The Line Begins to Blur

Watching the 2005 Los Angeles Dodgers is like watching a drunk guy stumbling around at a party. Just when you think he's passed out, he props right back up and asks for another beer. Then just when you think he's finally regained his composure, he falls face first through a table.

That is pretty much the theme with this team. Whenever it looks like they are in stride and playing good baseball, they hit a rut and go into a losing streak. Whenever it looks like they are dead in the water, they find a lifeboat and pull themselves out.

The team's 12-2 start had fans here buzzing about what a great season was to come. Since then the team has spiraled downward at a rapid pace. They will always have a few games where it looks like they've turned it around, then before you know it they are getting their asses handed to them. The team is currently on a 3-game winning streak.. this coming off the heels of a sweep at home at the hands of the Chicago Cubs.

Which one is the real team? Well, I guess this IS the real team. They can't expect to put a consistant winner on the field when the two men they rely on to anchor their pitching staff are the two most inconsistant pitchers in the history of modern baseball(Jeff Weaver and Derek Lowe). Jeff Kent, as great as he is(8 RBI's in the last 2 games) is 38 years old and he can't be relied on to carry the brunt of your offense.

I guess that brings us to Jonathan David Drew. For as much as I bashed JD Drew this year he is coming around finally. In his last 13 games he is hitting over .300 with 5 HR's and 10 RBI's. He is also playing stellar defense in Center Field the absence of Milton Bradley.

One must wonder what the reason is for this resurgance.. has the real JD Drew finally emerged after brushing off the cobwebs of that 0-25 start to the season? Maybe his 55-million dollar deal lit a fire under him to become the player we always knew he could be? Maybe playing alongside a fiery player like Bradley has caused him to bring his game to newer levels?


Most likely, he's just teasing us before his inevitable 60-day DL Stint.

Update

Well since I last posted the Dodgers went to San Francisco and won 1 of 3 there, and then went to Arizona and won 2 of 3.

The Bullpen has been rocky to say the least. Brazoban has struggled as of late and Giovani Carrara has been just plain awful. The only dependable arm in the pen at this point is Gagne and even he isn't looking like the Gagne of old just yet.

Someone on offense is going to have to step up..Milton Bradley has come back down to earth and is probably now playing at about the level he'll be at for the rest of the year. JD Drew is just... well, he is what he is.

After a hot start, Jeff Kent has cooled down(save for a grand slam the other day), but then again I didn't expect him to carry the offense on his 38-year old shoulders, and if Paul DePodesta expected him to then he needs to get his fucking head examined (well he needs to get his fucking head examined regardless of that).

Jim Tracy called up AA Pitcher Derek Thompson after Odalis Perez was placed on the DL and he did pretty decent in his start. He had some control problems but overall he wasn't too bad, and hopefully Tracy gives him so more chances because he could be a pretty solid pitcher in the long run.

Another call-up he needs to make ASAP is to bring up Edwin Jackson in place of Scott Erickson. When Jackson was coming up he was compared to Dwight Gooden and Nolan Ryan.. now has he lived up to that hype in the past year? NO. Could he still possibly live up to that hype? MAYBE. Can he do better than Scott Erickson? FUCK YES. Enough trying to baby him, just let the guy go out there and pitch. After all he DID beat Randy Johnson in his first Major League game ever, at the age of 19. The guy has the talent, he just needs the experience.

Tonight the Dodgers begin a series with the Cubs. They get Maddux tonight and Zambrano tommarrow, but won't have to face Wood or Prior.

Dodgers Lose

There will be a blog here in a few days.

Just a quick note, Dodgers lost to the Barry-less Giants tonight 5-3. Jeff "Dream" Weaver pitched a dazzling 3 innings and the 55-million dollar man JD Drew stayed consistant by going 0-3 with 3 strikeouts.