DODGERS REPORT Shane Victorino, not a happy Dodger By Mark Saxon | ESPNLosAngeles.com LOS ANGELES -- A few days after the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Shane Victorino, first-base coach Davey Lopes -- who made a living for 15 years disrupting another team's flow -- was asked how much Victorino could help spark a team struggling to create action. "He can help a lot ... if he does his thing," Lopes said. "First, he has to do his thing." You didn't have to be an expert interpreter of body language Sunday evening to see that Victorino hasn't exactly been doing his thing. After the Dodgers' 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in 12 innings, Victorino -- who went 0-for-6 and may have had the game-turning at-bat -- sat staring into his locker for a good 10 minutes. When I asked him if he had a moment to talk afterward, he tossed something in his bag, snapped "Nope," and walked toward the showers. That's kind of what it's been like for the new guys around the Dodgers these days. Victorino has batted .233 since the Dodgers got him from the Philadelphia Phillies and he has struck out more (26 times) than he has scored (20 times). Adrian Gonzalez is batting .233 with one home run since coming west. Hanley Ramirez has hit some long balls, but he's batting a mediocre .264 in Dodger blue and has, frankly, played awful defense at shortstop. Josh Beckett has been better than many people expected (3.38 ERA) but the Dodgers have gone 1-3 in his four starts. Manager Don Mattingly said he happened to talk to Victorino on Sunday about the difficulty of coming to a new team in midseason. "He hasn't really gotten rolling, put it that way," Mattingly said. His problem Sunday happened to involve rolling, actually. With Mark Ellis 90 feet away from winning a crucial game for the Dodgers -- at third with one out -- Victorino couldn't get the ball over a drawn-in infield. He slapped the ball to Daniel Descalso at second base and the Cardinals got Ellis in a rundown that defused their 10th-inning rally. St. Louis broke it open in the 12th off young reliever John Ely. Victorino and Gonzalez combined to go 0-for-11 Sunday. They hit only one ball out of the infield between them. The Dodgers have had moments when you can see the makings of some offensive flow, but they don't linger. The Dodgers have scored more than three runs just three times this month. All their best hitters not named Andre Ethier are in miserable slumps. The struggles of the newest Dodgers are a big part of the storyline, in part because the changes the team made were done wholesale. Two starting pitchers, two relievers and three everyday players weren't on the club in early July. It was supposed to be a refreshing transition for the newest Dodgers, three of whom came from the dysfunctional Boston Red Sox. Instead, the Dodgers are struggling to stay relevant. They fell out of the division race a while ago and they fell out of a first-place tie for the second wild-card spot Sunday. They now embark on their most difficult trip of the season, while the Cardinals get a nine-game dose of the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs. It's not dire, but it's also not ideal. Until Victorino and his new teammates start doing their thing, the Dodgers figure to remain in chase mode.
I'm glad he is not happy. Doesn't mean much at this point, but he should be very unsatisfied with his shit performance.
stating the obvious. it would be really lame to suggest that any dodger player is a happy one at the moment. by the headline of the article i was expecting to hear him say he isnt happy in LA.
Diablo is right nobody should be happy least of all Shane, cannot believe he doesn't show bunts more. Maybe because he played in that band box in Philly that he muscles up too much.
You can see this on almost any team in the league. Who is most bothered by under performing? This winters FAs
Guy sucked before the trade deadline, guy sucks after. Another Ned gem. "He sucks in a hitters park, lets bring him to DS for a big part of the bullpen." I'd rather have Rivera.
It's also Ned's ability (or inability) to get players most of the time who do not mesh and bring to the team what they should bring to it. I've said many times, I don't give a shit if Magic and Kasten and the rest blow a billion on players, to make us better. But at least have a guy to spend the billions who can put a fucking winner togther. A WINNER. I don't know who that guy is- I'm just a fan in NJ watching the team fold- but it sure ain't Ned Colletti... never was... never will be. ...and the beat goes on...
Oh and back to the thread subject, Victorino should be a cranky fuck....yes, indeed. That last game we lost was a cryin' shame...not only is it a series win, a game win, and puts us at the top of the WC (well, the faggot Selig version of it) heap, it wasn't that difficult of a thing to do to get a bunt down the 3rd B line, with the 3B holding Ellis tight. I mean, isn't 'handling the bat' supposed to be one of Victorino's strong points? Maybe i'm wrong...and maybe the mananger told him not to do it ; to "power up" instead like he's a big bopper like our other, uh..."big boppers". Maybe that's all been discussed here already. But DBB is about as creative (I've said before) as a fucking brick just laying there. Do something surprising once in a while...take a shot- is this what your gut is telling you? And Victorino swings at the first pitch, 6 inches off the ground. And what do we get? He's out at home anyway...why not give a bunt a shot with one out? Next: why does Hanley stare at the fucking ball now before he throws it? He's fucking frightening out there. Frightening He makes Steve Sax, at his psycho worst, look like Ozzie. A bit scary AB lately, too. 12 in a row-no prob.
Fuck Shane. Seriously. POS is sandbagging it. If not, he just sucks now. Guaranteed he would be hitting on another team.
With Crawford next year Shane knows he doesn't have a starting future with us and his performance thus far is not going to get him much in the ways of years or salary with a new contract. His future is a big question mark heading into FA
