Dodgers Diaries

Did I already nominate Juan Pierre for Dodger MVP? Is it too late to add Casey Blake’s name to the mix? The Iowan has been simply everything the Dodgers could have asked for and more this season. With a sacrifice fly, a double and a three-run homer that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead the Dodgers never relinquished, Blake is now second on the team in homers and third in RBIs, and is batting a cool .299.

He has been especially good since Manny Ramirez was suspended. Blake has raised his batting average by 74 points, his OBP by 42 points and his OPS by 140 points. He has had 13 multi-hit games since May 6.

Or maybe we should save some of the love for Matt Kemp. Hitting mostly in the seventh or eighth spot in the lineup (or even the ninth, on Saturday), Kemp has raised his average by 35 points since Manny’s suspension. He’s learned to play a quality center field, and only occasionally, like yesterday, makes base-running gaffes that cause you to scratch your head.

Then again, it would be hard to overlook the accomplishments of Chad Billingsley, whose transition into an ace has almost gone unremarked upon. Billz leads the NL in victories with yesterday’s win, is fifth in ERA, and fifth in strikeouts.

How can I forget the O-Dog? His .310 average has made everyone forget Jeff Kent, thankfully. And James Loney, despite his lack of power, leads the team with 42 RBIs.

It all adds up to what is missing from baseball so often: a team. A different hero every night. I won’t repeat the endless stream of cliches about how a team is better than a group of individuals. I’m just enjoying watching them play together. --- John Rosenthal.