While I am fully aware that I have not committed myself fully to writing for this blog I am taking a personal vow to contribute on a more regular basis so I do apologize to our few but loyal readers. That being said, I will apologize up front to the readers for this post as well because it is strictly about the Los Angeles Dodgers, and knowing that this is a Rockies friendly page the Dodgers may or may not have a high priority on every one's list but my family is from Southern California and I was brainwashed at a young age so deal with it.
While most baseball fans are aware of the Dodger's troubles this season both financially and from a fan base standpoint, it is safe to say these negatives are overshadowing three huge bright spots not only for the Dodger organization, but for baseball in general. Among the backlash that the opening day assault of Giant's fan Brian Stow and the financial troubles due to Frank McCourt's divorce, there has been three players that have been able to not only put the drama behind them, but to become young superstars of the game. Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp have become top tier players in what seems to be over night, and whether it is because they play on the west coast or because of the negative publicity surrounding the franchise it seems they may not be getting the credit they deserve.
Andre Ethier is probably one of the quietest superstars in the league today. The only negative noise we have heard from him came this year when he got frustrated enough by a photographer prior to a game that he gave him a certain hand gesture we are all familiar with, but in my book that seems pretty forgivable considering he immediately apologized. I can't name too many players within the last few years that I would want at the plate with the game on the line more than Ethier. This guy does not have bad at bats. While his fielding struggles some and at times he is slow getting to balls in the gap he has a little leeway because of the way he performs at the plate, and with the consistent numbers he puts up(over the last three seasons his average is close to .300 and he is averaging 25 HR's and close to 90 RBI's) Dodger fans can rest easy knowing that on a daily basis Andre Ethier is going to show up, and that if more people on the team would play at a higher level his numbers are only going to get better. At 29 I think its a given we are looking at a perennial all star and the possibility of a batting title or two.
Moving the focus to one glimmer of hope in the pitching staff, Clayton Kershaw at 23 has the potential and work ethic to be the best pitcher in the game by 25. Tim Kurkjian wrote this piece on ESPN before the beginning of this series between the Dodgers and Rockies,(http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=6640274) and if you watched the game I think we all saw where this kid is already and how much potential is still to be uncovered. Kershaw is humble and coachable, and at 23 has already added two pitches to his arsenal. He throws 95-96 mph on a consistent basis and has one of the meanest hooks in all of baseball, but it wasn't enough. This offseason Kershaw focused on perfecting his change up while also adding a slider that runs between 88-90 mph on the gun. The two things that worry me most are his size and stamina. Countless pitchers in the league of his size and stature end up with some sort of health problem, usually their arm, strictly because it is very hard to keep your mechanics when there is that much body in motion. He seems to have had good luck so far and hopefully that continues in the future. Stamina is another factor and we saw a prime example of this Thursday against the Rockies. He went through five innings where he was absolutely unhittable, then in the 6th the Rockies hitters started getting to him. If he wants to be considered a top guy he needs to be able to consistently get to the 7th inning and not allow teams to time his fastball up, but this is another guy that Dodger fans can hang their hat on for the future.
The last of the trio of young superstars is Matt Kemp. If you haven't seen him play, especially this season, you are missing out on one of the best all around players the league has to offer. This guy is going to make some serious noise in the MVP race, especially if the Dodgers as a team start winning. There are few center fielders in the game right now that have his ability to cover ground, make plays in the gaps and towards the wall, throw runners out and hit for average and power. The five tool player is not often seen in today's game but Matt Kemp is a coach's dream. In the last three years he has played 155, 159 and 162 games and averaged 30 stolen bases. He's big at 6' 3", 215 lbs, and has a rare combination of power and speed. He has taken this team on his back this season in the middle of all the turmoil. While I'm not petitioning that these players don't make enough money, there has been points during this season that Dodgers players didn't know if their next pay check was coming or not, and that can be stressful no matter how much you make. In the midst of all that Kemp has put up this line, (.332 avg., 19HR's, 54RBI's, 30 Walks, 14 SB's) and that's in 64 games. Not only is this kid the Dodgers MVP and currently keeping the team afloat, he needs to be seriously considered for NL MVP if he stays at this pace, and it will be a true shame if he isn't starting in center field for the All Star Game. He hit a ball last night against the Rockies that prompted fellow contributor Hayden to text me today, "Dude Kemp's home run last night was dumb. I haven't seen one that long in Coors since the Blake Street Bomber days." His combination of power and speed along with fielding ability doesn't come around too often, and he plays nearly every day so if you're late getting on the Matt Kemp bandwagon you are going to catch him in his prime this year and I have a feeling if he keeps his head on straight and stays healthy we could see some monster numbers for years to come.
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