Is Park Showing His Real Worth?

In these times of sudden change, it is reassuring to know that some things stay constant, like the droning of an out-of-touch sports agent, Scott Boras, and his faux pitching ace, Chan Ho Park.

Boras plans on asking the Dodgers for $20 million per season this winter for Park, more than any other pitcher on the planet. Yet Park isn’t ready to actually come in and pitch the seventh inning of a tight game, one with pennant implications. And Boras doesn’t want Chan Ho pitching unless conditions are optimal for Chan Ho’s statistics: no rain delays, no pitching on three days’ rest, and certainly not an inning of relief in a tie ballgame in September.

Scott Boras, ask not what the Dodgers can do for Chan Ho--ask what Chan Ho can do for the Dodgers.

Paul Ollen

Lakewood

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Let me get this straight. Chan Ho Park’s agent, Scott Boras, is expecting to get his client a $20-million contract in the free-agent market. Since Park is currently 13-11, that’s $20 million over five years, right?

Jack Wolf

Westwood

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Let’s look at all the advantages of the Dodgers forfeiting the rest of their games.

We don’t have to exercise any hope that they’ll overcome themselves and make the playoffs. No more strikeouts or harmless pop flies with the bases loaded.

No more blown saves. No more failures in getting insurance runs. No more frustrations.

Then true, victory-starved fans such as myself can just forget Dodger blue and do really constructive things.

Jim Hoover

Huntington Beach

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Let’s face it, the Dodgers haven’t had a real baseball man making personnel moves since Al Campanis was in charge of things. While Campanis’ ignorant comments on “Nightline” cost him his job, he did know baseball.

That said, despite some great managing by Jim Tracy, and terrific years by Gary Sheffield and Shawn Green, the Dodgers are likely headed for yet another in a long line of disappointing finishes. All of the pieces just don’t fit.

Hopefully, in the off-season, a real baseball guy will be hired to balance out the roster and right the ship. Someone who will understand that, among other things, Eric Karros is overrated, and Chan Ho Park lacks the mental toughness to become one of the elite pitchers in the game. Someone who understands that having an at least decent leadoff hitter is sort of a good idea.

John Fraser

Camarillo