LOS ANGELES - There is no shortage of talented players, both young and old walking around the clubhouse wearing Dodger uniforms.
Add in some direction, focus and a little bit of good fortune (which could be a code word for “over performance”) and it adds up to a squad that is quite possibly the best team in baseball today.
Nothing better summarized the Los Angeles Dodgers season better than what took place at Chavez Ravine last night in the sixth inning of Wednesday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
With the scored tied at two and the bases loaded, Manager Joe Torre called on Manny Ramirez to pinch hit. Ramirez was unable to play due to a sore wrist that he injured being hit by a pitch the previous night and was ruled as "day to day" by the team. However, the Dodgers mentally enigmatic slugger told Torre that he had enough strength to pinch hit. At best, the new reliever the Reds were going to bring in there was not going to have good enough control and would allow Manny to draw a walk, thus never having to take the bat off his shoulder.
Instead, what followed was something only written in mythical fiction books. On a 2-1 pitch, Ramirez connected with a shot to left field into what is now his own personal section, better known as Mannywood for a grand slam to give the Dodgers a 6-2 lead and eventual victory.
The crowd had seen him gone for 50 games after testing positive for a banned substance. At the time he left, Los Angeles had the best record in the league. When he returned three weeks ago in San Diego, his team still had the best record and found new stars along the way. The fans waited for his arrival and gave him a hero’s welcome. Now, back at home where the stadium plays "I Love LA” after every victory, Dodger fans are partying again. Having a good time and going as crazy now then at any point the entire season.
It has been a season full of fun.
Last year, Torre and the Dodgers hovered slightly over .500 for the first four months of the season. They never were able to gain firm footing and always seem to be a few losses away from falling into quick sand.
On July 31, the team, the franchise and the city would be completely altered. They were able to be a part of a three-way trade with the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates that landed them Ramirez. Not only did they get him, but also the Red Sox were willing to pay him his remaining 2008 salary, in essence, they acquired him free of charge.
The “Manny Being Manny” show was now heading out to Hollywood and with him playing the star role; he guided the Dodgers to the NL West title. In the Division Series, they upset the heavily favored Chicago Cubs in a sweep to advance to the League Championship Series.
While they would lose to the eventual world champion Philadelphia Phillies, Ramirez had made the Dodgers relevant again. Along the way, the young players whom they had been developing the last few seasons, with help of their new wild-child left fielder, began to establish themselves as valuable contributors and potential.
Ramirez is symbolic of how great the Dodgers are when he is there. What it also shows is that the team around him is tremendous in every facet, showing rare flaws that would only be nit picking. And a pitching staff, that while led by two youngsters, is greater than the sum of its parts.
Whether all of this leads to the Dodgers returning to the World Series and capturing their first title since they upset the highly favored Oakland Athletics 4-1 is to be determined. There is a long way to go before that is decided and their main competition; the Phillies are still the defending world champions until further notice. However, all signs point to this being their best chance to get back to the Fall Classic in two decades.
Try navigating through their lineup four times a night and hope that you come out alive. One through eight, it reads off and plays very similar to an American League lineup, with each hitter in the order able to do damage and no respite until you get to the pitchers spot.
When Torre was managing the Yankees, they constructed their lineup in a similar way. Early last season, he had to get a feel for what type of hitters he had. Now, they are made in his image. A lineup that from the top until the bottom can work a pitch count and get on base. He always used the term “grinding”, and outside of the Yankees, no team does it better than the Dodgers.
Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson provide a combination of speed, patience and intellect as good as any tandem around. Those two table setters can work a pitcher and if they can get on base, always has a chance to score. You had better get them out because Ramirez looms on the on deck circle.
Any combination of Casey Blake, James Loney, Russell Martin and Andre Ethier makeup the middle portion of the lineup, and each of them provides the noted “professional at bat” each time they stand in.
The fact that centerfielder Matt Kemp (13 homers, 55 RBI as of Friday) hits eighth speaks to how deep they can go in relation to other National League teams. Any night it can be a different hero, and it has gone that way this season.
Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw are the main anchors to the rotation, while Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf provide solid veteran savvy. The fifth starter spot has been a revolving door all year, from Jeff Weaver to two Eric’s (Milton and Stults) to Jason Schmidt, who returned to the mound on Monday night after missing the last two seasons with a shoulder injury to pitch five workmanlike innings in their 12-3 victory.
At the end of the game, the Dodgers have three pitchers who all come in and throw smoke. Ramon Troncoso (44 games, 1.67 ERA, 59 1/3 innings) and Ronald Bellisario (43 games, 2.42 ERA, 48 1/3 innings) consistently get the ball to closer Jonathan Broxton (42 games, 2.82 ERA, 44 2/3 innings, 72 K’s), who has been unbelievable this year
All three facets of the game are in place for them to win it all. They will have no serious challenger in their own division, so they will be judged on what happens in the playoffs. From that, the only question that remains is whether both Kuroda or Wolf will be able to hold up through October. Having Wolf in the rotation and pitching well would be vital in a potential rematch with the Phillies to neutralize their prominent left-handed hitters.
Kershaw is a young older and better than he was last year when he did not get a playoff start in exchange for Derek Lowe starting Game 4. Those two lefties to go with Billingsley provide a strong three that can win in October if everything goes well.
For a Dodgers team that has had a lot of fun this season, it will be in October where they want to have the real fun.
World Series fun.
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