For years, the Dodgers have sucked. They've been awful. Of course, the Giants sucked more but that is immaterial. :) But they were awful. Let's face it...the whole National League West sucked. I can admit that.
Conversely, the Yankees were awesome. I mean, playoffs every year. Often winning ALCS and occasionally even the World Series. That was nice.
Then the 2008 season happened. The Giants still sucked. A Lot. They finally got rid of Barry Bonds (something that should have happened a LONG time earlier) but they still sucked. A Rebuilding year.
But the Dodgers didn't suck. Well, they did still suck but they sucked a LOT less. In fact, they were downright average. At the end of the season, they were positively good. Made it to the NLCS for cripes sake!
However, the Yankees now sucked. Didn't make the playoffs for the first time that anyone could remember. It was hard to be a baseball fan of my makeup. Usually, I could count on the Yankees to make the post season bearable.
Now, it is 2009. The Giants aren't sucking quite as much (as of this writing, 6 games over .500). The Yankees are having moments of suck and moments of ok...what we in the industry refer to as average. Luckily, the Red Sox are also mired in average.
But this is the real kick in the balls. The Dodgers are awesome. Like best team in baseball awesome or something. I know this is a year in which Kansas City is passable, so maybe I am in bizarro world but The Dodgers are kicking ass.
So, one is forced to ask why? Why are the Yankees not good? Why are the Dodgers good?
The obvious answer and the one you'll get if you read the above to the average baseball fan is Manny Rameriz. They will point to him for the change. But it doesn't work. Manny didn't come over until 60% of 2008 was done. He is definitely resposible for the Dodgers late-2008 playoff run and some of their 2009 success but he is now on suspension and hasn't helped them for a month. Plus, he has nothign to do with the Yankees.
I woke up this morning realizing something that I haven't seen, heard or previously understood. In the fall of 2007, the paragons of shortsightedness that is the Yankee ownership *cough*Steinbrenner*cough* refused to provide the necessary compensation to retain what I am convinced was the ultimate secret to their success for years...a secret that the Dodgers ultimately capatalized upon. One Joe Torre, baseball manager.
Torre left the Yankees and went to the Dodgers in the 2007-2008 offseason. Joe Girardi was hired to take over the Yankees. That was when it all started. That was when my baseball life started to tank. Why could the !%#(!@%#*# Yankee ownership just give Torre the money? Shit, give him Chen Mieng Wang's salary...that was wasted money.
So here I sit. The Yankees are average...Girardi is doing his best but whatever. The Giants are doing better than they have in years and have the best rotation in the National League (Zito not withstanding...I kid I kid...much love, Barry...thanks for cleaning up that Ranger sweep baby)...They would be ABSOLUTELY DOMINATING the National League West...except SOMEBODY let what appears to be the best manager in baseball leave the toughest division and migrate to the weakest. Thanks.
As for the Royals. *shrug* Got me. That Greinke kid right. And Coco Crisp. That dude is fierce.
-gen
3 comments:
The Dodgers are killing me this year. Really, really killing me.
It softens it somewhat to play fantasy baseball. I have manny, Juan Pierre and James Loney on my fantasy team. So, every time they hit one out, it is bittersweet.
My favorite part of this baseball season(and recent seasons) is the red sox are abusing the Yankees like a rental car. The Red sox are the pimps and the yankees are bringing them money 24-7 and I love it. The real season for basebal doesn't start until after the all star break. Go Red Soooxxxx and Go Cards!!
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