Dodgers addition through subtraction

There are so many factors to why the Dodgers are off to such an amazing start and could have this division sewn up by the All Star Break.

There is the Manny Ramirez factor.

There is Joe Torre's steady guiding hand.

There is the line up filled with solid young players and veterans like Casey Blake and Orlando Hudson.

There are the dynamic young pitchers.

But I also wonder how much the purging of some veterans may have helped too.

Nobody on the planet seems to like Jeff Kent and the team played so much better last year when he was hurt.  

It pains me to say it because he played his butt off for the Red Sox, but Nomar Garciaparra had become dead weight on the Dodgers team. 

And Brad Penny didn't seem to be worth more than his last name in the clubhouse.

And, along with Luis Gonzalez, were evidently the main veteran players, who created the us versus them mentality with the young players during the 2007 season... with Grady Little in charge.

Now all of the veterans who brought tension to the clubhouse have been purged and the result is baseball's first 20 win team, the best home start since the 1911 Detroit Tigers and what could be a waltz to the NL West title.

Hmmm.

The Red Sox dump Nomar and they win the World Series.

The Dodgers don't resign Nomar and they get off to a blistering start.

Maybe the A's should dump Nomar.