Casey Blake will lead you to the promised land

Back in 2008 the Dodgers made a minor trade, moving an unknown catcher who had debatable catching skills for the veteran leadership of Casey Blake. Casey did everything the Dodgers could have hoped for leading the team into the playoffs. Many have told me verbally, and in written form that without Casey Blake the Dodgers would not have made the playoffs in 2008. In their world Manny Ramirez must not have existed.  To underscore their point, they point to his stats, showing his .251/.313/.460 triple stat line. According to them these are the numbers of the man who led his team to the playoffs. Whatever holes you find in his numbers were made up by his clubhouse presence which was off the charts.

Fast forward to 2010 and many are ready to dump Casey Blake based on his production in 2010. His overall stat line is .247/.326/.405 fairly close in OB and Average to the 2008 playoff run Casey. The big difference is the drop in power from a slug% of .460 to .405.  However his critics seem to be missing the key ingredient, the clubhouse presence which still resonates very strongly. It is what keeps Matt Kemp focused, Manny on the field, Furcal healthy, Andre even tempered. Without it, the Dodgers would surely fall into disarray and you would have an un-focused Kemp, Manny on the DL, Furcal on the DL, and Andre slamming bats into the water coolers.

Do not underestimate the clubhouse presence. It may be incalculable but if you measure the halo you might get an idea of exactly what it brings to a clubhouse.