Time Is Expiring for Evans

The festering frustration produced by the broken bats of the Dodger lineup has gradually become more public

Jack Clark, the batting coach, having already received one woodshed whipping by the general manager and likely to be dealt with more harshly when the season ends, reacts to a 2-0 loss in the opening game of an important series with the Phillies by throwing up his hands and saying he has done all he can and that it’s up to the hitters.

Manager Jim Tracy sits behind his desk before the second game of the series, questions the “thought process” of his batters, says this “current group is fouling off or taking too many pitches that need to be hit hard” and adds that when you’ve got eight hitters each producing only one quality at-bat per game it pretty much behooves the pitcher to throw a shutout.

“Our pitching hasn’t been good,” Tracy said, “it’s been unbelievable.”

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, the broken bats have been unbelievable in their own way, and the clock is ticking toward the non-waiver trade deadline at 1 p.m. PDT today.

Is help still possible?

Well, General Manager Dan Evans spent most of Wednesday trying to negotiate a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for third baseman Aaron Boone.

But by the time the Dodgers had wasted another strong performance by Kevin Brown in a 4-2 loss that dropped them five games behind the Phillies in the National League wild-card race, there were rampant rumors but no resolution regarding Boone.

Evans, working the phones in Los Angeles, wouldn’t comment about specific trade talks.

However, a source with inside knowledge said the Dodgers were vying with the New York Yankees (there were conflicting reports regarding the Seattle Mariners) and had offered cash and a top pitching prospect, but not Edwin Jackson, the 19-year-old right-hander who has Southern League scouts buzzing. The Dodger proposal (as of late Wednesday night) also did not include Adrian Beltre, who would apparently take his unfulfilled promise to the bench (or to the Yankees) if Boone joined the Dodgers.

The Reds, of course, have been dumping salary faster than you can say Great American Ball Park. Reliever Scott Williamson was traded to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, outfielder Jose Guillen was traded to the Oakland A’s on Wednesday (which undoubtedly heightened American League West rival Seattle’s interest in Boone). It has been inevitable that Boone would be traded ever since the Reds fired his father, Bob Boone, as their manager Monday.

The Dodger offense is so shattered that the addition of one hitter isn’t likely to be a panacea, but Boone, who played at USC and Villa Park High, would be a nice fit.

For one thing, he’s available and Mike Lowell isn’t.

For another, he would provide a degree of right-handed power on a team last in the major leagues in home runs -- along with just about every other offensive category.

He also is a hard-nosed competitor with credentials of the caliber that the Dodgers have kept waiting for Beltre, who needed three hits in Wednesday night’s loss simply to raise his average to a mere .224, to produce on a consistent basis.

No one, of course, would expect Beltre to remain satisfied sitting on the bench, but there are only 56 games remaining in the 2003 season, and the acquisition of Boone would undoubtedly prompt the Dodgers to not tender Beltre a 2004 contract -- if they were unable to first trade him.

All of that is conjecture.

Boone was still with the Reds late Wednesday night.

And the Dodgers still featured a juggernaut that had rolled up five runs in the last 62 innings and had failed to help Brown gain a win in his last six starts even though he continues to lower his league leading earned-run average (now 2.10) and has only 10 wins to show for it.

The Dodger pitching staff, which began Wednesday night’s game with a major league best 3.02 ERA (almost unprecedented in this offensive era), has demonstrated remarkable perseverance under the burden of an underachieving outfield and under productive infield.

Who’s to blame for this wasteland of a lineup?

Well, of course, the injuries to Brian Jordan and Fred McGriff haven’t helped, and at some point Beltre, with his anemic numbers again, and Shawn Green, with his 11 home runs, will have to take a long look in a mirror, but the issue of blame is a much longer and complex story.

In short:

* The News Corp. ownership has been a disaster, starting with the trade of Mike Piazza behind Fred Claire’s back.

* The series of foolish contract signings by Kevin Malone and Bob Daly has left a residue of financial inflexibility and immovable contracts.

* The farm system that turned fallow through neglect and bad drafting decisions during the final years of Peter O’Malley’s ownership has not recovered enough to provide a consistent roster and payroll recycling pipeline.

In addition to those factors, Evans, while handicapped by that financial residue, seems to have misjudged the extent of his team’s offensive vulnerability during the off-season, failed to heed the warnings of Dave Wallace and others, and tried the patience of his players and field staff before finally acquiring help, if that’s what Rickey Henderson and Jeromy Burnitz represent.

There are too many broken bats for Aaron Boone to repair on his own, but he would be a more reliable and significant addition, and maybe even a little redemption for the general manager whose team retains playoff hopes despite that frustrating ineptness at the plate.