What Am I Thinking????

(Ah, Nomar -smile-)

Oh, uh, sorry. Anyway, when I was reading Dr. Veith's comments about the fantabulous Brewers the other day, I realized that I really haven't posted about my beloved Dodgers practically this entire season.

Seemingly, there would be a lot to write about. They are having a really good season. They are going back and forth with the Padres for first place in the NL West. Nomar is still adorably cute (and to think, I was against signing him). Russell Martin is having a stellar year and is healing that gut-wrenching pain after the Paul LoDuca trade (of course, Paul LoDuca is managing to erase that himself, by kind of being a schmuck). Our veterans are relatively cool, and our rookies are exciting. So why do I feel so drab?

Maybe this is what a Cubs fan feels like every year. I can't quite place it. We are often in first place, yet for the first time in several years of hearing that the NL is subpar (despite the fact that our records were better against other divisions than against our own!), I think "if we are in first place, then the NL West stinks this year. "

I have not been fond of Luis Gonzalez, and not simply because he used to badmouth us and accuse us of stealing signs when he was a Dback. He's still a good hitter, but he is not a good fielder anymore, and he often gives up a run through an error for every RBI he gets. Opposing teams are well aware that if they hit the ball to left or to center, they can get a double or make it home if they are at first. It is reminiscent of when we had Jason Phillips as a catcher, and he could NOT get throw to 2nd. We had one team steal 6 bases on him in just a few innings. Gonzo and Pierre just don't have the arms. But with personalities like Jeff Kent and Brad Penny, I think Gonzo's value is probably in the clubhouse.

I'm thrilled to death that Pierre is stealing again, but I'm frustrated with Rafael Furcal. He is playing hurt and I get so sick of players who insist on being on the field and being a liability to the team when they could be on the DL for a while and heal, and be an asset as we race for the playoffs. I still wish we had not signed him, and that we had waited for Cesar Izturis. Defensively, even now, Izzy is better.

I hope we make it to the playoffs, but with this team, I don't know if we can compete once we get there. We are not playing like a playoff team. We are playing like a team that for some unknown reason, happens to get key hits. I don't mind that we don't hit homeruns. I LOVE little ball. But I wish we were better at that. We fight through the whole game. That is something new over the last year or so. There are a lot of games we win in the eighth or ninth. And man, he may not have the charisma of Gagne, but Saito is fabulous.

So I guess I'm kind of mixed up, and I haven't written about it because I don't want to think about it. So, just in case you were wondering....I guess it is just one of those seasons.