I really thought the Dodgers were this year's version of the 2002 Angels, i.e, the team that gets on a roll at just the right time and carries it through to a World Series title. That may still be the case, but there is one major difference. In 2002, Mike Scioscia had a bullpen that was nearly flawless. In 2008, Joe Torre's bullpen is suspect, and he needs to stick with the hot hand. Scioscia was able to go from one arm to the next (Ben Weber, Brendan Donnelly, Francisco Rodriguez) and they all performed well, carrying the torch to Troy Percival in the ninth. Torre doesn't have such a luxury, so he needs more innings from his starters and has to have a keen eye as to which reliever is on his game. The other option is for the offense to explode and make the bullpen virtually meaningless, as was the case in the series victory over the Cubs.
October 2008 Archives
Poly passed yet another tough test tonight. It beat highly -regarded St. Bonaventure, 12-7. Poly broke up a pass in the end zone to hold on to victory and improve to 5-0. See pictures/buy reprints>>
Lakewood's good; Poly's potentially great. Lakewood won't have its best running back; Poly still hasn't played at the top of its game and really hasn't been as motivated as it is in the Moore League opener. Poly 27, Lakewood 6. Take it to the bank.
