Los Angeles Dodgers
http://www.atomicsportsmedia.com/articles/281/1/Los-Angeles-Dodgers.html
Steve Schaefer
Steve Schaefer is a 2006 graduate of the prestigious SI Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Shockingly, this did not result in his being asked to be the editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated immediately after graduation, but Steve remains optimistic.
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By Steve Schaefer
Published on 03/28/2006
Last year's World Series champs came out of nowhere to be the class of baseball. Could the Dodgers be the 2005 edition of the White Sox? Steve Schaefer investigates.
The Dodgers aren’t a team that totally blows you away at first glance, but then again neither were the 2005 White Sox. This year’s Dodgers actually remind me of last year’s champs. A solid club in all facets of the game, LA has many of the same ingredients that were present in Chicago last year: a solid but not spectacular offense, an unsung pitching staff that has a history of keeping the team in games, and a deep bench.
The White Sox also managed to keep almost all of their players healthy last season, something that seems unlikely with the injury history of the Dodger roster. If these players can somehow avoid the injury bug, the Dodgers could be a serious contender for the World Series.
Pitching
The Dodgers starting rotation (Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, Odalis Perez, Brett Tomko, Jae Seo) may lack a bona fide ace, but all five pitchers could win 15 games. The team suffered its first losing season since 1999 last season, going 71-91, and the starting pitching was largely responsible. Not one returning starter finished over .500 last season, but if the offense can stay injury-free they should be better.
Lowe, the de facto ace, had a solid 3.61 ERA but only a 12-15 record in his first season in the National League. His 222 innings were tops on the team and the team hopes that he can be a bulldog for the Dodgers the way he used to be for the Red Sox. Penny has battled injuries in his career but is widely considered to have excellent stuff. If he can put it all together he could easily top his career-high of 14 wins in 2006.
Perez, the lone left-hander in the LA rotation, made only 19 starts last season, and his 4.56 ERA was higher than the club would like, but he has shown that he can be a very capable big-league starter if he receives solid run support. He won 15 games and had a 3.00 ERA in 2002, his first season with the Dodgers. Brett Tomko has never achieved the greatness predicted for him as a young pitcher with the Reds, but if he can win 12 games he’ll be a major asset as a starter in the fourth of fifth spot.
Jae Seo, acquired from the Mets in the offseason for reliever Duaner Sanchez, is a question mark with a lot of upside in the rotation. He was never able to permanently crack the Mets staff, but looked very good in 14 starts last season (8-2, 2.59). The Dodgers hope that was a sign of things to come and are expecting a solid season from the soon-to-be 29-year-old.
The Dodgers bullpen is solid, even if the pitchers aren’t all household names. Closer Eric Gagne certainly is, but he appeared in only 14 games last season because of injury. He is healthy this spring though, and the Dodgers expect him to return to form. Gage went 45-57 in 2004 and didn’t blow a save in 55 opportunities in 2003. If he gets enough opportunities, expect him to be among the NL leaders in saves.
Los Angeles GM Ned Colletti, former Assistant GM of division rival San Francisco, made a very shrewd trade with the Devil Rays to beef up the Dodgers bullpen in front of Gagne. In exchange for pitching prospect Edwin Jackson, Colletti acquired Lance Carter and Danys Baez. Both former closers, Carter and Baez immediately strengthen the club’s middle relief and Baez will be the primary setup man for Gagne.
Other important pitchers out of the bullpen will be youngsters Yhency Brazoban, D.J. Houlton, and Jonathan Broxton. Brazoban and Houlton gained a lot of valuable experience last season, but Broxton is entering his first big-league season and the club is very hopeful for his future.
Infield
Colletti’s biggest offseason acquisition, signing shortstop Rafael Furcal away from the Braves, is expected to be the catalyst to a Dodger lineup that was often stagnant last season. If Furcal’s on-base percentage approaches .400, the Dodgers big hitters will get plenty of RBI opportunities and the benefits will trickle down to the entire lineup.
Furcal’s double-play partner, Jeff Kent, has never been accused of being the smoothest in the game defensively, but his bat more than makes up for any shortcomings. Kent had a typical season last year, (.289, 29, 105) and those numbers might increase with the improvements in his supporting cast.
First baseman Nomar Garciaparra will be learning a new position on the fly in 2006, and the team is hoping that he can get his numbers back to where they were when he was a superstar with the Red Sox. Playing more than 81 games would be a good start, but that’s something that Nomar hasn’t done since 2003. If he can hit 20-25 home runs and drive in 80+, his one-year contract worth up to $8 million will look like a bargain.
New third baseman and Garciaparra’s former Boston teammate Bill Mueller is a great average hitter and should fit in nicely in the two-hole behind Furcal. If Furcal is reaching base and Mueller is moving him over for the big bats, the Dodgers will be one of the best small-ball teams in the league.
Olmedo Saenz will back up the corner infield spots and provide power off the bench, while Cesar Izturis, returning from a serious injury, should be the primary middle-infield backup and a good speed option for new manager Grady Little.
Outfield
J.D. Drew parlayed the best year of his career (.305/31/93 in 145 games) into a multi-year deal with the Dodgers last offseason. Predictably, the notoriously injury-prone Drew played in only 72 games and was a major disappointment for his $11 million salary. Drew has never drove in more than 100 runs in a season and has only had more than 500 at-bats once. It remains to be seen if Drew will ever shake his reputation as a soft player who can’t play through pain; if he can’t he might take the Dodgers playoff hopes down with him.
Newly acquired Kenny Lofton will take over in centerfield, replacing the traded malcontent Milton Bradley. After a poor season with the Yankees in 2004, Lofton played very well for the Phillies last season, batting .335 and stealing more than 20 bases for the first time since 2002. The Dodgers will be Lofton’s 9th major-league team, but the ageless (he’ll be 39 on May 31st) speedster will be a valuable second hitter for the club if they decide to bat Mueller lower in the lineup. If not, they’ll likely put Lofton at the bottom of the lineup as a sort of second leadoff hitter.
Starting left fielder Jose Cruz Jr. is reminiscent of Drew, without the injury history. Cruz doesn’t have as much of a problem staying healthy as he does fulfilling his enormous potential. He turns 32 in the middle of April, and if he hasn’t done something to improve his career .250 average by then, he might be replaced in the lineup by Jayson Werth. Werth has never hit more than 16 home runs or played more than 102 games in a season, but there are many in the organization that still believe he can be a 30-homer guy. He’ll be 27 in May and this might be one of his last chances to prove himself in Dodger blue.
Jason Repko and Ricky Ledee are battling for backup spots in the outfield. Last season was Repko’s first in the majors, but Ledee’s left-handed bat might give him the advantage as an option off the bench late in games.
Outlook
Grady Little got a bum deal in his last managerial job, the infamous “Game Seven” in the 2003 ALCS, also known as the “Pedro Game.” It will be interesting to see what kind of job he does in a much more laid back atmosphere on the West Coast.
As for the team, they have as good a chance as any to win the NL West. The Giants are too old, the Diamondbacks too young, and the Rockies just stink. The Dodgers strongest competition out west will come from last year’s division champs, the Padres. I think that the Pads will miss Mark Loretta and Ramon Hernandez a lot more than they realize and have a tough time repeating.
If they stay injury-free, the Dodgers could be this year’s White Sox. If they don’t, they could be this year’s Royals. Opening Day is April 3rd, that’s when the story starts to unfold.
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Last year's World Series champs came out of nowhere to be the class of baseball. Could the Dodgers be the 2005 edition of the White Sox? Steve Schaefer investigates.
 |
The Dodgers aren’t a team that totally blows you away at first glance, but then again neither were the 2005 White Sox. This year’s Dodgers actually remind me of last year’s champs. A solid club in all facets of the game, LA has many of the same ingredients that were present in Chicago last year: a solid but not spectacular offense, an unsung pitching staff that has a history of keeping the team in games, and a deep bench.
The White Sox also managed to keep almost all of their players healthy last season, something that seems unlikely with the injury history of the Dodger roster. If these players can somehow avoid the injury bug, the Dodgers could be a serious contender for the World Series.
Pitching
The Dodgers starting rotation (Derek Lowe, Brad Penny, Odalis Perez, Brett Tomko, Jae Seo) may lack a bona fide ace, but all five pitchers could win 15 games. The team suffered its first losing season since 1999 last season, going 71-91, and the starting pitching was largely responsible. Not one returning starter finished over .500 last season, but if the offense can stay injury-free they should be better.
Lowe, the de facto ace, had a solid 3.61 ERA but only a 12-15 record in his first season in the National League. His 222 innings were tops on the team and the team hopes that he can be a bulldog for the Dodgers the way he used to be for the Red Sox. Penny has battled injuries in his career but is widely considered to have excellent stuff. If he can put it all together he could easily top his career-high of 14 wins in 2006.
Perez, the lone left-hander in the LA rotation, made only 19 starts last season, and his 4.56 ERA was higher than the club would like, but he has shown that he can be a very capable big-league starter if he receives solid run support. He won 15 games and had a 3.00 ERA in 2002, his first season with the Dodgers. Brett Tomko has never achieved the greatness predicted for him as a young pitcher with the Reds, but if he can win 12 games he’ll be a major asset as a starter in the fourth of fifth spot.
Jae Seo, acquired from the Mets in the offseason for reliever Duaner Sanchez, is a question mark with a lot of upside in the rotation. He was never able to permanently crack the Mets staff, but looked very good in 14 starts last season (8-2, 2.59). The Dodgers hope that was a sign of things to come and are expecting a solid season from the soon-to-be 29-year-old.
The Dodgers bullpen is solid, even if the pitchers aren’t all household names. Closer Eric Gagne certainly is, but he appeared in only 14 games last season because of injury. He is healthy this spring though, and the Dodgers expect him to return to form. Gage went 45-57 in 2004 and didn’t blow a save in 55 opportunities in 2003. If he gets enough opportunities, expect him to be among the NL leaders in saves.
Los Angeles GM Ned Colletti, former Assistant GM of division rival San Francisco, made a very shrewd trade with the Devil Rays to beef up the Dodgers bullpen in front of Gagne. In exchange for pitching prospect Edwin Jackson, Colletti acquired Lance Carter and Danys Baez. Both former closers, Carter and Baez immediately strengthen the club’s middle relief and Baez will be the primary setup man for Gagne.
Other important pitchers out of the bullpen will be youngsters Yhency Brazoban, D.J. Houlton, and Jonathan Broxton. Brazoban and Houlton gained a lot of valuable experience last season, but Broxton is entering his first big-league season and the club is very hopeful for his future.
Infield
Colletti’s biggest offseason acquisition, signing shortstop Rafael Furcal away from the Braves, is expected to be the catalyst to a Dodger lineup that was often stagnant last season. If Furcal’s on-base percentage approaches .400, the Dodgers big hitters will get plenty of RBI opportunities and the benefits will trickle down to the entire lineup.
Furcal’s double-play partner, Jeff Kent, has never been accused of being the smoothest in the game defensively, but his bat more than makes up for any shortcomings. Kent had a typical season last year, (.289, 29, 105) and those numbers might increase with the improvements in his supporting cast.
First baseman Nomar Garciaparra will be learning a new position on the fly in 2006, and the team is hoping that he can get his numbers back to where they were when he was a superstar with the Red Sox. Playing more than 81 games would be a good start, but that’s something that Nomar hasn’t done since 2003. If he can hit 20-25 home runs and drive in 80+, his one-year contract worth up to $8 million will look like a bargain.
New third baseman and Garciaparra’s former Boston teammate Bill Mueller is a great average hitter and should fit in nicely in the two-hole behind Furcal. If Furcal is reaching base and Mueller is moving him over for the big bats, the Dodgers will be one of the best small-ball teams in the league.
Olmedo Saenz will back up the corner infield spots and provide power off the bench, while Cesar Izturis, returning from a serious injury, should be the primary middle-infield backup and a good speed option for new manager Grady Little.
Outfield
J.D. Drew parlayed the best year of his career (.305/31/93 in 145 games) into a multi-year deal with the Dodgers last offseason. Predictably, the notoriously injury-prone Drew played in only 72 games and was a major disappointment for his $11 million salary. Drew has never drove in more than 100 runs in a season and has only had more than 500 at-bats once. It remains to be seen if Drew will ever shake his reputation as a soft player who can’t play through pain; if he can’t he might take the Dodgers playoff hopes down with him.
Newly acquired Kenny Lofton will take over in centerfield, replacing the traded malcontent Milton Bradley. After a poor season with the Yankees in 2004, Lofton played very well for the Phillies last season, batting .335 and stealing more than 20 bases for the first time since 2002. The Dodgers will be Lofton’s 9th major-league team, but the ageless (he’ll be 39 on May 31st) speedster will be a valuable second hitter for the club if they decide to bat Mueller lower in the lineup. If not, they’ll likely put Lofton at the bottom of the lineup as a sort of second leadoff hitter.
Starting left fielder Jose Cruz Jr. is reminiscent of Drew, without the injury history. Cruz doesn’t have as much of a problem staying healthy as he does fulfilling his enormous potential. He turns 32 in the middle of April, and if he hasn’t done something to improve his career .250 average by then, he might be replaced in the lineup by Jayson Werth. Werth has never hit more than 16 home runs or played more than 102 games in a season, but there are many in the organization that still believe he can be a 30-homer guy. He’ll be 27 in May and this might be one of his last chances to prove himself in Dodger blue.
Jason Repko and Ricky Ledee are battling for backup spots in the outfield. Last season was Repko’s first in the majors, but Ledee’s left-handed bat might give him the advantage as an option off the bench late in games.
Outlook
Grady Little got a bum deal in his last managerial job, the infamous “Game Seven” in the 2003 ALCS, also known as the “Pedro Game.” It will be interesting to see what kind of job he does in a much more laid back atmosphere on the West Coast.
As for the team, they have as good a chance as any to win the NL West. The Giants are too old, the Diamondbacks too young, and the Rockies just stink. The Dodgers strongest competition out west will come from last year’s division champs, the Padres. I think that the Pads will miss Mark Loretta and Ramon Hernandez a lot more than they realize and have a tough time repeating.
If they stay injury-free, the Dodgers could be this year’s White Sox. If they don’t, they could be this year’s Royals. Opening Day is April 3rd, that’s when the story starts to unfold.
Steve Schaefer can be reached at steve.schaefer@atomicsportsmedia.com