Thanks, Bob, but It’s Time to Be Honest

Thank you, Bob Daly, for delivering the Dodgers from the inept, sniveling Chase Carey, and for the wonderful Mondesi-Green trade. Now, let’s get down to some basic truths.

The Dodgers are, at this moment, the weakest team up the middle in the National League, with the awful Todd Hundley behind the plate, a minor leaguer starting at short, a mediocre shortstop starting at second, and a visibly bored center fielder whose better days are behind him. Also, the success of the starting pitching is contingent on whether three guys can rebound from horrible 1999 seasons, and whether Eric Gagne can become an ace in his first full season.

In the meantime, you gave away the No. 2 starter and starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. I can only conclude that, by virtue of the fact that you have not addressed any of the Dodgers’ real holes, you intend this to be a payroll-dumping year of sorts, and that you cannot possibly expect the Dodgers to finish any higher than third or fourth in the NL West.

Just come clean, Bob. Fans will still show up.

TREVIS WILLIAMS

Los Angeles