Yasiel Puig’s need for speed stops Dodgers fans in their tracks

Reading Bill Plaschke’s column about Yasiel Puig (Dodgers at standstill as Puig speeds away, Dec. 30), one might be tempted to call Puig the Cuban Babe Ruth. If he hits 715 home runs for the Dodgers, I’ll forgive him.

David H. Crocker

Placentia

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It seems to me Yasiel Puig will not learn his lesson on obeying the speed zones in any state. In fact, Mr. Puig is not interested in listening to anyone. The only way the Dodgers can get his attention is by keeping him in the minors. He should not be allowed to play next season. Dodgers officials really need to make a statement for his good and the safety of others.

Too bad Yasiel cannot be as responsible and mature like Mike Trout.

Imelda Carranza

Corona

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Well, Yasiel Puig’s 110-mph reckless driving arrest solved one problem. The Dodgers now know to keep all four outfielders.

Paul Feinsinger

Agoura Hills

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Dear Dodgers Management,

The 2013 season ended with a few important questions, not the least of which being, “How will we handle Yasiel Puig?” Thank you for clearing this up for us well before the start of the 2014 campaign. There isn’t a parent alive who understands the power of telling his or her child that a certain inappropriate action was a “disappointment.” Children today typically melt from the guilt of such a harsh word. Add to that a $42-million contract to a 22-year-old kid who is already proved to be immature and there is no question that Yasiel gets it loud and clear. Based on the way you have handled this, if there are any problems with him on the field in 2014, you can always blame the manager or fire the bench coach. That’ll show him.

Rich Sperber

Woodland Hills

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The Dodgers are quite unhappy about Puig’s recent 100-mph speeding arrest in Florida. However, the coaching staff is quite happy ... he did not run through any signs!!!

Jay Freeman

Corona

Following the Sun (Bowl)

I’m a huge UCLA fan. Brett Hundley may be the best Bruins football player in the last 30 years. As much as I want to see him stay another year, he should turn pro. We all saw what happened across town to Matt Barkley, who was a drop-back passer. Brett, having more mobility, has a greater chance of injury in college than Barkley had. So Brett, go for it! You will always be a great Bruin, thanks for the awesome memories.

Joseph B. Lowe

Manhattan Beach, CA

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Only at UCLA would a victory in the lowly Sun Bowl culminate with a Gatorade bath for the head coach and proclamations of a dream season realized. It appears the bar has been lowered significantly since the Bruins have failed to win a Rose Bowl for 28 years and counting.

Tom Mitchell

Glendale

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Who decided that the UCLA players in the Sun Bowl would wear those ugly black uniforms instead of their traditional Bruin blue and gold? National TV is a great showcase for the traditional home colors, but someone obviously thinks that black is better! Traditions are built over years and years and should be worn as a badge of honor.

Hardy Pruuel

Torrance

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The football team most like a NFL defense that Brett Hundley played against over the last two years was Stanford. If he watches video of those games, not some hokey ACC also-ran, maybe another year at UCLA looks to be the better decision.

Bruce N. Miller

Playa del Rey

Mora sets a good example

Kudos to Bill Plaschke on his amazing article on UCLA’s football coach, Jim Mora, reaching out to the Nick Pasquale family after the death of their son. Since UCLA made the hire of Mora, I have respected him as a talented football coach, but Plaschke’s article has taken my respect for Mora to a new height. Mora is an example for all of us on how to behave when dealing with a great loss and the importance of family and friends. I can see John Wooden smiling from above and saying, “Well done, Mr. Mora.”

Steve Binder

Oxnard

Search for intelligent life at Stanford...

I guess Stanford’s vaunted reputation as a bastion of intellectual achievements doesn’t extend to its football coaching staff. To keep pounding away straight ahead into Michigan State’s line for the whole game was not only uninspired but the definition of insanity: repeating the same action over and over and expecting a different result.

Ken Blake

Brea

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So, the idea is to get about 18 guys at a single place on the field, and then have one of your guys try to move the pile more than three feet? They must not teach physics at Stanford.

Honestly, it’s time for Caltech to start their football program back up. At least they understand mass, distance, acceleration and all that science stuff.

Gene Miller

Huntington Beach

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Stanford is considered the “Einstein” of football teams that can quote Chaucer or microbiology in the huddle.

While I can think the players had this acumen, I can wonder about Coach Shaw, who chose to run into the Michigan State brick wall over and over instead of using intelligence to find another way around the barrier. Even laboratory rats can figure that one out.

Stanford used to be a passing team (Plunkett, Elway, Andrew Luck). Maybe Shaw should have looked at the Rose Bowl scrapbook they displayed over and over during commercial breaks rather than his one-play playbook.

Mark Collins

Altadena

...And the same search for the Lakers

I don’t know why anyone would be upset with the Lakers’ situation. It’s going much better than expected. Kobe’s knee injury ensures a longer recovery for his Achilles’. Pau’s play ensures that he won’t be back next year, even at a vastly reduced price. And playing time for the rest lets us see them as they are: mediocre players who show flashes of excellence but not the consistency of quality NBA players. Finally, Mike D’Antoni has demonstrated that without Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire in their prime, he’s just another coach out there, not someone who can make a difference. Let’s let Kobe recover, sign a free agent, draft high, and move on to the next era.

Frank Shapiro

Chatsworth

Give him the best seat in the house

Re: Gary Klein, “Scully finds the right words”... Say it isn’t so! “And then we were at the end of the field with the grandkids ... and Stanford comes down and scores in our area . . .” What? Somebody put Vin Scully, the parade grand marshal and favorite person of thousands of Southern Californians, in the end zone? Puh-leeze!!! Pasadena, we can do better than that next year!

Jeanie Riddell

La Canada

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