When guys like Garciaparra and Kent went down for stretches, Gagné was out for good and his replacement was demoted, I started to get pessimistic about this year for the Dodgers. Of course, losing what, 13 of 14 games coming out of the break hurt, too.
But now, with the new guys doing so well, the old guys coming back, and the pitching getting straightened out even without Gagné, it’s looking good. But even with both Martinez and Glavine in trouble in New York, I find it hard to get THIS optimistic about the Dodgers. Writes John Donovan on SI.com:
Among legitimate NL contenders right now, it’d be hard to find a better top of the rotation than Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and Greg Maddux. Does that make the Dodgers the new front-runners in the Senior Circuit? You have another candidate? Unless the Mets get healthy, and quick, this L.A. team will be hard to keep out of the World Series.
Of course, seeing Lowe and Penny live up to their contracts begins to vindicate Paul DePodesta, as does Andre Ethier’s play as the “nothing” exchanged for Milton Bradley. But Ned Colletti’s the guy who got us Maddux, Betemit, the new manager and coaches, Garciaparra, and this red-hot first place team.
So if we see our first World Series in LA since the days of Hershiser, Gibson, and Lasorda, then he ought to get a bonus or a raise.