Thursday, February 18, 2010

Dodgers Win Jayson Stark Honors...For Most Unimproved NL Team

In a closely contested race polling 20 baseball pundits, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reported that the Dodgers edged out the Pirates for the most unimproved NL team. Dodger fans eager to celebrate the team's stagnation are rejoicing in the streets:

Most Unimproved Teams (NL)

1. Dodgers
2. Pirates
3. Mets

No team has beaten out the Pirates in this prestigious portion of our poll since 2007. But the Dodgers pulled it off this year, thanks pretty much entirely to the "Divorce Court" soap opera currently swallowing up life both inside and outside their owner's box. Frank McCourt keeps insisting that his divorce isn't affecting the operation of his team. But two years ago, the Dodgers' payroll was nearly $119 million when the season started, and about $122 million when it ended. Now it's almost $40 million lower, even though this team has topped 3.7 million in attendance (and made the playoffs) in two straight seasons.

To be balanced, Stark also credited the Dodgers for making two of the best three free-agent minor league signings:

Best free agents signed to minor league deals: (1) The Dodgers bring back Jeff Weaver on a minor league contract, a year after he racked up his best ERA (3.65) since 2002 and actually set a career high in strikeout ratio (7.3 K per 9 IP); (2) the Dodgers gamble just a minor league contract that Alfredo Amezaga can be a seven-position super-utility dervish again (as opposed to the physical wreck he was last year), and (3) the Giants take a nonguaranteed shot that the Todd Wellemeyer they signed is that guy who went 13-9, 3.71 for the 2008 Cardinals, not the guy who made every hitter he faced last year look like Carlos Beltran (opponent numbers: .327/.399/.507).

7 comments:

Kyle Baker said...

I had totally forgotten about Amezaga.

And it probably won't be the last time.

Eric Stephen said...

Just once, I wish national writers would get the payroll numbers correct. First Tim Brown, now Jayson Stark. For shame.

Kyle Baker said...

Come on, Eric, it's not like national writers are paid to do tha....oh, wait, they are.

Steve Sax said...

But I'm sure Tim Brown and Jayson Stark don't get nearly the size of salaries as Eric does from TBLA and I do from SoSG.

Right, Eric?

Eric?

Wicks said...

Good lord, it is the middle of Feb and I am all ready enraged by the baseball media. Who cares what stupid poll Jason Stark put together, because it is worthless. Why you ask?

Well, unlike the other teams who did not "improve" the Dodgers bring back the vast majority of a team that has won two consecutive NL west titles. What does that mean? It means the Dodgers had little room for improvement in comparison to the other teams.

Kyle Baker said...

Exactly, Wicks. It's like, "wow those Yankees didn't do much in the offseason, did they?" Not comparing Dodgers to yankees but shit, the lack of perspective on the current squad makeup is stupifyingly by some baseball writers. What did they want us to do, upgrade at CF? Draft a hotshot new lefty SP with an amazing curve and infinite upside?

Eric Stephen said...

Sax,

Sorry I didn't respond earlier. I was taking a nap on my bed of money after getting full off caviar and champagne at lunch.