It's funny how a bit of perspective, and time, can provide some clarity. Earlier this year, just before the regular season began, Andre Ethier made some rather bizarre comments about his future with the Dodgers. "You don't know if this is your last [year] or not, but you want to enjoy it to its fullest extent and make the most out of it," Ethier told reporters on March 28. "If I don't play well, we've seen them non-tender guys here, and if you play well, I've seen them not offer arbitration because they're afraid guys are setting their salaries too high."
At the time, I assumed Ethier's absurd notion that he would be non-tendered was a way to motivate himself, as he has in the past by downplaying his success. However, this week, with the news of MLB stepping in to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Dodgers, Ethier referred back to his preseason comments. Per Jim Alexander of the Press Enterprise:
Ethier confirmed that his statements before season began were about org. turmoil more than his own contract situation.
Ethier: "If I remember, at the beginning of the season some people jumped down my back for saying stuff like this ..."
OK, that makes a little more sense. Ethier was simply blowing off steam. However, for what it's worth, Ethier told reporters on Wednesday that he still wants to be a Dodger long term. "This is definitely a place where it would be nice to be part of a winning team, and help an organization like this get back to where it needs to be. That's never changed, in my mind," Ethier said.
While Ethier's confidence in ownership may have wavered, his confidence at the plate has not. Ethier is hitting .388/.456/.550 this season, and after a relative paucity of extra-base hits in the early going he has six doubles and a home run in his last seven games. Ethier heads into Saturday's game at Wrigley Field with a 19-game hitting streak, the longest streak in MLB this season. During his streak, Ethier is hitting .417/.488/.597.
Ethier has a chance today to have the 13th hitting streak of 20 games or longer in Los Angeles Dodgers history. Here's a look at the top Dodger hitting streaks since 1958:
| Longest LA Dodger Hitting Streaks | ||
| Player | Year | Games |
| Willie Davis | 1969 | 31 |
| Paul LoDuca | 2003 | 25 |
| Steve Sax | 1986 | 25 |
| Willie Davis | 1971 | 25 |
| John Shelby | 1988 | 24 |
| Brett Butler | 1991 | 23 |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 2006 | 22 |
| Steve Garvey | 1978 | 21 |
| Steve Garvey | 1978 | 20 |
| Maury Wills | 1965 | 20 |
| Tommy Davis | 1964 | 20 |
| Tommy Davis | 1960 | 20 |