When I read about this morning's trade on the Dodger blog, I posted this comment:
"My only reservation
is that Casey Blake has spent his entire career in the American League
and with a few exceptions such as Barry Zito, C.C. Sabathia, Dan Haren,
etc., is largely unfamiliar with National League pitching. When the
Dodgers acquired Steve Finley in 2004, he was able to hit the ground
running whereas Blake will have a learning curve to overcome without a
lot of time.
Overall though, I applaud Ned Colletti on acquiring a quality
veteran bat without sacrificing the future. If Blake is able to make a
smooth adjustment, he will be just what the Dodgers and their
struggling lineup needs."
On another note, I agree with Joe Torre's decision to sit Andre Ethier last night. What else are you going to do? With Juan Pierre returning from the disabled list, the Dodgers were once again in a position of having four outfielders. You can't sit Pierre because you need his speed at the top of the lineup and you can't sit Andruw Jones just yet.
The Dodgers have just brought in Don Mattingly and also hitting coach Jeff Pentland to work with Jones. You need to give them a couple weeks to see what they can do. Like Torre commented, Jones is a big part of the Dodgers' plan this year. He has tremendous upside. Jones is one of the few hitters in baseball who can carry a team when he's playing well. With the Dodgers only a game out of first, they still have the luxury of time to work with him and it will be well worth the time if he finally comes around. Besides, the Dodgers - desperate for a bat in the lineup - brought him off the DL cold before he had a chance to get his swing together. They need to give Jones a little more time. They can't give him too much more time however, as the pennant race will soon be reaching a point where they have to play the guys who are playing the best and sit the guys who aren't, regardless of who they are.
Until that time however, I feel you have no choice but to platoon Kemp and Ethier. The Dodgers need to keep their eyes not just on the division but on the playoffs as well. If they can get Andruw swinging the bat well, then the Dodgers will be in a much better situation offensively during the playoffs. The Dodgers need to not only be good enough to win a weak division but to beat some good teams in the playoffs. That is why Jones and his bat were brought over.
When I read about this morning's trade on the Dodger blog, I posted this comment:
"My only reservation is that Casey Blake has spent his entire career in the American League and with a few exceptions such as Barry Zito, C.C. Sabathia, Dan Haren, etc., is largely unfamiliar with National League pitching. When the Dodgers acquired Steve Finley in 2004, he was able to hit the ground running whereas Blake will have a learning curve to overcome without a lot of time.
Overall though, I applaud Ned Colletti on acquiring a quality veteran bat without sacrificing the future. If Blake is able to make a smooth adjustment, he will be just what the Dodgers and their struggling lineup needs."
On another note, I agree with Joe Torre's decision to sit Andre Ethier last night. What else are you going to do? With Juan Pierre returning from the disabled list, the Dodgers were once again in a position of having four outfielders. You can't sit Pierre because you need his speed at the top of the lineup and you can't sit Andruw Jones just yet.
The Dodgers have just brought in Don Mattingly and also hitting coach Jeff Pentland to work with Jones. You need to give them a couple weeks to see what they can do. Like Torre commented, Jones is a big part of the Dodgers' plan this year. He has tremendous upside. Jones is one of the few hitters in baseball who can carry a team when he's playing well. With the Dodgers only a game out of first, they still have the luxury of time to work with him and it will be well worth the time if he finally comes around. Besides, the Dodgers - desperate for a bat in the lineup - brought him off the DL cold before he had a chance to get his swing together. They need to give Jones a little more time. They can't give him too much more time however, as the pennant race will soon be reaching a point where they have to play the guys who are playing the best and sit the guys who aren't, regardless of who they are.
Until that time however, I feel you have no choice but to platoon Kemp and Ethier. The Dodgers need to keep their eyes not just on the division but on the playoffs as well. If they can get Andruw swinging the bat well, then the Dodgers will be in a much better situation offensively during the playoffs. The Dodgers need to not only be good enough to win a weak division but to beat some good teams in the playoffs. That is why Jones and his bat were brought over.