Looking To The Second Half

We all know how the Dodgers played in the first half. We all know the strengths and weaknesses and what needs to be improved upon in the second half of the season. We all know what the players on the field have been doing and what they need to do better.  The question for me is what does management need to do to contribute to a successful and winning 2008 season? This is the question that I will attempt to answer.

First and foremost, Dodger management needs to decide how important the 2008 season is to the organization.  Is winning in 2008 worth sacrificing 2009, 2010, and beyond?  Are the Dodgers prepared to go for the gold in 2008 or continue to go with the youth movement in hopes of having many good years in the near future?  Those are good questions and there are great arguments to both sides.  Personally, I'm a win now kind of person.  I'd rather make some sacrifices to get a championship now and worry about the future after the season.  It's a sort of carpe diem attitude - "seize the season". 

However, I must admit that the thought of holding on to our young talent long enough to enjoy many years of winning and maybe even start a dynasty is tempting. The Dodgers patiently went with a youth movement in the early 1970's and as a result, Dodger fans enjoyed many great years, including the famous long-running infield of Garvey, Cey, Lopes, and Russell along with other Dodger greats who contributed to four pennants and a championship.  GM Ned Colletti has some tough choices to make in the next few weeks and I don't envy him.

If the Dodgers decide to stay the course with the youth movement, then I have nothing more to say about 2008. They will have a team of talented young prospects that will mature over the next few years, hopefully making the Dodgers one of the teams to beat in the National League for years to come.  And they may even make the playoffs this year given the way the NL West has collectively stumbled into the All-Star break. That alone may be an argument for continuing to preserve the youth.

However, if the Dodgers are serious about not only winning in 2008, but going deep into the postseason, then they have a lot of work to do.  There is not a lot of panic in the Dodger world due to the fact that they are only one game out of first.  But the reality is that the Dodgers are far from being a first-place team.  They are three games below .500 and are lucky to be where they are.  The Dodger record would be good enough for last place in the AL East.  And for a team that hopes to match up well with teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, or Cubs in the playoffs, then there is much work to be done.

First and foremost, they need a number one starter.  They need a pitcher who can be the ace of the starting rotation - someone who is their go-to guy when they need to win a big game.  They need a pitcher who is almost a guarantee to give a quality start on any given night.  This type of pitcher really earns his salary in the postseason when he can potentially give you three starts in a seven-game series.  Jason Schmidt was signed by Colletti to fill this role but shoulder problems have sidelined him ever since he joined the Dodgers. Brad Penny is currently the "ace" but has never been consistent enough to really earn the title and is no more reliable in a must-win game than any of the other starters.  Chad Billingsley will probably be this type of pitcher in the future and often pitches like it but is still maturing as a pitcher.  Hiroki Kuroda may be this type of pitcher once he fully acclimates to pitching in the United States.  But those are all ifs and somedays.  They need someone to step into this role now.  The problem is that they have bigger holes to fill.

The first hole they need to plug up is shortstop, or more specifically, Rafael Furcal's bat.  If that bat is found at a position other than shortstop then so be it.  I don't need to expand on this too much as everybody knows that management is actively pursuing a shortstop even as we speak. 

The next hole they need to fill is Andruw Jones's spot in the lineup.  I believe Andruw Jones will get it together and find his swing.  What I'm not so sure of is whether it's going to happen this season.  If the Dodgers were 8 games up, I would say to give Andruw all the time he needs.  But the Dodgers are fighting for the division and can't afford to have a .160 hitter in the lineup for much longer. I say you give him a little more time (a couple more weeks) and if he does not show significant progress, I think you have to write him off in 2008  If you can't bring in somebody from the outside, then an outfield of Pierre, Kemp, and Ethier is the way to go.

The loss of Takashi Saito is obviously another hole to fill but I think the Dodgers have the arms in the pen to replace him while he is out.  They won't be Saito but they won't be Brett Tomko either.  If nobody works out, then you have to make a move.

The last problem they need to deal with is players who aren't fully on board with Joe Torre's game plan. Like owner Frank McCourt said recently, they have a wealth of coaching experience in that dugout. The coaching staff is about as good as you're gonna get.  If players aren't going to listen to these coaches, then they won't listen to anybody. This isn't a team that is going to blow people out and score a lot of runs. This is a team that needs to work hard to manufacture runs and it takes a game plan and smart hitting to accomplish this.  Any hitter who isn't willing to do their part and be a team player has to be shown the door no matter how talented he may be. 

I realize this is partially a wish list as it will be near impossible to do all the above.  At the very least, the Dodgers need to pick up a good solid bat from outside the organization, bench Jones if necessary, and make sure they have a team of players who are all on the same page and who are committed to winning. That may be enough to get them where they need to be.

I will leave you with this....(best read with the music for John Lennon's Imagine playing in your head). Imagine the return of Rafael Furcal in early September.  It's possible.  Imagine Andruw Jones finally getting his swing together. I wonder if you can. Imagine Takashi Saito not needing surgery.  He's going to give it a shot.  Imagine Nomar stays healthy.  All we need is three months. Imagine Brad Penny comes back from arm soreness to pitch like he did last year.  It isn't hard to do.  Imagine Jason Schmidt returning to the Dodger starting rotation.  You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one. I'm watching the game right now and the count is 2 and 1.  Okay, I had to find a rhyme.

It is still possible.  Nobody is officially out for the season. Some of these dreams may be a stretch but it is still possible that the Dodgers can be at full strength going down the stretch drive with the team that Ned Colletti put together at the beginning of this season.  What I am trying to say is that the Dodgers have upside. Serious upside. Do not count this team out for the season or for being a factor in October.