Letters to Sports: Dodgers, and Bill Plaschke, in some trouble

Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts sits alone on the bench during Game 2.

Published Oct. 14, 2022 Updated Oct. 15, 2022 5:47 PM PT

The baseball axiom of “good pitching beats good hitting” has certainly been true in the Dodgers-Padres series. The Dodgers’ pitching has been good for the most part, but the vaunted offense is choking big time. And what’s up with the suddenly resurgent Padres bullpen? After a so-so season, suddenly they have become world beaters? It all points to the offense (or lack of same) from the Dodgers.

Ken Blake
Brea

Once again Bill Plaschke has proven he knows nothing about baseball from the clubs to the cities. After three games the Dodgers are being embarrassed by the Padres and the City of San Diego is getting its revenge against Los Angeles.

Plaschke’s ludicrous put-down of San Diego as a city and the Padres has given them all the motivation they need. They have references to his ridiculous commentary all over the place.

Thanks again Bill. Maybe you should stick to human interest stories that you really are good at writing.

Jay Slater
Los Angeles

I really hope that Bill Plaschke’s dismissive column about the Padres comes back to bite him on the butt.

Dave Thoma
Ventura

It appears a certain sportswriter has taken it upon himself to knock the Padres. Interesting. As far as Fernando Tatis Jr. goes, wasn’t there a Manny Ramirez who played for the Dodgers? I thought maybe there was a problem or two with him during his tenure in Southern California.

Everything is just noise now. The winner of this donnybrook will have to face Philadelphia or Atlanta. The latter should bring up bad memories for Dodger fans. Wasn’t there a guy named Jansen who used to pitch for you? I wonder where he went.

Well, Los Angeles, it has come down to this. As much as I respect you, I have a feeling this could get ugly.

Jonathan Goldstein
La Jolla

I understand wanting to drum up interest in his livelihood, but Bill Plaschke’s language condoning hate is irresponsible at best, and unacceptable at worst. As a writer, he knows language has meaning. Fostering hate encourages superiority, which is the only criteria needed for group-based violence. Maybe he needs reminding the rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants has already resulted in one death, and one near death.

Jessica Abrams
Long Beach

It’s embarrassing for SportsNet LA and Fox Sports 1 to keep showing endless repeats of Dodger home runs, etc., when these same batters either strike out with runners in scoring position or hit into double plays.

It’s action not memories we want.

Roy Reel
Culver City

Striking right chord

Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle is brilliant. Someone should collect a list of all the best times he sends a message to the players. Padres third baseman Manny Machado might not have noticed, but after he struck out in the fourth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, Dieter mockingly played a few bars of “The Hustle.” I only wish I recognized more tunes to be able to interpret his sly and timely commentaries.

Jane Rumph
Pasadena

Hitting right note

While so much news is by definition bad, thank you for the delightful piece on the mariachis at Dodger Stadium. Well-deserved Page 1 placement for both you and Times’ readers.

America at its best.

Bob Wieting
Simi Valley

Format folly

By the time this letter might be printed, we will know whether two mediocre teams, neither of which won even 90 games and finished double digits behind their division leaders, play each other for the NL pennant. This scenario illustrates how preposterous baseball’s playoff format is. Why even play the regular season if a crummy team can get hot in October, win three measly games, and advance? At the very least, these teams should have been given no home games, like in the wild-card series.

Mike Schaller
Temple City

Safety sham

After some laughable roughing-the-passer calls, the NFL doubled down, announcing there’s “no backing down” on player safety. Hypocrites! If this were true, we’d be ripping the artificial turf out of every stadium in country.

Bill Lewis
Burbank

Credit is due

While I wholeheartedly agree with the accolades for Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson by Bill Plaschke, it was no small matter that running back Zach Charbonnet’s 198-yard rushing performance was instrumental in setting up a lot of the Bruins’ touchdowns. Spread the credit and the Heisman talk.

Michael Hollowaty
Newport Beach

One can get a serious case of whiplash watching Bill Plaschke jump on and off bandwagons based on the results of one game. Less than a month ago, after starting in a victory over Stanford, Plaschke wrote that it is a “fact” that USC quarterback Caleb Williams “might be the best player in the country,” Now, after being wowed by UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson‘s efforts against Utah, Plaschke doesn’t even rate Williams as the best quarterback in the city.

Hey Bill, don’t you think these declarations are best made at the end of the season when all the facts and data and eye-testing are in?

Pete Skacan
Manhattan Beach

Expensive backup plan

In Dan Woike’s Saturday story, he quoted Lakers coach Darvin Ham as saying that both LeBron James and Russell Westbrook need the ball in their hands 85% of the time, so it makes sense to Ham to have Westbrook come off the bench. So, Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss agreed to trade three players plus a first-round draft pick for a $47-million backup point guard? I could do a better job than Pelinka. Where do I apply?

Richard Raffalow
Valley Glen

Gambling problem

No one should go to Las Vegas with Coach Staley. He is a bad gambler with a problem. He did not learn his lesson when his poor choices on fourth downs cost the Chargers a playoff berth last season.

He said he trusted his defense to hold the Browns from scoring when he went for it and failed at midfield with one minute left Sunday. If he trusted his defense with a minute left why not force Cleveland to start deep in their own territory by punting the ball instead?

He handed the game to the Browns. HIs defense did not stop them. He just got lucky the kicker missed the field goal. Everyone in the world but him was sure they would punt. Worst call I’ve ever seen.

Robert Rush
Burbank

There’s a new over-under bet in the NFL. Sportsbooks are now offering a wager based on the total number of boners each week attributed to Chargers coach Brandon Staley. Last week it was set at two, but he shocked wise money by committing just one. (Some said it was so stupid it should have counted as three.)

Mario Valvo
Ventura

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