Letters: A lot of errors going around

Obviously the owners of the Angels and Dodgers have never heard of team chemistry. Arte Moreno and the Guggenheim Guy thought they could build better teams just by adding more expensive elements.

Here’s a lesson from Chemistry 101: You won’t improve water (H2O) by replacing the O (oxygen) with Au (gold). H2Au won’t work: Just ask Torii Hunter, the professor of Team Chemistry 101.

Steve Stanage

Corona

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I hope Angels management, and fans, can look between the lines of T.J. Simers’ smarmy Josh Hamilton piece and realize that what they have in Hamilton is nothing compared to what they had in Torii Hunter.

Mike Flanagan

Silver Lake

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Is it really Mike Scioscia’s fault? Look at the pitching staff, Wilson, Blanton, Vargas, Hanson: These are Jerry Dipoto’s guys. And how about signing a closer who is coming off surgery and has yet to throw a pitch?

Pujols and Hamilton, these are Dipoto’s and Moreno’s guys. Was it Scioscia who let Hunter go? When Scioscia came in, the first thing he did was shore up the minor league system. Today it’s rated one of the worst in baseball, thanks to no first-round picks the last two years. The Angels have two picks in the top 100 this June, The A’s and Rangers have four each. You can’t build a team without players.

So whose fault is this mess really?

Lyle Althoff

Oxnard

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My wife and I, living in Las Vegas, were itching to see a couple of major league games. The Angels? Bad product. The Dodgers? Not interesting. It’s hotter than hell in Vegas right now, but we’re going to go see the Diamondbacks in hotter Phoenix because at least we know there will be an effort from the home team. Go Snakes, and go Gibby!

Mike Morgan

Las Vegas

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Matt Kemp is truly a fine gentleman. His actions after a recent game in San Francisco prove his class. His defense of “Donnie Baseball” reinforces his ability to man up. He is correct stating that Mr. Mattingly does not hit, pitch, field or run for your Trolley Dodgers. During these difficult days, not one player has talked any nonsense aimed at Mr. Mattingly.

I hope the Dodgers terminate their manager. He has too much class for those “Bums.” And when the inevitable day comes, I wish Don Mattingly well. I’m certain that my beloved Yankees will bring him home where he belongs. There, he will play for the fans and a team who appreciate class. We sure could use an unproductive long ball hitter with all of our injuries. We don’t complain about our wounded All-Stars. We continue to root for our pinstripes!

Craig M. Podell

La Quinta

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Regarding T.J. Simers’ column on May 12, Arte Moreno is a solid, committed, and important Major League Baseball owner. He unhesitatingly risks his own resources to seek a World Series for his fans, his team and his family. His market and all of MLB is elevated by Arte.

Lew Wolff

Los Angeles

Wolff is managing partner of the Oakland Athletics

Family matters

Your post-Mother’s Day edition carried a tale of two sons. Who knew T.J. Simers had such sensitivity to go with the brash? His tribute to his parents revealed a tender, palpable respect. On the other hand, Kobe Bryant’s petty fight with his mother over his basketball mementos (translation: money) does not surprise.

Once again, it’s all about Kobe.

Jeanine D’Elia

Granada Hills

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Neither Mychal Thompson nor Phil Jackson are going to get my vote for father of the year. Were these May 16 articles on their relationships with their children (and in Phil’s case it seems that while he may be the biological father to Brooke, he thinks of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as his surrogate sons) supposed to inspire, to instill admiration? I cringe to think of Thompson senior critiquing his son Klay’s every move, not to mention “joking” about control of his finances, as well as Jackson constantly subjecting Kobe to comparisons to Jordan.

No wonder Kobe’s relationship with his parents is poor (at best) and I wonder how Klay really feels about his father’s barbs.

Ruth Kramer Ziony

Los Angeles

Called for icing

1982: Miracle on Manchester

2001: Frenzy on Figueroa

2013: Elation on Eleventh!!!

Nick Rose

Newport Coast

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According to last week’s letter, hockey is somehow not as popular as other sports because we can’t relate to it. I have never flown a plane, argued a case in court or performed surgery, but I can appreciate the skills of pilots, lawyers and doctors.

If the sports we played as kids were truly an accurate gauge of their future popularity, wouldn’t we all be discussing soccer, dodgeball and capture the flag?

Jonah Franco

Rolling Hills Estates

Course behavior

I thought that golf was a game of honor. If so, how can Tiger Woods continue to get away with questionable behavior on the golf course?

First, it was the illegal drop at the Masters that should have earned him a disqualification, but instead cost him only a two- stroke penalty. Then at the Players he clearly dropped the ball 240 yards closer to the hole than he should have while Johnny Miller, Mark Rolfing and Peter Jacobson protested. Surely, Casey Wittenberg is not going to stand up to Tiger.

Are TV ratings so important that we will allow the integrity of golf to be tarnished while Tiger rampages through the sport? I hope not.

Kenneth Spencer

Pacific Palisades

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Hey Sergio, that was not a five-wood you heard Tiger taking out of his bag when you were practicing your swing, it was him filling out his deposit slip for the bank.

Wally Seller

Chino Hills

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Where was Tiger standing when Sergio hit three balls into the water on 17 and 18?

Mike Miller

Los Angeles

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Tiger could hit a golf ball as a 2 years old, I wonder why Earl Woods never taught him how to properly drop one.

Larry Yells

Hermosa Beach

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