Dodgers Lineup for 4/10:
1. Dee Gordon SS
2. Mark Ellis 2B
3. Matt Kemp CF
4. Andre Either RF
5. Juan Rivera LF
6. James Loney 1B
7. Juan Uribe 3B
8. AJ Ellis C
9. Clayton Kershaw P
Well as the Dodgers have their home opener today, I guess I should get on and give a review of the weekend. After their first week in baseball, the Dodgers have a record of 3-1, a very solid and respectable record, good enough to start out a half game back of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Now to put things in perspective four games is only 2.5% of the season, but it's always good to start things off on the right foot which the Dodgers certainly did. Also it's not like the Padres are an offensive powerhouse team, however, even in the cavernous depths of Petco park the Dodgers were able to average just over 5 runs per game though their first 4. As we look at the 2012 season, and the Dodgers chances at securing a postseason berth, I believe it is necessary to look at how their schedule pans out, because in the wake of new ownership things could shape up in an interesting way.
Looking at the Dodgers lineup, it certainly can be said that their is a good deal of talent. Certainly, Matt Kemp and Andre Either, are talented hitters, and it looks like Dee Gordon could be one as well. Juan Rivera lately seems to be experiencing a resurgence in his career, and Mark Ellis has show a great deal of self sacrifice, focusing on moving Dee into scoring position by any means (mostly resulting in an out). That means that the Dodgers offense relies entirely on the first five hitters, and more specifically the 1,3,4 and 5 hitters. As James Loney and Juan Uribe have become offensive black holes again, the only other bright spot in the lineup is AJ Ellis, unfortunately, his OBP skills are only being used in an attempt to roll over the lineup. So what does that mean? Boiled down it means that there are 4 easy outs in the Dodgers lineup, and without a deep lineup, their offense relies on the shoulders of 4 men, a heavy load, especially if any of them go into slumps.
Despite the short lineup, the Dodgers still have a chance to make a splash in 2012. In the first 50 games of the season, the Dodgers face teams that had a .500 or better record in 2011, only 19 times. They face the Padres 9 times, and the Astros 6 times. This is a very easy start to the season, and assuming that they can walk away with 2 wins for every three games against the under 500 teams, and 1 win in three against the over 500 teams, the Dodgers would have a respectable and competitive 27-23 record, with 2 thirds of the season left to play. If the Dodgers can stay relevant up to the Allstar game, then ownership has a chance to make a difference and give the Dodgers a legitimate shot as the they move in to the tougher portion of their schedule. With a mid season trade, for someone like David Wright, the Dodgers can lengthen their lineup, help spread the offensive load, and make themselves a legitimate contender. It may seem crazy, but due to the easy first half of the schedule, and new ownership, the Dodgers in fact have a chance to make a post season run this year, if they can win the games they should win, and nothing major happens to the short offense in the lineup.
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