As much as i would love to blame this on certain players (Uribe, Lame Game, Noballsley), what we are seeing is the result of bad organizational moves. First and foremost, we have a GM that was forced to shop at thrift stores in order to fill our rosters. though from time to time you will find a gem, most of the time, you get what you pay for. When he did have money to spend, he got hosed by some bad contracts. The Dodgers draft high school pitchers all the time. That''s fine and Dandy if you are the Yankees and have time to develop them. The Dodgers usually don't so this strategy can be self defeating, especially when all you seem to draft is pitchers and you are fielding one of the weakest infields in the league.A wiser strategy given our situation would have been to draft guys that could have an immediate impact on the big club. Now that we have management that is truly committed to winning we are faced with a free agent market that will probably be one of the weakest in recent years. Baseball is a changing game and we are kind of stuck. We don't really have the prospects to trade and there is no one really out there to get. I blame the old management for this one.

You make good points.
When you are struggling to hold on to 1st place it isn't the time to put rookies in and let them struggle a bit to prove themselves. We are already doing that with Gordan. Sticking a couple more in there isn't the way to win the division. Look at what happened when we put SVS at 1st base for awhile. I think Don could tell that SVS and Sands were not quite ready to help more than they hurt. The old guys are a better bet when you are in the hunt. Until the last week or so I would say that theory had proven itself. But when you have a patchwork line up it will eventually catch up with you no matter what it is patched up with. That is what is happening now. I think if you step back a bit and get a little perspective you'll see that Donnie and Ned have done some real magic with this team. But the bag on tricks is almost empty now.
It is beginning to look like panic time.
A rookie who is truly ready might be just the ticket. Maybe Van Slyke is ready now. We have to do something. We can't let this thing slip away before the All-Star break. Kemp and Ellis coming back to help us hold on to 1st place is one thing. Trying to get it back is another.

**********other old timer abreu must leave the team ***************

sure, lets get rid of the ONLY guy that HAS hit a hr in the month of june

How do we really know that this management is "truly committed to winning?"

Only time will answer this question.

I for one am taking a wait and see approach but they did sign Ethier which is a start. Colleti knee jerk trades/signings are a thing of the past (at least I hope). time will tell but you have to remember that they did inherit a mediocre team with washed up vets, a few bright spots and a not so good minor league system. The fact that they are already signing amateur players is a sign that good things are on their way.

Guitarbilly,

When Rivera was on the DL(and Loney still not hitting), it would have been the perfect time to let Sands or SVS play 1st base everyday-let them sink or swim and see if they can help. Now that Rivera's back, it makes it harder to give up his bat and replace it with a rookie.
I think Donnie really blew it on this one-he had a chance to give one of these guys an honest trial and p_ssed it away.

Brooklyn Al

I think Donnie didnt believe it would keep us a float in the division if they played...Koreman

Corey, sometimes ya gotta have a little hutzpa and gamble-especially when what you're doing is failing so miserably. How much worse could either of these guys have done compared to what we got? I don't think the bottom could have dropped out much lower. And we still don't know if either of these guys is a real major leaguer. It's very frustrating to think you may have the answer in your own back yard, and you don't have the brains or guts to even find out.

Brooklyn Al

As I posted in the game thread last night, just about everyone associated with this team is auditioning for a job on this team next season. I truly believe that Kastens is taking notes on one and all from Ned on down. If Ned comes back with some horrible trade ideas he will most likely be gone, and I can see ownership cutting ties with some of the weight on the team as well

I have to disagree. I think Donnie saw they both needed time to 'learn while you earn'. They had their moments but they didn't exactly tear it up. SVS prove to be a liability at 1st and Sands is no gazelle in the OF. They either have to come back ready to do heavy lifting or they need to come up when we can afford to let them make a few mistakes. One project at a time. Especially in the infield when we are trying to hold on to 1st. We held on to it. I think that deserves some respect.

We are still on top. Even if we slip we should be in the hunt. We need to look for ways to get better now, not start looking for scapegoats.

Go Dodgers!

If Gordan is back on track, maybe Van Slyke could be our next project.

Thank you Mr. Hester

"They had their moments but they didn't exactly tear it up. SVS prove to be a liability at 1st and Sands is no gazelle in the OF."

The problem with them was their hitting.
Since, neither made an error when indeed they played.

I suggest the readers of this thread take the time to examine the O'malley years... (Walter or Peter). These guys knew how to win... Winning has to be learned just like any other discipline. In the 60's and 70's we we're constantly a threat to make the playoffs. But it didn't end there... We usually had the necessary talent to go the entire distance. As much as I and several of you complain about the Dodger bats and the Dodger this and the Dodger that... IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PITCHING!

Put an average team on the field, along with a few dominating pitchers and you've got a winning team. Ask Atlanta... Better yet... Ask Peter O'Malley!

There is a lot more to defense then errors. Sands doesn't have much range and miss played some fly balls even though he was not charge with errors. Van Slyke benefited from VERY generous scoring. He had balls that bounced right off his glove at 1st base.

But your are right the main problem was their hitting. Again I say, if Van Slyke is ready now bring him up.

"There is a lot more to defense then errors. Sands doesn't have much range and miss played some fly balls even though he was not charge with errors. Van Slyke benefited from VERY generous scoring. He had balls that bounced right off his glove at 1st base."

I'm aware that there is more to defense than errors but errors are a huge part of how a player is perceived. I think that for all the grief that they are given or that has been rumored or written they don't seem that bad defensively. I would agree that they are not gold glovers but not as bad as they have been made out to be. Honestly, I didn't see any of the above that you mention even when I saw them at the stadium. Well, we'll disagree on this.

"But your are right the main problem was their hitting. Again I say, if Van Slyke is ready now bring him up."

I think that if they bring him up they have to play him and not just sit him on the bench or just use him as a pinch hitter. Then we'll know what he has as a player. He won a game for us with a HR against the Cards earlier in the year. I think that he is worth giving a shot to because we lack power and guys like Kennedy, Loney, Uribe, Herrera, and Gwynn won't provide it.