Bitter, Party of One...

by Jim McLennan on Oct 31, 2007 8:03 PM EDT in Diamondbacks News

From PE.com, comes this story, which may sound somewhat familiar to those who were around the team at the end of last season. Thanks to Tracy for bringing this one to my attention:

Luis Gonzalez will leave the Dodgers a free agent this offseason, but not before taking aim at his former team Monday. The 40-year-old outfielder, who gradually lost playing time to Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, downplayed a clubhouse split between the veterans and young players and instead blamed a disappointing 2007 season on what he saw as a flawed organizational philosophy.

"We went away from a game plan," Gonzalez said on "The Dan Patrick Show" on KLAC. "We had no game plan. If you look at our record, we had the best record in the National League at the All-Star break. And we brought up a lot of young kids, and when they brought the kids up, they did well. There's no doubt these are all great young players. They were hitting .340, .350. (James) Loney, Kemp, (Russell) Martin, Ethier -- they're all great players, but we weren't winning games. They're getting three and four hits, but you're not winning games."

"So in baseball a lot of times people look at the numbers instead of the results, and the results for us were we were not winning games, but that's what the organization wanted. They wanted to develop these young kids. And instead of us going out there and winning games, we ended up finishing in fourth place and the fans are ticked off, and the organization is now going to continue to this youth movement, which is great for them."

Luis Gonzalez ripping young players for daring to take playing time away from him? Surely not... :-)

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What the biased, anti-Dodger media doesn't get...

...is that to win games, you need players who can go 1-5, ground into a double play or two, and every once in awhile, throw out runners trying to stretch singles into triples. Forget guys who get 3 or 4 hits a game.

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Oct 31, 2007 8:56 PM EDT reply actions

This was the bit that got me

"They were hitting .340, .350...they're all great players, but we weren't winning games. They're getting three and four hits, but you're not winning games."

I wonder how good a young player would have to be in order to gain Gonzo's approval. I think the Dodger's slump is not due to the young players, but more to someone we'll call "Player X", who posted the following line after the All-Star break:
Gonz..er, Player X: .251/.316/.368, 5 HR, 27 RBI.

He had a magnificent eleven extra-base hits in 68 games after June 24th. That was a slump Eric Byrnes would have been embarrassed to endure, and the Dodgers went 19-26 in games started by X during the second-half. Yeah, a "flawed organization philosophy" is clearly to blame, not a $7m man posting a sub-.700 OPS.

by Jim McLennan on Oct 31, 2007 9:39 PM EDT reply actions

Here's the root cause...

of LA's second half swoon.

Team ERA (1st half)> 3.83 (2nd half)> 4.66

Other than Billingsley(aged 23), their rotation fell apart, led by the two innings eaters, Penny and Lowe, who pitched quite well early, then faded badly. We all saw David Wells' Hindenburg act.

Despite his poor second half, Luis wasnt a significant factor in LA's fade, IMO. But neither were the "second half" kids. The team hit a little better after the break (.752 OPS) than before(.735). The difference in the second half was shoddier pitching.

by Diamondhacks on Oct 31, 2007 10:21 PM EDT reply actions

As a Dodger fan...

all I can say is "ditto", but just add a little more anger and emotion.
vr, Xei

Life is so very very precious, so make sure you root for the Dodgers.

by Xeifrank on Nov 2, 2007 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions

you must be a happy dodger fan today

how many yankees are following Joe to Chavez Ravine? Mo, Andy, anyone else?

by andrewinnewyork on Nov 2, 2007 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Mattingly,

ARod maybe?

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Nov 2, 2007 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Net Roots

Causes, bits, stats, whatever. What everyone seems to be missing is the attempt by Gonzo to once again PIMP HIS RIDE.

There's no one as valuable as Gonzo (in Gonzo's eyes). Which is why you are no doubt hearing him mentioned so much on the free agent market.

by dbacksfan on Oct 31, 2007 10:51 PM EDT reply actions

Welcome to the Pit, I think?

Agreed on Gonzo.

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Nov 1, 2007 2:20 AM EDT up reply actions

Tired of Gonzo

Go finish your career in Kansas City, jackass.

It is sad to me that a guy who was once a hero to this team is now one of the guys I'd put on a least favorite player list.

Bob Melvin Sucks

by nihil67 on Nov 1, 2007 9:53 AM EDT reply actions

Gonzo

I've been thinking about this for awhile so I'll just throw this out there as a WAG -

I think Gonzo is aiming for 3000 hits and the HOF. Sounds crazy but stick with me.

Gonzo went into last year with 2373 hits and boosted it to 2502 but other than 2004 (injury) and 94-95 (strike years) played his fewest games and had his fewest ABs since 1992. I think he went to the Dodgers with a promise of being the everyday LF and was a little ticked that he didn't get the PT he was used to or promised.

The Dodgers' crappy finish gives him an excuse to try to make himself look good and parlay it into a full-time gig next year. He is still healthy and still productive (albeit not $7M worth of productive). If he can find a full-time gig somewhere for the next 3 years he should get to around 2900 hits and then he can hang around for the final 100.

3000 hits is Gonzo's only chance at the HOF. He's 20th on the career doubles list and seems certain to squeeze into the top 15, maybe even the top 10 and everyone in the top 29 is or will be in the HOF (or is named Pete Rose) but let's face it, the career doubles list isn't anyone's measure of greatness. Biggio is 5th but if he had finished short of 3000 hits, he probably wouldn't be in the HOF. Gonzo will probably finish career top 50 in Games, ABs, PAs, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, RBIs, BBs, runs created, XBH, times on base, HBP, SFs, intentional BBs but none of that is getting him into the HOF.

But 3000 hits will do it and I think he's angling for that but he needs a full-time job for another 3 years to get there.

by ethegolfman on Nov 1, 2007 12:27 PM EDT reply actions

No.

Gonzo is 40 years old. No team is going to start him every day for three years just so that he 627 more hits and go to the HOF. It's not like he's Barry Bonds, with a team willing to sacrifice their chances of winning just to get him to a landmark. The only way he gets 3000 is if he goes back on the juice, and I think he knows the risk/rewards of that deal.

by andrewinnewyork on Nov 1, 2007 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Have to go with Andrew on this one.

While I agree that Gonzo would probably like to reach that milestone, most likely, it ain't gonna happen. He didn't start really hitting well until too late in his career. (Whatever that means...) He should be content enough taking a part time job, realizing that he and Barry are the only active players with 300 HRs and 500 doubles.

On another note, welcome to the 'Pit, I believe, golfman.

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Nov 1, 2007 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

So much for that.

Ria Cortesio, a female umpire in the minors, and the only female ump in professional baseball, gets released. She worked a Dbacks-Cubs Spring Training game this year.

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Nov 1, 2007 1:50 PM EDT reply actions