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For the first time since April, the Dodgers have
finally recaptured first place in the NL West. Yeah team! They have played some incredible
baseball throughout July and August. It is great to see them playing as a team again. For
most of the first half, it seemed they were relying on just a handful of guys (Piazza,
Karros, Modesi) to win games. I just pray they don't choke like they did last year with
the Padres. You gotta be hungry for the taste of victory, otherwise forget it.
That's a fact. The Padres were starving hungry and the Dodgers were just nibbling
their way through the end of the season. Recently, signs of hunger have begun to
show.
Geez, I was in shock when I heard the news that
Fred Claire actually made a late-season trade! I don't often like or agree with the trades
made by the Dodgers. Seems we're always getting burned (Delino Deshields was a big bust)
or losing a cherished player.
I must admit my surprise at their trading Pedro
Astacio, but absolutely thrilled to get Eric Young back. When he first came up with the
Dodgers, you could see potential in everything he did. He could hit, run, steal and was
outstanding defensively! I was heartsick when he was left unprotected and the Rockies
snatched him up, but in hindsight, which is always 20-20, he had the opportunity to mature
and really get his chops together. In his first few weeks with the team, he has already
proven he is truly an asset.
Another great move was getting Otis Nixon. He plays
hard and with heart! He can still rob the opposing player of a hit by climbing the fence
to steal that homerun and make those incredible diving catches. Darren Lewis was yet
another great pickup. He's extremely talented both offensively and defensively. The team
has become more exciting - more speed makes for more exciting baseball. It was getting
pretty boring before these players came along to ignite the team and fans by making things
happen on the bases.
Personally, this year I was finally getting excited
about baseball again. I'm a long-time Dodger fan, and since the '94 strike, which I
personally found devastating and beyond unbearable, I've been slow to warm up to the game
again. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I truly LOVE the game, it's an addiction I
acknowledge. This is the first year (since 1994) that I've actually watched teams (other
than the Dodgers) with great interest . . . getting into the other division races . . . it
has been fun. Last year's playoffs, especially between the Mariners and Yankees, touched
that deep down passion I had tucked neatly away after the 94 strike.
I'm still convinced that the owners caused the 1994
strike due to their own greed by the bidding wars between each other for top players -
they seem to lack self-control especially when their team is in the running late in the
season. Suddenly, money is no object - that is until they realize (too late) that now they
have to cough up the bucks. I can't blame the players. What would you do if your boss
offered you double your current salary knowing a competing company may try to lure you
away? Are you gonna say "no, that's not right, it's not fair to the rest of my
co-workers." Don't think so!
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