Food For Thought (by the numbers)

Here are some numbers and facts about the 2011, and the upcoming 2012 seasons. Just the facts Ma'am.

1. A whopping 3 out of the top 10 payrolls made it to the post-season. Those teams: Phillies, Yankees, and Tigers. And, do you remember who won the World Series? None of them. What does that all mean? I don't know...

2. The Dodgers had $16M in payroll for players not even on the team. And, in 2012, it will be roughly $22M!!!

3. In 2011, the Dodgers had, at one time, 8 players at once on the DL. And, a total of 17 players on the big club's roster had stints on the DL.

4. 20% of our payroll is owed to former players.

5. The highest paid player on the Dodgers is Ted Lilly. $12M.

6. Our bullpen consists (at the moment) of six players making less than $1M, with only one player making more (Matt Guerrier) at $4.75M

7. Fan attendance was down considerably in 2011. If 2012 is the same or worse, revenues and moral will be down as well. Not an opinion, them's the facts.

8. Our overall team team numbers looked like this: AVG .257=12th in MLB, OBP .322=14th in MLB, SLG .375=23rd in MLB, OPS .697=21st in MLB.

9. Dodgers overall estimated batting numbers (if everyone remains healthy) are still down from 2011's numbers, even after trades. Maybe someone will shine in the spring.

10. For the money we paid James Loney after arbitration, and old man Lilly for 2012, we could have landed a Prince Fielder, or some kind of big bat to give us some more W's. Remember, Lilly is only going to win 10-12 games, and has a era around 4.00, so......... money well spent? I think not. Hiroki Kuroda would have been a no-brainer for anyone other than Ned Colletti. And for less money. Damn shame. Look at Kuroda's 2011 numbers compared to everyone on the rotation, with the exception of Kershaw. And James Loney? Well, I love him but the facts are, he is inconsistent, at best.

11. There is no guarantee that the new ownership will be able to miraculously turn the team around. Plus, due to the Brian Stow beating, and PR backlash, families don't feel safe at the stadium. Not to mention all of the swearing and female ogling that goes on. It's gonna take an iron fist and some seriously smart back-room dealings to get this team back on track. Once again, not an opinion. That's just common knowledge.

12. Clayton Kershaw should be the face of the franchise, starting now. With a Cy Young under his belt, and a long (barring injury) career ahead of him, we should make" Kershaw Mania" the mantra, henceforth. If a charitable, sportsman of the year, god-fearing, hard working, goodie-two-shoes, like Kersh can represent this franchise, the locker room, as well as exemplify Dodger team spirit, we are in for a big turn around within the community, and a return to the well wishes this Dodger team deserves.

13. Parking will go up, regardless of ownership. Mark my words.

I have always loved this team, even in the worst of times. I still do. But, "Dem Bums" have not, save for the two stars we have, helped the cause. I hope the next owner brings in new blood to the GM's and front office. If we can make some big time moves before the trade deadline, and maybe bring up some of the depth from the farm system, we may have a shot at the wild card.