No Matter the Week, They Still Think Blue

Some season-ending thoughts on the Dodgers (despite the Sheriff’s assertion that the team is still in the race):

1. T.J. Simers is right on in speculating that Sheffield’s unnamed selfish player is Karros. Eric has often been quoted during slow starts that by October he’ll “get my numbers.” This year it was: “It’s only August, there’s no need to panic.” One day it will dawn on this popular Dodger that each of the 162 games is evenly weighted and his contributions are needed in each of them. Never has one player’s stats been more meaningless than in Karros’ case.

2. Shawn Green’s miserable summer must at least, in part, be attributed to Karros. When Karros was hot in April and May, so was Green. But having a weak hitter behind him the rest of the way forced Shawn to press and swing at pitches that were “pitchers’ pitches.” Eric Karros is no Carlos Delgado.

3. Jason Reid’s claim that the Dodgers are not going to re-sign [Todd] Hundley is welcome. Looking over the “October” teams, you see strong defense up the middle. That strength starts with the catcher. Kreuter’s relationship with [Chan Ho] Park has shown the pressure a strong arm takes off a pitcher with men on base.

ALAN AMITIN

Montrose

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It must be March: The Dodgers are claiming that this year, they’re not only going to win, they’re going to run away and prove once and for all that they are the class of major league baseball.

It must be April: The Dodgers get off to a slow start, and vow to heat up as the pages on the calendar turn.

It must be May: The Dodgers fall behind in the NL West by 10 games.

It must be June: Grumblings about the manager and/or general manager begin to surface.

It must be July: The Dodgers are mortgaging an already depleted farm system to chase the wild-card berth.

It must be August: The Dodgers are eliminated from playoff contention.

It must be September: The Dodgers’ most consistent players are accused of being selfish.

It must be October: The players are on the golf course, executives’ heads are rolling, and it’s almost time for the whole process to start all over.

D.J. HARMELING

San Diego

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Fox’s new spin on the old adage should be, “If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em.” I can’t believe the Dodgers are seriously considering hiring Dusty Baker as their manager. Maybe the new brass doesn’t realize that he’s a Giant; and that the Giants are the enemy, the bad guys, the team we love to beat, and the team that losing to hurts most.

Trying to hire Baker is more evidence that Bob Daly and Kevin Malone just don’t get it. They don’t understand the heart of the Dodger fan. The fact that Walter Alston managed for 23 consecutive years on one-year contracts meant a lot to us. The fact that Tommy Lasorda came up through the organization and managed for 20 years meant a lot to us. The fact that Bill Russell came up through the organization to become manager meant something too. These things were part of what made the Dodgers special.

In three short years, our special team has been made rather ordinary. Like other teams, we brought in an outside “proven” manager in Davey Johnson, and naturally had rather ordinary results. Now they’re thinking the unthinkable, wanting to put a Giant at the helm of the Dodgers, and they don’t even have a clue how tragic that is.

DWAYNE TAKEDA

Fountain Valley

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I think Canadian customs allowed Shawn Green to bring only half of his stats into the USA.

TRAVIS BURNS

Laguna Niguel

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I’ve just finished reading Ross Newhan’s “Money Pit” [Sept. 9] in which he mentions that “club officials think they have persuaded Daly to retain the $150 million or more it would take to sign [Alex] Rodriguez in favor of staying with Alex Cora and focusing on “pitching help.”

Well, speaking as a longtime Dodger fan who has stuck with them in good times and in bad since ‘58, if they don’t make a very serious play for A-Rod in the off-season, it might be enough to make me quit following them. I mean, the only reason I could stomach Murdoch buying them was the thought that at least they would have the bucks to get their share of the best free agents. What’s another $20 million a year to someone who spent a billion on a soccer team?

ERIC MONSON

Temecula