Color Readers Enthusiastic About Greening of Dodgers

Kevin Malone finally got it right. Or at least Robert Daly did. Just as I was about to call for Bob Watson as Dodger general manager, we finally get the better end of a deal. Shawn Green is Raul Mondesi’s immense potential fully realized. Forget about him being left-handed; he can flat-out play.

But this should not be the end of off-season activity for the Dodgers. Nor should this be the redeeming moment for Malone. The Dodgers still need to dump dead weight such as Devon White, Eric Young and Carlos Perez, and to find solid young replacements. Otherwise, next season we will be wondering why Green cracked under hometown pressure and why Malone still has a job.

SHYAM KRISHNA IYER

Anaheim

*

Does Kevin Malone ever listen to what he says? Last year it was his ridiculous World Series guarantee and now he tells us how difficult it was negotiating a contract with Shawn Green. Let’s see, the Dodgers offered a guy with two big years $14 million a year for six years. And they even brought in the big-time Hollywood deal maker.

Hey, Kev, I could have closed that deal!

KEVIN FITZPATRICK

South Pasadena

*

A Dodger move in the past three years that I agree with?! If they bring back the Cool-A-Coo, I might consider returning to Dodger Stadium.

PAUL SCHOWALTER

Fullerton

*

The trading of Raul Mondesi means we’ll be hearing the phrase “five-tool player” less often, and I’m all for it. There isn’t a more inane, overused expression in baseball. Mondy has two tools, a bat and a glove. It’s the way he uses them that makes him special.

HOWARD COLE

La Jolla

*

Memo to American League pitchers:

Subject: Raul Mondesi.

You can get him out every time with any curveball outside the strike zone in the dirt. He never learns.

GLEN CREASON

Glassell Park

*

Upon his trade to the Toronto Blue Jays, Raul Mondesi states, “I’ve heard a lot of good things about how they treat Latin players in Toronto.”

The Dodgers have been the most prominent major league organization that has cultivated Latin players and has been a model for other teams. Mondesi happens to be a perfect example of the Dodger system. Unfortunately, he’s not grateful enough to know this.

WAYNE MURAMATSU

Cerritos

*

What’s brown and green and causes the blue to be in the red?

Kevin Brown and Shawn Green’s combined $189-million Dodger contracts.

J. SCOTT SCHEFFER

Adelanto

*

What were the Dodgers thinking? The last time they traded a guy named Pedro, it ended up being the biggest blunder since Boston traded Babe Ruth.

SU H. PAK

Los Angeles

*

Now that the Dodgers have Shawn Green, the next beautiful thing to worry about is how to avoid a possible conflict between dates of postseason games and Jewish High Holy Days.

KENNETH Z. LAUTMAN

Los Angeles