Question Answered - Loud And Clear !

Greetings readers and trade partners,

Away back on  June 22nd I wrote a post that essentially called out my team, and laid forth this 239 million dollar question...

At the time, my beloved Dodgers and the 2013 season were pretty much absolute failures.  The Boys had a record of 30-42, were sitting in last place, the homer announcers on the Dodger TV broadcast were all out of excuses and were finally calling it as they saw it ("Abysmal"),  and even die hard Dodger fans were admitting defeat.

I wrote that June post as a challenge...a call to arms if you will...a plea to my team to WAKE UP!  and get their collective shite together!  I'm very happy to report that I did my part to contribute to the success of the Dodger's 2013 campaign, and it seems my humble little post worked.

Since that writing the Dodgers have won 20 of their last 25, and are looking every bit like the bad-ass juggernaut that all those payroll millions were supposed to deliver.  Hallelujah, I say!

I'm not here to analyze what caused that turnaround.  The beat writers and stat bloggers can write all about that - and they have.  Let's simply take a look at who I called out as a bum in that past post and see what's happened since.

STILL A BUM

Brandon "I Only Pitch In Blow Outs Or If Absolutely, Positively Everyone Else has Already Pitched, And The Umps Won't Let Coach Rick Honnecut Pitch" League

 Mattingly finally had to admit this guy has as much business on a mound as Korean pop star Jessica Jung.  League's been relegated to the absolute back of the line for pitching eligibility.  In yesterday's extra-inning, nail biting, close game with the Nationals, Mattingly used every single bullpen pitcher available, except for League.  You could almost feel the ache in the Skip's stomach as he hoped closer Kenley Jansen would not lose the lead, forcing him to bring in this bum.

At least he wasn't traded away like this guy...

STILL A BUM

Matt Guerrier was traded away to the Cubs.  I heard Ned "Bum To Be Mentioned Later" Colletti quoted a scene from the classic film "On The Waterfront" when he sent Matt packing to the Windy City.  It comes near the end when the gangsters have left Marlon Brando beaten to a pulp behind their headquarters.  The mob boss spits out his words full of venom and spite - as Colletti probably did to the Cubs - "You wantum?  You can haveum!!"

SEEMINGLY SNAPPED OUT OF BUMDOM

With Man Monster Puig tearing up shite in RF, Ethier found himself patrolling Center.  He's got his mind right, has been playing well enough in the field, and has started hitting the ball again.  As an extra bonus, he's actually starting to get his power groove on as well.  In the Dodger's first game back after the All Star break, Ethier blasted a 9th inning HR to lead the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory over the Nats.

STILL A BUM 

Some of the writers have been fooled out there by the Dodger's big turnaround, and are actually saying things like Mattingly was making genius moves all along; it was simply the players that weren't executing.  Hogwash!

While it's true many of the players finally got healthy and began doing well, this guy is still making stupid field management decisions.

Case in point: Bison's first game back from the disabled list.  He was absolutely Thee Bison, going 3 for 4, with a homer and 3 RBIs.  It was the 9th inning, in a 9-3 blowout against the Nats. 

All Mattingly had to do was let us all bask in the glory of Kemp's awesome return, and pull him off the bases after his last at-bat in the 9th.  The INJURY PRONE Kemp, in his FIRST GAME OFF THE DL, could have come off the field a hero, to celebratory high fives from all in the dugout.

Nope, after Kemp's 9th inning walk, Damn Mattingly, "Super Genius", left him in to run the bases and stupidly twist his ankle at home plate.  Injured, yet again!  Pulling an injury-prone player, in the 9th, in a blowout, is what smart managers do.  Ya haven't fooled me, Skipper.

RECENT VICTORIES, STILL A BUM

Speaking of guys that have had their careers reignited by the vapors of the surging Dodgers, Slick Nick here dropped some of the dead wood that he previously signed, and did make a couple of decent pick ups (see Ricky Nolasco) to buy some time with the new Dodger ownership.

It's my prediction that at the end of the season, if push comes to shove, Ned will throw Damn Mattingly under the team bus, and roll on as our god-awful G.M.

STILL, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, HONORABLE MENTION BUM 

The less I'm reminded this guy is "leadership" on my team, the better.

On the surface, this may appear to be a negative vibe post, since so many of the bums I mentioned in the original post, still are.

However, on the EXTREMELY POSITIVE side, the 25-man roster, the guys between the chalk lines, my beloved Dodgers, have shaken off those days of bumtacity, and have become the team I don't want to miss a single inning of - nay - I don't want to miss a single pitch, because the Boys are back in town.