Staying the course

Grady said before the game that the Dodgers need to ``stay the course'' with their young players and their plan and not stray from it. He asked, part rhetorically and part earnestly, what the Dodgers had been doing since they last won the World Series in 1988, a clear reference to the fact the team's longstanding method of signing high-priced free agents simply hasn't worked out, and that the current plan of drafting and developing is the right one. Some will applaud what Grady said, while others will dismiss it. But the Rockies are a perfect example of what can happen when you have a lot of young talent, you're patient, and you allow it to develop. They endured years of growing pains, including a good portion of this year, but it's all paying off now.