New National Pastime: Bashing Baseball, Dodgers and Coverage

In Sunday’s issue, for (at least) the second time, you’ve referred to the National League Central race as being more “parody” than “parity,” with the leader hovering around the .500 mark. The Dodgers are 4-1 against the Pirates, 3-5 against the Astros, 3-6 against the Cardinals, 3-2 against the Reds, and 3-2 against the Cubs--for a combined total of 16-16. So do they have “parity” or “parody” with the NL Central?

At least in the playoffs last year, the NL Central and NL East champions swept the two NL West entries. How long has it been since an NL West team has won a playoff game?

JOHN SCHIERMEIER

Burbank

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When Todd Worrell blows a save or comes within a hair of doing so (which seems to happen more often than not), it would be nice to see The Times occasionally point to his ineffectiveness. Why is the article on July 13 is titled “Giant Rally Unappealing” and not “Worrell Blows Save”? And is it ever written that Worrell has the highest earned-run average on the Dodgers? No. I don’t see how the The Times can continually ignore Worrell’s mediocrity. Maybe Todd is the one writing the articles.

JOSH SEGAL

San Diego

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In light of what we suffered through in the first half, here are three easy ways to ensure that the Dodgers win the NL West:

1. Trade Billy Ashley to an American League team, where he and his glove can hide in the dugout between strikeouts.

2. Send Bill Russell back to the Tommy Lasorda school of Higher Baseball Learning, where Russell apparently skipped the course on charisma.

3. Send Brett Butler out to pasture before he really hurts himself. It’s just getting too painful to watch.

Rest assured that none of this will take place until Fred Claire stops pretending to be a general manager.

DEREK STARK

Los Angeles

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Montreal’s Pedro Martinez is 11-5 with the best ERA in the majors and eight complete games--why can’t the Dodgers ever get a pitcher like him?

BILL STEIN

Arroyo Grande

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Enough already! As sportswriters and sportscasters made such a big deal of the Dodgers’ starting a left-hander for the first time in 681 games, a major league record, I wondered: Why would anyone even keep track of such trivia? Why are baseball people so obsessed with meaningless records? Could it be because the sport is so dull that its fans wouldn’t have anything else to talk about?

F.G. WOOD

Bakersfield

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So baseball expansion in 1998 prompts consideration of grouping the eight western teams into a division. How about calling it the Pacific Coast League? Just like the good old days when we wondered if we would ever get to see the prestigious National and American League teams play here.

Oh yes, price the tickets accordingly. After all, we will no longer get a look at the Braves, Yankees, Orioles and other top competition.

RICHARD W. TOLBERT

Long Beach