If Ned Colletti says a third baseman from Cleveland, whom Indians fans didn't particularly like, makes the Dodgers better -- that's good enough for me.
The Dodgers wouldn't have him working as general manager, now would they, if he didn't know what he was doing.
And based on everything Colletti knows about baseball, he said, "Casey Blake is a solid player."
"And did you think Andruw Jones was a solid player?" I wondered.
"Yeah," Colletti said. "Did you?"
"No," I said, his .222 average and 138 strikeouts a year ago raising just a little bit of doubt.
I'm sure this Colletti move will be different, though, than the ones involving Jones, Jason Schmidt and Bill Mueller.
In fact, it might be the best deal Colletti has ever made, because the Dodgers don't have to pay Blake anything to play third base, the Indians paying his entire $6.1-million salary.
I wondered how that conversation went when Colletti went skipping into the Parking Lot Attendant's office and told Frank McCourt he had just acquired a guy who won't have to be paid.
"Anything else?" Colletti said while turning to the other reporters.
What's more important than that to the Parking Lot Attendant? That's why Angel Berroa is still here. The Royals are paying his $4.75-million salary, and now with Blake, that's two of the 25 players on the Dodgers' roster whom McCourt doesn't have to pay.
"Did he say, 'Yippee!' " I wanted to know, "when you told him he didn't have to pay Blake anything?"
"I can't remember what he said," Colletti replied, and I can't recall anything memorable the Parking Lot Attendant has ever said either.
HOW NERVOUS do you think Colletti was when Blake came to the plate for the first time? Been there, and done that, I suppose -- especially after Blake struck out.
SO THE fans in Cleveland didn't take a liking to Casey Blake over the years. Wonder how they'd feel watching Jones play every day. Or Berroa.
"They were pretty tough on me," Blake said. "I think they were looking for a 40-home-run guy."
So are the Dodgers and their fans.
"Oh," Blake said.
Blake, who is free to go elsewhere after the season, said the Dodgers and their fans will probably like the versatility he offers in the next two months playing first base and the outfield as well as third base.
"Doubt it," I said. "They've got James Loney parked at first and four guys already vying for three outfield spots."
