them because they are messing with their health by overusing them and I am not a supporter of that function. There are people who have needed steroids to treat life threatening illnesses and I fully support their usage if they can help improve their quality of life.

In the end, it is a contradiction I live within when it comes to steroids. I long to see the game played the way it once was, but at the same time I do not condone unhealthy functions by the players.

Young men of high school age have followed their heroes in paths to sometimes tragic results and that is a shame.

Again, I’ll admit it I miss the Steroid Era of baseball. That being recognized, I also enjoy the growth that people can make with their minds instead of just their bodies. Here’s hope that the mindset of people can continue to grow over desires to modify only the body.

Home runs are nice, but knowing how to build a home is a little bit nicer.

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