Last place Dodgers a complete embarrassment

[shoktart]

we BOTH are fans of the Dodgers.

The Dodgers are my team. THAT will always be true.

But that doesn't mean that I'm currently a "fan" of THIS particular Dodgers team. To be honest, I hate the current team.

Now, maybe with a new GM and a new manager I would like the team again. Maybe it's not the players fault at all. Maybe. Seems hard to believe since they are the ones playing so uninspired. But who knows? Maybe all they need is the right motivation.

The Dodgers will always be my team. But I won't always be a fan of the Dodgers.

 

[bluepigpen]

See that is exactly where we always disagree. I am a fan always. Like I said 100-62 or 62-100 it is the same with me. I think some teams are better from years to years but it doesn't have me going off the wagon. In the 60s when the Dodgers were winning it was easy. In the 70s when we didn't win a World Series, I didn't dislike the Dodgers or the teams. In the 80s we again won twice in 81 and 88 and all is good again and since nothing. So what? Cubs fans have had generations born, live and die never seeing a championship. You might question their sanity, I won't, a real fan is for life.

 

[Silas]

This isn't the first Dodger team that has been a disappointment, but it's the current edition and the only one that has a chance of making marked improvement.

If Mattingly is fired, who do the Dodgers hire who will be that motivational manager we all seem to want to see? I'm not sure anyone on the Dodgers current coaching staff would be any more motivational than Mattingly, so that means he would have to come from outside the organization.

It's not an easy fix. With the injuries and the resulting Dodger losses it seems the players develop the attitude that their situation has become hopeless. That attitude needs to change. We need the attitude of 24 other "Nick Puntos" on this squad. Find the manager that can pull that off and things just might start to turn around.

 

[Old1949]

I like Mattingly as a person, at least the little I know about him. But I can see that he has two main drawbacks. The first is that he keeps making dumb technical mistakes in how he has his team play the game. That's not good, but it's not insurmountable with additional experience, if he's willing to study the game from a managerial point of view and learn. If errors were given to managers, Mattingly would likely have more than anyone else on the team at this point. The second is just what we've been talking about...his laid-back personality and inability to motivate his players. It's nearly impossible to change one's personality, so I don't hold out much hope there. It's really too bad because on one side of the coin, his personality is what makes him likeable. On the other side of the coin, his personality perhaps makes him not very well suited to be a manager. Baseball is not a personality contest, it's all about winning games and championships. Mattingly may never get there from here.

On the other hand, unless you are willing to concede the season at this early stage, it's probably not the time to change managers, or GMs for that matter. Doing so would almost certainly keep the team in the dumpster for the rest of this season. Maybe the owners will conclude that the season is lost and clean house, or maybe they will continue to hold hope for the season and not make changes until the fall. I guess we will all find that out, sooner or later.

 

[HammerDown]

The Dodgers need to win this game really, really bad. A sweep and the natives will be asking for a head.

 

[Silas]

So, nothing seems to have changed as the Dodgers lose again. Gonzalez is still struggling with a neck issue. Maybe he should go on the DL too and call up Scott Van Slyke.

Where this will end is anyone's guess.

 

[BroncoInCALI]

By the way bronco welcome. I also don't dislike shoktart but he is always so negative where I look at sports as a get-away from reality occupation. My post says I am a Giants hater, not really, they are the Dodgers brother. Even though my only brother is a Giants, 49ers and Warriors fan and I root for Dodgers, Rams and Lakers doesn't mean I hate him. But I don't want to be them either. One Giants fan I really miss from the SeeBS days in kahuna, a Giants fan for sure but a baseball fan most of all.

Stepping in real quick to say Thanks for the welcome....

I would like to see kahuna land over here as well. Always enjoyed his point of view....

 

[Old1949]

Where this will end is anyone's guess.

Surely the Dodgers must have a team psychologist...I think most pro sports teams do. Maybe he is the one who should be fired.

If this continues, I expect at some point to see the team begin to crumble from inside...players and management begin to point fingers, attack each other, look to place the blame. There's too much money and too many big egos for this not to happen if the downward spiral goes on long enough. Then, as Shoktart suggested, the only way out is to clean the slate and start all over again from the beginning. I hope this is not the future for the Dodgers. Only time will tell.

 

[HammerDown]

I'm trying to be reasonable here and not make an absurd statement but I think, all things considered, the Dodgers are at a new low that I can't remember for years. And I think there is tremendous pressure after this sweep to start pointing fingers and deliver a head on a platter to the fans. We're going to find out about Donnie Baseball here; can he take it or not? That said, there's no way they're going to fire him this early unless Mike Scioscia becomes available.

 

[bluepigpen]

You are completely right Hammer is all aspects.

 

[ksudodger]

I must admit, I too am getting very frustrated by the Dodgers play. As much as the ungodly amount of injuries have depleted the team (and I include Kemp trying to play his way back after the shoulder surgery), the guys they are sending out there are just not doing the job. While I disagree that we need to blow the whole team up, I think certain trades could be made to improve this team while not breaking up the core. Ethier is a guy that could have value for an AL contender (like the Red Sox for example). Maybe a deadline deal sending League and Ethier to Boston for someone like Wil Middlebrooks and Jon Lester's expiring contract. We get a 3B for the future and some money off the books to make sure Kershaw gets paid. I gotta do my job as the "official unofficial board GM of the Dodgers"!!

At the end of the day, when A Gone,Kemp,Han Ram and Crawford are all 100%, we will score runs and win games in bunches. I am not ready to write off the season yet, but if we are still in this bad of shape come the All Star break...not so sure

 

[Silas]

So, nothing seems to have changed as the Dodgers lose again. Gonzalez is still struggling with a neck issue. Maybe he should go on the DL too and call up Scott Van Slyke.

Where this will end is anyone's guess.

Well, it all ended on June 22 as the Dodgers have put together one of the greatest turn arounds ever.

Another week or so and the Division title will go to the Dodgers!!

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

This thread should be dumped in the trash!