He’s Back to Help Put Dodgers on Right Track

I was thrilled the Dodgers were lucky enough to beat Arizona on Sunday.

During my vacation I spent a lot of time watching the Lifetime channel, getting in touch with my more sensitive side, so I didn’t want to return to work on my first day and write about the choking dogs in Chavez Ravine.

I’ll get to Phil Mickelson, of course, as the week goes on.

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I SENT the wife and one of my daughters to Hawaii the last week, so I could stay home and enjoy my vacation. I have two daughters, but this is the one most likely to suggest I be cremated as quickly as possible after I’ve taken my last breath.

Obviously, she gets along very well with the wife.

I began each afternoon when I awoke with my morning newspaper, and noticed everyone seemed to be gushing about the Dodgers while I was away. Columnist Diane Pucin even made the guys sound heroic, writing “the Dodgers refused to give in Sunday.”

A day earlier columnist Bill Plaschke had written the Dodgers had surrendered first place after three losses to Arizona, so I was a little confused about who was and wasn’t giving up. I’d hate to think one of our columnists is that far off base.

Anyway, I came back from vacation to find out for myself. Coincidentally, the wife and daughter came home at the same time.

On the drive to Dodger Stadium, I heard a taped radio interview with Eric Karros, who was saying Sunday’s victory was a mighty big one because this will get the people, who are waiting for a Dodger collapse, off the team’s back.

I gave that some thought because I’m now a thoughtful guy. Before this little break, I had been thinking a “Choke Collar” night would be a great giveaway later this month to mark the Dodgers’ collapse. I forget myself for a moment, asking Manager Jim Tracy before the game what would happen first--Mickelson winning a major or the Dodgers winning a playoff game?

Maybe I was taking the wrong approach. I called several local psychologists to seek their advice, and maybe replace Dodger ridicule with Dodger support. The first guy, through a spokesman, told me the doctor was busy. I offered to call after Oprah went off the air, but she hung up on me. Do you think USC President Steven Sample’s wife works as a receptionist for a Fullerton psychologist?

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DR. MARC SHATZ, a Beverly Hills’ sports psychologist, apparently did not graduate from USC. He was very nice. “Listen, Karros’ concern ought not to be whom is getting on his back, but whether he’s hearing footsteps behind him.

“I say keep at him; keep at all of them. Some are going to show they are champions and others are going to feel the stress and choke.”

I didn’t mention Adrian Beltre’s name.

Dr. William Vollero did. “Anything new on that front? Is he still here?”

I told him Beltre is still here, and I hope for many years to come and he sounded dejected. I asked if I could help, but he explained he has been a lifelong Red Sox fan. At least that makes him an expert when it comes to talking about chokers.

“I don’t think a pro athlete is going to take the concept of choking very well, never allowing that thought to happen, and for you to suggest it, I’m pretty sure you’re going to get the cold shoulder,” said Vollero, who works in Pasadena. “If you could get to a couple of people and loosen them up, and in turn they loosen up the team, that might be very productive.”

I vowed to give it a try when I got the chance to talk to the guys after Monday night’s game. But sitting here Monday night I watched the Cardinals go up 2-0 over the Dodgers in the first, 3-0 by the fourth and 4-0 before L.A. made it 4-2 in the sixth. The Dodgers put the tying runs on base in the ninth, Dave Roberts popped up a bunt, and what would he have done had Maury Wills not been working with him? Paul Lo Duca hit into a double play, and the choking dogs had lost another one.

“Mickelson,” said Shatz, and I’m not sure I can argue.

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FOR THE last few weeks, James Van Der Beek, better known to my daughters as Dawson Leery from TV’s “Dawson’s Creek,” has been hanging around with the Dodgers as he prepares to write a baseball movie.

The Dodgers have given Van Der Beek a locker in their clubhouse and he dresses in Dodger blue for batting practice, shagging balls in the outfield. If the pint-sized actor is going to put himself in the movie, he better start taking some steroids.

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AFTER PLAYERS’ union boss Donald Fehr spoke to the Dodgers before the game, he shared a good laugh with Kevin Brown. Those are two funny guys, all right.

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THE SAN DIEGO Hall of Champions paid tribute to Ted Williams on Monday, and Dick Enberg closed the ceremony with a plea to Williams’ son: “John Henry, please do the right thing and let the old fisherman go back to the sea.”

Just in case you were wondering, I asked: Those in attendance said there were no ice sculptures on display.

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THE NFL wanted 70,000 seats for January’s Super Bowl, and San Diego can’t deliver, so the city will pay the NFL $1.6 million in lost ticket revenue. Why not move the game here, since the Chargers will be coming to L.A. soon?

Coliseum General Manager Pat Lynch said he’d be willing to work around a USC women’s basketball game slated for that day in the Sports Arena.

Rose Bowl GM Daryl Dunn said, “we don’t have any USC women’s games to conflict with the Super Bowl, but USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett traditionally plays on the golf course here.”

That’d be putting 100,000 people in harm’s way, ruling out the Rose Bowl.

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T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com.