Roger Arrieta
Zack Greinke, who is one of my favorite Dodgers, and one of the best pitchers in baseball, has taken some flak lately for some comments he made about the current roster. Here’s what Zack said when asked about this years team, “Going into the playoffs, I thought we were the best team in baseball. Obviously we didn’t prove it. The year before, I wasn’t that confident. This time, I thought it was our series to lose. To say we’re better than that, I don’t know if I can say that without seeing us play.” Zack makes great points, and it is that very statement, that has me optimistic about the Dodgers personnel moves this off season.
I too, believed the Dodgers had the best team in baseball, heading into the playoffs, and like many Dodger fans, had my heart broken yet again. And to make it worse, had to see the Giants win yet another World Series. On paper, the Dodgers line up was full of all stars, and household names, superstars, and personalities. The Giants roster, not so much. With the exception of Buster Posey, and maybe Pablo Sandoval, maybe, there isn’t one player in the Giants starting lineup, I would take over any player the Dodgers had in their starting lineup. Same goes for the Cardinals, I would most definitely take Yadier Molina over dear AJ Ellis, but that’s pretty much it. The Cardinals eliminated the Dodgers in four games, and the Giants, well, you know. I’ll be the first to admit, it broke my heart to see Matt Kemp traded away. He was not only my favorite Dodger, but he was my favorite player. Plus, I always have a soft spot for guys who are home grown. Sure, I got into the Mannywood craze, it was awesome! I mean, whoever would have thought the Dodgers would land the great Manny Ramirez in a trade, and who could have predicted how he completely energized the club and the city? But deep down, there was always that part of me that knew he would only be in Dodger blue for a brief time. Kemp was one of our own, and yes, it hurt to see him traded away, but what hurt more was seeing my favorite team, the team I’ve been rooting for 35 years, get eliminated from the playoffs again.
So why is everyone upset with Zack? He was simply being honest. He can’t honestly say these Dodgers are better than the 2014 version without seeing them play. What he does say was the Dodgers didn’t prove they were the better team last season, and he’s right they didn’t prove it, because they didn’t win the World Series. What would make Dodger fans happier? A team full of Puigs and Hanleys and Kemps that do the “I see you”, or throw their hands in the sky as they cross home plate(like Matt Kemp) after a home run? Or would Dodger fans be happier if AJ Ellis or Grandal catches strike three of game 5 of the World Series, as the Dodgers knock off the Red Sox? I’m guessing it would be the latter. As sports fans, we want more than anything to have those bragging rights of our teams being the champions. It doesn’t matter which team appears to be the better team, or who has the better team on paper, the game of baseball isn’t played on paper, it’s played between the lines on the baseball field. It doesn’t matter how many games a team wins in the regular season, 94, 97, or 88, what matters is the team who wins 11 games in the post season. If the Dodgers do that, then all will be forgiven. If they don’t, then there will be many questions. As a fan, I still have to root for my team, it’s in my heart, and in my nature. It’s been 27 years now, since the Dodgers have won a World Series. There are adult Dodger fans who have never seen their favorite team win a World Series. There is a party like no other, that is just dying to happen here in LA. We will miss our favorite players as they go on to excel with their new teams, or to vanish into seasons that make ownership look like geniuses, but the moment the Dodgers win that championship, all will be forgotten.
