The Dodgers Go Wherever Rafael Furcal Takes Them

There is no denying that when Rafael Furcal gets hot, he gets HOT. He finished the month of June in style by absolutely terrorizing the Giants in San Francisco with 9 hits and 5 runs in 3 games, giving him gawdy monthly totals including 21 runs (in 94 ABs) and a .362 batting average. Overall, he’s hitting .333 with a .382 on-base percentage and .488 slugging. His exploits are even more noteworthy considering the tragic loss of his father in June which led him to leave the team for 6 days. The Dodgers played without their spark plug/lead off hitter and failed a record a victory in any of the six games. His return quickly steadied the boat and he has led the team to a 5-2 record in their past 7 games. If the voters and coaches get it right, he will represent the NL All Star team at shortstop alongside Hanley Ramirez (Troy Tulowitzki will miss the game due to injury).

Furcal’s hot streak is similar to the charge he put together in late 2008 in which he hit .357 in 143 AB after missing the first 5 months due to injury. The Dodgers rode Furcal’s dominance to the division championship and 3-1 defeat of the Chicago Cubs in the 1st round of the playoffs. His elite performance gives the Dodgers offense four legitimate stars on offense: himself, Kemp, Ethier, and Ramirez. If he is able to maintain his performance, the Dodgers might be less inclined to upgrade offensively from Russell Martin, Blake DeWitt, or James Loney.