I am currently sitting in the jury waiting room of the Clara Shortridge Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles.
My civic duty has called and I have to sit bored out of my skull waiting for my number to be called in a potential criminal case.
They've called for 2 different pools of jurors and so far your pal Sully has been left out of the fun. They have WiFi, but certain sites are banned. Like Facebook and YouTube. But NOT Blogger. So while I wait my chance to try and get out of a trial, I will keep you, my dear readers, up to date.
DODGERS... YOU ARE NOT CONTENDERS!
There is some serious denial in the people calling into the Dodger talk shows in Los Angeles. People are talking about making a deal or two to put them back into contention. REALLY? The pick up of Juan Rivera isn't helping matters.
Even without the extremely odd circumstances regarding this team, they are one of the truly crappy teams in baseball. They are a modest losing streak from the basement of the NL West. Only the Padres, Cubs, Astros, Royals and Orioles are worse than the Dodgers. And what kind of run can they go on against the Giants, Braves and Phillies. Remember those are the teams they are chasing. If they can't catch them, then why build for now?
They are 14 games behind the Giants.
That is TWO WEEKS of games behind the Giants. They only have 11 weeks left and they have to hope the Giants drop the equivalent of 2 weeks of games MORE than the Dodgers.
And they are closer to the Giants than they are to the Braves.
Even without the extreme circumstances of the current Dodger situation, this is a lost season. Add in the misery of payroll and the stench of the entire season, and the Dodgers should break this team up out of mercy. I'm serious. Deal Kemp. Deal Kuroda. Deal Ethier.
Keep Billingsley and Kershaw because they are the foundations of the pitching staff of the future. But trade everything else save for Vin Scully's microphone.
The only people showing up to Dodger games are the die hard fans. Out of MERCY kill this season and let them see the future of the team. Out of DECENCY have the next generation of Dodgers have their growing pains NOW.
The Dodgers will get new management and new hope soon. Give a glimpse of 2012 and beyond and bury 2011 as deeply as possible.
THE PIRATES ARE SHOPPING... HOW AWESOME IS THAT?
Personally I would love to see the Pirates make a run at Carlos Beltran. Seriously, have him pull a "2004 Astros" and play amazingly well for a few months, help the Pirates into the playoffs and pick up a few draft picks when he skedaddles.
It is more likely someone like Conor Jackson will be heading to the Pirates. But even THAT is a change in culture. Usually the end of July is the time for Pirate fans to say good bye to old friends. The fact that a reliever like Koji Uehara could be going TO Pittsburgh is enough to have Clint Hurdle the front runner for Manager of the Year.
BIG MARKET SMALL MARKET...
We will hear the familiar refrains about big market teams swallowing up all the players from small market teams this year... and I bet NOBODY will see the irony that the Pirates are shoppers and the Mets, Cubs and Dodgers are sellers.
HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM
I feel badly for Brad Mills and Ed Wade of the Astros. They truly suck. And the Astros farm system truly sucks. And they have to trade Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers. And they will also probably have to deal Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn.
But with new ownership coming in, they have about as much chance of keeping their jobs as I have replacing Heath Ledger in the next Batman movie.
Even if they make a trade getting all the best prospects in baseball including Bryce Harper, they will be shown the door. And if those trades pan out, whoever the next GM and manager are will reap the benefits and praise. "Man, the team is so much better since Mills and Wade left
All these thoughts are going through my head... as I wait... and wait... and wait for my number to be called.
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