Will the real Andruw Jones please show up?

So, I just got back from the Dodgers 5-3 loss to the Marlins. I'm not too bothered about the loss or what exactly the Dodgers are doing wrong in terms of player personnel. However, while I was enjoying the game, Andruw Jones came to the plate around strikeouts 3 and 4 (I can't remember, they all looked exactly the same) and a fan yelled, "Hey, can you untie the real Andruw Jones and let him out of your basement!" Everyone laughed, but then I got to thinking. That's quite a plausible explanation. There is no way that this guy is the same Andruw Jones as the one who hit 41 homers two years ago and 51 the year before.

Look, we all know that he had a down year last year. But was that any indication of this? .222 with 26 homers and 96 RBIs (his 07 stats) would have made him easily the best power hitter on the '07 Dodgers. Plus, the average that everyone looked at was not as big of a dip as many fans might've thought. His average during his 40-50 homer seasons hovered around .265 and he's never been much of an average guy. Anyone could've just called last year a bad year, but a prelude to this debacle? I don't think so.

This is not the same Andruw Jones. I don't know what it is, Joe Torre doesn't know what it is, only the imitation guy wearing number 25 for the Dodgers knows. This guy still fields like Andruw and throws like Andruw, but was has happened to that bat? All he gets is outside breaking balls because he can't hit them. When he finally gets a fastball, he gets so excitied that he swings no matter how far away from the strike zone it is.

It's a complete mystery and its nobody's fault. Though he obviously wasn't worth the 18 mil we're paying him (even at the time of signing), Ned Colletti had to look at last season for Andruw as a low water mark. As I already mentioned, his statistics for last year would've had him earning that 4 or 5 spot in the order. This guy looks totally hopeless up there. The boobirds are awake whenever he's at the plate, but even after months he is still powerless to shut them up. I don't know if he has to do some soul searching or if he just needs some advice from Don Mattingly (I sure as hell hope its the latter, otherwise we're stuck with him for another year and a half).

One thing I do know: I want the real Andruw Jones to put on the Dodger blue soon.