Over a year ago, I wrote a blog about my frustrations with the Los Angeles Dodgers. I got pretty heated up because I truly bleed Dodger Blue. In my September 2007 blog, I wrote about some pretty specific stuff. Namely, I wrote that Grady Little is to blame for their stretch run collapse. It was widely reported in the media that the '07 Dodgers were spending more time and energy on internal warfare than on winning the pennant.
Look at the Dodgers of this year. Under new manager Joe Torre, the Dodgers play the first game of the NLCS tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies. This year, the team actually overdelivered during the stretch run - the exact opposite of last year. Torre has also made a clear cut decision on how he would approach the season. He placed a bet on the young guns and got the veterans to buy in wholeheartedly. Today, future stars like Martin, Kemp, Ethier, and Loney are everyday position players who bring their "A" game to the park day-in and day-out. Veterans like Kent, Furcal, and Pierre play supporting roles with full commitment. Superstar Manny Ramirez (in his own category) crushes homers and keeps everybody relaxed and loosened up.