Striking out at Andruw

This year’s Dodger Dog doesn’t come on a bun. He wears number 25.

Allen E. Kahn

Playa del Rey

To quote John McEnroe, “You can not be serious!” Wednesday Andruw Jones said, “I’ve been getting some tough pitches to hit.” Good observation. Balls that bounce in the opposite batter’s box can be a little tricky.

John Thompson

Chino

It was reported that Andruw Jones left a game “with what Torre described as a stomach flu.” Well, that’s only fitting – most Dodgers fans are sick to their stomachs every time Jones comes to bat.

Jonathan Ball

Pasadena

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. This seems to describe the Dodgers’ situation with Andruw Jones, which has reached the level of absurdity.

Don’t worry about Jones, he is not a child, he is a man and will have his $18 million a year to keep him warm on the bench. All that is left is for Joe Torre to do what is right for the team and sit him now that Juan Pierre is back.

Matthew Bilinsky

Beverly Hills

Remember how everyone freaked out when oil went to $120 a barrel? Then, after it reached $145, we all rejoiced when it dropped to $125? The same thing’s going to happen when Andruw Jones’ batting average reaches a paltry .200.

David Macaray

Rowland Heights

Which is the least likely to happen in your lifetime from this day forward?

1) We find the WMD.

2) Gas at 12 cents a gallon.

3) You win the Powerball.

4) Andruw Jones gets intentionally walked.

Note: Though the odds are astronomical for 1, 2 and 3, they actually could happen.

Paul Feinsinger

Agoura Hills

So Ned Colletti finally pulls the trigger and obtains Pablo Ozuna. I’m sure the other teams in the Western Division are shaking in their spikes. One of them may counter by obtaining F.P. Santangelo.

Al Sanchez

San Gabriel

Beefing up Angels

So in his infinite and original wisdom, T.J. Simers surmises the Angels need more offense and proposes an Ervin Santana and Casey Kotchman trade for either the overrated and over-priced Mark Teixeira or the Coors Field-friendly Matt Holliday.

The Angels have already made a trade that has already given them more offense and most likely will continue to do so for some time. The Gary Matthews Jr. “trade” for Juan Rivera was brilliant.

Ron Reeve

Glendora

The weekend sweeping of the Red Sox was a fool’s gold for some Angels fans and the team’s top brass. They are going to be lulled into a false sense of superiority. The Angels will cruise into the postseason without the addition of a big bat and it will be just another “Groundhog Day” – great regular season and a disappointing postseason.

Willis Barton

Los Angeles

Arte Moreno says the Angels will not trade top prospects for a bat that could help the team get out of the first round of the playoffs and maybe to the World Series. My question is, where are all these top prospects? The only one who seems to be the real deal is Howie Kendrick.

Dallas McPherson, Brandon Wood, Casey Kotchman, Jeff Mathis … all former top prospects. Who knows what kind of team the Angels could have had if Bill Stoneman and now Tony Reagins would remember the old saying: You don’t get something for nothing.

Brian Cooper

Burbank

Improving his lies

Why does The Times continue to build articles around the useless opinions of AEG’s Tim Leiweke? He made one outlandish statement after another about spending whatever it takes to bring the Stanley Cup here when Phil Anschutz bought the Kings in 1994, yet the pitiful seasons since then with sub-par players prove his insincerity.

He can continue to claim that bringing David Beckham to the Galaxy was the right move, but the fact that the vast majority of Angelenos still ignore soccer once they graduate from middle school says otherwise.

I understand why Leiweke takes your calls, for a huckster has no choice but to keep making pitches to a rapidly disbelieving fan base. But why continue to grant him a public forum without at least a semblance of accountability?

Ian MacKinney

Westchester

Senior moment

I couldn’t believe my ears after hearing golf analyst Paul Azinger declare: “Golf has been very unkind to Greg Norman.” Norman collects yachts, mansions, airplanes, helicopters and sports cars like some people collect baseball cards. His sportswear and golf course architectural company’s bring in millions annually. Zinger’s definition of “unkind” is different than mine.

Tom Turner

Dana Point

Fighting mad

Helene Elliott’s celebration of a fight in a WNBA game is sad commentary on one of the uglier aspects of professional sports. Elliott says the added exposure is “priceless” publicity – evidence of the emotion and drive in women’s basketball. Actually, it shows that the WNBA has taken a step away from sport and moved toward hockey-like stupidity where violence is allowed because it sells tickets.

Contrary to Elliott’s belief, fighting is not necessarily an indicator of sports competitiveness. Who’s on her all-time competitors’ list: Bill Laimbeer? Milton Bradley? Tiger Williams?

John Vasi

Santa Barbara

Passport to fail

Only a blockhead would play for another country at the Olympics because he couldn’t make his own country’s team. It is beyond missing the point. If ever there was a guy who was born to be a Clipper, it’s Chris Kaman.

Mike Kirschenbaum

Venice

Losing the race

I have been a reader of the L.A. Times for 36 years. That is ending. If I wanted generic national sports news I could just watch ESPN.

I want to know what is happening locally. I want to see regular features with prep sports. This used to be a strength of The Times. A fantastic resource, Eric Sondheimer (one of the best in the business in my opinion), is being wasted. (No, I don’t want to be pointed to the Web when I’m reading a newspaper in print).

The nail in the coffin for me was the steady reduction, and now elimination, of horse racing coverage. We used to get entries and selections daily, plus complete charts of results. Now? Nothing. Zip. And of course this is a year the Breeders’ Cup is in Southern California. Brilliant. The sports section I once loved is now thinner than Manute Bol in his prime. Though I doubt anybody making decisions at The Times would get a sports-related analogy.

Don Soucy

Thousand Oaks

I think I’ve figured out why the number of readers has been dwindling. Today [July 22], you devote 24 column inches to a small-time actress and her love of veggie dogs. Yet on the day of the All-Star game, you couldn’t find space to list the full roster of players (let alone their stats).

Kirk Norenberg

Playa del Rey

Ricky’s tricky

The nerve of UCLA and new coach Norm Chow sending an assistant coach to Pac-10 media day!

John Mark

Newport Beach

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