Letters: Power of the press is working in reverse on the Dodgers

Now that the Dodgers have climbed back into contention, please don’t let Bill Plaschke write anything nice about them. Whenever Plaschke voices optimism, the team gets complacent and goes into a funk. Conversely, after a losing streak, a panicked Plaschke column is all it takes to put the Boys in Blue back on track.

Bill, for the fans’ sake, if you can’t say something mean, don’t say anything at all.

Don Gould

Claremont

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Dylan Hernandez opined Friday that the schedule favored the the Dodgers, due, in part, to playing the “delightfully pitiful” Giants. Please note that the Giants have a winning record against the Dodgers this year (9-7). And took two out of three from the Diamondbacks prior to the Dodgers losing to them Thursday. And three World Series championships this decade.

Please pass this on to your “delightfully pitiful” writer.

Samuel Gurley

Los Angeles

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Hey Stan Williams, we all make mistakes. As a longtime Dodger fan you’ve been forgiven! What I can’t understand is why you and Sandy Koufax switched gloves in the picture in Sunday’s paper. Did you think we wouldn’t notice?

Mike Miles

Granada Hills

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As a 12-year-old boy who played hooky that day, I watched in stunned belief on our small black and white TV as the Dodgers and Stan Williams coughed up the deciding playoff game against the Giants in ’62.

To this day, whenever I heard the name Stan Williams, I thought about him walking in the winning run, giving the Giants the pennant, and it angered me.

After reading Bill Plaschke’s well-written and compassionate article on Stan, I realize he was not the villain. It was Walter “Smokey” Alston who had to go “light one up” in the runway where Williams and Roseboro couldn’t find him to wave off the intentional walk.

To Stan, I forgive you and hold you in high regard, as I hope the Dodger organization would going forward.

Tom Romano

San Marino

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Walter Alston was not saving Don Drysdale for the World Series. That’s a myth.

Years ago I ran into Maury Wills at the courthouse in Los Angeles.

I am a huge Dodger fan and introduced myself to Mr. Wills. I told him that the team broke my heart in 1962 blowing the playoffs to the Giants. In particular the ninth-inning implosion of the final game of that series. Maury told me Don Drysdale was also warming up in the pen with Stan Williams. He said the reason Alston didn’t bring in Drysdale was that Leo Durocher sent Drysdale to the pen to warm up, not Alston. Wills said that Alston and Durocher hated each other. Alston brought Williams into the game instead of Drysdale to spite Durocher.

The rest is history.

Oscar Rosalez

Diamond Bar

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I offer the Dodgers relief from their pitching problem: Let the starters finish. I don’t mean complete games. I mean just as the Tampa Bay Rays acknowledged they have no starting pitchers and closers became openers, L.A. has no relievers so create the two-headed starter. One day it’s Kershaw/Madea, another Buehler/Wood. On the third day, Hill/Ryu.

No disrespect to Jansen. I love the guy and want to believe he’ll regain form. But I won’t bet the playoffs on it. Let’s wait until next year for that to occur. For now, starters only.

Craig Rosen

Los Angeles

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I can’t decide whether to be amused or saddened by the number of letters to the sports section from so-called Dodger fans jumping off the bandwagon. Many of us have been riding it for years, win or lose, so please don’t expect a hand up when you decide to climb back aboard next season. Fake news? Fake fans!

Ron Yukelson

San Luis Obispo

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Say what you will about the Dodgers but after last weekend’s sweep of the 50-83 San Diego Padres, there’s no denying that the Dodgers are better than the worst team in the National League.

Fred Stern

Los Angeles

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It’s tough for Kenley Jansen to be effective when he has only one pitch—the home run ball.

David Marshall

Santa Monica

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I think it’s a great idea that Elon Musk wants to build a passenger tunnel under Dodger Stadium. It will provide a quick getaway for the relief pitchers after they blow another save.

Steve Horvitz

Los Angeles

Kickoff time

Coach McVay’s decision to keep most Rams starters out of preseason games could lead to a slow start and is reminiscent of his decision to rest them in last season’s last, “meaningless” game. We saw how that worked.

Jack Wishard

Los Angeles

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This year, NFL owners and management knelt on the fans. Some starters played a few series in the preseason games and some haven’t even seen the field. That would be OK if we weren’t being charged full price! This practice has to stop! Either reduce the preseason or eliminate it. The only reason the owners refuse to cut the preseason is because they make out like bandits. We have all been ripped off while they laugh at all of us.

Geno Apicella

Placentia

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Chip Kelly was hired by UCLA to bring its football program from second tier to relevant. Publicly suspending six players for smoking dope, or whatever other team rule they might have broken, sends a message that he means business. Maybe now we will stop seeing underachieving four- and five-star players in Westwood.

Alan Abajian

Alta Loma

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Any truth to the rumor that the six UCLA football players were suspended because they snuck out without paying after eating at a Chinese restaurant?

Joe Cohen

Mar Vista

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Imagine a film critic having to review a movie she/he has not been allowed to watch. In the Chip Kelly era, such is the challenge facing UCLA beat writers, otherwise known as enemy combatants.

Fall camp coverage revealed little about the Bruins team, but we have learned this year’s Rose Bowl concessions will feature carne asada.

Wes Wellman

Santa Monica

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In his first official interview, JT Daniels was asked about playing in front of a full Coliseum on Saturday. The questioner should have known better than to think a game against Nevada Las Vegas is going to be a sellout.

Gerry Swider

Sherman Oaks

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Sure signs that fall has arrived in Los Angeles: The days are a little shorter, the air a tad crisper, and the LA / USC Times sports page begins its ritual flirtation with USC football.

Gregory Moran

Manhattan Beach

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The colleges that recruit high school “phenoms” should be more honest with them. Let’s face it, Jack Sears would have had a great career at Cal Poly SLO, Matt Fink would have been perfect for Kansas State’s system, and Tristan Gebbia would have been a good fit for Northern Arizona.

It is time for high school coaches and college coaches to be more realistic with their players. If Sears and Fink came to USC just to play football, they should leave now. Otherwise, know that a degree from USC and its network of alumni throughout the state is your best bet for a good life.

Mark Walker

Chino Hills

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With respect to the matters at Ohio State, the NCAA has the jurisdiction and authority to take stronger action and it should do so. I suggest as a first step revoking Matt Leinart’s Heisman trophy — I’m sure The Times will agree that USC is somehow at fault here.

Greg Breen

Hermosa Beach

Down in Anaheim

As we all know, Albert Pujols will be in the Hall of Fame.　He should retire and get there three years sooner. Mike Scioscia says Shohei Ohtani will improve against lefties as he gets more at-bats against them but he doesn’t give him those at-bats even in the midst of these meaningless games, and expecting him to pitch again is yet another Tommy John surgery waiting to happen. Scioscia should join Albert in retirement. 　　　　

All this brings us to Mike Trout. Yet another year not in the playoffs. A major hockey publication predicts the Ducks will barely make the playoffs and be eliminated in the first round. If only the Angels could scale such mediocre heights.　

Ron Reeve

Glendora

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Seriously, is there any classier professional athlete than Mike Trout? What an amazing role model he is.

Jeffrey S. Weiss

Thousand Oaks

Life on the edge

So the PGA Tour plans to seed its No. 1-ranked player in the Tour Championship with a bonus of 10 shots under par because that player in effect won the FedEx Cup “regular season pennant.” Every major sport should follow: MLB’s five-game series starts the home team with an automatic Game 1 win. NBA and NHL teams are similarly rewarded. The World Cup final starts at 0.5 goals to zero. The Super Bowl team with the best regular-season record starts the game with a 7-0 lead.

Vegas, here I come!

Ken Artingstall

Glendale

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