Are They Bleeding Blue or Seeing Red?

What a joke--Tommy Lasorda blaming Raul Mondesi for the failure of the Dodgers [Aug. 1].

Certainly Mondesi has acted like a spoiled brat this year, but there is plenty of blame to be passed around.

Who are the geniuses who traded Mike Piazza to the Mets, where he is having a great year and possibly leading the team to postseason play? And the Dodger major domos could never get Roger Cedeno in the lineup. (Was that Tommy Lasorda’s fault?) Now Cedeno is batting more than .300, stealing bases and tearing up the league.

Paul Konerko, touted as the next great Dodger, is batting almost .300 and hitting home runs for the Chicago White Sox. And Pedro Martinez wins 15 games for Boston and could earn a Cy Young Award.

In the meantime, the Dodgers have a catcher who can’t throw, a backup catcher who can’t hit, a second baseman who can run but can’t field his position, a left fielder who doesn’t hustle on defense and a manager who pulls his $10-million pitcher for a left-handed relief pitcher against a weak-hitting left-handed batter and ends up losing the game.

So what’s the answer? Spend the entire season speculating on trading the most effective player on the team, Eric Karros, for some non-hitting, non-fielding minor leaguer to be named later?

Let’s face it--Kevin Malone, Bob Graziano, Tommy Lasorda and all the rest of the brass had better look in a mirror to see where the Dodgers went wrong this year. They can’t blame everything on one disgruntled right fielder, or even Fred Claire.

HOWARD SEELYE, Fallbrook

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Tommy Lasorda’s outburst is merely another of his stunts, such as when he would coach third base when the team was in a slump. That never worked, either.

As long as Lasorda remains in the organization, his so-called leadership and baseball acumen will permeate all the way to the clubhouse and the Dodgers will continue to be a below-.500 team.

SAL ABEYTA JR., La Habra

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Kevin Malone: “The last two months are going to be very important. We want to see how the players perform under adversity. We want to get a read on their character, their integrity and their commitment.” In other words, “We’re right where we want to be. We planned all along to be in last place so that we can get blah, blah, blah.”

Give me a break!

PAUL FULLER, Palm Desert

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Too bad the Dodgers can’t play the game as well as their general manager talks a game.

BILL STEIN, Arroyo Grande

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I’ve watched the Dodgers all my life, and all I’ve ever asked for is players who work hard and play smart. For this reason I have to say I’m baffled by the organization’s treatment of Eric Young. He’s committed, productive at the plate and on the basepaths, and looks like he enjoys the game. The Dodgers have returned his dedication with disrespect.

It has been said his relationship with Davey Johnson is “chilly.” As a fan, so is mine. Johnson would have benched Steve Sax, who had a few defensive problems. He would have taken out Kirk Gibson in the seventh inning of close games in his beloved double-switches, and he would have removed Hershiser for a left-handed reliever during his streak of shutouts. I’m not scapegoating Johnson for this year’s problems, but please stop scapegoating Eric Young.

KEVIN MILLS, Playa del Rey

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Tommy Lasorda blasts the Dodgers for their last-place record and the way they’re playing. Hey, Tommy, now you know what it feels like to be Elgin Baylor.

PAUL ECKER, Diamond Bar