Dodgers: Securing a Playoff Spot as Hard as Chinese Arithmetic

I'm becoming an Astro fan. Well, let me explain. Ordinarily I would have nothing to do with the 'City of Syrup,' home to the Geto Boys and Dj Screw, and who can forget the corporate looting of Enron. After all, the Astros' home was once known as 'Enron Park.' In any case, the good old boys from down south are making their typical late season run at the Cardinals and currently find themselves only 1 1/2 games back in the central. Why the sudden loyalty to a team that I have no previous affiliation with? Well, for all the breaks that the Cardinals have been giving the Friars this week in their two losses to the San Diego club, those dirty rat bastards and all their fans deserve to wallow in their misery by missing the post season with arguably the greatest offensive weapon in Albert Pujols.

Houston also boasts a few dudes that are actually pretty cool, unlike the red birds who are filled with guys who wouldn't bother to piss on you if you were on fire, especially that Crespi High gas can Jeff Suppan, more on him later, the ‘Stros have a few dudes that are actually pretty cool. Sure we all know about Craig Biggio, that little hanging elbow of his is as good as a hit sometimes when he leans out over the plate and gets drilled. I kind of like a guy who is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team and get on base. Also, the USC connection makes them pretty cool. Sure Morgan Ensberg is kind of a dick, but Jason Lane, 1998 College World Series Champion, is one of the best people you will ever meet. You know a ball player is pretty cool when you see him in a public place, much as I did at the Papadakis Taverna during the off season, and he is willing to shake your hand and spend a few minutes chatting with you instead of giving you the usual blow off. I'm sure that the fact that Petros and Brian 'The Hoelice Chief of Manhattan Beach' Viera were there as well loosened up the Lane.

Andy Pettitte is also pretty cool, not to mention 'Rocket' Clemens, and Lance Berkman, I saw him hit one during the Mountain West tournament that still hasn't landed at Tony Gwynn stadium. In short, the Astros are a pretty likeable bunch, and they are coming to shoot down some birds. They are on the prowl for the red birds who have decided to take a late season swan dive like Greg Louganis and in the process, blowing all chances for the Dodgers to win the NL west. Sure the boys did it to themselves, they didn't sweep the late season series with the Fathers and for that they are paying the consequences, however they were banking on the Cardinals to actually show up this week and not just do their best Oakland Raider impression and step aside for the offense. I mean really, when a team the caliber of the Friars comes to town and does you in your own stadium like you were the team scheduled for the homecoming game, then you don't deserve to be in the world title conversation. Call me crazy, but a team that lets Chris Young handle you like a Cy Young, oh wait, the Dodgers lost to him as well.

If the Dodgers fail to secure a spot in the playoffs, it will be by a handful of games at this stage of the program, a handful of games that can be traced to four games that the team had in hand but could not finish. On April 30, as I stated in an earlier post in this very blog, 'Lance-A-Crap!' the Dodgers blew a 5 run lead at the 'Pet' to the Friars and lost in extra innings 6-5 after Lance F'n Carter and Denys Baez decided to implode on that Sunday afternoon. Two days later, the disinterested Odalis Perez blew a 6 run lead at Arizona and the Dodgers would go on to lose 10-8. Earlier this month against the Chicago Cubs, yes the Cubs, the team blew game one and game three of the series when they had a multi-run lead going into the eight and ninth innings. Those four games, with all things being equal, are the four that will haunt the Dodgers should they fail to qualify for the playoffs. I know that in a 162 game season it is difficult to say that one win or one loss lost it for you, but if the Dodger relievers convert on those four games, they they would find themselves with the 87 wins that Grady has stressed since day one, would get them into the postseason. It would have also given them a 2 game lead in the west with 5 to go.

So again, the importance if finishing games and a solid bullpen in the end is what is currently dogging the Dodgers. With no real hammer in the pen, and the loss of Eric Gagne, Ned Colletti's failure to acquire a solid 5th starter and a decent reliever has given this team a hard, Sisyphus like uphill battle to make the show.

As for Jeff Suppan, he is still the same dead arm that got roped by every batter in the 1993 Franklin Panther line up that Saturday Afternoon when the mighty Panthers smoked Crespi 16-2.

Hard Hitting Ventura/Simi Valley Softball Analysis Forthcoming.