Did Johnson Put Dodgers in Tank?

Davey Johnson demonstrated a sorry state of sportsmanship last Sunday. He felt that three days of rest was not in the best interest of Kevin Brown’s arm, and therefore Brown would be held out of the Houston series on the final day. But, in the very next sentence, Davey said that if winning 20 games was at stake, Brown would start.

In effect, Davey feels that the personal goal of a Kevin Brown 20-win season is of greater importance than the integrity of a pennant race. For shame, Davey.

GENE COFSKY

Tarzana

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Davey Johnson had no intention of winning that game Sunday, probably to get back at the Mets and Reds, both of whom fired him. The Dodgers should too.

LEE HARRIS

Burbank

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I’ve rooted for the Dodgers since my childhood in Brooklyn right through my youth in L.A. until my old age in Canada. I’ve celebrated and cried with my beloved Bums. This is the first time they’ve embarrassed me. For the last game of the season, when Sheffield sat down and Brown was held out, they disgraced the honor of the game and they disgraced the Dodgers and they disgraced themselves. These guys got no heart, they got no soul.

HOWIE SIEGEL

Victoria, Canada

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Kudos to Jason Reid. Although his assignment this season was to cover Gary Sheffield, he still managed to include some Dodger highlights in each Sheffield column.

BILL STEIN

Arroyo Grande

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In nearly every interview during the ’99 season, Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone self-servingly said, “We’ve got the talent here to win.” Nice spin, Kevin.

Malone handed $15 million to miscreant Carlos Perez. He traded a Gold Glove catcher and 60-steal center fielder for sore-armed Todd Hundley. He gave a multiyear free-agent deal to Devon White, whose waning skills depend on his 37-year-old legs. And then to cut payroll, Malone received three career minor leaguers for Dave Mlicki, who proceeded to win 14 games for the woeful Tigers.

It’s obvious the Dodgers’ so-called talent does not exist in the general manager’s position.

JEFF GREEN

Long Beach