Playing to 165, I guess.

Ok, I'm not going to dwell on this, but since one of "my topics" is baseball in general, and the Dodgers specifically, I have to ask a question after the last two games:

What in the hell is going on out there???

Fine, if you don't want to play any more baseball this year, that's ok -- I'm disappointed, but, go ahead and pack it in. Just don't make yourselves look like such idiots doing it!!

It's kind of weird, the way that things have been turning out, especially regarding what will now be forever known as "The Play". It's weird because, on Tuesday afternoon, HBO-FW14 (or something) was showing the cinematic masterpiece Major League 2. I stopped my busy day to watch about a half-hour of it because I couldn't remember the intricasies of the plot, and the exact motivating factors that drove each player to achieve his own personal peak, and at the same time, achieve self-ac.... well, whatever. The thing is, when the Indians start playing well again, one of the events they show is their catcher getting a throw, and then tagging two players out, both coming into home, about three seconds apart (they called it a Twin Killing). At the time, I wondered if that kind of play had ever actually happened, or if that was just some freakish thing dreamed up by the writers.

Of course, just one day later, I had my answer. By now, we all have encyclopediac knowledge of all instances of two runners being thrown out at home on the same play, without the ball leaving the catcher's hands. The last time was 1985. Before that it was about 25 or 30 years previous. It's only happened a handful of times ever, and I am very proud to say that the Dodgers can now attach their names to that shitty, amateurish, bush league play.

For what it's worth, I think the blame goes to 3rd Base Coach Rich Donnelly. He sent Kent home, which was a judgement call, and I don't fault him for that. Kent was overly-cautious, and he's slow, and he got gunned-down at the plate. It happens. BUT, J.D. Drew was about 40 feet behind Kent, and Donnelly didn't give him any indication at all of what was going on. By the time Donnelly sent Kent, he knew it would be close. If that was going to be close, how can you justify sending another player half-a-base behind him?!?

Looking back at it (twelve million times today -- thanks Fox!), no one was more surprised than Paul LoDuca. He tags out Kent, he's holding the ball, and all of a sudden people are screaming that someone else is coming home. It was like manna from Heaven for him.

Also, it is amazing that Martin could knock a hit to the right field wall and end up Grounding Into a Double Play.

Maddux goes Saturday. He's good for 70 pitches, tops. And, he will be Maddux. He will throw 70 pitches right down the pipe and see where the Mets hit 'em. They know this. They will not be swinging on the first pitch. If we get five innings out of Maddux, I will be shocked. (But, I will take the five innings.)

Whichever way it goes, it was a hell of a season! Massive losing streaks, even bigger winning streaks, walk-off grand slams, four-homers-in-a-row, etc., etc. No complaints here -- I would just like to see it last a little longer.