Yahoo Sports Letters to Sports: Dodgers fans again singing blues after more pitching woes, managerial moves
The Times maintains Clayton Kershaw is kind of a "bulldog," slogging through injuries and exhaustion to make his next start. Sorry, but with yet another visit to the injury list because of a nagging injury, he's certainly not Orel Hershiser dominant anymore. Still a good one but even seven innings an outing is a long shot.
Allan Kandel
Los Angeles
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It seems like the past few years we hold our collective breath waiting for Kershaw to go on the IL. This letter isn't to bash Kershaw, but more to point out to him and Dodgers president Andrew Friedman that Kershaw has given a lot to the Dodgers and his body is beat up. They should work out a plan that allows him to retire. But his $20 million a year needs to be freed up to allow the Dodgers to sign a younger, more durable pitcher next year. It has been great, but it's time.
Russell Morgan
Carson
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It might be time to question the Dodgers' conditioning program for their pitchers, since the entire staff either is or has been on the IL.
Eddie Barron
Los Angeles
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Thank goodness the Dodgers finally acquired a new pitcher, but why do they only use his initials, TBD?
Elliot Powers
San Diego
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If Dave Roberts has his way, the only way a Dodger pitcher will ever pitch a complete game will be a rain-shortened game after five innings.
Jeff Hershow
Woodland Hills
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Again, Bill Plaschke has it all wrong. Renting another pitcher before the trade deadline makes no sense. The Dodgers need to concentrate on several rookie pitchers and use this season to build the rotation of the future. Friedman should go on vacation, without his phone, until after the trade deadline and Plaschke needs to retire.
Victor Benickes
Los Angeles
Read more: Dodgers place Clayton Kershaw on injured list with shoulder soreness
Bad move
As of Saturday morning, Cody Bellinger is batting .303 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs. Enough said.
Richard Raffalow
Valley Glen
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It’s beyond me in a year when the shift is banned, that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman did not re-sign Bellinger, for whom defenses overshifted on a regular basis. I guess it wasn’t in the analytics.
John C. Borrego
Safety Harbor, Fla.
Leaning in
Dave Roberts leans against the Dodger dugout fence. I lean against my recliner. Give me Roberts' salary for doing the same thing.
Tom Neldner
Redondo Beach
Making it happen
The Kansas City Royals are not a good team but it sure was refreshing to watch a team putting on plays, stealing bases, sacrificing, doing what they can to manufacture runs. Much better than sitting in the dugout, spitting out sunflower seeds and waiting for one of your players to hit a home run.
R.D. McCall
Fallbrook
Listen to this
Great article, "From star turn to new Dodgers intern," on Mo'ne Davis by Jack Harris. Mo'ne said, "Since eighth grade, I wanted to go into broadcasting." Maybe the two Davises, Joe and Mo'ne, will be calling a game together soon!
Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood
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If we fans are being consulted, add my name to the list in favor of electronic determination of balls and strikes. The umpiring mistakes are giving me a headache.
Anne Singer
North Hills
Read more: Mo'ne Davis is not just your average summer intern for the Dodgers
Parking issue
I am a disabled person with a severe breathing problem. I went to the Dodgers game on the Fourth of July. The Dodgers let handicapped people park close to the stadium with a general parking ticket. On the other hand, I have Rams season seats and have to park at the casino. The Rams know of my breathing problem, but I still have to walk the whole parking lot and stadium to enter at Gate 2. On a hot day, I need my inhaler and water to get there. The Rams have no class, but they are my team, till my last breath.
Ed Villanueva
Chino Hills
Angelic problems
Of late, the Angels have suffered from being inept and unfortunate. Now Mike Trout is out after hamate surgery and Shohei Ohtani has a blistered finger that will keep him from pitching in the All-Star Game. Seems that this once-promising team has been dealt bad “hands” by fate, and it’s highly doubtful yet again that they’ll make it to postseason play.
Tom Stapleton
Glendale
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The Angels have two problems, owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian. Moreno tried to take pressure off of himself by announcing that he was going to sell the team only to not pursue any serious attempt to do so. Minasian has not delivered on the real need of the Angels, which is pitching, mostly a proven closer. The one positive thing Moreno could do would be to change the name of the team back to the Anaheim Angels.
Edward A. Sussman
Fountain Valley
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Arte Moreno has made some drastic mistakes over the years, but he should not believe Ohtani will re-sign with the Angels. Make the smart decision and get some first-rate pitching as well as a strong group of future stars from another team's minor league system. If he does not do this Ohtani will certainly be leaving to a large-market team and the Angels will get nothing in return.
Bruce Olson
Upland
Read more: Angels try to stay positive after Mike Trout goes to IL and Shohei Ohtani is hurt
Suggestion for USC
In regard to replacing Mike Bohn, USC should again look within the Trojan family by hiring a former athlete as athletic director thereby saving search time and money.
David Marshall
Santa Monica
Not so fast
Bill Plaschke’s irrational exuberance over the Lakers' free-agent signings is hilarious. Adding the immortal Gabe Vincent to a team swept in the Western Conference finals is hardly the missing link to a title. Beating a Memphis team devoid of its injured big men and Golden State, whose tallest starter is 6 foot 8, was fool’s gold. This Lakers team, as presently constituted, will likely be fighting to reach the play-in tournament, not the Finals.
Mark S. Roth
Los Angeles
Read more: Plaschke: Rob Pelinka and the Lakers win free agency and the summer
Seeking humane treatment
Those in the now-lethal gambling business of racing horses for profit are well aware of the measures that could be taken if they wish to continue without the constant death count of the exploited equine athletes. But as deaths still mount, it appears that those measures have little interest for them. Profit trumps ethics. To have this intolerable record would be totally unacceptable in any other sport and I am joined by thousands of members of the public that say, "Enough, end it."
Elaine Livesey-Fassel
Los Angeles
Going international
Why doesn't The Times cover international sports? For example, Formula One has become extremely popular in the United States. It now has three races in this country: Miami, Austin and Las Vegas. I understand that this is a local paper, but it would be nice to have broader sports content.
Joe Chale
Los Angeles
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
