OT-A broken hearted Dodger fans reflections on another unfulfilled season...

[suicide_squeeze]

I find myself really angry with the way this season ended. The Dodgers truly had the tools to beat the Phillies this year. I give props to the Phillies, they are truly a great team, dominant in many ways, but the Dodgers were so close. And I guess the real reason I feel the need to vent is because to me, it was sooo easy to predict what was going to happen.

In fact, I predicted it last year. I was just hoping against hope I would be wrong.....but I had it on the nose.


The Dodgers are once again sitting at home because of one person, and one person only. If any of you listened to me last year, you'd know who I'm referring to. I was on ESPN radio on Thursday talking to Brian and Michael (Thompson) about it....

Jonathan Broxton.

For all of you who think he's so great......the NL All-Star this year......let me give you a clue.

He's a proven LOSER.

I can recall at least 6 times this year where he outright just blew a game for the Dodgers that he was handed the ball to win.....after this strong team played there hearts out. That alone.....is no big deal. But when you get to the elite part of the season, and it's ALL ON THE LINE......he's worthless.

TWO YEARS in a row now, he has single-handedly killed the Dodgers. After game four this year, the Dodgers were DONE. There is no way they come back from the bitter defeat Broxton handed his teammates.

Last year, Matt Stairs ruined him. He is psychologically damaged goods. (Has that BOMB Matt hit off of him with the season on the line even landed yet??) Nothing will ever be more evident as when Broxton faced Matt Stairs and had a chance to redeam himself this year. We were THREE outs away from winning the game, and guaranteeing bringing this series back to L.A., no matter what happened in game 5. And for anyone who knows the Dodgers and watched them this year, stringing two wins together in Los Angeles against ANYBODY is more than possible for this strong Dodger team.

Just ask Carpenter and Wainright.


How do you, as a CLOSER, walk Matt Stairs on four straight pitches, only to drill the next batter in the elbow??? Matt wasn't going to win the game this time.....there was nobody on base! Then you follow that up with a BEAN-job??? The SEASON is ON THE LINE, you FAT SLOB!

Then, after getting two outs with the 8th and 9th batters in the line up, he goes 3-0 to Rollins. GREAT job Broxton. You are ONE OUT FROM ENDING THIS GAME, AND TYING UP THE SERIES......and you're back to throwing BALLS???? So now, he HAS to throw a strike, so he goes into "Little League" mode and grooves two straight 99 MPH fastballs right down the middle of the plate. Rollins, taking them BOTH like a professional would, now has his timing down, and is sitting dead red fastball.......Broxton, being the LOSER that he is, oblidges. He throws his perfect 99-MPH batting practice meatball over the plate, and Jimmy being an ex-MVP isn't going to miss that, no. He drives the final stake right into the hearts of what should have been the 2009 World Series winners.

Game over. Season over. NO WAY do they recover from that blow.

If Jonathan Broxton can not develope into a PROFESSIONAL pitcher, and learn to throw the hitters off by changing up speeds with a slider or curve now and then.....what good is he? He is nothing more than a predictable blazing fastball pitcher.....and everyone knows that a professional hitter makes a living off of guys like that. I told my wife last year that if that pitcher, in BAD need of a Jenny Craig course, is still the closer for the Dodgers this year, he would be the end of them again. Gee, what a genius I am.

So as Dodger fans, do we REALLY want to see this guy with the season on the line and the BALL in HIS hand again NEXT YEAR???

Count me as one fan who doesn't.

I say get rid of him if he can't mix his pitches up and consistently throw 3-4 different pitches for strikes. He's a CLOSER. God DAMN IT. Not a batting practice baffoon. He NEEDS to shut it down, not END the season for his teammates.

Sorry for my airing it out, but it's all part of the healing process. So as a true baseball fan, I will be ruiting for the Phillies to absolutely DESTROY the Yankees in the World Series....that is, if the Yankees can finish off the Angels.

We know we'll be looking at better starting pitching next year, but Broxton needs to go away. He's a loser.

Any other Dodger fans thoughts?

[suicide_squeeze]

lol....I find myself laughing at my "Freudian" typo...

After reading my post, I see in the second to last line I types "rooting" as "ruiting"......because I can't get the Dodgers "ruined" season out of my mind. Sorry

[grenda12]

If anyone I truly feel sorry for is Thome.

[Mac670]

Suicide,

I agree with you 100%. Broxton by himself killed our series with that blown save. I too have seen him come in and start off with one out and then blow the freakin game by walking someone. I went AZ, the series that Kuroda got hit in the head. One of the games, if not that one. he comes in with the lead and If I remember correctly walks one batter and pitches nothing but fastballs to gives up a two run homer to Reynolds. Terrible, Terrible. These are big league hitters who love the fastball, its the other pitches that batters out.


Anthony

[xpress34]

SS -

How do you think the Rockies fans felt about Houston Street??? We had Phillies # in Games 3 and 4 and should have won the series at home...

We were in the lead in BOTH games in the 9th and Street blew not ONE, but TWO games in a row for the Rockies and we end up losing the series at home.

- Chris

[gingi79]

Relief pitching is the bain of ever fan's existence. If John Smoltz didn't decide to force the issue to become a starting pitcher again, the Braves would have won some of the seemingly 150 blown saves they have had in the last 5 years. I still want to punch Chris Reitsma and Dan Kolb in the nuts.

On the flip side, if the Braves had Mariano Rivera, they would have beaten the Yanks in 96, 98 and 99 and shut down the Mets in 2000 and beat the Yanks again. In other words, a closer is the difference between the Braves lone 95 World Series and 5 titles in 6 years! The Yanks are the team of the 90's ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR CLOSER. Otherwise, the Atlanta Braves are a DYNASTY.

Ask a Mets fan how losing their closer affected them in 2007 and 2008. I know K-Rod and Putz are thrilled they were overpaid for it.

In conclusion, with the exception of the 2001 World Series, Mariano Rivera was the single greatest reason for the Yankees record since 1996 when he was the setup guy for John Wetteland. Talk all you want about the greatness of the Capt., the heart of ONeill and the talent of Tino, Mo is the difference between a team that played in 5 World Series and a team that won 4 of 5.

[allstarsplus]

Tough finish and looking ahead will be tough considering your owner is going through a divorce that may push the purse strings as it did from 2008 to 2009.

Second, I was not impressed by Torre. Actually outside of his years with the Yankees, what has Torre ever done with his teams? Look at his record. In his 15 seasons managing teams until he got the Yankees job, Torre never won a playoff game. In his 1st 15 years of managing, he only had 5 winning seasons and NEVER won 90 games in a season until the Yankees.

Torre should kiss the ground that Steinbrenner walks on for the opportunity he was given and thank his lucky stars again for getting the helm of the Dodgers.

Like Grenda said, I feel sorry for Thome!

[suicide_squeeze]

SS -

How do you think the Rockies fans felt about Houston Street??? We had Phillies # in Games 3 and 4 and should have won the series at home...

We were in the lead in BOTH games in the 9th and Street blew not ONE, but TWO games in a row for the Rockies and we end up losing the series at home.

- Chris

I agree.....But the Rockies still would have had to get through the Dodgers, and that wouldn't have happened.

I guess we all need to maybe realize just how GOOD this Phillies team really is? Maybe.....10 years from now we'll all look back, and say "That team was a dynasty."

Well, maybe you guys will. As a Dodger fan, I'm sure I will be dead of a heart attack by then.

[suicide_squeeze]

Relief pitching is the bain of ever fan's existence. If John Smoltz didn't decide to force the issue to become a starting pitcher again, the Braves would have won some of the seemingly 150 blown saves they have had in the last 5 years. I still want to punch Chris Reitsma and Dan Kolb in the nuts.

On the flip side, if the Braves had Mariano Rivera, they would have beaten the Yanks in 96, 98 and 99 and shut down the Mets in 2000 and beat the Yanks again. In other words, a closer is the difference between the Braves lone 95 World Series and 5 titles in 6 years! The Yanks are the team of the 90's ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR CLOSER. Otherwise, the Atlanta Braves are a DYNASTY.

Ask a Mets fan how losing their closer affected them in 2007 and 2008. I know K-Rod and Putz are thrilled they were overpaid for it.

In conclusion, with the exception of the 2001 World Series, Mariano Rivera was the single greatest reason for the Yankees record since 1996 when he was the setup guy for John Wetteland. Talk all you want about the greatness of the Capt., the heart of ONeill and the talent of Tino, Mo is the difference between a team that played in 5 World Series and a team that won 4 of 5.

Outstanding post, and I agree 100%.

[whatupyos]

Suicide- I hear you on the season. I am not a fan but I was rooting for the Dodgers this year. If my team isn't in the playoffs its nice to root for new teams that haven't won in a while. I work with a Dodger fan who was bummed. The reason why, in my humble opinion the Doders lost was starting pitching. Not going to argue with you on Broxton. He didn't do well either. The Dodgers did have the tools to go all the way, but their pitching is nothing compared to the Phils. Point blank period.

Aaron