Something Blue: An Old Dodger’s New Life

I found it refreshing to learn that Mickey Hatcher, the former L.A. utility player and fan favorite, now in his second year as manager of the Great Falls team, is doing a solid job of shaping Dodger wannabes of a ragtag rookie league into promising major leaguers (“The Baby Dodgers’ Longshot Journey,” by Patrick Goldstein, Aug. 31). As Hatcher once said: “Playing baseball is like being a rock ‘n’ roll musician who goes in and out of a solo in a flash. A manager, like a jazz player, gets to keep noodling it--and turn it into a great piece.”

Clarance Evan Dale Santos

Adelanto

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My business partner and I, both L.A. residents, are the new owners of the Helena Brewers, a Milwaukee affiliate and one of the Great Falls Dodgers’ opponents in the Pioneer League. We thoroughly enjoyed Goldstein’s article, as did our front-office staff (all from Helena and Great Falls), and particularly appreciated his accuracy and attention to detail.

Your readers may be interested to know that Great Falls won the first-half title for the North Division of the Pioneer League, then won two straight from second-half winner Lethbridge to advance into the Pioneer League finals. But they lost the championship, also in two straight games, to the Billings team.

Rob Owens

Los Angeles