Play Ball!

As someone born and raised in Los Angeles, I'm a Dodger fan. I didn't go to that many games as a kid but I went often enough to love the feel of the ballpark. I mostly followed them by radio. Vin Scully and Jerry Dogett were the voices of the Dodgers in my youth.

They were usually competitive in the 1970s but they fell short until Fernadomania when the Dodgers won the World Series against the dreaded Yankees in the strike affected season of 1981. And then there was the amazing year Orel Hershiser had in 1988 and the memorable Kirk Gibson homer to win game one in the bottom of the ninth against the Oakland As. The Dodgers went on to take the World Series in five games against the big bats of the As.

The 1988 Dodgers won it all with pitching and timely but generally anemic hitting.

The Dodgers have relied on that formula for a long time and since 1988 have neither made it to the playoffs or win a game in them.

Last year was an amazing and frustrating year. The Dodgers had the best pitching staff overall in terms of solid one through five starters and the best relief corp anchored by Cy Young Winner Gagne. But hitting was awful. The team was 2nd to last only ahead of the worst team in the MLB, the Detroit Tigers.

Off season, Fox News Corp wanted out and the long delayed sale to McCourt finally occurred. However, with all the uncertainty, the Dodgers made no significant moves to improve the team. Some doubt McCourt really has the money or the will to do much. McCourt hired a relative unknown to be the GM. DePodesta is a student of Beane in Oakland, the GM who gets as much talent for as little dollars as anyone. DePodesta may turn out to be a good decision maker for talent but he seems to be the GM who can be hired at a bargain who works from a bargain philosophy.

Then recently there was the arbitration situation with Gagne. No doubt, Gagne is getting a lot of money at $5 million per year. But the way the management handled the situation by downplaying his accomplishments just doesn't inspire confidence.

So will I go to Dodger games?

I suppose I could boycott going to games and instead trek down to the Big Ed to see the Angels.

But in the end, what can a fan do?

You grow up with a team ... and even though they disappoint, you still hope for the best. Just ask Cub and Red Sox fans.