Saturday, August 7, 2010

Lack of support, Lack of interest, Lack of hope

First, I would like to present this article from the Official Website of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sarah's Take: Martin's given his all

This is an important article to me because it expresses just exactly how I feel about this situation. I could never explain how much seeing Russell Martin in this situation saddens me. Maybe you'll understand after reading that article.

What also saddens me is everyone's sudden lack of support. I know with an eight game deficit out of the division lead and a seven game deficit out of the wild card spot, that it is hard to keep on cheering on. It's hard to keep on believing, but you know what the fact of the matter is? It's not over yet. Sure, the Dodgers have struggled much more than they should have this year, but you have to consider that they have been going through a lot. The Frank McCourt divorce being one of the main sources of stress is there. With this, there is so much risk. Players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and James Loney could be headed to Free Agency because of this stupidity. There is just so much going on with the Frank McCourt divorce that involves the Dodgers and their "worth." We can only hope that with all of this, maybe, just maybe, we'll pick up a new owner. A better owner. One that won't put us in the hole like this again.

Then there is Joe Torre. What is he doing? Where is he going with all of this? We all know that this is most likely going to be his last year with the Dodgers, and honestly, I couldn't give a crap. I don't think he's done all that great of a job with the Dodgers. But that's just my opinion, and possibly the opinion of a ton of other people I've talked to. First of all, this team is not the Yankees. Not even close. The offense isn't the same so you can't treat it the same. That goes for pitching too. Every team is different and Torre doesn't seem to get it. Either that, or he just doesn't care. And Ed Yassa of the L.A. Times explains just exactly why this could all be effecting the team:

"Judging by the look of complete lack of interest on his face and his total disconnect from the team, Joe Torre has already given the Dodgers the answer about his future. He has checked out and the team has sensed it, there is no fire in the dugout and the players look defeated. Torre lost his passion in New York and a three-year vacation in Los Angeles has not helped."

There is nothing in Torre anymore. He's lost the ability to care so why should the Dodgers have to care?

As a fan of the Dodgers, watching this - watching the team destroy themselves - time after time, whether it be offense or pitching, is entirely frustrating. It seems that the fans care ten times more about the team these days than the coaches or the owner, and how are we suppose to improve anything if this is the case? Just cheering on the Dodgers isn't going to make much of an effect. We, unfortunately, need more than that. I feel like the team just has no motivation and feels no reason to try and do well. Honestly, how do we make the play-offs last year, and this year we're in fourth place, eight games behind?

It's become painful to watch the games. To watch the looks on the players' faces. To watch them play baseball as if they have never played it before. It seems that what was once a competition in the game of baseball, has become nothing more than trying to get through the last fifty or so games.

I could go on, hoping that things will get better this season. I could say, "well, maybe we'll have a better season next year." But it's so hard to do this when we don't know what's in store for us. Losing Martin, Frank McCourt, Free Agency of some of our best players, and Joe Torre seem to be the main factors in what will effect the Dodgers organization and team next year. I am hoping for the best but it's not getting any easier.

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