The almost hidden gem behind Dodgers' strong offensive start
Now there, take heart ye Dodgers faithful. The loss of Manny Ramirez is hardly welcomed news. Teams don’t lose their cleanup hitter and exactly celebrate.
But almost lost amid the offensive output the Dodgers’ outfield has been putting up, is a comparatively quieter contribution that has been just as significant.
Rafael Furcal is back.
Not that he wasn’t here last year, he just wasn’t here in his full Rafael Furcal splendor. Just sort of a reasonable facsimile. Furcal Lite.
Thus far this season, however, he has been the Furcal of old. The Furcal before the 2008 back surgery, the Furcal the Dodgers re-signed to a three-year, $30-million deal.
Furcal is batting .344 (third on the team and 10th in the National League), is second on the team in runs (15), and perhaps most significantly, second in the National League in stolen bases (seven).
Last year, he didn’t steal his seventh base until Sept. 14. He’s been caught just once.
He is one of the key reasons the Dodgers lead all of baseball in runs (98) and average (.311). A leadoff hitter providing spark, just as the Dodgers gambled when they signed his new contract after the back surgery.
Furcal stole a career-high 46 bases for the Braves in 2005 and then 37 the next season with the Dodgers. The last two years combined, he stole only 20.
Last season his back held up, as he hit .269, scored 92 runs, hit nine homers, had 47 RBIs and stole 12 bases. All fine numbers, but certainly not special, not Fucal-esque.
Not like now. Not with another year of conditioning his back. Not with regained confidence.
It’s not just his offensive contributions making a difference. Furcal, 32, continues to be one of the game’s finest shortstops. And he’s playing hard, diving for balls, playing like it matters.
And having Furcal play like Furcal matters.
-- Steve Dilbeck
But almost lost amid the offensive output the Dodgers’ outfield has been putting up, is a comparatively quieter contribution that has been just as significant.
Rafael Furcal is back.
Not that he wasn’t here last year, he just wasn’t here in his full Rafael Furcal splendor. Just sort of a reasonable facsimile. Furcal Lite.
Thus far this season, however, he has been the Furcal of old. The Furcal before the 2008 back surgery, the Furcal the Dodgers re-signed to a three-year, $30-million deal.
Furcal is batting .344 (third on the team and 10th in the National League), is second on the team in runs (15), and perhaps most significantly, second in the National League in stolen bases (seven).
Last year, he didn’t steal his seventh base until Sept. 14. He’s been caught just once.
He is one of the key reasons the Dodgers lead all of baseball in runs (98) and average (.311). A leadoff hitter providing spark, just as the Dodgers gambled when they signed his new contract after the back surgery.
Furcal stole a career-high 46 bases for the Braves in 2005 and then 37 the next season with the Dodgers. The last two years combined, he stole only 20.
Last season his back held up, as he hit .269, scored 92 runs, hit nine homers, had 47 RBIs and stole 12 bases. All fine numbers, but certainly not special, not Fucal-esque.
Not like now. Not with another year of conditioning his back. Not with regained confidence.
It’s not just his offensive contributions making a difference. Furcal, 32, continues to be one of the game’s finest shortstops. And he’s playing hard, diving for balls, playing like it matters.
And having Furcal play like Furcal matters.
-- Steve Dilbeck
Yea, too bad their pitching sux ! Now where's Dread Colletti hiding, the putz! Yea Dread, I am calling you out re: your pre season comment that you said this team is perhaps better than last years! Do the math, you moron! Let's see, the Phils, the team we may have to beat, IF we get that far, only got better w/ Halladay; 3-0 right Dread ?! And tho' he's no Halladay, you did let Wolf, our most consistent SP last year, walk AND with no draft picks coming back - another nice move, moron! All you had to do was make a 1 year offer & he would have not signed it, & there's the draft picks.
So, how are we better Dread ? Huh ?! By not trading Billingsley to still get something for him ? He, for some reason, will never make an Ace or even a # 2 SP here with the Dodgers, so move him before it's too late! Kershaw will one day be the Ace, but he's not there yet. And our Opening day SP, Padilla ? The man no one else wanted ? And now Haeger - way to save McDork's $$ Dread!
Oh, & the OPP's, the Ortiz Reclamation Projects? How they doing for the Blue ? And Torre keeps putting Sherrill out there but he needs to fix his mechanics, but NOT in game saving/holding situations! We have a guy that stayed away from the rigors of camp, due to his "issues" out of this country & the list goes on, & on, & on!
Oh, but we did get Carroll, Johnson, Anderson as Dread continues to try & build Baseballs's Best Back-up Team! I mean, these guys are fine, but none are difference makers!
So Dread, grow a pair & man up, then tell us you made a huge mistake by not getting quality starting pitching for this once great team ! Can ya do that ? Nah, I didn't think you could.....
Posted by: Dallas | 04/23/2010 at 09:12 PM
Dallas - mix in a little sobriety into your routine.
Posted by: vtadave | 04/24/2010 at 12:39 AM
@ DALLAS;
HAHAHAHAHA,
you da man!
Posted by: These Dodgers Suck | 04/24/2010 at 07:16 AM
Good start of this blog posting. Thanks for good information.
Posted by: Jhon Smith | 05/03/2010 at 05:40 AM