Dark Thoughts Briefly Cloud Sunny Day at Park

It’s 12:09 p.m. at Dodger Stadium on a wonderful, sunny afternoon, you’re working and so am I, and you think I’m the one who has no idea what I’m doing.

But then I’m here with our heroes, every one of them an outstanding performer and fine human being, of course, because that’s how we feel about our favorite teams when they are winning.

You have e-mailed to tell me I should be writing only nice things about our guys, as if I’d do anything else, although I admit it’s going to be a challenge to write in glowing terms about Mark Hendrickson’s 2 1/3 -inning performance as the Dodgers’ starting pitcher Wednesday.

I’ll say this for the big guy, he lasted longer than I thought against the feisty Marlins minor leaguers, and had he not put the Dodgers so far behind, the way our heroes have been going lately they might’ve started taking winning for granted.

But instead the Dodgers tried to rally from 4-0, 7-2 and 12-4 deficits, which should be good experience in preparing for the playoffs.

I’m looking ahead, all right, because every time I watch the Dodgers, I see the Angels of a year ago. The Angels singled and doubled their way to the top of the division just as the Dodgers did the last couple of weeks, both teams relying on strong starting pitching to also get the job done, but then what?

The Angels never did find anyone to back up Vladimir Guerrero with home run power, and while they’re now paying for that, one year ago they excelled when it came to situational hitting, stealing bases and hanging on for dear life. But they left very little margin for error, an umpire’s call in Chicago finally doing them in.

Well, we don’t have a Guerrero -- at best a couple of Garret Andersons, and only the woeful Royals have hit fewer home runs than our guys. It’s even a slimmer margin of error, although the other teams in the National League West are just as powerless, with Colorado ranked No. 27 in hitting home runs, San Francisco No. 26, Arizona No. 22 and San Diego No. 21.

But what happens if we fall behind the Cardinals, and we do have some experience at that, or the Mets? We lead the NL in hitting, stringing together hits better than anyone, but a homer here or there after falling behind the Marlins, and it would’ve been game on.

This isn’t to say I’m down on the guys, or anything like that, it was just something to think about while eating ice cream and waiting for the sixth inning when they put out the Dodger Dogs in the press box.

The Dodgers lost, but it’s now 3 p.m. at Dodger Stadium on what still is a wonderful sunny afternoon, and you’re probably still working.

*

THE NEVER-say-die Dodgers trailed, 12-4, entering the bottom of the seventh but elected to concede, leading off with reliever Joe Beimel, batting for the first time this year and striking out.

“He took some of our better swings,” cracked Manager Grady Little.

*

JULIO LUGO, who will be a free agent, has made it clear he’s a shortstop and will sign elsewhere next year. Based on his play, at least the Dodgers know where to hit the ball next season if they want to get on base.

*

HENDRICKSON WALKED the bases loaded in the first, and with Cody Ross due up, Little went to the mound to presumably remind Hendrickson that the Dodgers had essentially cut Ross, so no sweat. Ross then doubled home three runs.

Ross singled in his next at bat, driving home another run, and this time it was pitching coach Rick Honeycutt who went to the mound to talk to Hendrickson, presumably to tell him that the Dodgers had cut the wrong guy.

*

KEVIN MALONE, the Dodgers’ former GM, e-mailed to say he wanted to play golf. I agreed, and for the record, he didn’t throw a club at me until the 17th hole.

Fortunately, his arm was about as good as that of Carlos Perez, and I was only asking for him to toss me a different club and he was kind enough to oblige.

The rest of the day, after he handed me three pink golf balls to start the round, could not have been any more pleasant, which goes to show you how much he has changed.

Malone, who called himself the “Sheriff,” later changing that to “Dodger Boy,” blamed The Times for his dismissal in 2001.

“There was a time when I would’ve tried to beat you to a pulp,” Malone said, and here I agreed to join the guy knowing he’d have a club in his hand.

“I felt like the media was out to get me, but looking back now, no, you guys were just doing your job. Do I think generally it was unfair? Yeah, but God knew where he wanted me to be in five years.”

Malone, now part owner of a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Santa Clarita, has used his money as well as donations to visit and help the poor in Uganda, Israel, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, while also doing regular ministry work among L.A.’s poor.

“If I disappointed Dodger fans, I apologize,” said Malone, who now goes to the stadium to cheer for the Dodgers -- just like me. “I’m a very blessed man, and God has touched my heart and opened my eyes. I haven’t flipped out or anything. God has just allowed me to see what is important.

“I’m going to pray now. He’ll use you to let people know they can make a difference. If he can work through what you write, that’s a pretty amazing God.”

I always got the impression from Plaschke that God was writing on Page 1.

T.J. Simers can be reached at

t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.