LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Unlike the other team in LA, this team has a high hill to climb. Finishing 82-79, they looked up behind the Division winning Arizona Diamondbacks by 11½ games, and 3 ½ games behind their archrivals the San Francisco Giants.

In the hitting department they went from mediocre to terrible, and like their record shows, mediocrity gets you nowhere.

The Dodger Blue finished 21^st in runs scored, 12^th in batting average, 14^th in on base percentage and 23^rd in slugging percentage.

Pitching was a different story. They were 5^th in team ERA-3.54, and opponents only batted .241 against them!

MATT KEMP

Matt Kemp led them in every offensive category that counts with a .324 BA, 39 HR’s, 126 RBI’s an OBP of .399 and 195 hits! Andre Ethier chipped in with 16 HR’s and .292 BA.

Clayton Kershaw a 22 year-old southpaw had a 21-5 record, leading the staff with wins, 2.28 ERA and 233.1 innings pitched amassing 248 K’s. All other starters pitched either .500 or under. But in all fairness, when you don’t score runs, you don’t win.

In the Free Agent marketplace: Casey Blake 3^rd Base, signed on with Colorado, closer Jonathan Broxton has reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. Ss Jamie Carroll signed with Minnesota, Jon Garland went to Cleveland, the Mariners added Hong-Chih Kuo and Kuroda went to the Yankees for 1 year, $10 million. Padilla will now toss them at Fenway.

Chris Capuano SP signed on for 2 years and $10 million, Todd Coffey RP $1.3 million for one year, Mark Ellis 2^nd Base  put his signature down for 2 years and  $8.75 million, Jerry Hairston, 3^rd Base .270 BA agreed to 2 years $6 million, and a good move for the Dodgers, Aaron Harang 3.64 ERA, 14-7, 2 years $12 million from the Padres, Adam Kennedy 2^nd base .234 BA, 7 HR’s as insurance, resigned Mike MacDougal, RHP for 1 year $1 million, left fielder Juan Rivera for 1 year and $4.5 million, a reserve catcher Matt Treanor from Texas for $800,000 and right handed pitcher Jamie Wright from Seattle for a minor league contract.

The Dodgers, like the New York Mets have ownership issues, and because of that have a limited budget to work with. Look for the Dodgers to finish next to last.