Boy watching this Los Angeles Dodgers team right now is demoralizing.
The Dodgers no doubt have been hit with an inordinate amount of injuries, and to some of the key most players. Not having Max Muncy and Mookie Betts in this lineup changes the length and dynamic of it.
Injuries are part of the game, unfortunately. It affects all teams and players no matter how good.
My issue with this team is the same as it always has been – there is no spark, seemingly no joy, no catching fire as a team.
This series in Philadelphia has really brought that to light. The Phillies are the most fun team in baseball, and the crowd has really gotten behind their team. Their pitching sparks the offense which sparks the defense which sparks the bullpen and it’s a lovely circle of happiness for them.
Even with the injuries, the Dodgers still have four All-Stars at the top of the lineup. While they are mostly hitting well individually, they have yet to put it all together and just punish other teams. Even with Mookie and Max sidelined, those four guys should be able to put up a bunch of runs. Over the last month, that really hasn’t been happening.
What’s most frustrating is that when the bottom of the order, those guys who were putrid for most of the first half, finally get it going, the top is the order can’t drive them in.
Even the big hit celebrations have gotten weaker and less enthusiastic as time goes on.
Ironically, they are really good at falling apart together. If only could reverse that trend.
A big lead in the division is a double edge sword. They can buy their time while waiting for injured players to come back, but they also don’t really have anything to fight for.
And it seems silly to complain about a team that has a 7 1/2 game lead going into the All-Star break. One of the top five records in all of baseball, second best in the NL.
But as Dodgers fans will know, this is a problem they have had for a while. When they start to get down, when the pressure is on, they just can’t seem to get themselves going.
Mookie said a few months back that every team is going to play the Dodgers as if it is their World Series. And for the most part teams have shown that. And maybe the Dodgers are treating this as if it’s their postseason, since they don’t seem to produce.
I don’t know what the answer is. I know a lot of fans have called for Dave Roberts head. But when does it fall on the players? Who is going to be the guy in that clubhouse that becomes the cheerleader and gets all these guys going?
For as crummy as the series against the Phillies was, these games were within reach. In the last game, the Dodgers loaded the bases three times and still could not get any runs to score.
Again, the good thing is that the Dodgers have a sizable lead in the NL West. The trade deadline is coming. Players will be returning from the disabled list and often, the first half of the baseball season is not the same as the second half. But something needs to change because the Dodgers cannot continue to tread water and expected to go far in the playoffs.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
The team is the walking wounded. Because of this and the fact that they are missing their best starting pitchers, their starting SS, their starting 3B and some of their best relievers, to expect them to walk all over the other teams is unrealistic. They are trying to just hold serve until the walking wounded come back. I have seen them play worse. Over their last 44 games, they are 22-22. And they still lead the division by 7 games after losing half a game to the idle Padres today. I have little doubt that the front office is going to make more than just a couple of moves when the deadline comes. The team you see on the field is not the team that will be on the field come August 1st.
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When you put together a team made up of players who get along, don’t cause problems and mind their own business, you tend to get a team that seems to lack spark.
We often mention Kirk Gibson as the kind of guy we’d like to see on this team. A current player that I also think has a little bit of that in him is Bryce Harper. Obviously not available in trade. I don’t really know who out there would serve that purpose but I know we could sure use him.
Durocher was wrong when he said nice guys finish last. Nice guys finish first in their division and then get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
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I think Chase Utley was one of the nicest guys who also had the bad-boy spark. Plus, he could grind out a win with the best of them. You don’t see true leaders of that nature around the MLB too often.
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Utley was a big favorite of mine. Totally opposite personality from Gibson but also a real leader. I’d love to see him manage here some day.
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LA’s problem is not spark or enthusiasm. It’ RISP. It has been for the past 2 years or so. They don’t seem to be able to hit when it counts most. They need to collectively take the attitude of making contact when there are men in scoring position. Make contact, move the runners. The absolutely worst thing you can do with RISP is strikeout. Stop swinging for the fences; make contact, move the runners, get a base hit, drive in a run or two. That’s how they can stop the frustration.
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I too would like to see a different approach with RISP and with 2 strikes.
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