.blue for blue.

It’s a done deal.
This year it will be a Phillies vs. Rays World Series.

Now that it’s official, I’m trying my best to accept the reality of this postseason. As a West Coast gal, I truly feel like the best thing to do is to look forward and be optimistic about next season. As hard as that sounds, it’s the only reasonable solution.

*sigh*

Just so you know; I made it a point not to write about the Dodgers and their quest for the 2008 World Series until after the outcome of their season. I think mostly, I didn’t want to jinx the only West Coast team still alive in the postseason. Team Blue was thrown into the national spotlight when news broke that Manny Ramirez was joining the club. Wow—what a deal for a team that was in need of a serious offensive weapon! I remember seeing Manny in his new squeaky clean blue Dodgers uniform for the first time during his press conference. He came ready with his iridescent sunglasses and a happy smile that really complete his new look. LA was on top of the world that day and so was Manny.

Since his acquisition, the Dodgers seemed to have a new found excitement. Fans were re-energized and game attendance shot up. What Dodgers fan wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of a possible World Series run?? Having Manny was like winning the lottery—although some may beg to differ. The hot issue that the media continued to bring up was Manny’s bad attitude (aka: “Manny being Manny”) and his lack of interest in the game (and at times his own team) when he wasn’t into it. I feel like Manny just needed the right team to gel with so he can continue to impress fans. Most importantly, show the media that the phrase “Manny being Manny” can mean something positive. So, with Manny being a Dodger now—I believe he’s found a good fit but, is this just a quick stint before moving on for more money elsewhere? This may very well be the case... in light of Manny’s comment right after the Phillies series loss. When asked if he’d be in a Dodgers uniform next year, “I don't know,” he said; “I don't have any control over that.”. “I want to see who is the highest bidder,” Ramirez said. “Gas is up and so am I.” he proclaimed! Funny thing is; he has TOTAL control over where he’ll end up since he is the one who ultimately says yes or no.

And so here we are, the World Series is right around the corner and the reality is—the Dodgers won’t be there. Even with Manny carrying them through into the postseason AND having a big name coach like Joe Torre to lead the way, it just wasn’t enough. The team made it so close but couldn’t take hold of the Phillies who ended up winning the Pennant. What a Cinderella story it would have been! While some may continue to ponder “what if”, the only thing I ponder is…“what went wrong?”

Ugh—the batting line up for starters.

The batting order had been an issue, mostly during the end of the regular season. Joe Torre tried so hard to arrange all of the pieces of his puzzle to fit just right. Players were re-shuffled almost weekly prior to the playoffs. At the time it felt like the team was moving forward in the right direction. Once they made the playoffs, it seemed all of the work and planning had really paid off. Adding Manny to the mix gave the Dodgers some added fire. They scored consistently and even managed to sweep the Cubs! For a team that wasn’t supposed to have made it very far, they sure were doing exceptionally well. With the success against the Cubs, going into the series against the Phillies was a challenge I’m sure the team was pumped for. Only 1 team stood in their way to the World Series and now was the time to make it happen. With the players batting well and the pitchers focused—it seemed like Manny was the icing on the cake.

Not so much~

Whether it was nerves, undisclosed injuries, or a team that just couldn’t pull it together—the Dodgers lost against the Phillies and performed in a way that shocked most LA fans. What happened to the oh-so-familiar Grand Slamming Loney, Comeback Kid Furcal, or Fan Favorite & Base Stealing Martin? Let’s not forget—Kemp, Ethier, and Garciaparra; where were their much needed clutch moments? In the end, it came down to one person—Manny Ramirez. But, a single player can only carry a team so far (even with batting .410 with 21 home runs and 63 runs batted in over the last two and a half months). A combination of unproductive offensive plays by the Dodgers and errors made during crucial games cost them big time like, Rafael Furcal’s three errors in a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Another challenge for Torre was he was unable to solidify the clean up slot. Hitters batting behind Manny in the Dodgers' lineup were 3 for 27 with one run batted in during the playoffs. It’s just frustrating to watch a team that was able to win against all odds to make the postseason, end up unraveling under the immense pressure.

Some final thoughts.

I am wondering how many people (who aren’t from Tampa and Philly) will actually be interested in watching the World Series this year. I know that if the Dodgers had made it through, the ratings and number of viewers would have been through the roof. One reason would be that most of the West Coast would be interested in watching (regardless if they root for LA). Another reason would be celebrities. I’m sure US Weekly could dedicate an entire magazine spread on who showed up to cheer the Dodgers on. One prime example is Ms. Alyssa Milano for instance. She is a huge Dodger fan and has an entire blog dedicated to her love for the team. A photo of Alyssa Milano wearing her Manny dreadlock hat swinging a towel over her head at the World Series would be cool! Lastly, most people have some interest and/or curiosity in cheering for an underdog.

So...now the question is; where do the Dodgers go from here? And most importantly, will Manny be a part of the future of LA? You live and learn in life so only time will tell when the Dodgers will get this far again. From my west coast perspective—hopefully another post season run will happen before the team has to start again from scratch. For all you Dodger fans out there, remember this: “It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up.” - Vince Lombardi

Batter up!
-C