Dodgers need to bring back Larry Bowa

This should be a no-brainer, right? As easy as hitting a Charlie Haeger fastball. Simple, logical … and far from a done deal?

Don Mattingly, rookie manager, needs a veteran presence as his bench coach. Mattingly said Monday he wants it to be someone with previous managerial experience.

Larry Bowa has managed both the Padres and Phillies. Figures he’s done all he can as a third base coach and would like to become the bench coach. Mattingly would like him to become that guy too.

Only so far, it hasn’t happened. So far, you should be nervous that it might not.

Understand, Mattingly is not being given free rein to select his own coaching staff. It’s a meeting-of-the-minds thing.

"We won't have anybody that he's not comfortable with or anybody that I'm not comfortable with," said General Manager Ned Colletti.

This is not an unusual arrangement, though I suspect not the preferred one by managers. Particularly young managers who will be keenly critiqued. Let them succeed or fail on their own, with their own staff.

But here, Mattingly essentially has to get approval for his coaches.

So why wouldn’t the Dodgers want Bowa back? One concern is, because he’s hurt Matt Kemp’s feelings. Or is it his silly agent, Dave Stewart? Or that he asks too much of the kids. You know, like playing hard.

"Baseball’s a funny game," Bowa said. "You get a reputation of being too tough, and a lot of general managers don’t want that, a real tough guy. I’m not tough, I’m fair. I’m real honest."

Earlier this season, Bowa said Kemp was an amazing talent who had yet to learn to play hard all the time. It was absolutely correct. Kemp even agreed. And yet, an uproar ensued.

"I didn’t get on anybody," Bowa said. "I said, 'Matt, you’ve got to play this game the right way.' Then he said in the paper, 'Larry’s right. I don’t run hard all the time.' I mean, if that makes you lose your job, maybe it’s time to move on somewhere. When I say something about a player, I’m trying to make him better."

Bob Schaefer spent the last three years as Joe Torre’s bench coach and said he won’t return. Schaefer, remember, confronted Kemp in the dugout over his continual failure to back up second base but never publicly criticized the outfielder.

Mariano Duncan, the Dodgers’ first base coach, is not expected back. Duncan said he’s been given permission to talk to other clubs, which is code for you won’t be retained. Duncan said if he can’t find another major league job, the Dodgers might have something in their minor-league system for him.

Rick Honeycutt could return as pitching coach and Jeff Pentland as hitting instructor. Tim Wallach, if he isn’t hired to manage in the majors, could become the hitting coach.

That still leaves room for a veteran, honest coach who respects the game. Who gives straight answers. Who has been through the wars.

"If they want me back, I’d be glad to come back," Bowa said. "Because I sort of consider this unfinished business. Even though we won the division, to me the ultimate thing is a ring."

I was talking to ex-Dodger Jay Johnstone a couple of weeks ago about the team, when without prompting, he suddenly said:

"You give me nine Larry Bowas and I’ll win the World Series every year."

Mattingly needs Bowa back. And so do the kids, even if they don’t realize it.

-- Steve Dilbeck

That behind the scenes look at the Dodgers won't be coming from Joe Torre

Like the Dodgers faithful need any more bad news.

Sorry, but I bring another disappointing tidbit from your 2010 Los Angeles Dodgers season:

There will be no Joe Torre Dodgers book.

No inside look at the McCourts. Nothing about what really went down with Manny Ramirez. No insights to Matt Kemp or James Loney, no private conversations with Larry Bowa.

Zippo.

"I have no interest in writing a book," Torre said.

Ah, come on. All the juicy insider stuff Torre could provide is just going to disappear into the ether?

When Torre exited New York, he teamed with Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci on "The Yankee Years."

It became a national bestseller, and bruised a few feelings in the process.

"The New York thing was much different," Torre said. "The time I spent there with the roller-coaster ride and all that stuff. When I had three years there like I am here, I had no interest in writing a book.

"But once you spend as much time as I did there, and having the excitement of winning and the depression of losing, and not really wanting to talk about it because it wasn’t finished yet … and I still wouldn’t have written a book if Tom didn’t come up to me and ask if I had any interest in the kind of book he wanted to do."

It’s true, of course, Torre has spent only three years in Los Angeles after leading the Yankees for a dozen seasons. And since he may very well remain with the Dodgers in some kind of front-office position, writing a book might not be the wisest decision.

Still, what could have been …

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodgers Manager Joe Torre heads to a news conference Sept. 17 at which he announced he would not return next season. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Dodgers' Web musings: Thoughts now turn to next season and the need for a major bat

Things are so bad for the Dodgers these days -- hey, I’m not even talking divorce court -- they’re almost as far out of the wild-card race (eight games) as the division lead (nine).

They are down and not getting up. Further evidence for the bleeding-blue faithful is offered by SI.com’s Tom Verducci, who wrote that since the formation of the eight-team playoff format, only one of baseball’s 112 teams made the postseason after starting Sept. 1 more than 3½ games out (the ’07 Rockies were five back).

Which immediately turns the mind to … next season.

And a pair of Dodgers beat writers already agree the main focus will be acquiring a major bat for the middle of the lineup. You know, like Manny Ramirez used to be.

-- ESPN/LA.com’s Tony Jackson thinks if they could figure out the middle problem now, they might even still have a shot at a miracle comeback.

-- Dodgers.com’ Ken Gurnick writes there is no one in the farm system the Dodgers can turn to for a middle-order bat, and history shows the more they spend on a free agent, the greater their failure.

Also on the Web:

-- The Boston Globes’ Nick Cafardo previews Manny’s latest return to Fenway on Friday by talking to Dodgers’ third base coach Larry Bowa, who among other things, said Manny went to manager Joe Torre in Colorado and said he didn’t think he could play its big outfield.

-- Foxsportswest.com’s Steve Lyons, also the Dodgers’ TV color commentator, has written the Dodgers off this season in a piece about Manny, saying he wasn’t worth the money but he’d do it all over again.

-- ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick is not convinced Don Mattingly is a lock to succeed Torre, and said Tim Wallach continues to garner fans managing in triple-A Albuquerque.

-- TrueBlueLA.com’s Eric Stephen gives a long look at James Loney and where the Dodgers should go from here with the first baseman.

-- Foxsports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi said the Arizona Diamondbacks not only want to interview Logan White for their general manager’s job, but his fellow Dodgers assistant general manager De Jon Watson.

-- Steve Dilbeck

When wanting Matt Kemp to step it up is not the same as wishing him the black plague

Is it even possible for anyone to say or write anything remotely critical of Matt Kemp without his hoard of oversensitive defenders screaming: "They’re making him a scapegoat! It’s unfair! He’s being singled out! They only yell at Matty!"

Wah-wah-wah.

What’s up with this?

Now I know this isn’t the majority, but still, it’s amazing how anything resembling a barb -- or even perceived to be -- gets the Kemp stat wonks' undies in a knot.

OK, so Kemp was benched again Wednesday. And try to get this, he deserved to be. He’s an absolute mess at the plate and has been almost all month.

He is currently in a 1-for-18 skid with seven strikeouts. In his last 15 games, he’s batting .156 with 15 strikeouts in 45 at-bats.

Are other Dodgers are struggling too? Sure, but not this badly, and certainly not looking this badly. Watching Kemp flail around at the plate, a batter without a clue, is an amazing thing.

It’s like he has some hitter’s learning disability. He keeps taking good pitches, swinging at low and outside sliders like he simply can’t help himself.

So Joe Torre sat him Wednesday against the Rockies. It’s not an indictment against Kemp, just a reality check on the player at this moment.

This does not make him a scapegoat for the Dodgers' ongoing woes. Please recognize that he has played more games and had more at-bats than any other Dodger.

Asked why Kemp was sitting Wednesday against Rockies right-hander Jason Hammel, Torre said:

"Because [Jay] Gibbons is. I wanted to give him a game. He hadn’t played in a bit. He’s got a left-handed bat that can hopefully benefit us."

Asked it he could foresee this becoming a platoon, Torre said:

"I think I’d rather do it more by feel, if there’s something in the matchups that tell me something. I think Matt is still going to play most of the time."

That sounded like a wavering commitment, but Torre also recognizes what everyone else does -- Kemp is the most physically gifted player on the team.

Which also makes him the most frustrating. Not because of his diminished results this season, but the erratic effort that’s gone into their achievement.

The Times’ T.J. Simers loves Kemp’s talent, abhors his lack of consistent hustle but remains convinced that one day he will be a truly great player. Me, I’m starting to wonder.

Paul Oberjuergue, who covered Los Angeles sports for over 30 years, has grown weary of Kemp’s bonehead plays on the field and on the bases, and at his blog questions whether his head is truly into the game.

Kemp did go into Wednesday’s game in the eighth inning, got two at-bats and struck out twice on a total of nine pitches.

When word hit the Rockies clubhouse Wednesday that Kemp was nominated as the Dodgers finalist for the Heart and Hustle award, there was open amazement.

So it wasn’t so surprising in the eighth inning when Dexter Fowler hit a routine single to center, and noticing that Kemp was circling the ball at something less than his finest hustle, tried to stretch the hit into a double.

Nor was it surprising when Kemp then recovered and threw him out. He has that kind of talent. Too often, he gets by on that talent.

And can we leave behind the "poor little Matt gets picked-on" bit?

Let’s see, General Manager Ned Colletti did call him in April when he was playing defense and running the bases like he had a bag over his head. And once coach Larry Bowa both praised and lightly criticized him, which Kemp agreed with.

And that’s been it for those mean ol’ coaches who are paid to get the most out of their players. Considering everything, he’s had it easy.

The Dodgers have no interest in giving up on Kemp, trading him or messing with his head.

They just want him to go to the plate with a plan. To play fundamental defense. To hustle on the bases and on the field.

These are reasonable, understandable expectations. And noticing it when it doesn’t happen is not doing some hatchet job on Kemp.

-- Steve Dilbeck

The Matt Kemp enigma continued: Dodgers coaches, agent Dave Stewart talk, kiss, spew, make up

Love, love, love. … Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game. It's easy.

Then again, maybe not. Not even when everybody claims to have the same interest in mind -- making Matt Kemp the best player he can be.

Still, Kemp’s agent, Dave Stewart, went off on the Dodgers’ coaches in a column by The Times' Bill Plaschke, saying he was tired of them criticizing the outfielder and that it felt like "open season on Matt."

This was a curious reaction, and bit of odd timing on Stewart’s part. Understand, it's his job is to look out for his client, to support him, coddle him if necessary, and get him the biggest, fattest contract possible.

Stewart was upset with Dodgers coaches Bob Schaefer and Larry Bowa for ripping Kemp in the media this season. Which was interesting since Schaefer has never never publicly criticized Kemp. And Bowa has once, two weeks ago, to Times columnist T.J. Simers, saying that Kemp doesn’t always play hard. To which Kemp completely agreed.

It's Matt Kemp as you've never heard him: Dodgers outfielder agrees his approach has to change

Matt Kemp, contrite?

Matt Kemp, admitting lack of full effort?

Matt Kemp, saying he has no excuses for his performance?

It’s all true. It’s Kemp admitting he has to change his attitude. Kemp sounding a lot like the guy followers have been waiting on.

It happened in The Times column today by T.J. Simers. There was none of that Joe Cool persona, none of that casual approach, no arguing with a critique of his game.

The column started with Simers talking to the Dodgers’ resident firebug, third-base coach Larry Bowa, questioning the team’s intensity, approach and desire to win.

Which quickly led Simers to Kemp. And as always, Bowa was frank:

"I have one question I'd like to ask him, 'Are you dead tired when the game is over?’ My dad told me early on I should be exhausted after every game if I've done my batting practice, taken ground balls, backed up every play and gone all out. I wonder if he's ever felt like that?"

Among his, er, other qualities, Simers is an excellent reporter. So naturally he went to Kemp for a reaction.

Only Kemp didn’t act offended and upset. He actually agreed with Bowa’s less than flattering assessment.

"There's more there," Kemp said. "I agree. It's something I need to sit here and think about and then change."

Given that Kemp started the season like he was ready to become baseball’s next superstar, but has hit just .233 for the last two months, he’s not exactly in position to put up much of an argument. But he didn’t try to, either.

"I need to help this team out and I'm not doing it," Kemp told Simers. "I've wasted a lot of at-bats this year. Pitchers have gotten me 70% of the time, but it's not them getting me out, it's me."

Giving up at-bats, failing to lay off of that low, outside pitch, not routinely exploding out of the batter’s box -- Kemp agreed with it all.

"I feel it, trust me," he said. "Everything being said, I've said to myself. I have no excuses. I've never hit below .290 in my life."

Now, recognizing the problem and actually doing something about it can prove two completely different things.

But at least Kemp not only acknowledged the criticism, he agreed with it all. Hopefully for Kemp and the Dodgers, it’s a start.

-- Steve Dilbeck

The day after: Joe Torre talks to players following Wednesday meltdown, but no one is benched

The lineup was posted later than normally Thursday, and there were changes, just not the dramatic kind that might have been suspected after Wednesday’s incredible ninth-inning meltdown.

The day after, nobody was benched. There were no fresh incriminations, no new signs of frustration.

Matt Kemp and Russell Martin were both inexcusably picked off second base Wednesday, lapses that had the normally mild-mannered Joe Torre fuming after the game. He held a brief postgame clubhouse meeting, and several witnesses described him as uncharacteristically angry.

"He was mad," said one. "And he doesn’t get mad very often."

When the lineup was finally posted Thursday, Kemp and Martin were both in it, as was Reed Johnson, the runner who had let up enough as he approached home that he couldn’t touch the plate with the tying run before Martin was called out.

Still, there were subtle changes.

Jamey Carroll started at second base against Angels left-hander Scott Kazmir and was in the No.2 spot in the lineup for only the second time this season.

Andre Ethier, who hit second Wednesday with the return of Rafael Furcal in the leadoff spot, was back in the three spot, followed by the usual suspects. Johnson hit ninth.

"Carroll’s had some success off Kazmir," Torre said. "It’s just trying to fiddle with it, is all it is.

"If I give you a good reason why I’m doing this today, then why the hell didn’t I do it yesterday? We’re just trying to fiddle with it. It’s our last day of DH, so we’re going to try and make it as long and profitable as we can. Hopefully it works."

Carroll entered the game 4-for-7 lifetime against Kazmir.

Torre was calm Thursday, trying to put Wednesday’s debacle behind him and his team.

"We have to move forward," he said. "You have to be able to deal with stuff you can’t change. It was one we let get away, but you turn the page. We have work to do today."

Martin had a long private conversation with third-base coach Larry Bowa in the dugout prior to Thursday’s game.

--Steve Dilbeck

Predicting the Dodgers' season: Take it to the bank

Here are 25 things I absolutely guarantee will happen with the Dodgers this season. If they do, be sure to sing my praises. If they don’t, I never wrote a word of it:

1) Clayton Kershaw (pictured at right) really will emerge as an ace. And he’s left-handed and just turned 22.

2) Before the season is out, Matt Kemp will be romantically linked to Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian and Kate Gosselin.

3) Blake DeWitt will go through a slump by mid-May, Joe Torre will send him back to the minors and play Ronnie Belliard and Jamey Carroll, which is what I sensed he always really wanted.

4) Ronald Belisario will be called up before the month is out. And then not be admitted to Dodger Stadium by a security card because he forgot his ID.

5) The elephant in the ballpark, the McCourt Divorce, will only grow as a distracting story. No one in management will really say what they’re thinking: His failure to land another starting pitcher will cost us the pennant.

6) Casey Blake will grow his beard back the first time he goes into a slump.

7) Vicente Padilla will go the entire season without starting a bean war or turning his teammates against him. Risky, I know, but going with my gut.

8) When the Giants come to town, mental midgets without an ounce of creativity in their souls will continue to chant "Giants suck" and think it’s really clever.

9) Jason Repko will land with another team, be called up by May and prove a valuable fourth outfielder on a contending team. OK, I’m really not predicting this, just hoping.

10) Manny Ramirez won’t last the week without finally talking to the media again. Coincidentally, he returns to form at the plate.

11) Jamie McCourt will buy a ticket to a game at Dodger Stadium and then ask Frank McCourt for additional spousal support to cover the cost.

Arriving for the first time at Dodgers' Camelback Ranch

It’s the first full-squad workout of the spring, my first time ever at the Dodgers’ spring training home in Arizona, and here are some first impressions and observations:

-- Camelback Ranch is gorgeous, with deep green grass surrounded by rocks and building material in desert hues. The stadium, shared with the White Sox, is impressive and feels massive at 10,000 seats.

The complex certainly lacks the charm of Dodgertown. The surrounding area smacks of typical suburbia and doesn’t have the distinctive, tropical feel of Vero Beach, Fla.

But it’s modern and clean and a five-hour drive from L.A., not a five-hour plane ride.