Dodgers Take Giant Steps

Ned Colletti has improved the Dodgers more in one month than the last general manager did in two years. However, the person most excited with the new additions must be Dr. Jobe.

DON WHITE

Palm Desert

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I can fully understand that Ned Colletti is bound to be somewhat homesick about leaving the Bay Area, but does that justify his bringing half of his former team to Chavez Ravine?

JACK WOLF

Westwood

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Wow! What a difference a couple of months can make.

We’ve suddenly got a Dodger team loaded with proven quality veterans with oodles of leadership ability and who wear their uniforms with pride. In other words, great guys who play great. And (except for Rafael Furcal) all came at a reasonable cost in this day and age.

Congratulations to McCourt, Colletti and Little.

STEVE SMITH

Temple City

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I know you’re going to get a lot of crud about how “The Dodgers with Ned Colletti are just the Giants south” and “OK, but who’s going to pitch?” and “Great, Lofton. The Dodgers needed another 40-year-old.” But let’s look at what’s really happening.

By adding Lofton, Mueller, Furcal and Garciaparra, the Dodgers have just added four players who have proven through their careers to be skilled at the single most important facet of offense: getting on base. Heck, even if the Dodgers can’t hold other teams to fewer than seven runs a game, it won’t matter if they’re scoring eight runs a game!

I for one am looking forward to the 2006 season.

KEVIN WEBB

San Bernardino

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Everyone talks about the great Dodger farm system, so why did they go out and raid the old folks’ home for this year’s team? The McCourts were probably thinking that one bus would take fewer parking spaces than the cars of younger players.

I sure hope that they can sign Sandy Koufax. It would be great to see him in a Dodger uniform again.

SOL BIALECK

Van Nuys

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I just sent my check for five games at $97 per game to see the following lineup play: An ex-Giant at third (blah!), a drunk driver at short, a curmudgeon at second, two porcelain dolls (one at first and one in right), two (possibly three) exhumed bodies (one in center and one backup catcher) -- a lineup, by the way, without a sufficient starting rotation or bullpen (where’s the pitching?).

I hope that paying my money to enter this mausoleum of freaks will be well worth it, because next year I’m thinking of just heading toward the wax museum to save money.

PAT RIVERA

Santa Ana

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I am looking forward to seeing the new look of Dodger Stadium -- the new construction, the new seat colors, and all the new ads in the outfield for Bengay, Geritol, Metamucil, Rogaine, and Just for Men hair-coloring products. Oh yeah, don’t forget the Viagra.

Can we rename the team? Maybe the Los Angeles Geezers will work.

AARON ARLOTTI

West Covina

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What’s the big deal about the Dodgers bringing in players from the Red Sox, Giants, etc.? Most fans do not care where they come from. It could be the Cubs or Latvia. All we want is a winning team, and it appears that’s what Ned Colletti is assembling. At the same time, for now at least, he has managed to retain top prospects.

Maybe we can trade T.J. Simers for a starting pitcher.

RAY ROSENBAUM

West Hills