April 20th, 2012 at 9:49 pm 
by Ron Cervenka I would be lying if I said that I am not extremely excited about the Dodgers smoking hot start to the 2012 season. After all, they have the best record in the NL (11-3), they have the best right handed hitter in all of baseball (Matt Kemp), they have the best left-handed hitter in all of baseball, (Andre Ethier), and they have… and they have… uh oh.
No one can discount or take away what the Dodgers have done and are doing against the weakest teams in all of baseball, but is it the Dodgers doing the doing or is it Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier doing the doing? When you consider that Kemp and Ethier have hit a combined total of 12 home runs and the rest of the Dodger team has hit a combined total of (gulp) one home run; or that Kemp and Ethier have a combined total of 39 RBIs and the rest of the Dodger team has a combined total of (gulp) 23 RBIs, you have to be more than just a little concerned; especially when you look at the Dodgers’ schedule beginning on Monday when, for the first time all season, they play teams that aren’t named the Padres, Pirates, or the Astros (well, except for two more against the Padres and three more against the Astros in May).
My point is that any way you slice it, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have absolutely carried the Dodgers thus far in the 2012 season and there is no way that they can continue doing so by themselves. At some point both Matt and Andre are going to come back down to earth, most likely when the Dodgers actually face good teams like the Braves, Nationals, Cardinals and Brewers – all of whom they will see beginning the last week of April and throughout May. Unless Kemp and Ethier start getting some help from Dee Gordon, Mark and A.J. Ellis, James Loney, Juan Rivera (who is having a pretty good year but has zero home runs and only 7 RBIs) and (dare I say it) Juan Uribe, quite frankly, the Dodgers are going to have a very difficult time making it to the post season.
Again, I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade, but it’s time for the guys not wearing uniform numbers 27 and 16 to start doing what they are being paid a great deal of money to do. But until they do, I am absolutely enjoying the Matt and Andre show and I hope that they keep on doing the doing!
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For the second time in as many games, Jerry Hairston Jr. made two more stellar defensive plays at third base, the first to cut down Astros second baseman Jose Altuve at second base trying to stretch a single into a double on a hot smash that Hairston deflected deep into foul territory but quickly got to and threw out Altuve sliding into second base; and the second on another hot smash off the bat of Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie that Hairston knocked down, grabbed, and then scrambled to the bag on his hands and knees arriving a fraction of a second ahead of Astros left fielder J.D. Martinez for the force out at third base to end the inning. When you consider the incredible defense that Hairston has shown over the past two days, you have to ask yourself “Juan who?”
GO DODGERS!
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Methinks you’re seeing a 79% full glass (11 for 14) as half empty! Rivera’s RBI total is more than respectable, it just pales in comparison to Matt’s and ‘Dre’s gargantuan numbers. Loney is heating up, Gordon is clutch, Hairston and Ellis seem to come through when we need them, AJ is providing the best consistent catching we’ve had in a while, and the starters and back of the ‘pen have made the Padres, Pirates, and ‘Stros look like the worst teams in baseball.
Personally, I’m enjoying the ride and can’t wait for the rest of the boys to come around and take some of the burden off of Matt and ‘Dre. As far as Uribe is concerned, he’s just another example of Ned’s fatal flaw – picking up damaged goods from the Giants, and even he has made some nice plays at third.
In all honesty, ebbetsfld, it has nothing to do with my glass being half full or half empty – simply look at the numbers: Dodger Stats
I’ll give you Rivera (who I have always thought very highly of and consider one of Colletti’s better signings) and his .267 AVG and 7 RBIs, but after that, the Dodgers have ZERO guys hitting above .250 (Hairston is right at .250 as of 4/21/12) – and this is against the weakest teams (and pitching) in all of baseball; and as Evan noted, the Dodgers are about to face some of the best teams in the league in the next few weeks, which is my point exactly.
As you know, I always call ’em like I see ’em and it has nothing to do with optimism or pessimism; it’s about reality, not blind faith.
I look at it this way. The two are carrying the team against some inferior competition while the others slowly get up to speed in this extended Spring Training. Meanwhile they keep racking up wins. Hopefully, things start clicking in the next two days because returning home to Atlanta and Washington will be a true challenge.