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An Open Letter to Don Mattingly-Josh Lindblom Must Stay!
By Scott Andes
Dear Don Mattingly,
Hi Donnie! First let me congratulate you on leading the Dodgers to one of the greatest starts to the regular season since the 1981 championship year. The team is playing very well, and I along with most fans, writers, and journalists are very impressed with how well the team has played. The Dodgers are 11-3 and have the best record in the National League. Hats off to a great start! I am writing you today in regards to the Dodger’s bullpen, more specifically Right hander Josh Lindblom, and his future with the Dodgers. He must stay. I am urging you to please, please, please keep Josh Lindblom on the active roster. I implore you for the sake of the future of the team, Josh Lindblom must stay.
As you know, Lindblom has gotten off to a very hot start. With Ronald Belisario coming off the suspension list soon, you will have a very tough roster decision to make. However it shouldn’t be that tough. Please don’t send Lindblom down in favor of keeping non-roster lollipop thrower Jamey Wright, who is clearly an inferior pitcher to Lindblom in every way.
Please, Mr. Mattingly, I urge you too look at the stats of Lindblom and how filthy he has been out of the pen in middle and long relief.
The 24-year old out of Lafayette, Indiana was drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2008 draft. Lindblom was always a very good pitcher Mr. Mattingly, as you probably know. He put up a career minor league strikeout rate of 8.6, and a 11.5 whiff rate last season in double A Chattanooga where he saved 17 games, and posted a 2.13 ERA in 34 games.
Lindblom was called up to the Dodgers for the first time in 2011, and pitched very well all year long. In 27 games last season, Lindblom posted a 2.73 ERA, 28 whiffs in 29.2 innings, and an 8.5 whiff per nine rate. Opposing batters hit .212 off of him. This year, Lindblom has been even better. He is 1-0 with an ERA of 0.00 in seven games. Yes he has not allowed an earned run this season. In 9.2 innings of work, he has whiffed eight, and only allowed four hits and four walks. So far that is a 7.3 whiff per nine rate, and a BAA of .115 and an Opposing OPS of .349. Lindblom must stay.
In order to clear room for Lindblom, we can dispose of players that are clearly only wasting a roster spot. I believe that by cutting Jamey Wright and keeping Lindblom in the bullpen, we are improving the team and the bullpen significantly. Jamey Wright was a non-roster player that should never have made the team in the first place. What with the injury to middle reliever Blake Hawksworth and the suspension to Ronald Belisario.
Wright is of course completely atrocious. Please don’t let his five consecutive whiffs in Milwaukee fool you into thinking he actually can still be a major league quality pitcher. I implore you to look at Wright’s history of pitching for eight different teams, with the Dodgers being the ninth team. Now Mr. Mattingly obviously if Wright had any sort of talent In any way whatsoever, would all of those other teams dumped him? Not to mention he is “proud” of bouncing around with so many teams, and he laughed at his aging mediocrity. No, Mr. Mattingly we do not need a certified lollipop thrower and bum. He hasn’t had a winning season or walk rate lower than 4.0 in years. Now I know Mr. Mattingly how much you just love these useless non-roster veterans. I also know how much you love using them especially with the bases loaded…twice! However I beg of you to please reconsider sending Lindblom down just because he has options. It doesn’t make sense to keep the inferior pitcher over the superior pitcher just because the better pitcher has options. Just let go of Jamey Wright Mr. Mattingly, and I promise everything will be alright. Besides we have plenty of other useless veterans on this team, including three senior citizens in the back of the rotation and a portly veteran at third base.
As you know we can no longer afford to have any more meltdowns like the ones we saw earlier in the season. If you option Josh Lindblom back down to the minors, that will only severely weaken the bullpen. Besides Josh Lindblom does not belong in the minors, he is a major league caliber pitcher. Mr. Mattingly it is clearly obvious to everyone that Josh Lindblom is the superior pitcher. I beg you to make the correct decision. Mr. Mattingly, please end the love affair with Jamey Wright. Cut the cord now before it is too late! Josh Lindblom must stay.