Support Local Sheriff--or Not

Mr. Plaschke suffers from short memory and has no perspective.

While the evaluation points he chose about Mr. Malone are arguable, there is nothing Malone has done or been faced with doing that wasn’t there well before he arrived. That is where the Dodgers’ problems are rooted and at least he is trying to fix them.

1. They used to have a farm system that produced players and particularly pitchers as good as any in the majors. No more, and Malone didn’t do that.

2. They used to have patience to let teams and players develop--that is part of the aforementioned problem, and again Malone didn’t do that.

3. Who rushed Bill Russell out the door, and who has done any better than he was doing with less talent?

4. Don’t use Mike Scioscia as an example. Like Mike Piazza, his leaving was as much his own doing as anyone’s.

5. Even at the major league level you can almost chart the downfall of the Dodgers with the downfall of their pitching. And that wasn’t Malone’s fault.

Do a little research, Plaschke.

HENRY MENDOZA

Playa del Rey

*

I find it interesting that Bob Daly and Kevin Malone decide to criticize Davey Johnson for his managing style. This is a classic example of the search for a scapegoat.

Malone, in particular, should take a long look at his own efforts for the Dodger Blue. Then he should look at the moves that the Braves and Yankees have made recently.

It’s no wonder that those teams have dominated over the last decade.

FRANK CLARK

Thousand Oaks

*

Let’s face it, the Dodgers are an overpaid and underachieving unit without a semblance of heart and determination. We can talk all day as to the reason for this, but any reasonable human being has to point to Kevin Malone.

He has put together a mediocre team, at a price tag of more than $98 million.

For years, we trashed the work of Fred Claire, but Malone makes Claire look like Branch Rickey.

JACK WOLF

Los Angeles

*

During the off-season, Malone traded malcontent Raul Mondesi to the Toronto Blue Jays for Shawn Green. While he has struggled of late, Green is hitting a respectable .274 with decent power and stolen base numbers. But while Green is a solid player, he is nowhere near the league of a Piazza, Griffey, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, etc. In fact, Green’s numbers pale next to those of Gary Sheffield, the Dodgers’ best hitter.

Unfortunately, Malone made Green the second highest-paid player in the game (after Kevin Brown) when he inked Green to a long-term contract.

If Green is getting $14 million a year, what are the superstars worth?

ROBERT ANTONOPOLIS

La Canada

*

Eerie similarities between the Titanic and the Dodgers:

1. Very expensive, overrated, presumed unsinkable.

2. After the iceberg incident, the captain was slow to react. After losing to the Braves, Bob Daly didn’t foresee impending doom.

3. Like Titanic’s first-class passengers, Dodger ticket-holders in the high-priced dugout seats and fancy suites will be first to bail out.

SKIP USEN

Santa Monica

*

Kevin Malone states, “I don’t know what more I can do as a general manager.”

Mr. Malone, maybe it is not what more you can do, but what you have done that has led to the demise of the Dodgers.

WAYNE MURAMATSU

Cerritos

*

According to Bill Plaschke, Sheriff Malone says, “I don’t know what more I can do. . . .” I can think of something, Sheriff. You can resign.

MARC GERBER

Malibu

*

Whatever happened to the good ol’ days when the Dodgers had what was arguably the greatest minor league system in baseball? Everyone thinks the problem starts at the top which, in this case, is true.

Yes, let’s run Malone out of town, as well as Davey Johnson.

Wake up, Dodger big wigs. I’m sure most Dodger fans would be delighted to run all of you straight out of town.

ANDRULIUS NELSONAVICH

Sherman Oaks

*

So, the condescending Kevin Malone will stick with Davey Johnson.

Our problem is not Johnson, it’s pitching, the name of the game. The league is laughing at us when we pitch Carlos Perez. Malone overpaid him and is stuck, but he should swallow his pride and send him down.

The great Dodger teams meant pitching and Davey no longer has that because Malone has submarined this team with his lack of ability to trade and wheel and deal.

TOM MOORE

San Clemente

*

There were numerous times I questioned Tommy Lasorda’s strategic decisions as manager of the Dodgers. However, Davey Johnson makes Lasorda seem like a charter member of the MENSA society. When management dumps this guy at the end of the season, I’ll be the first to pop open the champagne.

HERBERT SCHOENBERG

Tarzana

*

For once, I thought and hoped that Kevin Malone would take responsibility for his inability to succeed. It is easy for him to point fingers, but he should look in the mirror. It is sad to see Davey Johnson be the scapegoat for his mistakes.

FRANK LESCOULIE

Los Angeles

*

So Kevin Malone fired Mike Scioscia last year. Now I really hope Scioscia is named manager of the year.

JOANNE GAMLIN

Santa Monica

*

Dear Mr. Daly,

I offer my services as manager of the Dodgers next season. However, certain conditions must be met.

1. All bigger-than-life photos of players on the stadium exterior must be removed and replaced with the slogan “Dodger Baseball Played Here.”

2. All photos depicting historic Dodger moments on the outfield walls must be removed. It is time to create new historic moments.

3. The new seats behind home plate must be torn out. We need those extra few foul-outs behind home plate more than the privileged clientele need a souvenir.

4. Mandatory bunting drills shall take place before all games.

5. We don’t need to improve our ballpark, uniforms, logos or colors. We need to improve our product. Our product is baseball. All other marketing pursuits will benefit as a result.

JIM SHULL

Downey

*

When you look at what the other true top pitchers in the majors are doing (Johnson, Wells, Martinez, Clemens), you realize that Kevin Brown is not one of the premier pitchers in the game.

It was only when he became a Dodger that he received all of the hype and ridiculous expectations.

JESSE RODRIGUEZ

Los Angeles

*

Once again, a Dodgers-Braves series tells the Tale of Two Teams.

Atlanta: Well managed, efficient offense and defense.

Dodgers: Unmanaged, inefficient offense and defense.

Atlanta: Playing intelligently 85% of the time.

Dodgers: Playing unintelligently 85% of the time.

Atlanta: Disciplined team play.

Dodgers: Undisciplined individualism.

Atlanta: A manager who requires a team victory.

Dodgers: A manager who forgets that a team is playing.

JIM HOOVER

Huntington Beach

*

I heard that Raul Mondesi is cutting his season short because of injury, saying he doesn’t want to jeopardize the rest of his career for the final two months of the season. Last time I looked, the Blue Jays were fighting for a playoff spot. Once again, that patented Mondesi heart comes through just when his team needs it most.

REID FINFROCK

Cudahy

*

I yearn to have a favorite player again. I’m afraid to commit because they don’t last long. I keep reading about former Dodgers who are doing very well.

By default, my favorite has to be Eric Karros, but my heart still belongs to Mike Piazza!

ARNEAL FINLEY

Fullerton

*

Chan Ho Park is too sick to pitch, so to protect the rest of the team from catching whatever he has, the Dodgers send him back to Los Angeles on a commercial flight so he can infect dozens of unsuspecting people.

That’s our new Dodger management, always looking out for us little folks.

STEVE MORGAN

Los Angeles

*

Does Jerry West know anything about baseball?

HOWARD MATIONG

Gardena