Don Mattingly's disgrace

[ShaimOnYou]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

As they say hindsight is 20/20. If Kershaw has gotten the outs and he left Grienke in and he got outs you would all be saying how smart DM is. Bottom line is the players must execute. They are highly paid to do this. Also, sometimes it seems a team just has your teams number. Maybe God is a Cardinal fan, but in any case.....you guys may pay Kershaw......but the Cardinals OWN him.

I was just re-reading your post, and being a Dodger fan, I have to say the Cardinals definitely have our number.

But just as the 2004 Red Sox proved, streaks and curses and "predictable results" can be changed when someone with greatness takes the reigns and steers the troops in the right direction.

All I'm saying is, Mattingly can't even lead a horse to water. In fact, Mattingly is so inept, he misses the horse completely, jumps on a "cargo-haling" mule, and proceeds to wound the beast to death with his spurs when the donkey won't move.

Then in the news conference, he's questioned:

"But Don, when looking at the gut of the animal you were steering, couldn't you see it was bleeding profusely? Why didn't you jump off and pick another animal to ride?"

"DAAHhh, to heck with THAT! The saddle I was on was EXPENSIVE and comfy as all get up, and quite frankly I've ridden those other beasts. I'm still plucking splinters out of my hind end from jumping on those, so I kicked and kicked that darn expensive mule, and the sum beach up and died on me. Not my fault."

"Um...OK Don. I guess you have many friends in the Dodger org which is why you're still allowing us the opp to ask questions. So we'll move on. So Don, in a MUST-win game, why would you bench your human high-lite reel center fielder who would certainly keep runners at bay if the situation arose?"

"WHO? Andre? I played him, what are you..."

"NO...Don. NO.

PUIG....Don. YASIEL PUIG. You know, DON? Arguably the BEST defensive outfielder in the game today?? The player who single-handedly saved your job last year, DON. The player who, unlike you, actually LIT A FIRE under the team, resulting in he and his teammates going on a record setting 42-8 run, DON...which ironically made an argument for you to (amazingly) be AWARDED a three-year EXTENSION during an obvious moment of confusion on the Dodgers ownership's part?"

(In a level monotone, expression blank, no signs of life, no firing electrons in the nervous system) "I'm not going to get into that. I did what gave us the best chance to win. I picked what I thought was the line-up that gave us....the best chance to win."

The press, embarrassed over the empty response to their obvious inquiry directly shining on Mattingly's failures, sat speechless. What more was there to say? And in the stifling silence, there sat Don, eyes empty, glased-over with a blank numbskull look of stupidity. Finally, mercifully taking on the task of ending the bewildered crowd who painstakingly listened to the buffoonisms coming from a man obviously misplaced in his profession, a press member spoke up.

"Yes, Don, you did.

And how did that work out for you and the Dodgers, Don?"

[ShaimOnYou]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

I'm starting to see the light.

Puig is out of line for getting pissed for being drilled by pitchers on a regular basis.

Adrian Gonzalez, the MLB RBI leader, is a no good chump and the Padres suck just as well as they sucked when Adrian was crying there...just with a few less runs.

The Dodgers are blessed because they're fortunate to be stuck in a weak division with that soon-to-be three time World Series champion weak-arse Giants loser team dynasty thing going on there, but are cursed because they whine themselves out of their entitled corporate victories while Don Mattingly, the Joe Torre clone, looks handsome on the bottom step of the dugout while doing nothing as he watches a real team like the Cardinals groove off a tired pitcher for a half-an-hour straight.

Your points are well taken. I am now a soccer fan because I see I don't understand baseball. I can't thank you enough.

[R. C. Walker]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

And why is that?

I ask you, HOW could such a great team "on paper" blow 3 out of 4 games they were either WINNING or TIED while going into the 7th inning?

Just that. They're only good on paper.


The Dodgers didn't win with overrated Joe Torre, so I don't think it's completely the managers fault.

Boston dumped salary on the Dodgers, not great players, and went on to win the World Series last year (Good riddance to Adrian Gonzalez. San Diego has done just as well without you. He proved he was a whiner in Boston). I had to chuckle when I saw him try and bully Yadier Molina.

LA plays in an awful division lead by my Padres. The only competition, the Giants, are still in the playoffs capitalizing on a couple Cardinals mistakes.

The "Corporate Way" is to blame and complain when things don't go their way ie. PUIG and his temper tantrums. I would venture a guess and say, St Louis wouldn't put up with his antics no matter his "potential". Or better yet, he does not fit the Cardinals mold of a player and they would have no interest in him.

The "Cardinal Way" is followed by those left in the Playoffs. No Superstars or Prima donnas. Just good solid baseball players. If that's not proof enough, we'd see the Yankees and Dodgers in the World Series annually.

One last prospective. My Padres have been in more World Series' than the Dodgers in twenty five some odd years. . . . . ONE.

F'in Mattingly.

[onlyalbert]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

And why is that?

I ask you, HOW could such a great team "on paper" blow 3 out of 4 games they were either WINNING or TIED while going into the 7th inning?

Maybe because the guy in charge of what happens on the field is a buffoon?

Or maybe the Cardinals are just a better team?

[ShaimOnYou]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

The "Cardinal Way" trumped the "Corporate Way" once again. Too bad the Dodgers don't play on paper 'cause they sure look good on it.

And why is that?

I ask you, HOW could such a great team "on paper" blow 3 out of 4 games they were either WINNING or TIED while going into the 7th inning?

Maybe because the guy in charge of what happens on the field is a buffoon?

[ShaimOnYou]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

Puig? Too many K's. That's not Mattingly's fault. I think it took guts to bench him.

And it will take guts to fire Mattingly, but the new President of operations was hired to do just that. Watch.

Mattingly removed the best defensive outfielder in a must-win game. Brilliance on display. Dodgers brass just can't be this asleep at the wheel. Mattingly will be gone soon. And it can't be soon enough.

[ShaimOnYou]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

Make excuses but, Kershaw doesn't look like a playoff pitcher up to this point. His post season record proves it.

I see.

I'm just curious, did you read ANYTHING I posted to start this thread? Sometimes players and teams need to be MANAGED.

And that would be IN A MANNER TO WIN. Not to destroy someones career, post season or not. Have you ever thrown over 100 pitches in 100 degree heat to professional batters? At some point it does take a little toll on you. It's the manager's responsibility to MANAGE the situation when it's screaming obvious there is a PROBLEM, HOUSTON. Mattingly is incapable. Nothing is more obvious than that. We have two consecutive years of play-off PROOF to back that up.

[ShaimOnYou]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

That's alot of blame to heap on one person.

That a LOT of LOSSES from managerial decisions for one team.

[R. C. Walker]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

That's alot of blame to heap on one person.

Make excuses but, Kershaw doesn't look like a playoff pitcher up to this point. His post season record proves it (or playing against the Cardinals skews his numbers).

Puig? Too many K's. That's not Mattingly's fault. I think it took guts to bench him.

As far as Dusty Baker, he can't manage a pitching staff any better than Mattingly. Ask any Cubs or Reds fan. If being a winner as a player means anything, the Dodgers should have kept Bill Russell.

The "Cardinal Way" trumped the "Corporate Way" once again. Too bad the Dodgers don't play on paper 'cause they sure look good on it.

[Roady]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

.

[beachpetrol]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

[scootmagroot]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

I wanna read this...but all I see is "wah wah waaaaaah wah waaah waahha sniffle waaahh wahhha waaaaaaaaaah." Then another rant about how the Doyers should be handed the world series ring because they paid for it.

Too bad this is baseball and the Cardinals were and are the better TEAM. Not to mention, if they did get past the Cardinals, the Giants are still a better TEAM.

When that final game ended, I personally could not contain my laughter because I knew I'd see or hear something like this.

And no, I'm not a Cards or a Giants fan....I unfortunately am a Padres fan (another reason why I couldn't contain my laughter)

[helf35]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

It is all a game of what if's. What if Mattingly makes the move to the pen for Kershaw and the bullpen emplodes for 8 runs then you would be pissed for not leaving him in. Puig had struck out 8 times in 12 at bats he obviosly wasnt right so why not try and switch it up with a man who is paid 15 million a year to play the outfield in Either. If you want to blame someone blame the gm for overpaying for Either. What will they do with Pederson now. Are they going to run a 5 man outfield rotation again. Just because they have the highest payroll doesnt mean they were the most talented team on the field. The cardinals have owned Kershaw in the playoffs for whatever reason maybe you should just chalk it up to that. There is a reason the Cardinals and Giants have been in the past 5 NLCS. They are good teams too with a smaller payroll.

[onlyalbert]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

As they say hindsight is 20/20. If Kershaw has gotten the outs and he left Grienke in and he got outs you would all be saying how smart DM is. Bottom line is the players must execute. They are highly paid to do this. Also, sometimes it seems a team just has your teams number. Maybe God is a Cardinal fan, but in any case.....you guys may pay Kershaw......but the Cardinals OWN him.

[ShaimOnYou]

Re: Don Mattingly's disgrace

Sooo.... largely to blame or totally?



I can't count how many times I heard this about Francona with the Phillies. But hey, if you say he certainly won't, who am I to disagree?

Hi meatslab,

The Dodgers failures as a team are largely his fault because of his failures (motivate, lead, educate, direct, choose line-ups, prepare, atc.) as the manager of the team.

The play-off losses.....are TOTALLY his fault, directly tied to his failed managerial moves, buffoon decisions, and lack of cerebral matter. This man simply doesn't have the IQ for the position. Nor is he in tune with the game, his pitchers, the time and place for a sound managerial decision, or how to MAKE ONE when one is needed. Which, I might add, when done is almost always too late. He just stands down low on the Dodger dug-out steps peering out onto the field in that empty "DOH-DE-DOH" manner hoping all the problems will just go away. Pathetic. This Dodger team deserves better. The Dodger ownership must expect better, and us fans DEMAND better!