Dodgers Shut-Out Padres & Colletti Contradicts Himself About Trayvon Robinson

Boy it sure is nice that opposing teams continue to pitch to Matt Kemp with two outs and runners in scoring position and first base open. The Padres did just that in the 4th inning and Kemp knocked in Dee Gordon, who had gotten on base with his second infield hit. For Kemp it was his National League leading 84th RBI, for the Dodgers it would be all of the offense they would need.

Hiroki Kuroda perhaps gained some good feelings back from some Dodgers fans for refusing to waive his no-trade clause which ultimately cost the Dodgers Trayvon Robinson. Almost three days after the trade most everyone is still scratching their heads at yet another Colletti nonsensical move.

Kuroda threw 7 scoreless innings only allowing 4 hits while striking out 8, Mike MacDougal pitched the 8th in his usual style, allowing 2 hits but managed to wiggle his way out of it. Javy Guerra suddenly thinks he’s Eric Gagne as he came in and pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning for the save, with some help from Matt Kemp who made a brilliant diving catch. Is there anything Matt Kemp can’t do? Maybe he should be the GM!

Speaking of the GM I went back and found an interview he did with ESPN during spring training when  he spoke about the 2 young outfielders of the future he had in Jerry Sands and Trayvon Robinson, and how he signed Jay Gibbons, Tony Gwynn Jr, and Marcus Thames all to 1 year deals in order to not block his 2 youngsters from taking over in 2012.

He heaped praise all over Robinson and not once did he mention the urgent need for catching and the Dodgers lack of an opportunity to ever be able to win in the future unless the Dodgers had catching, even if they are mediocre one dimensional catchers, just like AJ Ellis who has languished in AAA much of the year. Colletti said of Robinson:

"“Robinson last year started off slow in Double-A, and we stayed with him and he figured it out. That to me was huge. Because he’s gonna have to figure that out. Because everybody struggles up here.In any event, if he had found a signable veteran outfielder worthy of a multiyear deal, Colletti no doubt would have pulled the trigger. But he does feel optimistic over the long term about what he has.If I would have signed a left fielder for three years, who was again not one of those robust guys — I’m not sure there was a guy out there — then I’m really kind of blocking one of those two kids, and I’ve got faith in both of them, he said. Hopefully, not this year. Hopefully, it’s a year from now, but I have faith in both that they’ll be able to play and contribute. And actually I told them both that, too, in the fall — I told Trayvon way back in the summertime, ‘It’s important for me to know who you are and how you play. Because you know what, Manny’s not gonna be back next year. And I’ve got to make a decision whether I’m gonna go and tie up his spot for three or four years, or be patient and mix and match for a year and wait for you."

Well something obviously changed, because despite having the best season of his young career, at the highest level he’s played at, the formerly long-term future outfielder became expendable for a catcher who again is just like almost every other guy the Dodgers have in their organization.

I know I’m beating a dead horse, I know nothing I write will change the awful decision Colletti made. I just hope somehow he hears it from me or any of the hundreds of others who have said the same thing I have and he will realize what a terrible blunder he made and he will stop doing it. Again I doubt it but it doesn’t hurt to have hope.

Because after today when we learned that our top pitching prospect will be out the next 12 to 16 months while he recovers from Tommy John Surgery. While our most dynamic hitting prospect makes a new home in the Mariners organization. While the only legitimate power hitting prospect left has as many homers in the last 10 days as James Loney does since early April, yet he can’t seem to find a spot in the Dodgers lineup. Hope is a tough commodity to come by as a Dodgers fan.