Dodgers kids still not buying in
Although the Dodgers' youngsters made the case Saturday night that they can win without getting a hit, there's going to be lots of talk come the trading deadline about what the Dodgers might do -- like they'd have any thought of giving up on their young players.
It's not going to happen; the kids still rule here.
General Manager Ned Colletti is under fire, though, and Manager Joe Torre said again, "it's still a work in progress" getting through to the team's young players.
The Dodgers remain within reach of Arizona after an extraordinary win over the Angels, but both men don't like the (hitless) approach at home plate by the kids, and Torre has talked about his coaching staff doing a better job of communicating.
A year ago this month the Dodgers dismissed Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, their hitting coach, after a three-game sweep of the New York Mets because he wasn't connecting with the team's younger players.
So it might be logical to assume it is only a matter of time before the Dodgers put Don Mattingly in uniform, tossing yet another pacifier to the kids in an effort to tap their potential.
Mattingly is supposed to be an extension of Torre, albeit a younger version, who might score better with the Dodgers' youngsters as hitting coach -- especially after none of them could get a hit against the Angels.
The Dodgers have grizzled, hard-bitten old coots in LarryBowa and Bob Schaefer on their coaching staff, but it appears the kids still need some babying.
The Dodgers aren't saying whether any changes are in the offing, but Torre said, "as a group, I still have some work to do with [the young players]. You'd like to just show up and have everybody absorb everything or commit to it," but it hasn't happened.
The Dodgers hired Torre for PR purposes, of course, because almost everything they've done on the Parking Lot Attendant's watch has been for PR purposes.
But the Dodgers also thought they were getting someone to command respect in the clubhouse, something they believe they had lost with Grady Little on the job.
As results go, the Dodgers are worse off so far, and it's shocking, while refreshingly honest to hear Torre talk about his ineffectiveness to win over the Dodgers' youngsters so far.
