Handling the Truth About This Dodger Fan

Reading about Jamie McCourt facing off today against superstar attorney Stephen Susman made me wonder. It made me wonder how I might handle the pressure of being alone on the witness stand, being grilled by Susman.

With inspiration credited to A Few Good Men, here's how I think it might go...


Dodger fan (me): You want to investigate me, roll the dice and take your chances. I eat my Dodger Dogs 300 yards from 25 Dodgers who are trained to crush my morale, so don't think for one second that you can come down here, flash your badge, and make me nervous!

Susman: Did you order the ROAD RED (Angels jersey and wear it to a game at Dodger Stadium)?

Judge Gordon: You don't have to answer that question!

Dodger fan: I'll answer the question!


[to Susman]

Dodger fan: You want answers?


Susman: I think I'm entitled to them.


Dodger fan: You want answers?!


Susman: I WANT THE TRUTH!


Dodger fan: YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!

Son, we live in a town that has two McCourts. And their team has to be supported by fans with deep pockets. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Larry King?!

I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Joe Torre and you curse Don Mattingly. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Manny's defection, while tragic, probably saved the team money. And my Dodger season ticket plan, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, helped save the team from bankruptcy.

You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me in those stands! You need me in the stands!

We purchase items like $15 parking, $12 beers, and $28 Los Doyers t-shirts. We purchase these items as the backbone to a life spent supporting something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps to the poetry of Vin Scully, announcer for the very Dodger team I help support, then questions the manner in which I support it! I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way.

Otherwise, I suggest you buy a ticket and sit through a Dodger game yourself. Either way, I don't give a (darn) what you think you're entitled to!

Susman: Did you order the ROAD RED (Angels jersey)?!

Dodger fan: I did the job you sent me to do!

[Susman approaches the stand.]

Susman: DID YOU ORDER THE ROAD RED (Angels jersey)?!?!

Dodger fan: YOU'RE (GOSHDARN) RIGHT I DID!!!

Action Moves From Field Back into Court

With today's improbable, comeback, walk off, 7-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies in the books, attention on Monday shifts from the playing field back into court.

Josh Fisher gives a detailed preview as to what we can expect this upcoming week in the McCourt trial. Among other things, Frank's attorney, Stephen Susman, gets his frist crack at cross-examining Jamie.

According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Larry Silverstein, the attorney responsible for drafting the six copies of the agreement under dispute, is tentatively scheduled to testify Tuesday. His testimony not only will help determine which McCourt wins the trial, but also how much of a liability claim -- current estimates are as high as nine figures -- he might face from the losing McCourt.

On the field, Monday's a day off for boys in blue. The Dodgers are back in action Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium against the San Diego Padres.

***

The eighth-inning Dodger Stadium rendition of "Don't Stop Believin" just isn't the same without Jameson Moss. He wasn't there for at least the second game in a row, by my count. Without him, is the song really worth playing anymore?

Getting Away From it All ... at Dodger Stadium

After a disappointing summer in which Dodger playoff hopes faded with each day, after one week's worth of mind-numbing court proceedings in which the Dodger owner was pitted against his wife, after the respected former Dodger owner issued some scathing remarks towards the current owner, after the venerable manager announced he would step aside and be replaced by someone whom we know little about, after the Dodgers traded away two of their brightest young talents for a 36-year-old pitcher whom they later traded away for a player to be named later, after all this, I desperately needed an escape.

So, I did what I often do in times like this:

I turned to baseball.

That's right. I went to Dodger Stadium to take in a game.

And guess what? It worked.

Sure, the Dodgers were crushed 12-2 by Colorado. But really, it was a meaningless game for Los Angeles. In fact, it might have been the unexpected spring-training feel of the entire day that made it feel like a getaway. Consider:

1) The Dodger starting lineup featured just three players who were projected to be starters at the beginning of the season. The rest of the guys were supposed to be reserves, in the minor leagues, or on other teams: Jamey Carroll, Ryan Theriot, Jay Gibbons, Russ Mitchell, A.J. Ellis, and John Ely.

2) The announced attendance was 40,191, but only a fraction of these ticket purchasers bothered even to show up. This meant getting in and out of the parking lot was a breeze and it meant short concession lines (!), despite the fact that not all concession stands were even open. The freedom to move around unimpeded made me feel like I was in a much smaller, more relaxed venue.

All of which somehow helped to rejuvenate me. Sure, none of the angst-inducing larger issues surrounding the Dodger franchise were resolved Saturday afternoon. In fact, Ely's ineffectiveness as starting pitcher only underscored just one more of the Dodger offseason concerns -- the shallow starting rotation. But that and other issues can wait until at least the offseason.

Because today, Clayton Kershaw pitches.

And today, I choose simply to enjoy the moment.

Two Things You Need to Know About Tomorrow's Dodger Game

1. Clayton Kershaw is pitching.
2. Literally hundreds of tickets can still be had on Stubhub for $3 apiece or less (plus applicable fees).

In other news, the Dodgers today traded Octavio Dotel for a player to be named later and on the field, they were squashed by the Colorado Rockies, 12-2. More on that later.

Plenty of Off-Field Dodger News, and the McCourt Trial is Still on Recess!

What a remarkable 24-hour period this has been.

First, we had Peter O'Malley's scathing words for Frank McCourt.
Not to be outdone, the Dodgers followed up within a day by announcing that Joe Torre would not return to manage the team next season and that Don Mattingly would be successor.

Times blogger Steve Dilbeck found it more than a little coincidental that the timing of the Dodgers' announcement effectively took media attention away from O'Malley's comments and minimized their damaging effects.

Mattingley's promotion ahead of the seemingly more qualified Tim Wallach, manager of the Dodgers triple-A affiliate Albuquerqee Isotopes, raised a bit of an uproar amongst some. But as Times' Dylan Hernandez reminded all of his Twitter followers earlier this evening, Mattingly had signed a contract with Dodgers prior to the start of this season in which he would essentially be guaranteed the Dodger managerial job should Torre should step down.

The Dodgers will miss the presence of Torre at the helm. He guided the Dodgers to consecutive National League Championship Series and along with his on-field success, Torre will be remembered  for the dignity and class with which he represented himself and the Dodger organization.

To its credit, the Dodger organization paid top dollar to lure Torre to Los Angeles three offseasons ago, and despite his tactical shortcomings (bullpen mismanagement, for one), it was money very well spent.

Wow, what a stroke of genius indeed for the Dodger PR team. I haven't mentioned the name "O'Malley" for four paragraphs.

In other news, the Dodgers fell to Colorado tonight at Dodger Stadium, 7-5.

Hello Old Friend, It's Bittersweet to See You Again

Peter O'Malley probably prefers not to have had to say anything.

Certainly not after maintaining virtual silence in the 12 years since selling the Dodgers to NewsCorp in 1998.

Certainly not after his family ran the Dodgers with such professionalism, dignity and class -- the "Dodger Way" -- for 47 years.

No, to comment on current Dodger ownership after relinquishing control so long ago would be as unseeming as a former President weighing in on the current administration. Every leader deserves supportive silence from his predecessor.

So when O'Malley decided to speak with Times reporter Bill Shaikin Thursday -- calling on Frank McCourt to sell the Dodgers -- his words came with the kind of gravitas that probably neither Frank nor Jamie McCourt could ever command.

Unlike the hours of in-court testimony from either McCourt over a week ago, O'Malley's words were motivated not by greed nor personal gain, but from a profound understanding of the fractured relationship between the Dodgers and the city of Los Angeles and a desire to help repair it.

"The Dodgers need to be owned by a small but diverse group of Los Angeles people who understand the culture of the organization and the importance of the Dodgers in this city," he said.

With the O'Malley family, Dodger ownership was always more than just about success on the field or profit on the balance sheets.

"The Dodgers are a jewel and earned that reputation not just based on winning games," O'Malley said, "but on how the franchise was managed."

It is the disastrous state in which the organization his family loved and nurtured now finds itself in that compelled O'Malley to break this code of silence. In his mind, it was the right thing to do.

It was the right thing to do, to publicly chastise the McCourts for abusing the public's trust and using the Los Angeles Dodgers -- our civic treasure -- for personal gain.

It was the right thing to do, to offer to play a "short-term" role in smoothing the potential transition of the Dodgers to new owners.

It was the right thing to do, Mr. O'Malley, what you did Thursday, what your family did for 47 years. And it's so good, as a lifeling baseball fan, to see you associated with the Los Angeles Dodgers once again.

I just wished it could be under happier circumstances.

Peter O'Malley: McCourt Should Sell Dodgers

Longtime Dodger owner Peter O'Malley, whose family had owned the Dodgers for 47 years, broke his silence by suggesting that Frank McCourt should sell the Dodgers because "the current Dodger ownership has lost all credibility throughout the city," writes Bill Shaikin in the Los Angeles Times.

***

Update: Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times explains why Peter O'Malley's decision to speak out against Frank McCourt is so damaging to the current Dodger owner. In short, McCourt has now officially lost in the court of public opinion with O'Malley's comments serving as the final knockout blow.

Dodgers Waste Billingsley's Solid Outing, Losing 2-1 to Giants

The extended all-star break continued for the Dodger offense Wednesday night, as Dodger batters managed just one lonely run against the Giants in a 2-1 loss at AT&T Park.

Since the all-star break, the Dodger "attack" has mustered two or fewer runs in 29 of 57 games. In the first two games of this series against San Francisco, Los Angeles has just five hits in 57 at bats for a .089 team batting average.

It was Chad Billingsley's turn on this particular night to play the part of hard-luck Dodger pitcher. Despite pitching seven innings and giving up only one run on six hits to go along with seven strikeouts and two walks, Billingsley was pinned with his 10th loss of the year to go with his 11 victories.

Billingsley's fine effort added yet another chapter to one of the more feel-good stories of the year for the Dodgers. The 26-year-old righty lowered his ERA to 3.55 and more importantly, seems to have regained the confidence that eluded him second half of 2009.

The Dodgers would appear to have in Billingsley -- along with phenom Clayton Kershaw -- a solid one-two punch atop the rotation heading into 2011, a realization which serves, in the waning days of this disappointing 2010 season, as a much needed source of optimism.

***

In the 24 hours since Kershaw's first career shutout Tuesday night, the Dodger blogosphere remained abuzz over what transpired. Phil Gurnee of True Blue LA has a fine piece on why Kershaw's performance was less revelation than it was confirmation of what the Dodger faithful have known all along.

Dramas Playing Out at Chavez Ravine

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports that commissionar Bud Selig would like to see the Dodger ownership dispute resolved well prior to his 2012 retirement. But baseball's intervention may be necessary.

***

Filming at Dodger Stadium has begun for 'Moneyball,' a big-screen adaptation of Michael Lewis' 2003 bestselling book by the same title. The movie stars Brad Pitt who portrays Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane.

Kershaw Continues to Come of Age in Dominating Performance

Does anybody out there still think the Dodgers don't have an ace?

If there are any of you left, we present to you one Clayton Kershaw, a precocious 22-year-old southpaw armed with a blistering fastball and a knee-buckling curve. Both weapons were on brilliant display in San Francisco Tuesday, as Kershaw threw a complete game, 1-0 shutout win against the Giants.

It was a performance reminiscent of vintage Sandy Koufax, the great Dodger pitcher with whom Kershaw has often been compared. In his heyday, Koufax -- who hurled a perfect game forty-five years and five days ago -- often carried the Dodgers on his broad back, the dominating pitcher making just one or two runs of support from his teammates an insurmountable deficit for opposing teams to overcome.

Tonight, Kershaw displayed the same type of grit and dominance.

Before 36,076 hostile fans and against a Giants team that desperately needed a win, Kershaw exerted his will throughout the contest to complete his first game, in this, the 80th start of his young big league career. He struck out four, walked none, and was never seriously threatened the entire game. Kershaw needed just 111 pitches in all. He was magnificent from start to finish, retiring the first 10 batters to start the game and ending the night with a three-pitch strikeout of Aubrey Huff.

In a year littered with unfulfilled promise for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kershaw has seen his star continue to rise. With the shutout, he lowered his ERA on the year to 2.85, to go along with a 12-10 record. He has struck out 201 in 192 1/3 innings of work, becoming the first Dodger left-hander to strike out at least 200 since Fernando Valenzuela punched out 242 in 269 innings of work in 1986.

Kershaw's lone run of support came in the top of the sixth. With one out, Reed Johnson reached first after being hit by pitch. Kershaw sacrificed Reed to second. With first base open, Zito intentionally walked the Dodgers' most dangerous offensive threat, Rafael Furcal. Andre Ethier followed with another walk to load the bases. Casey Blake then grounded a 1-1 pitch up the middle. But Giants shortstop Juan Uribe bobbled, then shuffled the ball late to second base, missing a chance for the force that would have ended the inning.

Uribe was charged with the error and the unearned run would be all the offensive support that the Dodger starter -- correction, Dodger ace -- would need tonight.

Dodgers Announce Preliminary 2011 Schedule

The Los Angeles Dodgers today announced their preliminary 2011 regular season schedule. The Dodgers open the season Friday, April 1 at 1:10 p.m. against the San Francisco Giants.

The opener occurs mid-week and ealier in the year, both of which were recommendations made by The Commissioner's Special Committee for On-Field Matters. This permits postseason play to wrap up in October.

The Dodgers will play interleague opponents from the American League Central in addition to their cross-town rivals, the Angels. The Dodgers travel to Chicago to face the White Sox from May 20-22. The Detroit Tigers come to Dodger Stadium from June 20-22, followed by the Angels from June 24-26. From June 28-30, the Dodgers visit the Minnesota Twins in their first-ever visit to Target Field. The Dodgers then visit Angel Stadium from July 1-3.

What's in a Name?

The blinking cursor in the blank white box stared back at me like Don Drysdale in his prime, eyes piercing the narrow space between the bill of his cap and the tip of his glove. I felt exposed and utterly vulnerable. What was I going to name this blog? Time to step out of the batter's box.

"Ump, time please!"

I glanced down to my third-base coach in search for help. What I saw only compounded the pressure I was already feeling, as countless catchy monikers already dotting the Dodger blogging landscape flashed like signs before me: Sons of Steve Garvey, Vin Scully is My Homeboy, Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, Dodger Blues, Memories of Kevin Malone, Juan Pierre's Oversized Hat.

Still without a clue, I stepped back into the batter's box. The Big D's next delivery sent me crashing down like a house of baseball cards. Fastball, high and tight. There's nothing subtle about Drysdale, nor with some of the other blog names already out there: Dodger Thoughts, Blue Heaven, Dodger Divorce.

Then it came to me like the gentle waft of grilled Dodger Dogs. A strategy. I picked myself up, dusted myself off and dug back in. As the next pitch was delivered, I dropped the barrel of my bat, squared my body, and laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line. It was more than just a base hit. It was Maury Wills small ball. It was the Dodger Way to play baseball.

***

When I was about 8, I received as a gift a paperback copy of The Dodger Way to Play Baseball, by Al Campanis. How much of it was arrogance versus reality, I'm still not entirely sure. Was there really a Dodger Way to play baseball as opposed to Other Teams' Ways? Regardless, I sensed even as a child that there was a certain mystique about the Dodger organization. A certain pride. A certain tradition.

The title of my blog is an attempt to recall those days when there was no question as to who would be the Dodger manager the following year. Or the following 10. No question who would play third base next season. Or shortstop. Or second base. Or first base. Or who would do the play-by-play for...ever.

A time when there was no need to explicitly lay claim to the city's allegiance. Los Angeles belonged to the Dodgers and the Dodgers to Los Angeles. The Lakers were still a sideshow, the Angels a pesky younger sibling.

But it's not that simple. My blog name is an allusion to the current era of Dodger baseball as well, a period chockful of unfulfilled promises. There was the unfulfilled promise of Mike Piazza's Dodger career. There is the unfulfilled promise of the no-longer youthful Dodger core. And of course, there are the unfulfilled promises of current Dodger ownership.

The McCourts had boldly announced - promised - to renovate and expand Dodger Stadium. Their plans foretold of a state-of-the-art center field promenade that would include restaurants, shops, and a stunning, tree-lined walkway entrance into Dodger Stadium that would be named, appropriately enough, Dodger Way.

And so it goes with the name of this blog, the old inseparable from the new. Because no conversation about today's Dodgers would be complete without referencing their storied past. And no part of the Dodger past can be fully appreciated without using today as comparison.

Mixed Feelings About 'Los Doyers' Going Corporate

Last week, Roberto Baly of vinscullyismyhomeboy.com fame, broke the story that the Los Angeles Dodgers had trademarked "Los Doyers" and had begun selling officially licensed merchandise at Dodger Stadium bearing the insignia.

Other local and national media outlets soon caught on to the story, as recapped by Baly here, here, and here.

I've had mixed feelings this week about the news. On the one hand, the fact that 'Los Doyers' is now trademarked gives further recognition to the importance of the Spanish-speaking populations of both Dodger fans and players, which commonly pronounce the word 'Dodger' as 'Doyer'. That is good.

On the other hand, it also means that t-shirts with 'Los Doyers' printed across the chest now can cost $25 to $30 apiece, a price point beyond what many are able to afford (myself included). I'd also imagine there might be some for whom the endearing term 'Los Doyers' feels less their own today than it did before, now that there are legal agreements and more dollars attached to it.

Twenty-Seven Years Ago Today...

Jon Weisman recounts one of the greatest games in Dodger Stadium history, which took place 27 years ago today, in a Dodger Thoughts repost entitled a happier 9/11.

Jeez, has it really been that long?

Can We Have 80s Night ... Every Night?

Okay, I’ll admit it.

The McCourt trial has me hooked.

No, I don’t care about the affair, the luxury homes, nor which version of the MPA Jamie and Frank reviewed or signed.

I just want to know the state of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Who will be running my team? Is the generated revenue being reinvested to meet the organization’s immediate and long-term needs?

So far, many of the answers we've received are not encouraging. We've learned that the McCourts are essentially living paycheck to paycheck, servicing their outsized debt load with signficant portions of team revenue that could otherwise be reinvested within the organization. We've learned that the McCourts have not been entirely honest with us fans, telling us they intended to maintain a team payroll in the top quarter of major league teams -- and then failing consistently to do so.

All of which leads me to my biggest question of all: When will things get back to normal? Or is this the new normal? Are the halcyon days of stable family ownership of the Dodgers forever gone?

Maybe I'm better off not knowing all of the answers.

No Offense Clayton, You're Not Alone

The Dodgers lost 2-1 to the San Diego Padres Tuesday night at Petco Park, in a battle of 22-year-old pitching phenoms. Padres ace Matt Latos emerged the victor, improving his record to 14-5 by striking out 10 in seven strong innings of one-run ball.

San Diego, apparently finding its second wind in these two recent wins against the Dodgers, maintained a one-game lead over the San Francisco Giants, who also won yesterday. Prior to this series against LA, San Diego had lost 10 straight.

The Padres improved to 78-59, while the Dodgers fell to 69-70.

Clayton Kershaw, the most consistent -- and arguably most valuable -- of any Dodger in 2010, nearly matched Latos pitch for pitch. He scattered two runs, five hits and one walk to go along with six strikeouts in seven innings. Since August 1, the 22-year-old southpaw has averaged nearly 6 2/3 innings while giving up just 2.25 runs per outing. Yet he only has one win to show during that span.

Kershaw can take solace in the fact that he is not unique among Dodger starters in receiving minimal run support, particularly in the second half. Collectively, the Dodgers have batted only .240 with a measly OPS of .657 since the all-star break.

It certainly hasn't helped matters that the 2010 Dodger OPS leaders (minimum 200 plate appearances) -- Manny Ramirez (.915) and Rafael Furcal (.864) -- have both been oft-injured this season. Furcal has played in just 22 games in the second half while Ramirez, of course, is no longer even with the team.

Tonight, Chad Billingsley (11-8, 3.54 ERA) takes the hill in the series finale for the Dodgers, perhaps prepared to battle both the Padre lineup as well as the demoralizing effect of pitching for a team with a futile attack.

Labor of Love

With a third consecutive playoff appearance all but mathematically impossible for the Dodgers, I'm freed of the burden of rooting for wins now and can simply enjoy the rest of the season for what it does have to offer. So instead of sulking over the disappointment of 2010 this Labor Day, let's instead count our blessings, shall we?

• Vin Scully Continues to Call Games
• Scully's play-by-play transforms an ordinary baseball game into an exquisite experience, whether the Dodgers are eight games back, or eighty-eight.
• Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda
• Each member of this Dodger starting quartet is capable of brilliance on any given outing.
• The Dodger Stuntmen (and Woman) -- Josh Fisher, Bill Shaikin and Molly Knight
• While the McCourt trial will go down as a black mark in Dodger history, it has brought into the limelight some outstanding reporters, particularly Fisher, Shaikin and Knight, whose analyses have been must-reads for any fan daring to glimpse into how the McCourts have carried out their stewardship of the Dodger franchise.
• Keeping Things Light Over at Dodger Talk: Ken Levine & Josh Suchon
•  Thank goodness this KABC AM 790 talk radio duo provides plenty of comic relief. We've all needed it after many a Dodger defeat this season.
• Nancy Bea Plays On
• A Dodger Stadium treasure, Bea and her timeless organ music have been fixtures at Dodger Stadium since 1988.
• Dodger Stadium: The Next-to-Next-to-Last Ballpark Standing
• This ageless wonder of a stadium is part of the magic of attending a summer evening baseball game in Los Angeles.
• The Don't Stop Believin' Lip Sync Guy
• Jameson Moss has single-handedly extended the shelf life of Dodger Stadium's 8th-inning tradition of playing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'."
• Dodger Thoughts
• And lest I forget, no list of Dodger blessings would be complete without mention of the Dodger blog that sets the standard for the rest, Jon Weisman's Dodger Thoughts.

On Mattingly, Barajas and Broxton

Does history repeat itself? Or do people repeat history?

If you subscribe to the latter, then the Dodger front office might be well advised to take a look at recent Dodger history to help inform its offseason decisions regarding the futures of Don Mattingly, Rod Barajas and Jonathan Broxton. I'll talk about each in turn.

A decision with regard to Mattingly hinges, of course, on whether or not Joe Torre decides to return as Dodger manager in 2011. The Dodgers have made it well known that the Mattingly, the current Dodger hitting coach and despite having no formal managerial experience, has the inside track on becoming the next Dodger manager should Torre depart. Their stated rationale has been that sliding Mattingly over as Torre's replacement would help maintain long-term organizational continuity.

It appears that Mattingly's primary competition from within would be Tim Wallach, current manager of the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerqee Isotopes. The former Dodger third baseman is currently the best managerial prospect in the Pacific Coast League, according to Baseball America.

According to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times, Baseball America is not alone in its praise of Wallach:

Wallach ... is finishing his fourth season as a minor league manager, the last two at triple A, the highest rung on the minor league ladder. Last summer, he led the Isotopes to a playoff berth and a franchise-record 80 wins (in 144 games), winning the Pacific Coast League's manager of the year award. Baseball America named him the PCL's best managerial prospect.


And it's hard to find anyone, including Colletti, who disagrees.

"I think the world of Tim. He's going to be a very good big league manager," Colletti says.

Says De Jon Watson, the Dodgers' assistant general manager for player development: "He definitely has the skill set to manage a big league club. He's a blue-collar type, a scrapper."

Says former major league outfielder John Moses, Wallach's hitting coach the last two seasons: "He deserves a shot. What you look for in a major league manager, he has all those qualities."

All of which leaves the Dodgers facing a tough decision: If they promote Mattingly, they are all but certain to lose Wallach to another organization, something Colletti acknowledges.

The Dodgers know full well that awarding Mattingly the Dodger managerial job would virtually mean Wallach accepts a major league managing position elsewhere. Eleven years ago, they also had a highly-regarded, homegrown managerial prospect polishing his craft at Triple-A: Mike Scioscia. The Dodgers did not give him an opportunity at the big-league level, Scioscia accepted an offer with the Angels and the rest is history.

If the Dodger wish to maintain organizational continuity and the two top prospects are both from within the organization, I would argue that hiring Wallach, who comes equipped with years of managerial experience and who already is a known quantity as a manager, is the better choice than Mattingly.

Rod Barajas has been a welcome addition to LA, both with his play on the field and his enthusiasm for playing with his hometown Dodgers. In nine games since joining LA, Barajas has hit for a .321 average with four home runs and a blistering 1.262 OPS. This is not the first time that a 34-year-old late-season addition has blossomed in a Dodger uniform. Just last year, Ronnie Belliard took the starting second base job from Orlando Hudson with a 1.034 O.P.S. in 24 late regular season games. Belliard parlayed that performance into a new contract with the Dodgers in 2010, a season which has largely been a disappointment (.626 O.P.S.).

So before everyone gets too excited about Barajas -- and completely forgets about Russell Martin -- let's step back and take a look at the forest rather than the trees. Barajas is 34, Martin is 27. Barajas's career O.P.S. is .696, Martin's is .761. Even in Martin's last two seasons, the worst offensively of his career, Martin has O.P.S. marks of .680 and .679, not unlike Barajas's O.P.S. in 2010 before joining the Dodgers (.677).

To be sure, there are two critical issues the Dodgers have to consider with regard to Martin: his health and contract statuses. He is currently suffering from a torn labrum/fracture in his right hip and his future as a catcher is in jeopardy. Furthermore, having made $5.05 million this season, Martin is eligible for salary arbitration for the 2011 seeason.

To me, the Dodger plans for Rod Barajas ought not to be based on his 2010 performance in LA, which I contend is an aberration a la Ronnie Belliard's 2009 honeymoon with the Dodgers. Rather, a decision with regard to Martin must first be made -- and choosing not to offer him arbitration based on the uncertainty of his future health would certainly be justifiable -- before deciding what role and contract they may offer to Rod Barajas for 2011.

Finally, Jonathan Broxton is experiencing a second-half meltdown of Chad Billingsley proportions. Remember Billingsley's second half disappearance in 2009? After a strong first-half (9-4, 3.38 ERA) the 2009 all star finished the year going 3-7 with a 5.20 ERA. But the Dodgers wisely recognized that the young righty was still only 25 and that it would be in their best interest to provide ample opportunity for Billingsley's talent resurface. He has rewarded the Dodger patience with a 2010 season that is in line with his overall career stats -- an ERA in the 3.50 range along with the best WHIP of his career, 1.29.

In the same way, Broxton's second-half decline would appear to be a hiccup in an otherwise solid, if not stellar, career to date. Signed for $7 million in 2011, it would make sense for the Dodgers to give every opportunity to Broxton -- as they had for Billingsley -- to rebound. Other than Hong Chi Kuo, who becomes arbitration-eligible in 2011, the Dodgers have no other known quantities they can bring back from the bullpen into the 2011 season. Exercising additonal patience with Broxton, who is still just 26 and would be playing for a new 2012 contract next season, could put the Dodgers in position for receiving a handsome reward in 2011.

The Constant

Nineteen seventy-four was a banner year for the Dodgers. The team won a league-best 102 regular season games that season and featured both the National League's MVP and Cy Young Award winners.

That was also the year I attended my first game ever at Dodger Stadium. But I really don't have much recollection of either my first visit -- or of that season as a whole -- mainly because I didn't turn 1 until spring the following year.

Fast forward to 2010 and much has changed. The soon-to-be one-year-old visiting Dodger Stadium for the first time is now my daughter, the Dodgers are concluding a disappointing campaign, and an organization once known for its stability is shaking at its very foundation as it finds its owner(s?) competing against each other on a different playing field altogether.

But to me, the Dodgers brand and all that it represents -- both mythical and real -- remain a constant. The voice of Vin Scully over the airwaves, the smell of Dodger Dogs, the jewel of a stadium nestled in Chavez Ravine. Tommy Lasorda and the big Dodger in the sky, the rich history of the organization, the joy (and heartbreak) of following the team I've known virtually as long as life itself.

Those things have never changed.

Those are the reasons why I keep coming back. Game after game, season after season.