Playoffs school: The Los Angeles Dodgers

October 4th, 2006 | Posted by The Postmen

So the playoffs have already started. So what? We’re still previewing the damn thing, and we’re just self-involved enough to think that’s a good enough reason for tardiness. Next in our series of preview interview madness is Andrew Grant, who runs the best blog on the Dodgers we’ve yet seen at TrueBlueLA.com. Andrew put up with our standard questions, raved about the sublime functionality of Greg Maddux, and the Dodgers’ bright future.

The Postmen: I’m a Cubs fan, so it pains me to ask this question, but Nomar and Greg - huge boost, medium boost, small boost, or no boost at all?

Andrew Grant: Overall, I’d say somewhere between medium and huge. Nomar had one of the best first halves in baseball, but aside from a couple of key home runs, he did nothing in the second half, putting up only a .694 OPS, third worst in baseball among first baseman.

Maddux, on the other hand, has exceeded all expectations. Originally, I was happy to see him simply because it would keep the ball out of Aaron Sele’s hands. Him putting up a 3.30 ERA with the Dodgers is just gravy. Since Brad Penny has faded down the stretch, another semi-reliable starter is a huge boost.

If the Dodgers didn’t have Maddux, than Aaron Sele or Mark Hendrickson would be starting in the playoffs. That alone makes him a huge boost.

TP: On your site, you recently wrote that you had the Dodgers’ eulogy all planned out. Do you feel like your boys are playing on borrowed time?

AG: Not really, I’ve long felt that the Dodgers are the best team in the NL West, I’m just used to crushing disappointment thanks to the last 18 years of Dodger baseball. Combine this with the fact that the Phillies couldn’t lose in September, I wasn’t all that enthusiastic.

TP: What’s the biggest question surrounding this team right now?

AG: If I had to choose, I’d go with starting pitching. Derek Lowe is currently the ace, but he was terrible in June and July (5.93 ERA). Brad Penny started the All-Star game, but he’s had a 6.25 ERA in the second half and is now fighting a back injury. Greg Maddux’s success seems entirely dependent on whether or not the ground balls he allows find fielders. The guy that I have the most confidence in right now is Hong-Chih Kuo, who has five career starts. So, starting pitching is incredibly shaky.

Also, the bullpen after Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito is scary, but the relatively few innings they would throw in the playoffs make that hole seem far less critical.

TP: What’s this team’s most solid area?

AG: The offense. While this team has no star hitters, no one hit over 20 home runs or had an OPS over .900, the lineup has no holes. The weakest hitters in the lineup are Kenny Lofton, a centerfielder with a .360 on base percentage, and Wilson Betemit, who has a .469 slugging percentage. Because the lineup is consistent throughout, the Dodgers scored only 14 runs less than the star studded Mets lineup. This consistency lead the Dodgers to the best batting average and on base percentage in the NL. The Dodgers will occassionally have an offensive slump if a few guys stop hitting at the same time, but conversly all the hitters can click at the same time, and produce some huge run totals.

TP: Who’s the most important player on this team?

AG: Since the lineup is so balanced, it’s hard to single out one player. If I had to choose, I’d go with Rafael Furcal. Since the Dodgers can’t hit the home run, they need men on base in order to score, and Furcal starts the whole process of singles and doubles leading to runs.

TP: Who’s the fan favorite right now?

AG: I’d have to say Nomar Garciaparra, despite his struggles in the second half. Rookies Russell Martin and Andre Ethier also seem to be getting a big response from the crowd.

TP: Who’s the most consistently detrimental player on the team, and what Single-A market would be the proper punishment for his crimes?

AG: One thing that has characterized Ned Colletti’s tenure is his extreme impatience. If someone struggles for any substantial period of time, they’re shipped out of town. Odalis Perez, Jae Seo, Cesar Izturis, and Mark Hendrickson have all been the whipping boy at some point, and they’ve all either been traded or benched. Right now, the current scapegoat is Julio Lugo, thanks to the .219/.278/.267 line he put up with the Dodgers.

TP: Any last words?

AG: One of the biggest surprises this year has been the production from the rookies. It was well known that the Dodgers had one of the best farm systems in baseball, but they weren’t expected to make any contributions until next year. Russell Martin wasn’t slated to take over the catching duties until 2007, but after Dioner Navarro got injured in early May, he’s been above average both offensively, with a .781 OPS, and defensively. Many people assumed that Andre Ethier would only be a fourth outfielder, and while his success was a bit luck driven, he still finished with an .842 OPS. Takashi Saito wasn’t even that good in Japan (I referred to him as the Japanese Jorge Julio), yet he effectively replaced Eric Gagne.

And these were just the highly publicized rookies. Matt Kemp, who no one expected to see until at least 2008, hit seven home runs faster than any Dodger in history, though he didn’t do much after those first 50 at bats. Chad Billingsley provided the Dodgers with another quality arm, and he lead baseball in ERA in the second half until he hurt his oblique in late August. James Loney, even though he played very little, still managed to put together a historic nine RBI game. The future looks very bright for the Dodgers.