Padres 7, Dodgers 5 … let the celebration begin

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Actually, it’s pretty well in full swing already. By the time I got to the clubhouse, the smell of champagne already permeated everything. Joe Beimel just told Patrick O’Neal, in an interview broadcast on the DodgerVision board, that the Dodgers “can definitely win it all.” The revelry has now spilled from the clubhouse onto the field, giving a chance for the fans who stuck around to join in. Manny Ramirez and Pablo Ozuna just emptied the contents of whatever they could find in the clubhouse — boxes of sunflower seeds, tubs of bubble gum, whatever — onto the folks in the front row. Frank McCourt, who earlier today stressed the importance of the Dodgers actually taking this thing a step farther this year than they did in 2004 and 2006, is now on the big board getting doused by Matt Kemp and Pablo Ozuna. Frank just said, “It’s great to have a guy like Ned with the temperament that he has.” Read into that whatever you will. If you care, Dodgers fall to 83-76 and still lead the newly eliminated Snakes by four games.

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  • max_power

    Regardless of what we do this postseason Ned still needs to be canned. He’s horrible. He has handcuffed this organization with his horrible free agent deal so much we may not be able to resign Manny.

  • http://www.firenedcollettinow.com/ Fire Ned Colletti Now

    It doesn’t matter how bad he’s screwed the team in the past. Nor does it matter that he was gift wrapped Manny this year. All that matters is that the team got to the playoffs, is back in the spotlight, and is generating McCourt revenue.

    No way he gets fired. If McCourt didn’t fire him every other year in which he made terrible trades and terrible signings, he won’t fire him now when he actually did something positive.

    I suppose there’s an off chance that McCourt actually looks at the full scope and context of Colletti’s transactions with the Dodgers, but i’m not holding my breath.

  • neoncactus

    Look at Colletti’s three worst free agent deals: Pierre, Schmidt and Jones. The worst of the Pierre deal is the length and when he signed him, that was the going rate. Pierre’s played the way he usually plays, he just was the wrong type of outfielder for the team. But he’s no worse of a signing than the Angels got stuck with when they got Matthews the same year. Schmidt: While he’s been a bust, he was one of the best free agent pitchers two years ago, and while the Giants still have five more years to suffer with Zito, at least Colletti got Schmidt on a three year deal and there’s still a chance he contributes next year. Jones: I don’t fault Colletti as much for this. There were three big center fielders – Hunter, Rowand and Jones. Jones had the most power (historically) of the three, which was the Dodgers biggest need, and definitely was a better target than Rowand. People have said his skills were declining, but nobody could have predicted what an awful year he had. At the same time, while Hunter and Rowand got long term deals, and Jones wanted a 5 year deal, Colletti got him to a two year deal, so we’re done with both him and Schmidt after next season.

    So in retrospect, I don’t think he’s been all that bad. Getting Berroa was a good move, Blake was a good move and Manny, whether it was McCourt or Ned leading the charge, was the deciding move for this division.

  • dusto

    How was the Casey Blake a good deal? He’s 35. He’s a free agent at the end of the year and we gave away Carlos Santana for him and Bam Bam. I don’t the logic in anyone thinking Colletti should keep his job.

  • max_power

    Yeah the Casey Blake deal was horrible! He has help our turn around but Ned gave up way to much for him. Meloan is going to be their closer before next season is over and Carlos Santana may be something special. Ned also traded away Edwin Jackson, Dioner Navarro, Duaner Sanchez and others for players that haven’t been on this team in a year or two. He also let Cody Ross walk away to the Reds. He had a good year with the Marlins this year. I’d rather have him in our outfield or coming off the bench then Juan Pierre. Ned is horrible. All he does is look at names and reputations and not the facts. I woulnd’t be surprised if Joe Crede is out third basemen next year. Ned loves old injured players. He needs to leave before he trades Matt Kemp for Robinson Cano!

  • Brooklyn Dodger

    No doubt that Casey Blake helped, and it could be argued that w/o his presence the Dodgers might not have made the playoffs. But, correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I understand, Blake could have been acquired w/o including Santana if the Dodgers had been willing to pick up his remaining salary, which I believe was about $2 million. Based on Santana’s minor league numbers, wasn’t he worth $2 million. Bonus contracts exceeding that amount are given to sign amateur prospects. If money was the reason the Dodgers included Santana, then it was a bad deal.

    Hopefully the Dodgers will end up recouping something if they receive two draft picks as a result of Blake signing a free agent deal with another team. That’s how the Dodgers acquired Blake DeWitt, with a Yankee pick acquired when they lost Paul Quantrill to free agency. Of course, signing those draft picks will require money.

  • http://www.firenedcollettinow.com/ Fire Ned Colletti Now

    neoncactus-Yeah, that’s what makes the Pierre deal so terrible. EVERYBODY knew what he was before he got signed. And the Dodgers still signed him.

    Schmidt has been an absolute waste, but at least he wasn’t a declining Jones that actually HURT the team this year.

    He’s made one good deal in his tenure, Bradley and Perez for Ethier. McCourt and Epstein’s desperation had more to do with the Ramirez deal than Colletti did.

    Furcal has had one healthy season in 3 years. Brett Tomko. Bill Mueller. Resigning Nomar for 11 million. Seo and Hamulack for Sanchez. Hendrickson and Hall for Navarro/Seo. Randy Wolf. Etc.

    I mean it’s great that he got Manny gift wrapped to him, but of the deals he’s done that weren’t under extraordinary circumstances like that, who did he acquire that was actually good value? The only reason this team wasn’t terrible before Manny is because of Logan White’s draft picks.

  • max_power

    “The only reason this team wasn’t terrible before Manny is because of Logan White’s draft picks.”

    Exactly! You can say we wouldn’t be in the playoffs without Manny all you want but without the Kids this team would have been a sub .500 team for the last 2 or 3 years. The Kids are as important or even more important then Manny to the success of this team and franchise.