TEAM PREVIEW - 2010 Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers
Mgr. Joe Torre #6
2009 record, 95-67
First Place, NL West

The drama started right away for Tinseltown’s Dodgers. First there was the Manny Ramirez situation. Following an incredible stretch run performance which pretty-much singlehandedly captured the 2008 NL western division flag for the Dodgers, Manny entered the off season as a free agent seeking to make the most of what would most likely be his last great chance to capitalize on the opportunity. After failing to find any suitors (perhaps they knew something) Manny and agent Scott Boras returned to the bargaining table with the Dodgers which is where he wanted stay to begin with, not since Babe Ruth and New York had a player and a town become so endeared of one another. A series of lengthy negotiations ensued before the parties ironed out a two-year $45 million deal. The second year of the deal would prove to be of great value to Ramirez when he was suspended for 50 games on May 5th after testing positive for steroids. At the time of the suspension Manny was batting .348 with six home runs and 20 RBI through the first 27 games of the season. Upon returning to the lineup he struggled and finished the season with very unlike Manny numbers with career-lows of 19 home runs, 63 RBI and a .290 average. It is doubtful the Dodgers would have brought him and all his baggage back without the contractual obligation it was Manny not the Dodgers who immediately exercised the second-
year option.

As Manny’s world turned, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt’s high profile divorce had also become the stuff of soap opera (an entire website www.dodgerdivorce is devoted to covering the affair and its ramifications on the team. The cost of the divorce (His wife Jamie was seeking $488,000 a month in temporary spousal support), has taken a big bite out of the Dodgers payroll, which was as high as $119 million at the start of the 2008 season and at $100 million last year and looks to be around $80 million this year.

Despite all the drama, the Dodgers .270 team batting average, 3.41 ERA and 95 wins were best in the National League. The Dodgers also led the entire majors in attendance (3.7 million). The Dodgers ran away with the NL west moving into first place on April 19th never relinquishing its hold. After a three-game sweep of the Cardinals in the NLDS the Dodgers handily defeated in the NLCS by a pumped defending World Series Philadelphia Phillies squad.

A solid nucleus of young players could keep the Dodgers in contention for a while. In his fourth big league season right fielder Andre Ethier, 27, hit a team-leading 31 home runs and 106 RBI with a .272 average and is signed through 2011 for $15.25 million. Center fielder Matt Kemp, 24, knocked 26 homers with 101 RBI and a .297 average while first baseman James Loney, 25, drove in 90 runs at a .281 clip. Catcher Russell Martin, 26 slipped by the standards he has already developed but is still one the game’s best young backstops. Third baseman Casey Blake, 35, the elder statesman of the Dodgers infield contributed 18 home runs and 79 RBI and 10-year veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal turned in another consistent performance (47 RBI, .280). Second sacker Orlando Hudson (.283 62 RBI) departed as a free agent and at the time of this writing had not been adequately replaced.

For the first half of the season Chad Billingsley pitched like a staff ace being named to the all-star team with a 9-4 record at the break but was almost an opposite 3-7 the rest of the way finishing at 12-11 with a 4.03 ERA. Randy Wolf was more consistent going 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA in a team-leading 214 innings. Clay Hershaw who will turn 22 on March 19th was a hard luck 8-8 with a 2.79 ERA in 30 starts spanning 171 innings with 185 strikeouts. Second year Japanese import Hiroki Kuroda (8-7, 3.76) pitched well enough in 20 starts but could do more in the final season of his three-year $35 million contract.

Closer Jonathon Broxton was among the best in the league going 7-2 with a 2.61 ERA and 36 saves. Shoring up the Dodgers bullpen were Hong-Chih Kuo (2-0, 3.00 32 K 30 IP) and George Sherrill obtained late in the season from Baltimore (0.65 ERA in 27 innings).

Vastly improved San Francisco and Colorado will challenge the Dodgers again this year but L.A. remains the division favorite.