$105 Million Buys Plenty of Abuse These Days

Hey, guys, give up on Kevin Brown. He was over the hill the day he graciously condescended to accept his $105-million contract, private jet travel, etc., and bring his shot arm to Chavez Ravine. Bite the checkbook, pay the guy off, send him on his way, and let’s all forget he existed--which, when it came to mound time, he barely did.

Tony Harris

Los Angeles

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I suggest that Kevin Brown’s “travel home” clause be amended to a one-way trip on the midnight train to Georgia. What a waste.

Ray Butler

La Habra

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Dear Dodgers,

As part of its fall program, our local community theater is putting on a production of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The casting of the hard-working little fellas is coming together quite nicely. We’ve already got Happy, Sneezy, Dopey and Bashful taken care of. And we’re pretty sure who’s going to play Doc and Sleepy. But we were wondering, now that your $105-million free-agent franchise pitcher is out for the year (again) ... do you think Kevin Brown would be available in early to mid-October to play Grumpy?

Jim Mallon

San Luis Obispo

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Passion, intensity and desire are certainly qualities you want in a ballplayer. Then there are players with so much passion, intensity and desire that they’re counterproductive. Kevin Brown falls into this latter category and again, it’s the Dodgers who suffer far more than Brown himself.

By continually convincing his doctors and Dodger management that he has recovered from his injuries and returned to action way too soon for his own good, Brown more often than not ends up injured for a far greater period of time in the long run. This has hurt the Dodgers time after time.

Had Brown followed a schedule prescribed for mere mortals, he’d have rested the last month and would be ready to return right about now, just in time for the final pennant run. But no, his out-of-control passions, intensity and desire killed off any chance for that. Thank you, Kevin Brown.

Of course, his doctors and Dodger management must take their share of the blame for not standing up to him and telling him to take a seat on the pine, that he’s not playing until the average recovery time has elapsed.

Steve Smith

San Gabriel