Season’s Just Begun, and They’re on Lasorda

The Dodgers should either vote to bring the designated hitter to the National League, or find a manager who knows enough to pinch-hit for a wobbly pitcher when trailing by two runs with the bases loaded and no outs.

DON OWEN

Bishop

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No strategy, no runs and eventually no win. If the Dodgers do win the West (as they should), it may be despite Tom Lasorda.

JOHN FRASER

Aliso Viejo

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Opening day, April 1: Left fielder Todd Hollandsworth’s bases-clearing double is the key to the Dodgers’ 4-3 victory over the Astros.

Tuesday, April 2: Left fielder Billy Ashley strikes out with the bases loaded in the first inning. In the eighth, reserve left fielder Roger Cedeno also strikes out with runners in scoring position and the Dodgers lose, 5-4.

Tommy, cut your losses and stop the platooning, before this nonsense goes any further. The Dodgers will not win their fifth consecutive NL rookie-of-the-year award without Hollandsworth in the lineup every day.

KEVIN DICKER

Beverly Hills

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As a Phillie fan in Los Angeles, my loathing of the Dodgers knew no bounds in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Garvey, Cey, Baker, et al . . . bleech! But then came Piazza and Karros and the Rainbow Pitching Coalition. For a while there, I was almost able to stomach the Dodgers, their boorishly partisan manager and the blindly devoted fans.

But the Mike Busch incident, the ball-night forfeit and a season peppered with Jose Offerman’s croquetlike performances at shortstop helped to restore my sanity. Now the recent chest-thumping bravado has been too much to take. Watching the Dodgers swagger their way through spring training made me laugh. Just remember, Little Blue, if it hadn’t been for realignment, the Dodgers would have finished some 20 games behind the Braves last season. As chronic underachievers, don’t you think you ought to prove something on the field before you go popping off?

JIM MALLON

Morro Bay