Dodgers Might Want to Cash In This Chip

It would have been nice if Bill Plaschke had provided some specific on-field or clubhouse examples to back up his praise for Jim Tracy [“Blue-Chip Investment,” Sept. 14]. He didn’t because there aren’t any. Thus Tracy still looks like almost every other average manager.

BENJAMIN K. DEMERS

Montebello

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Bravo to the always excellent Bill Plaschke for his solid profile of Jeff Kent [Sept. 11]. Kent has done what most athletes should do: perform first and talk later.

Jeff has never been one for clubhouse socials. When I lived in New York and the Mets first traded for him as a rookie, some of his teammates performed the usual rookie hazing by stealing his clothes and forcing him to go out in public wearing a clown’s outfit. While most rookies swallow hard and do it, Jeff wanted nothing to do with the stunt. He was then what he still is now: a no-nonsense professional who actually speaks only with his play on the field.

LEN KLATT

Westwood

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Keeping a rotten apple like Jeff Kent on the Dodgers because he is a fantastic hitter reminds me of the old wheeze that some baseball owners would get Charles Manson paroled if he could hit a curveball.

PAUL H. WANGSNESS

Burbank

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When I first saw 83-year-old Dave Strong in a Dodger uniform [“Veteran’s Day,” Sept. 16] I thought Paul DePodesta had made it official and completely lost his mind. But after looking at it in more detail the move would make sense.

Strong can’t be anywhere as surly as Milton Bradley or Jeff Kent, has a better chance than Hee-Seop Choi of actually hitting the ball, would spend less time on the disabled list than J.D. Drew and can’t be any slower than Jason Phillips -- or throw out fewer runners trying to steal.

ERIK SCHUMAN

Fountain Valley

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The “Field of Dreams” lives in the story of Dave Strong.

As with the movie, the dream is not manifested on the ball field, rather in the choice he made to focus on family. Yes, indeed, it would be great to meet his family, a “team” that must be very proud of its leader.

DAVE BATSON

Coto de Caza

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Let’s see here, it says that Jason Phillips went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts while stranding six runners and missing a throw that allowed Colorado to score in a two-run Dodger defeat. Isn’t Phillips the guy who complained about trying to make ends meet on a paltry $339,000 a year?

Maybe he should interview for a job at Burger King, but their softball team might not be interested in adding a bat with a .237 average on the heels of a robust .218 last year. Slow-pitch softball can be pretty tricky to hit. Maybe he could even take Paul DePodesta with him to mastermind roster moves.

ALLEN E. KAHN

Playa del Rey

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If this Dodger season serves as Paul DePodesta’s report card, then so far he has flunked chemistry and anatomy.

His failure to factor character into his player selection equations has definitely left a bad smell in the clubhouse, and his not knowing about J.D. Drew’s injured right wrist before signing him is inexcusable.

How much longer will we as Dodger fans have to be subjected to what this guy doesn’t know?

ALLAN JUDKOWITZ

Northridge

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DePodestie, you’re doing one heck of a job.

E.P. MACUS

South Pasadena