Maybe Bradley Can Be New Dodger Mascot

After Milton Bradley’s juvenile temper tantrum during Tuesday’s game, it becomes very apparent why the Cleveland Indians were so eager to trade him to the Dodgers. Now, how soon can the Dodgers trade him to the next sucker?

Suzanne Gayley

Los Angeles

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Am I the only person who can see a train wreck coming our way in the shocking behavior of the highly talented but emotionally immature Milton Bradley?

And for Jim Tracy to defend Bradley’s behavior as he did, well, I respect him for protecting his player, but his argument on Bradley’s behalf was absurd, and I think it diminished the way Tracy will be perceived by the public and by his players.

Richard Ghormley

Marietta, Ga.

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The Indians knew all along, and the Dodgers just found out. The name of the player they got wasn’t Milton Bradley, it was Meltdown Badly.

Cynthia Mitchell

Los Angeles

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Is Paul DePodesta afraid that Milton Bradley will take his anger out on him if he is disciplined by management? How pathetic it is that Bradley can explode and display such shameful behavior and DePodesta can say “he has such respect for him.” It’s no wonder young athletes think it is OK to be total jerks, both on and off the field.

Jane Hilgendorf

Corona del Mar

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Dear McCourt,

I read today that the Dodgers are considering getting a mascot. I have news for you. We already have a mascot. Her name is Nancy Bea Hefley.

Jessica Kari

El Segundo

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Although I may be in the minority of Dodger fans on this, I think we deserve a mascot.

The perfect Dodger mascot should be an odd color, with funny hair on top, and make funny faces when pictured. He should speak in a strange tongue, and never truly be understood or believed. He must be able to perform tricks, like blowing smoke and talking out of both sides of his mouth, while having really short arms with deep pockets. Most important, we should never take our mascot too seriously because after all, he’s merely an oversized puppet.

Therefore, for our perfect Dodger mascot, I nominate Frank McCourt.

Jim Patton

Redondo Beach

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If the Dodgers wish to “insert a little bit more energy” into the Stadium perhaps they should consider winning a playoff game for the first time in 16 years. A mascot isn’t going to insert more energy, nor is squeezing out our organist Nancy Bea or the stadium announcer overemphasizing Shawn Green’s name every time he and his .230 batting average come to the plate.

If I want all that bush league stuff, I’ll save myself the drive and head to Anaheim.

Warren Maas

Newport Beach

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I hope Lon Rosen isn’t emblematic of what Frank McCourt has in store for Dodger fans. He says “[a] mascot is not something we’re working on,” but that the idea was floated at all speaks volumes. That he wants to make the Dodger Stadium experience “more exciting” (as was suggested in the original mascot story) testifies eloquently to the fact that he and his boss know nothing about the legacy of a great sports franchise.

A baseball game has a relaxed, organic, almost magical rhythm. Baseball has provided a refuge for fans against an increasingly over-energized way of life spearheaded by media bent on creating a new generation of ADD sufferers.

Baseball doesn’t need hyped-up recorded music between innings to improve the product, as Rosen is suggesting. I guarantee McCourt and Rosen that corrupting what’s good about the experience of attending a baseball game will not result in more ticket sales. The people who want to be jacked up by over-saturating sensory input will go to extreme sporting events or spend their money on video games.

John Koenig

Los Angeles

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Reader Norman Temple [Viewpoint, May 29] was wondering why Jim Tracy does not just put Shawn Green back in right field, where Green is the most happy.

Well, the answer is pretty simple. Juan Encarnacion has been one of the better defensive right fielders in baseball over the past few years, and is clearly better out there than Green ever was. Green playing first is what is best for the Dodgers. Moving Green out of the cleanup spot, where he has been completely unproductive, is what’s best for the Dodgers.

This team would be a lot better if they’d start worrying about winning games, instead of catering to Mr. Green.

Matt Zaninovich

Bakersfield

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I must humbly admit that I actually found some useful information in T.J. Simers’ column regarding the Dodgers’ decision to limit Nancy Bea Hefley’s organ-playing during games. While this is lamentable, this certainly does not provide one more stick for Mr. Simers to use in his daily swatting of the Dodgers.

Recorded music has been the unfortunate trend at most baseball stadiums for several years now. There are some major league teams who don’t even employ an organist. I was at Shea Stadium for a Met game several weeks ago and the between-innings noise and CD music were unrelenting.

Even at a reduced workload, Dodger fans are still ahead of the game with Nancy Bea’s continued presence in the Ravine. We can only hope that, baseball-wise, the trend reverses itself.

Len Klatt

Westwood