Entering The Major League Baseball Season, there was a dark cloud hanging over The Los Angeles Dodgers. Former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt was forced to sell the team by MLB commissioner Bud Selig which left the team’s finances in limbo. That changed in March when The Dodgers were sold for $2 billion to The Guggenheim Baseball Management group which includes former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Since that time, The Dodgers have added payroll at a faster rate than I attach desserts to my plate at a buffet.
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti signed Dodgers All-Star center fielder Matt Kemp to an eight-year, $160 million extension that will keep him in Los Angeles until 2019. Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier received a five-year, $85 million extension as well. On July 25, The Dodgers went shopping as they were able to acquire three-time All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez from The Miami Marlins. Colletti wasn’t ready to slow down as he obtained outfielder Shane Victorino and starting pitcher Joe Blanton from the Philadelphia Phillies. Colletti was then able to shock the baseball world on August when he acquired first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, outfielder Carl Crawford, starting pitcher Josh Beckett, and utility man Nick Punto from The Boston Red Sox.
While The Marlins, Phillies, and Red Sox were all desperate to shed payroll, The Dodgers still had room on their plate. Now The Dodgers payroll is at $154 million, but they were unable to win The National League West this year as that honor has fallen on The San Francisco Giants for the second time in three seasons. With only seven games remaining in the season, The Dodgers are 3.5 games behind The St. Louis Cardinals for the second National League Wild Card spot.
After The Dodgers lineup was transformed over the summer, it was expected by many that this team would be playing in late October, but just like The Red Sox of 2011, The Dodgers could be home when the postseason begins wondering how everything went wrong.
Entering 2011, former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein signed Gonzalez and Crawford to lucrative deals that were expected to help Boston return to the playoffs. Instead, The Red Sox collapsed in the month of September and failed to make the playoffs. Epstein and Red Sox manager were the casualties of the team’s disappointment as they did not return to Boston this season. The Sox gave it one more try this season with the same underachieving squad, but with Bobby Valentine as the manager. At the team’s best this season, The Red Sox were only able to be five games over .500 which resulted in the team’s fire sale.
Now the same underachieving mantra is being thrust upon The Dodgers. On August 25, The Dodgers were two games behind The Giants in The NL West while they were only .5 game behind The Cardinals for the second Wild Card. Just like The Red Sox of 2011, The Dodgers are losing games to teams that they should dominate. Since the blockbuster trade at the end of August, The Dodgers have lost series to The San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, and Arizona Diamondbacks. It isn’t helping The Dodgers cause that Kemp is playing hurt after injuring in knee after running into the outfield wall in a game against The Rockies. Reigning Cy Young Award winner starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw is attempting to tough it out with an injured hip which has limited his ability down the stretch while Gonzalez has only hit three home runs since he was traded back to The National League.
When teams have an overhaul like this one, it generally takes them some time to gel. I expected The Dodgers to struggle, but I figured that they would still qualify for the playoffs. With The Atlanta Braves having a stronghold on one Wild Card spot and The Cards about ready to wrap the other one, The Dodgers will be home in October just like The Red Sox of 2011 with a ton of head scratching.
Leave A Comment