Who’s To Blame For The Dodger’s October Chokefest? Don Mattingly? Or Ned Colletti?

Unfortunately our beautiful dream of a lengthy Bluetober and world championship has turned into our worst nightmare. Another playoff loss to the Cardinals, and our Bluetober turned into choketober. The Dodger’s world series drought is now 26 years and counting.

So with the dream dead for another year, I think it’s important to not only figure out who’s to blame, but also ream them on our site and then make fun of them. It’s therapeutic.

*Disclaimer* I still think Mattingly and Colletti are without a doubt very nice and gracious men. It pains me to write this, but it had to be done.

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

We know what went wrong. It wasn’t just Clayton Kershaw’s postseason struggles. The terrible bullpen, and inconsistent offense were big reasons the Dodgers are now playing golf in October. Don Mattingly made some very questionable decisions during the division series against the Cardinals. GM Ned Colletti also built a sloppy bullpen and didn’t pick up anyone good at the trade deadline to help.

With those two at the helm, we know the Dodgers will have no problems winning the division. And then, well that’s all. We now know that the Dodgers are very capable of winning division titles season after season, and then choking like a Pablo Sanvodal eating too much at dinner during the playoffs. But who’s more to blame? GM Ned Colletti? Or manager Don Mattingly?

From the Don Mattingly is more to blame camp…..

If you share my opinion, then you agree that Don Mattingly’s lousy in game decisions and poor pitching staff management cost the Dodgers more than any of the poor free agent signings that Ned Colletti did. Don Mattingly’s inability to figure out when a pitcher has lost his stuff is a primary reason for the Dodger’s quick playoff exit like a motorist avoiding traffic on the Santa Monica freeway.

Mattingly was unable to figure out that Clayton Kershaw was deteriorating faster than a Jonathan Broxton save chance in game 1. Then it happened again in game 4. Mattingly then incorrectly called upon a rookie who pitches nothing but fastballs to throw nothing but fastballs to a notorious fastball hitter Matt Holiday in game 1 when the Dodgers desperately needed an out.

But to top off the horrible decision making, Mattingly pulled the boner of all boners by deciding to bench the Dodger’s best offensive weapon in Yasiel Puig in game 4. With the Dodger’s facing elimination on Tuesday afternoon, Mattingly sat Puig and played Andre Ethier in center field. Ethier went hitless, drawing two walks, and getting picked-off of third base to halt a Dodger scoring rally in the top of the sixth inning of the Dodger’s game 4 3-2 loss to the Cardinals.

From the blame it on Colletti camp…..

Some people believe that Ned Colletti is to blame more than Mattingly for his inability to build a strong bullpen. It seems every season Colletti’s bullpens are worse than the previous year’s bumpen. It was Ned Colletti who paid right hander Chris Perez 2.3 million dollars to pitch to a 5.07 FIP and 4.27 ERA in 46.1 subpar innings. Colletti gave Brian Wilson ten million dollars to stink up the mound for an entire year, and then resigned mediocre veteran Jamey Wright.

He may not be able to build a bullpen, but he is still a very nice guy-Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Colletti didn’t pick up anyone good at the July 31 trade deadline, or at the August 31 waiver trade deadline. His biggest acquisitions were Roberto Hernandez and Darwin Barney. There was no David Price, there was no Huston Street, and there was no depth acquired to help the Dodgers get deep into the playoffs. Just a bunch of mediocre bums blowing games in the playoffs.

Keep in mind these aren’t exactly my personal opinions. I am merely playing devil’s advocate for both sides. I personally think that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I think it’s both of their faults equally. Although I do think that Mattingly’s bonehead decisions have harmed the Dodgers more in the short term, and Colletti’s inability to build a bullpen hurt them more over the long haul. Either way Ned Loletti, and Don Losingly should man up and face the consequences of their poor choices. The Dodgers did have a good season by winning their second consecutive division title, and winning 94 games. However the end goal of a world championship still eludes us.

So who do you think is more at fault for the Dodger’s chokefest this October? Is it manager Don Mattingly? Is it general manager Ned Colletti? Is it both? Is it neither? Is it the Cardinal’s devil October mojo to blame? Is it Matt Carpenter’s fault for being a jerkface? Is it Joe Buck’s fault for being a Cardinal Nerd? Tell us what you think in the comments and pile on the blame.

And go screw yourselves Cardinals