Letters: Some blistering commentary on the Dodgers

A carpenter’s hands, an electrician’s hands, a farmworker’s hands ... what do they all have in common? Calluses. None of these occupations generally allow one to take six months off. Apparently Rich Hill, who is paid quite a bit more than a farmworker, doesn’t pick up a baseball during his six months off, let alone throw one in earnest to build up his delicate digits. I cannot understand it.

Alex Fernandez

Lakewood

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Even though Bill Plaschke and many Dodgers fans were more than happy to say good riddance to Zack Greinke, I still feel it was unfortunate that he and the Dodgers could not come to terms, and, that the greatest 1-2 punch in major league baseball could not have continued their dominance.

Don’t forget that there were several location when Clayton Kershaw did not piitch well and and it was Greinke who came to the rescue.

True, his hired gun mentality has not met with as much success in Arizona. Maybe, by putting his friendship with Kershaw and the appreciation and support of Dodgers fans first, all parties would have been better for it.

Sometimes, the big bucks don’t always pay off.

Rick Solomon

Lake Balboa

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Re: “Kershaw clearly outduels Greinke”

Pitchers don’t “duel” with each other. Pitchers “duel” with hitters. They don’t “battle” each other except when one of them is in the batter’s box and the other is on the mound at the same time. One pitcher doesn’t “beat” another pitcher. He beats the other team’s hitters.

Charles Goldwasser

West Hollywood

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The Dodgers either score a bunch of runs or score one or two runs. There have been few home runs and the clutch hitting has been dreadful, much like last year. Right now they are at best a .500 team. Thank goodness the Giants are struggling.

Ralph S. Brax

Lancaster

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Memo to Dave Roberts: The next time Yasiel Puig stands in the box and watches the ball fly, he should be benched for a month. Wild horses don’t stand and watch, they run like hell.

Greg Meyer

Los Angeles

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Thanks for the thoughtful April 17 article on the cost of attending Dodger Stadium, and the Dodgers’ strategy of attracting the next generation of fans. I currently live in Michigan but last Friday night I had the opportunity to stop by the stadium and catch a game.

Growing up in Pasadena, I spent a good part of the ‘70s and ‘80s in the bleachers and upper deck, sometimes making the 20-minute drive several times per homestand. At $3-$5 a ticket, even my busboy minimum wage could afford this and I became forever loyal to Dodger Blue.

What sticker shock Friday night, starting with the $20 parking fee to park in an outer perimeter lot, a long and steep hike away from my upper deck destination. My cheap seat in the upper deck was $33. The pavilion would have been $40. Food and drink prices were astounding.

In my business travels, I attend games whenever possible in MLB cities, and I’ve made it to quite a few stadiums over the years. Since I like to wander, I usually seek the cheapest ticket available, and $10 -$15 typically covers it.

At the Braves’ new stadium outside Atlanta, they promote the thousands of tickets available for every game priced $10 or less. Throughout 2017, the St. Louis Cardinals are offering monthly passes for standing-room access to all games for $30 per month. Just scan your phone and enter.

I came to Dodger Stadium alone Friday night and looked at the dads and families all around me. Everyone seemed happy, they were eating, and we all had a good time seeing Kershaw at his best. Staff was as friendly as always. But even in this working-class section, how could these families afford to be here?

As a teen, the cheapest seats were priced roughly the same as a movie ticket, and at most stadiums they’re still close. Friday night’s awakening left a real disappointment, and I’ll think twice about stopping by Chavez Ravine on my next trip.

Please make some space for the up and coming busboys in Dodgerland.

Keith Crowell

Kalamazoo, Mich.

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Yesterday we went to our first Dodgers game in three years. In all honesty, it’s probably going to be about that long until we go to the next one. The reason: It’s too expensive. Our two seats that were near the nosebleed section cost 70 bucks; a hot dog and a beer were over 20. Nachos were eighteen. I mean come on, seriously, who thought it was a good idea to charge 18 bucks for nachos? Leaving the stadium I didn’t feel like I was part of the Dodger Family, I just felt like I was a sucker.

Warren Brooks

Los Angeles

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Dodger executives have mastered the art of double-speak when talking about their team. Erik Braverman, a marketing exec, claims the Dodgers’ engagement in the community is because it’s simply the right thing to do. In the same breath he admits it’s a way to get youngsters involved with the Dodgers so they are future fans and ticket-buyers. Maybe not so altruistic.

Andrew Friedman tells us he wants to win at all costs and win now while acknowledging the need for the Dodgers to be fiscally responsible so down the line we can compete. A broken-down starting staff mixed with inconsistent relief help and continued lack of clutch hitting from their regulars is not a championship recipe.

Even if their vaunted depth got them through the season and into the playoffs — that in itself a long shot — beyond Kershaw they’ll have no chance of winning enough games to get to the World Series. Please don’t compare Friedman to Theo Epstein until Friedman has won something, anything!

Allan Kandel

Los Angeles

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As a life-long Dodgers fan, I have one small request to ask. Can someone from the organization please step in front of a mic and put the rumors to bed and state for the record that the team has zero interest in Ryan Braun? Do we really need a known steroid user who, when caught red-handed, tried to ruin the career and reputation of someone who was just doing their job? You want to make a change in left? Give Cody Bellinger a chance.

Tom Krug

Playa del Rey

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The Dodgers don’t need Braun. They need Brains.

Steven Michael

Los Angeles

It’s a family thing

It’s good to know that Blake Griffin’s remarkable skill as an athlete is matched by his emotional attachment to his young son and daughter, in this case parenting attaining at least equal status with pro hoops. Despite his outbursts on court and elsewhere, he has always seemed to be one of the NBA’s good guys. Yet in Broderick Turner’s entire April 15 piece predicated on Griffin achieving court calmness and “inner peace because of his family,” there is no mention of the mother of these beautiful children, as if the Clippers star had acquired them on his own instead of in union with someone else. Talk about a locker room mentality; it’s a serious omission.

Howard Rosenberg

Agoura Hills

Ice guys

In response to the letter criticizing the Kings blaming Lombardi and Sutter for one bad season — this was three seasons of underachieving. The team was very classy in honoring and respecting what Dean and Darryl instilled here.

As a season-ticket holder for well over 40 years, I commend ownership for not accepting the trend and return to mediocrity.

You have one (maybe two) generational players here, time is precious.

Here’s to June hockey!!

Rand Elkins

Camarillo

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Bill Belichick wins two Super Bowls in the past six years and most think his coaching is genius. Darryl Sutter wins two Stanley Cups in the past six years and some genius thinks he can’t coach.

Dave Eng

Thousand Oaks

Trojan times

It shouldn’t even be a story, but we are happy that Chimezie Metu is mature enough to recognize the gift a university gives to an athlete — the time and patience of development as well as the tears and the cheers. The Trojan family is proud of its coaches and players and wish Andy Enfield and all his support system the best of success. We are glad to see Jordan McLaughlin and Nick Rakocevic back as well. Now let’s go and Fight On!

Richard and Anita Larsen

La Habra

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The USC spring game last Saturday reminded me of flag football. No wonder that attendance was down one-third from 2016. Most entertaining, other than the song girls, was the Jet Blue-sponsored football toss. At least, I got a free poster exiting the Coliseum. Fight On!

David Marshall

Santa Monica

Falling Angels

Mike Scioscia must think the Angels are in the NBA and trying to tank to increase their lottery chances. How else does one explain the bizarre use (actually misuse) of Jefry Marte and Cameron Maybin on Wednesday night against the Astros? Mike’s excuse? “We need Marte’s bat in the lineup”. Mike, he’s hitting .148 and went 0 for 4. I think you can survive without his bat or fielding prowess at this point.

Ken Blake

Brea

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I was stunned that your Angels beat writer would totally ignore such a devastating injury in the Sunday edition game story. It states quite clearly in the accompanying caption that “Albert Pujols breaks his back on an RBI groundout during the first inning at Kansas City on Saturday.”

So Pujols is so injury-prone even this injury is ignored?

Jim Thomas

Torrance

Playing for two

Upon further review Serena Williams has also been declared the winner of 2017 Australian Open women’s doubles.

Ron Tom

Pasadena

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