Jul 08 2008
Joe’s Dodgers
Despite having a slow start filled with injuries of his top players, Joe Torre’s Dodgers are now tied for first place in the National League West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers have won 7 of their last 10 games and find themselves where they would like to be by the All-Star break.
If you pay attention to the standings, the Dodgers do not look like an impressive team with a 44-45 record. Look around the fact that they are still a game under .500 or that they do not hit many homeruns, the team has won when most would have folded.
With early injuries in the season to SS Rafael Furcal, 3B/SS Nomar Garciaparra, and OF Andruw Jones, the young team looked to its veterans 2B Jeff Kent and OF Juan Pierre. The teams leader C Russell Martin has come through for his team even playing some games at 3B when needed.
Typical of Joe Torre, he has united a team who last year found itself with a split in its clubhouse between the young and veteran players. It seems Torre has patched that up with his trademark calming presence.
The position players are not the only Dodgers to fall victim to the injury bug, SP Brad Penny and SP Jason Schmidt have been on the DL recently. However, those holes have been filled by great pitching from SP Chad Billingsley and SP Hiroki Kuroda so far this season. The bullpen has been very efficient and affective as well.
Some in Los Angeles have called many times for the Dodgers to trade some of their top prospects. The organization has felt otherwise in thinking that their prospects will come through instead of attaining a quick fix player for just a season or two. That pressure has fallen to the side and will not get this teams management trade happy. Instead that stability has given some of the young players the ability to relax and not worry about being traded or sent back down to the minor league.
Players like 1B James Loney, OF Andre Ethier, C Russell Martin, and the suprising 3B Blake DeWitt have the Dodgers making a strong run that has brought them into a tie for first place. Will they stay in 1st, no one can predict, but it seems that everyone knew that Joe Torre would make a push like he has proven he will throughout his career.
Team is starting to look good after a few months of agony. Hopefully, this is a turn-around for the Dodgers. First order of business: get a couple games over .500!!!!!