Dodgers Bullpen

[Neddy]

there are many topics to cover, i think, regarding our beloved doyers' pen this year so far.

1) I have been reading a lot about fellow dodger fans complaining about what is wrong with Jansen this year, and i have to get this off my chest.

Not a Damn Thing.

Jansen is striking out at the similar ratio that he always have been in the past, he is making ground balls at the same rate as before, and fly balls to the outfield at the same rate as before.

small samples, people. right now Brian Wilson isn't looking good on ERA department, and Chris Perez is looking real sharp, but that is pretty far from the actual truth. Perez is a slightly above average pitcher who got lucky a season or two, but normalized the odds eventually which had him lose the closer gig with the lowly Indians. WIlson gave up a ton of runs and hits in a very small amount of innings he pitched, but that's just it. in time, he will prove that he isn't as bad as he seemed so far, but not exactly the same guy from SF WS that is getting paid a cool 10 mil this year.

2) Brandon League... as bad as he have been playing so far, he has only given up around a little above 4.00 ERA with league average 1.35 -ish WHIP so far. yeah he has looked bad in clutch, but i think he just may pull through and become a respectable middle relief pitcher this year, although he should not be a part of setup men rotation nor should be pitch when games are on the line. but everybody needs somebody to pitch when they are losing in 5-6-7 innings.

3) Paco being sent down... I have a problem with this one. Ned Colletti is the one to blame... Brandon League, although i have just mentioned that he should do a little better than being a complete waste of a roster spot this year just now, should have been the one to go before Paco. Ned gave away that stupid contract and Brandon is out of options, and no team willing to take on his contract, so we have sent the most dominant set up man the first half of last season... this isn't what is good for the team. Ned **** this one up badly. glad he didn't choose to send Withrow down, however. Chris is right now the hottest pitcher we have on the roster.

4) Jamie Wright... aka the long man... he has been pitching respectably so far, maybe even exceeding my personal expectation of him. but there will be a problem at the current rate of Beckett seemingly pitching well to resurrect his career, and Billinglsey and Kershaw coming off the DL. we are soon going to have 1) Kershaw 2) Greinke 3) Ryu 4) Haren 5) Beckett 6) Maholm 7) Billingsley that would want to start, or very least be on the active roster. obviously, I see Maholm as the guy who will lose the starting gig, then we have 2 long men? and a surplus starter still? once Kershaw is back, the top 4 of the rotation is set in stone. it is between Beckett and Billingsley to make the rotation as the 5th man and the other will eventually end up pushing out somebody from the pen down to AAA. I am afraid that the only Pen arm left with options is.... non other than the best of the rest, Chris Withrow. I don't think Jamie should have been signed this year, but it is now all up to Ned and Donnie.

[Neddy]

so, we demoted Figgins, which is the right move, to bring up Dominguez, which is a questionable move. hmmmm... how about Paco?

it's funny to me that our GM does not want to admit his mistake on Brandon League and sacrifices what is best for the team for the sake of saving his own face, then bring up less qualified individuals for the usage of options.

then we have a manager who effectively killed the hot streak of Van Slyke by sitting him down for a week after Scott hit the cover off the ball with better than 1.000 OPS by playing guys who are barely hitting .500 OPS everyday.

don't get me started on what his reasons or lack their of, of playing our best OBP guy at 7th, and our worst OBP to leadoff.