Going...and Gone

So much for the 2000 Dodgers.

They were occasionally entertaining and always interesting because high-priced disasters command attention.

The Dodgers flopped again despite Chairman Bob Daly’s high hopes and Fox’s significant resources, showing how little $98 million buys these days.

The Dodgers staved off elimination Tuesday night with a 9-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium, but another defeat or New York Met victory officially ends the show.

The curtain had dropped in reality long ago.

Daly must decide whether a dysfunctional management team would be better without Manager Davey Johnson, General Manager Kevin Malone or both, considering there is enough blame to share regardless of Malone’s opinion.

The roster needs work even if Daly determines another overhaul is not necessary, the Dodgers insist their pockets only go so deep and it won’t be easy to lure San Francisco Giant Manager Dusty Baker back to Chavez Ravine.

They have seven more victories than last season with five games remaining, but more was expected.

“This is a better season than last season,” said all-star left fielder Gary Sheffield, who hit his 42nd home run Tuesday. “I know expectations were high, which they should have been, but we have been playing better than last season.

“Our problem is that we didn’t do it when it counted, and doing it when it counts is what this game is all about. We can’t look at what we’ve done [on the final homestand] and get really excited about that because we did it too late.”

The Dodgers are 9-2 on the homestand with two games to play against the National League West champion Giants.

They are battling the Arizona Diamondbacks for second place, trying to salvage something in their third year under Fox’s unsteady guidance.

For what it’s worth, the Dodgers believe they’re closer to ending the laughter.

“We’ve had some problems and we’ve been through a lot the last few years, no question about it,” second baseman Mark Grudzielanek said. “It’s frustrating for everyone, especially when you have the talent that we do.

“There are different things you can look at that have been problems, but things can change quickly with a couple of good moves [in the off-season]. The right moves could really make a big difference for us.”

That’s easier said than done with the Dodgers recently.

Malone’s two-year record has not inspired confidence, and Daly acknowledges he is still learning on the job.

Players said the club’s most glaring holes are the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation. They’re right.

The Nos. 4 and 5 starters are 10-25 with a 6.38 earned-run average. Malone might not believe that’s a problem, but others at Chavez Ravine do.

“It all comes down to starting pitching,” first baseman Eric Karros said. “When you look at the stretch that we’re having right now, the key obviously has been what we’ve been getting from Brownie [Kevin Brown], Chan Ho [Park] and Dreif [Darren Dreifort].

“Look at the success the [New York] Yankees have had and what the [Atlanta] Braves have done for the past decade. Any club only goes as far as its pitching can take it and we’re no different.”

Six effective starters have helped Baker lead the Giants to their second division title since 1997 while showing the Dodgers how much $56 million buys.

Teams are preparing to court Baker--soon to be selected NL manager of the year for the third time--the moment the Giants are eliminated from postseason play.

The Dodgers are expected to be at the front of the line.

“At this point, Dusty is inclined to stay in San Francisco,” said Jeff Moorad, Baker’s longtime friend and representative. “It’s not Dusty’s goal to be a free-agent manager, but he understands his contract situation suggests that will happen.

“We will address the situation in San Francisco after the season and then go from there. Things will become a lot clearer at that point.”

The Dodgers hope to resolve many questions quickly.

THE RACES

The National League playoff spots are almost all decided, as Atlanta, St. Louis and San Francisco have all clinched their respective division titles, while the Mets still need only one more victory to clinch the wild-card spot.