The Dodgers lost in the same place to the same team in the playoffs in 2008 and 2009, but this most recent one stung more for fans and players. Last season was a surprise and magical run. This year more was expected.
And with the core of the team back, next year even more will be expected. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Russell Martin will be back. If you spent money on a dreadlocks wig don’t worry — Manny Ramirez will be back, too.So will be pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton. It is a formidable core that should have the Dodgers in contention for years. Plus it may well be Joe Torre’s last year on the bench, adding to the pressure and expectations.
But changes need to be made, and that begins with starting pitching.
"We have real good pitchers, but we need to get better in the rotation," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said of what the team might try to do in the offseason.
The Dodgers bullpen threw more innings than any other in baseball this year. It was the bullpen that was expected to save them in the playoffs. But George Sherrill gave up a three-run home run in game one and Broxton gave up the double to Rollins in game four, two pitches that cost the Dodgers two games.
But is it fair to expect the bullpen to be perfect every game in order to win? Or do the Dodgers need starting pitching that does not lead to 11-0 and 10-4 routes where the bullpen and hitters never rally have a chance? Colletti has all but said he is going after some new starters. Youngsters with potential like Kershaw, Billingsley, plus veterans like Hiroki Kuroda will likely be back. The question is what will go around them? Can the Dodgers get a true Number One starter (ala Cliff Lee or CC Sabathia)?
Outside that, there may not be many major moves.
Manny Ramirez can opt out of his contract, but will not. He is owed $20 million next year and would not find that good a deal on the open market in this economy after that playoff performance. In addition, he is not going to find another fan base as forgiving as Los Angeles. He will stay.
The rest of the Dodgers starting lineup may not change much either — it had one of the best hitting averages in baseball and played solid defense. Plus, it is young.
What the Dodgers need — and may be getting the hard way the last two playoffs — is a little more maturity. The ability to take a few more pitches in key playoff at bats (like Werth waiting seven pitches before his big game five home run). The ability to capitalize on the opportunities when they do present themselves.
A million things could keep the Dodgers from reaching this level again. Not the least of those is the potentially ugly divorce between Frank and Jamie McCourt, which has the potential to rip apart the front office. Or severely curtail spending.
But the Dodgers are close. But what they do this summer — from new pitchers to dedication and workouts from those returning — will determine if they walk through that door next year.
