LOS ANGELES DODGERS
| The Dodgers are coming off a bad year, and made some significant changes during the season, purging the team of some unwanted personalities. They have some good players and some deep pockets and I love Shawn Green... but the Dodgers remind me of the aging movie director who can't tell a good story anymore. Why is Mike Piazza in New York? Why is Roger Cedeno in Houston? Why is Paul Konerko in Chicago? How did Charles Johnson become Todd Hundley? Why is Adrian Beltre suing his team? This used to be a great franchise, but geez, I have a hard time seeing them in the playoffs this year. |
| TERRY ADAMS (27, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 CHC 2 9 74 0 0 0 18 74 91 40 64 462 1998 CHC 7 7 63 0 0 0 1 72 72 41 73 433 1999 CHC 6 3 52 0 0 0 13 65 60 28 57 402 |
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He has been frustrating in the past, pitching brilliantly for
periods of time, then struggling badly. Last year he was quite good,
improving his control and keeping the hits down. He is still young, and
should remain a valuable setup man for several years to come. I don't anticipate
a successful move to the closer's spot any time soon. ADDENDUM: Adams has been dealt to Los Angeles. His ERA should be much better; the Dodgers have an aging closer, so Adams may get a shot if he pitches well. |
| JAMIE ARNOLD (26, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 R-A 3 2 10 10 0 0 0 43 38 19 42 457 1998 AA-AAA 2 4 41 8 0 0 2 104 123 63 58 545 |
| Arnold was in the Braves' system for a few years, but they gave up on him because he couldn't get anybody out. Why the Dodgers would invest a full year in him, I can't explain, except that the Dodgers are just a pathetic excuse for a ball club. From what I can see, Arnold is not even close to being a major league pitcher. |
| ADRIAN BELTRE (3B, 22, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 A 123 435 138 24 2 26 95 104 67 66 317 407 561 25 9 |
| One of the most talented young players in baseball, Beltre had an impressive sophomore season at the tender age of 21. Over the next four years he should develop into one of the best players in baseball. The only thing I would be worried about in 2000 is that he lost a lawsuit against his team during the winter, and might not feel like playing very hard. Or maybe he'll play harder than ever; I can't see inside his head. Beltre made 29 errors at third, but he will cut that number, and is otherwise a good defensive player. |
| KEVIN BROWN (35, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 FLO 16 8 33 33 6 2 0 237 214 66 205 269 1998 SD 18 7 36 35 7 3 0 257 225 49 257 238 1999 LA 18 9 35 35 5 1 0 252 210 59 221 300 |
| In the first year of a huge, seven-year contract, Brown delivered the goods. The rest of the team stunk, but no matter; Brown is a phenomenal pitcher, and all the evidence indicates that he will have another great year in 200. One of the best in baseball. |
| RAMON CASTRO (CA, 24, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 A 115 410 115 22 1 8 53 65 53 73 280 357 398 1 0 1998 AA 79 256 65 9 0 11 35 36 21 52 254 318 418 0 1 1999 AAA 97 349 90 22 0 15 43 61 24 64 258 307 450 0 0 |
| Castro is a very young catcher who is developing power. He's not a good hitter at this point, but he's a decent prospect for a couple of years down the road. |
| ALEX CORA (IF, 24, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AA 127 448 105 20 4 3 52 48 25 60 234 279 317 12 9 1998 AAA 81 299 79 16 6 5 42 45 15 38 264 303 408 10 7 1999 AAA 80 302 93 11 7 4 51 37 12 37 308 348 430 9 5 |
| Cora is a prospect in the Dodgers' system, never looked like much of a player until last year. Even at that, a .308 average at Albuquerque isn't all that impressive; he will probably spend another season in the minors, might develop into a decent player. He's not going to be an All-Star. |
| DARREN DREIFORT (28, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 LA 5 2 48 0 0 0 4 63 45 34 63 286 1998 LA 8 12 32 26 1 1 0 180 171 57 168 400 1999 LA 13 13 30 29 1 1 0 179 177 76 140 479 |
| Like most of the Dodgers, Dreifort was a disappointment last year. He has good stuff, and is capable of pitching very well and winning 18 games in a season. He is still young, has a history of success, and is healthy; I expect he will pitch much better in 2000. |
| SHAWN GREEN (RF, 27, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 TOR 135 429 123 22 4 16 57 53 36 99 287 340 469 14 3 1998 TOR 158 630 175 33 4 35 106 100 50 142 278 334 510 35 12 1999 TOR 153 614 190 45 0 42 134 123 66 117 309 384 588 20 7 |
| After a fine 1998 season, Green put his career into overdrive, leading the league in total bases. His average, power, and walks were all up, while the strikeouts were down. He's also a fine defensive player, and a good baserunner. He is moving to Dodger Stadium, which is not hitter friendly, but otherwise I expect more of the same this year. |
| MARK GRUDZIELANEK (SS, 30, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 MON 156 649 177 54 3 4 76 51 23 76 273 307 384 25 9 1998 MON-LA 156 589 160 21 1 10 62 62 26 73 272 311 362 18 5 1999 LA 123 488 159 23 5 7 72 46 31 65 326 376 436 6 6 |
| He had a surprisingly good year, raising both his batting average and walk total, while committing only 13 errors in the field. With Grudzielanek, the glass is either half-empty or half-full; if he hits .300, then you've got a shortstop who is durable and hits doubles and can run a little. If he only hits .270, then you've got a player who can't get on base, has limited power, and isn't a very good defensive player. I think Grudzielanek's years as a regular are limited; he'll be a bench player within three years. |
| DAVE HANSEN (3B/OF, 31, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 CHC 90 151 47 8 2 3 19 21 31 32 311 429 450 1 2 1999 LA 100 107 27 8 1 2 14 17 26 20 252 404 402 0 0 |
| Hansen spent years as a bench player in Los Angeles; after spending a year in Japan, he was back with his favourite team last season. He played well; he's a left-handed pinch hitter who gets on base and hits doubles. A valuable player if you can afford the roster spot. |
| MATT HERGES (30, R) | |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 AAA 0 8 31 12 0 0 0 85 120 46 61 889 1998 AAA 3 5 34 8 0 0 0 88 115 37 75 571 1999 AAA 8 3 21 21 2 0 0 131 135 47 88 473 |
| Herges has been in the Dodgers organization forever, and finally made his major league debut last season. He is nothing to get excited about; I do not expect much from him in 2000. |
| OREL HERSHISER (42, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 CLE 14 6 32 32 1 0 0 195 199 69 107 447 1998 SF 11 10 34 34 0 0 0 202 200 85 126 441 1999 NYM 13 12 32 32 0 0 0 179 175 77 89 458 |
| The Bull Dog was still a good pitcher last year, and now has 203 career wins. He is coming back for another season, having signed in Los Angeles. His K/BB ratio was alarmingly bad last year, and suggests that his success in Los Angeles this year will be limited. I bet he'll be one hell of a pitching coach, though. |
| TODD HOLLANDSWORTH (OF, 27, L) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 LA 106 296 73 20 2 4 39 31 17 60 247 286 368 5 5 1998 LA 55 175 47 6 4 3 23 20 9 42 269 308 400 4 3 1999 LA 92 261 74 12 2 9 39 32 24 61 284 345 448 5 2 |
| Hollandsworth wasn't that great to begin with, and endangered his career by performing below his abilities. Last year, he was better; the Dodgers would be wise to give him a regular job, because this year will probably be his best. |
| TODD HUNDLEY (CA, 31, S) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 NYM 132 417 114 21 2 30 78 86 83 116 273 394 549 2 3 1998 NYM 53 124 20 4 0 3 8 12 16 55 161 261 266 1 1 1999 LA 114 376 78 14 0 24 49 55 44 113 207 295 436 3 0 |
|
Hundley was supposed to have a big comeback season, but it didn't
happen. Not only did he struggle at the plate, he also led all catchers
by committing 16 errors behind the plate. He is not old, and is definitely
capable of having a big season... it's just not very likely. By the way, didn't the Dodgers have both Mike Piazza and Charles Johnson a short time ago? |
| MIKE JUDD (25, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 AA 4 2 12 12 0 0 0 79 69 33 65 273 1998 AAA 5 7 17 17 3 1 0 95 98 44 77 456 1999 AAA 8 7 21 21 1 0 0 111 132 47 122 667 |
| Judd is a young pitcher who had an awful year at Albuquerque, but who is intriguing nonetheless. His control seems decent, and he can overpower hitters. I expect Judd to eventually become a good pitcher, perhaps sooner than you might think. |
| ERIC KARROS (1B, 32, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 LA 162 628 167 28 0 31 86 104 61 116 266 329 459 15 7 1998 LA 139 507 150 20 1 23 59 87 47 93 296 355 475 7 2 1999 LA 153 578 176 40 0 34 74 112 53 119 304 362 550 8 5 |
| He had a wonderful year at the plate, probably the best of his career. Karros has been a surprisingly consistent player, though not an outstanding one. My guess is that he has peaked, and that the next three years will be a steady decline. Expect 20-30 home runs. |
| PAUL LODUCA (CA, 28, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 AA 105 385 126 28 2 7 63 69 46 27 327 399 465 16 8 1998 AAA 126 451 144 30 3 8 69 58 59 40 319 399 452 19 7 |
| LoDuca has been a consistent .300 hitter in the minors, and wants a job as a reserve catcher on someone's roster. He could probably do the job as well as anyone if given the chance. At his age, he is not likely to ever be a regular. |
| ONAN MASAOKA (22, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 A 6 8 28 24 2 1 1 149 113 55 132 387 1998 AA 6 6 27 20 1 1 1 110 114 63 94 532 |
| The Dodgers rushed Masaoka to the majors, for no apparent reason, but he didn't pitch too badly. His control is bad, and it will probably take a few years to improve. Masaoka has talent, and could be a very good pitcher... but he probably has some more growing pains to go through, and I don't know if he is going to start or relieve, and I don't like the fact he has been rushed, and I don't think the Dodgers know what they are doing... |
| ALAN MILLS (33, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 BAL 2 3 39 0 0 0 0 39 41 33 32 489 1998 BAL 3 4 72 0 0 0 2 77 55 50 57 374 1999 LA 3 4 68 0 0 0 0 72 70 43 49 373 |
| Mills is a veteran setup man who has pitched well the past few seasons. Though he has usually been a consistent pitcher, I am not crazy about his future; he is aging, his strikeouts are dropping, and his control is very poor. I would stay away from him in 2000. |
| DAN NAULTY (30, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 MIN 1 1 29 0 0 0 1 31 29 10 23 587 1998 MIN 0 2 19 0 0 0 0 23 25 10 15 494 1999 NYY 1 0 33 0 0 0 0 49 40 22 25 438 |
| Naulty is a servicable middle reliever who pitched fairly well for the World Champions. I'm not crazy about him, and I don't expect him to pitch so well in 2000. |
| GREGG OLSON (33, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 MIN-KC 4 3 45 0 0 0 1 50 58 28 34 558 1998 ARI 3 4 64 0 0 0 30 68 56 25 55 301 1999 ARI 9 4 61 0 0 0 14 61 54 25 45 371 |
| He started the year as Arizona's closer, and struggled badly, prompting the Diamondbacks to invest in Matt Mantei. Olson was moved to middle relief, and pitched pretty well. The 1989 American League Rookie of the Year always seems to have one more life left in him; he should be solid again next year. |
| KEVIN ORIE (3B, 28, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 CHC 114 364 100 23 5 8 40 44 39 57 275 350 431 2 2 1998 CHC-FLO 112 379 83 22 1 8 47 38 32 59 219 291 346 2 1 1999 FLO 77 240 61 16 0 6 26 29 22 43 254 322 396 1 0 |
| A platoon third baseman, Orie doesn't have much power, doesn't steal bases, doesn't hit for average or walk much. He is better than having a gaping hole at third base, but I would not expect him to bat 200 times this season. |
| ANTONIO OSUNA (27, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 LA 3 4 48 0 0 0 0 62 46 19 68 219 1998 LA 7 1 54 0 0 0 6 64 50 32 72 306 1999 LA 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 5 4 3 5 771 |
| Osuna is an outstanding young pitcher whose season was wiped out by surgery on his arm. Apparently, the Dodgers are not expecting him back anytime soon; he could be lost for another season. |
| CHAN HO PARK (27, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 LA 14 8 32 29 2 0 0 192 149 70 166 338 1998 LA 15 9 34 34 2 0 0 220 199 97 191 371 1999 LA 13 11 33 33 0 0 0 194 208 100 174 523 |
Park had an interesting split in his record last year:
AVG OBA SLU
Left-handers 358 454 602
Right-handers 207 295 363
Park has great stuff, and has always had great potential... but obviously he needs to make an adjustment, and hasn't made it so far. Maybe he needs a new pitch, a new grip on the fastball or something; or maybe it is just a mental block when facing lefties. He's got to fix it; he is gradually losing command of the strike zone, and may be having a confidence crisis. |
| ANGEL PENA (CA, 25, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 A 86 322 89 22 4 16 53 64 32 84 276 344 519 9 5 1998 AA 126 483 162 32 2 22 81 105 48 80 335 401 547 3 2 |
| Pena is a young catcher who had a great year at San Antonio two years ago. Last season he got some playing time with the Dodgers, but didn't perform very well. He has power, and will play a few years in the big leagues; it remains to be seen what his batting average will be. Probably somewhere between his '98 and '99 numbers, say, .270. |
| CARLOS PEREZ (29, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 MON 12 13 33 32 8 5 0 207 206 48 110 388 1998 MON-LA 11 14 34 34 7 2 0 241 244 63 128 359 1999 LA 2 10 17 16 0 0 0 90 116 39 40 743 |
| He had a dreadful season, obviously. Perez is young, and has pitched well in the past, but he is also a flake with a history of arm problems. I don't expect a comeback, at least not as a starter. |
| F.P. SANTANGELO (IF/OF, 32, S) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 MON 130 350 87 19 5 5 56 31 50 73 249 379 374 8 5 1998 MON 122 383 82 18 0 4 53 23 44 72 214 330 292 7 3 1999 SF 113 254 66 17 3 3 49 26 53 54 260 406 386 12 4 |
| Something went wrong in 1998, but last year Santangelo was back to doing what he does best, which is getting on base and playing all over the field. He can also run a little, and has a bit of pop in his bat. Even if he hits .240, he's a quality backup player. A good team wouldn't give him any more at bats than he got last year. |
| JEFF SHAW (34, R) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 CIN 4 2 78 0 0 0 42 95 79 12 74 238 1998 CIN-LA 3 8 73 0 0 0 48 85 75 19 55 212 1999 LA 2 4 64 0 0 0 34 68 64 15 43 278 |
| Closing games is a weird profession; Shaw, a career nobody, has somehow emerged as one of the best closers in the league, after many years of general ineffectiveness. And Shaw is not an exception; this happens all the time. He's getting older, and he probably won't save 48 games again, but Shaw's control is still good; he should save 30-40 games in 2000. |
| GARY SHEFFIELD (LF, 31, R) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 FLO 135 444 111 22 1 21 86 71 121 79 250 424 446 11 7 1998 FLO-LA 130 437 132 27 2 22 73 85 95 46 302 428 524 22 7 1999 LA 152 549 165 20 0 34 103 101 101 64 301 407 523 11 5 |
| He had one of his best years; he also emerged as something of a clubhouse leader, which would be more impressive if the Dodgers hadn't stunk. You know as much about Sheffield as I do; he is an extremely talented player who occasionally has an MVP-calibre season, but is also prone to slumps and injuries and the like. I predict that his unpredictability will continue this year. |
| JOSE VIZCAINO (IF, 32, S) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 SF 151 568 151 19 7 5 77 50 48 87 266 323 350 8 8 1998 LA 67 237 62 9 0 3 30 29 17 35 262 311 338 7 3 1999 LA 94 266 67 9 0 1 27 29 20 23 252 304 297 2 1 |
| He appears to be stuck in a backup role, and it's probably where he belongs. He simply does not hit well enough to play every day with a good team. Vizcaino should be a good backup, though; he is versatile and experienced, and he is capable of hitting better than he did last year. |
| DEVON WHITE (CF, 37, S) |
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YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS 1997 FLO 74 265 65 13 1 6 37 34 32 65 245 338 370 13 5 1998 ARI 146 563 157 32 1 22 84 85 42 102 279 335 456 22 8 1999 LA 134 474 127 20 2 14 60 68 39 88 268 337 407 19 5 |
| Devon took some criticism in his first year in Los Angeles, because the team stunk and White was old and overpaid. Well, what did you expect? White did what he always does; hit for a decent average, drew more walks than usual, hit some home runs, stole some bases. He is a great defensive outfielder. Maybe he shouldn't play every day anymore, but there's a place for White on a ball club. |
| JEFF WILLIAMS (28, L) |
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YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA 1997 A 10 4 18 18 0 0 0 116 101 34 72 310 1998 AA-AAA 11 8 28 28 0 0 0 163 203 62 128 437 1999 AAA 9 7 42 14 1 1 4 126 151 47 86 501 |
| Williams is a late-comer, has only three seasons of pro ball under his belt. He has survived a pair of seasons in Albuquerque, and posted decent numbers; a dark horse to have a surprisingly good season. |