This Is Going Downhill, Quickly
April 30, 2010 at 9:22 am | Posted in Garret Anderson, Matt Kemp | 25 Comments
After an MSTI-record 85 comments on the post about Ned Colletti’s comments on Matt Kemp, Kemp went out and misplayed a ball in the very first inning last night, directly leading to the only runs the Pirates would need. It’s hard to understate the poetry of that kind of timing, isn’t it?
I think what got lost in Colletti’s comments is that he’s not exactly wrong. Kemp has looked horrendous in the outfield this season, and I can’t put my finger on exactly why that is. I do think part of it is that after years of his defense being underrated, coming into this year he was now overrated, since he never really deserved last year’s Gold Glove in the first place. The Gold Glove voting is such a fantastically flawed process (it often just goes to the best hitter at a position) that it’s barely even worth recognizing, yet most fans still take it to mean something.
Still, that doesn’t absolve Kemp. His play on defense has been lousy, and it needs to change. But being right doesn’t absolve Colletti either; the whole point of yesterday’s post was not that Kemp’s play isn’t a problem, but just that the general manager of a team – one who’s made more than his share of mistakes – shouldn’t be publicly calling out the best player on his team without mentioning the horrible pitching that Colletti himself assembled, or the dozens of other far more pressing issues.
As for last night… what can you say? We all liked to think that getting back to Los Angeles would help, but when you manage just 4 hits off a 29-year-old with a 6.81 career ERA, what do you expect is going to happen? You can complain all you want that Clayton Kershaw had first-inning issues, but I’m not going to get all up in arms over allowing just 3 hits and striking out 7 while working into the 7th, and having his only runs scored in large part due to Kemp’s defense. This team has just stopped hitting, and it can’t only be because of Manny’s absence.
Speaking of Manny’s absence… Garret Anderson needs to be cut. Now. Not when Manny comes back. Today. After another 0-4 last night, in which he didn’t even get a ball out of the infield, he’s hitting an almost unbelievable .122. This experiment was a terrible idea from the beginning, and it’s a terrible idea now. The pinch-homer he hit on April 22 is the only hit he’s had in nearly three weeks. How much more do we need to see here? He’s had a nice career, but he’s cooked, and it’s time to acknowledge that. And for the love of GOD, Torre, if you must play him, can you please stop batting him second? The thought process here is almost unfathomable. Then again, this is the same guy who brought in Ramon Troncoso again last night.
******
I’m off to South Carolina for the weekend, so you’ll have to have your fun here without me. It’s too bad – I’d have liked to have seen Carlos Monasterios get a start on Saturday – but the way things are going, I think I’ll be happier not watching this team right now.
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While I agree the Gold Glove often goes to the best hitter at a position (anybody remember Will Clark, before his offense also deteriorated?), I thought Kemp was deserving last year. That may have been because elite centerfielders such as Beltrán were injured so much, but I saw Kemp play brilliantly at times, which is what makes his current problems so inexplicable.
Comment by WBB— April 30, 2010 #
He was definitely good last year – much better than this year – but I didn’t think he was the best in the league. Nyjer Morgan was awesome and probably deserved it, but no one’s voting for a powerless guy who played in PIT and WAS.
Comment by Mike Scioscia's tragic illness— April 30, 2010 #
Morgan is certainly below the radar – sorta like César Izturis was when he was with the Dodgers. Unless someone like Morgan does it for years on end, he doesn’t get the recognition. I don’t think Kemp was a ridiculous choice last year – I recall a comment from Randy Winn that praised him to the sky – and would hope that Kemp does a mid-course correction soon.
Comment by WBB— April 30, 2010 #
I pretty much knew we lost this game when I saw G.A. batting second.
Comment by Stephen— April 30, 2010 #
On the bright side, if the Pirates sweep we’ll be 8-16 and can bust out this gem – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLMl0CLIDLg
Comment by Tim— April 30, 2010 #
Why is Anderson even considered for the starting lineup against a lefty when we have Reed Johnson, superior in all phases of the game AND a right handed hitter, sitting on the bench. I’d have preferred to even see Casey Blake in left, DeWitt and Belliard at second and third, and Anderson packing his shit for the DFA that’s got to be coming. C’mon, he has looked atrocious, especially versus lefties. What is Torre’s thought process. Oh, andTorre, how about getting out to second base when your star pitcher gets called out on a missed call?
Comment by SamAdams— April 30, 2010 #
HOLY FUCKING SHIT! You are shitting me. I avoided watching, reading, thinking, looking, imagining anything about this crappy team yesterday. I needed a break, but ultimately ended up peaking every now and then. I didnt even realize that Burres or whatever the hell his name is was left handed. I thought for sure he was a righty when i saw GA in the TWO HOLE! Now that I see this, it is evidence that Joe Torre has lost his mind. The whole point of having Reed Johnson was that he supposedly mashes lefties. And when you have a lefty with such a shitty career ERA, Johnson could have gone to town with 4 at bats. Instead Joe trots out the Angels zombie. I am at such a loss as to how things have gone so south so fast. This is 2005 bad. :(
Comment by EephusBlue— April 30, 2010 #
One of new favorite things is watching Kemp casually one-hand ordinary fly balls. If I were him, I’d have Velcro and Super Glue on both hands and hold onto the damn thing like it was a 4G iPhone.
On the bright side, if he keeps playing this way, the Yankees won’t want him, nor will anyone else.
Comment by Bill Grabarkewitz— April 30, 2010 #
lol
Comment by brooklyndoyer— April 30, 2010 #
You’re right. Nick Swisher is twice the player Kemp is.
Comment by Beasy Bee— May 1, 2010 #
For better or worse, lots of infielders and outfielders now one-hand popups and fly balls (though I personally disapprove of the practice). On the bright side, I’ll say that one of the things Blake Dewitt does very well at second base is to go after popups, whether behind him or down the line, with great range.
Comment by WBB— April 30, 2010 #
Kemp’s mistake didn’t even cost us the game, without it we still lose 1-0.
Comment by KempKershaw— April 30, 2010 #
How long can this keep going before Torre loses his job?
Comment by Madeleine— April 30, 2010 #
Torre would have to fall asleep in the dugout, not pay any attention to the game, and completely screw up the lineup and bullpen before he was in any risk of losing his job.
Oh. Wait.
Comment by Bill Grabarkewitz— April 30, 2010 #
Torre is fleecing the entire city of Los Angeles. He makes Jay Leno look like a GD philanthropist.
Comment by Wilson Fonasty-Foshow— April 30, 2010 #
Dodgers up 5-2, Kemp with 3K’s…now he’s pressing…Colletti or Rihanna?
Comment by John Young— April 30, 2010 #
Does no one consider that players go through slumps and hot streaks. He was hot for like 3 weeks, now cold for about a week.
RELAX.
Comment by KempKershaw— May 1, 2010 #
This is actually not a very good team, trips to the NLCS for two years in a row notwithstanding. It’s now looking like letting Wolf go was an enormous mistake, particularly in view of the fact that future stud Billingsley was always shaky and others picked up through the ash-and-trash midseason route have confirmed why they were available. The Dodgers do not have a pitching staff that can contend in modern baseball. This staff is more like what’s found with perennial losers such as Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
The Kemp-Colleti rhubarb is just a sideshow. Kemp is a lazy player, one who looks as if he’s not interested in improving himself. Colleti is an asshole who should never, ever be allowed to manage the destiny of any team, but he was right about Kemp. Unfortunately, Colleti has made so many seriously bad (and expensive) mistakes that he has no credibility whatsoever. He should be fired right along with Torre. Torre was a great manager with talent (Yankees, anyone?) and he got lucky with the Dodgers because of Ramirez (’08) and breakout years by Kemp and Ethier as well as steady pitching by people no longer there (’09). Now it’s 2010 and Torre doesn’t have a clue.
Despite his sloppy play, Kemp is a major leaguer. So is Ethier. Who else? Blake always disappoints. Loney maybe, but a 1B without power is not a valuable commodity because no one cares about fielding at 1B. Martin may already be done, even at his age. Put a fork in Furcal. Dewitt will always be borderline. Ramirez is old and he no longer gets to take good drugs. Injuries are the first sign of a guy off the good stuff. Expect more injuries. Manny was a great player, with or without the drugs, but don’t expect any more miracles from him. He’s just like…Garrett Anderson, who may also have been a juice guy. and WRT the juice, anybody ever thought about that with Furcal now that he’s old and gets hurt a lot?
Not a good team. Don’t expect a three-peat. Not with current management and players. Sherrill? Ortiz? Carroll? Who are these guys? Unfortunately, given the issues with ownership, I expect some lost in the wilderness years coming up. This team is on track to repeat the ’90s.
Comment by SC Dodger— April 30, 2010 #
Wow, I’m glad no one’s panicking this early in the season. I mean, really people, you sound like Yankees fans. “Let’s dump everyone who is doing bad right now because THAT will solve all our problems!”
Comment by Thomas— May 1, 2010 #
Let’s dump everyone who is playing shitty right now. That should solve our problems.
Comment by johnclevenger— May 1, 2010 #
Old Ortiz may just keep his job yet! 2IP, 1H, 5K’s? That’ll bring down the ol’ ERA.
Comment by Gabriel— May 2, 2010 #
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