Dodgers Dugout: Can Sandy Koufax pitch for the Dodgers now?

Hi, welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, wondering if the Angels would accept this trade: Chris Hatcher and Alberto Callaspo for Mike Trout. Probably not.

All-Star thoughts

Before I follow up the last newsletter by grading the pitchers, I wanted to take a moment for some random thoughts about the All-Star game.

---Whose idea was it to have Joe Buck introduce the legends before the game? Particularly the introduction for Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays? Especially when there is a living legend named Vin Scully who would have done a much better job. Fox should have chartered a plane and brought Vin out.

---Johnny Bench? Really? He’s not even the greatest living catcher. Yogi Berra is.

---Did you see Koufax throw out the first pitch? I’m pretty sure he could be an effective setup man for the Dodgers.

---Clayton Kershaw did nothing to lessen his reputation as a guy who has trouble in big games.

---The AL’s win means the Dodgers better win the World Series in five games so they can celebrate on field at Dodger Stadium.

Grading the pitchers

A+

Zack Greinke: He has a 1.39 ERA and could easily be 16-2 with some run support.

A

J.P Howell: How does a guy with an ERA of 0.35 not get an A+? By allowing 28% of his inherited runners to score, so that ERA is a little misleading.

Kenley Jansen: Would be an A+ if he didn’t start the season on the DL. Perhaps the most underrated closer in baseball, he has given up only 10 hits and two walks in 21 2/3 innings.

B+

Clayton Kershaw: Has looked much more like his old self after a rocky first six weeks. In his first nine starts he was 2-3 with a 4.32 ERA, 73 strikeouts and 56 hits allowed in 58 1/3 innings. In his last nine: 4-3, 1.53 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 43 hits allowed in 64 2/3 innings.

B

Brett Anderson: 5-5 with a 3.17 ERA, but has given up more than one hit per inning.

Pedro Baez: Could he be one of the setup men the Dodgers have needed?

Mike Bolsinger: 4-3 with a 3.08 ERA. The Dodgers have gotten more than they could have expected from Anderson and Bolsinger, who have helped overcome the loss of Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy.

B-

Carlos Frias: If you take out the one horrific outing where he gave up 10 runs in four innings, his ERA drops from 4.39 to 3.29.

C

Adam Liberatore: Just one of the many seemingly interchangeable guys in the bullpen who have a couple of good outings followed by a bad one.

Juan Nicasio: See note on Adam Liberatore.

Joel Peralta: Spent a lot of time on the DL but looked as if he would be a bullpen anchor before that.

C-

Yimi Garcia: Struggled after a hot start and is now in the minors.

F

Chris Hatcher: 1-4, 6.38 ERA. But I’m rooting for him to come off the DL and pitch well.

Incomplete

Brandon McCarthy, Sergio Santos, Scott Baker, Paco Rodriguez, Daniel Coulumbe, Josh Ravin, David Huff, Ian Thomas, Joe Wieland, Brandon Beachy, Eric Surkamp, Matt West and Chin-hui Tsao did not pitch enough to receive a grade. Man, the Dodgers have used a lot of pitchers this season.

And finally

I know I have been a little hard on the Dodgers this season, but let’s be real: They are going to win the division and make the playoffs. My frustration as a 41-year Dodgers fan is that they are very, very close to being a World Series winning team, and it would be a shame to let this moment pass and not do everything possible to win it all. Some bullpen help and one more reliable starting pitcher would make the Dodgers World Series favorites. There are several players available who can fill those roles, so let’s hope the Dodgers can get a couple of them.