Their Soap-Opera Season Needs a Dramatic Ending

“As the Dodgers Turn,” a recap:

The general manager is fired after challenging a fan in the stands to a fight. He then becomes a radio talk-show host and tells what a great job he did.

The ex-movie producer/fan who is now head honcho lays low after a run-in with the star player as the payroll escalates to $110 million, letting P.R. department, talking-head employees and announcer do his speaking for him.

P.R. department prematurely celebrates the addition of three pitchers at the trading deadline. After only two James Baldwin starts, Chan Ho Park is expendable. Same P.R. department is careful to no longer mention “rookie-of-the-year candidate” every time Luke Prokopec’s name is mentioned.

Hall of fame announcer questions heart of snake-in-the-grass agent’s No. 1 free-agent-to-be over the air, causing super agent/super jerk to respond in pamphlet form, arguing his client’s case against meddling announcer.

Stay tuned for more of “As the Dodgers Turn,” with even more drama and spin.

Mark Bernstein

Los Angeles

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Once the classiest professional sports organization in the world, the Dodgers’ refusal of a hypothetical Barry Bonds 71st home run celebration exposed the organization for what it has become: a bitter, classless, poorly run franchise with a bleak future.

Mark Kummrow

Santa Monica

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I agree with the Dodgers’ refusal to stop and honor any Barry Bonds home runs; his own teammates don’t even congratulate him when he returns to the dugout after hitting one out.

Bonds is a great athlete, but he will always be remembered more for being a jerk. I will never forget his post-homer pirouette against the Dodgers--maybe the most bush move ever in the game.

I’ll stop and honor Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa or any other sportsmen in the game. Sad to say, but Barry Bonds is the only one I can think of who I wouldn’t salute.

Bill Mead

Oak View

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What’s the big deal with stopping the game if Barry Bonds had broken the home run record? The only fans paying attention would be Giant fans. The Dodger fans would be occupied doing what they always do, the wave, playing with beach balls or waiting for a hot dog.

Dodger fans could have spent the time doing something productive, like trying to find Derrick Hall a personality.

Kevin Fitzpatrick

South Pasadena

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In an age of inflated egos and salaries, finding a person who puts it all into perspective by demonstrating there are spiritual values that transcend professional sports is most encouraging.

Shawn Green had the longest active consecutive-game streak in the majors. I am not sure he, or anyone, will seriously threaten Cal Ripken’s record. But just in case he does, I will lobby for an asterisk next to his name, and let the people decide if a conscientious player should be penalized for missing one game for God.

Rabbi Aaron Parry

Los Angeles

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In an ESPN report about Shawn Green not playing on Yom Kippur, Gary Sheffield was asked by the reporter how he felt about Green sitting out in the middle of a pennant race. Sheffield replied, “Religion is an important thing and as long as you worship the right God, I’m with you.”

When did Gary Sheffield become the arbiter of which is the “right” God? What went unanswered was the obvious follow-up question that should have been aimed at Sheffield: As a born-again, reactionary, if hypocritical, Christian, do you feel that since Green is Jewish he is worshipping the wrong God?

Patrick Mallon

San Luis Obispo

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Has any manager in history enjoyed as long a honeymoon as Jim Tracy? He doesn’t play Paul Lo Duca forever, plays Eric Karros and Marquis Grissom months too long and bashes his No. 1 free-agent pitcher publicly. His game strategy is abysmal at best.

Looking for where that four-game deficit came from? You should start here.

Mike Reuben

Anaheim Hills

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Get rid of Gary Sheffield? Come on, Bill Plaschke [Sept. 24], Eric Karros has dogged it all summer, but I don’t see you writing nasty things about him. Even Shawn Green has blown some golden Dodger opportunities this season, but his mistakes never seem to make it into your column.

Dan Epstein

Los Angeles

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Once the Dodgers are eliminated from the playoff picture, we can all look back to some of the many examples of lack of execution that illustrated why they were not deserving. In Saturday’s game against Arizona, Gary Sheffield wasn’t running hard on a slow grounder in the second inning and was out on a close play.

The Dodgers miraculously end up pulling the game out in extra innings. But the fact that Sheffield gave Arizona that out in the second inning may have contributed to why the game had to go into overtime in the first place. Just another reminder that the Dodgers and their fans will have something in common during the postseason. We’ll all be watching on TV.

Bob Moody

Fountain Valley