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On Wednesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2011. There’s no telling how the results will shake out, but after seeing how the voters have gone the last few years, one thing’s for sure: they’ll get it wrong.

Roberto Alomar missed induction by eight votes last year, and Bert Blyleven fell just five ballots short. In 2009, Jim Rice earned enshrinement while Tim Raines is still waiting for his turn. And some of the best players of our generation will never reach immortality because of PEDs. Whether or not you agree with the BBWAA, it’s easy to understand why others don’t.

With voters like Dan Graziano and Terence Moore already saying preposterous things like that they didn’t vote for Jeff Bagwell because they have unfounded hunches that he took steroids, it looks like this year’s election has the potential to again exude massive amounts of stupidity.

So Bleacher Report’s Featured Columnists decided to take it upon ourselves to decide who gets into the Hall of Fame. Forty-two writers checked off their ballots for a mock Hall of Fame vote, the results of which are in this slideshow.

We played by the same rules as the real BBWAA. Each voter could name up to 10 of the 33 eligible players. Candidates needed at least 75 percent (32 votes) to make it into Cooperstown, while five percent (three votes) was necessary to remain on the ballot for 2012.

In addition to the full results (listed at the end), we’ve featured the 17 players who received at least three votes with arguments from both people who supported them and those who didn’t explain their votes. The result, we hope, is a thorough analysis of each candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, and chances for induction.

So read on and be sure to tell us what we got wrong!

Begin Slideshow

On January 5, Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame class for 2011 will be announced on a live MLB Network simulcast at MLB.com. Among the distinguished list of candidates are two former New York Yankee first basemen who will always occupy a special place in the hearts of Bronx Bomber fans.

Don Mattingly, one of the most popular players in Yankee lore, is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the 11^th year while Tino Martinez, who received a curtain call in the old Yankee Stadium as an opposing player, makes his first appearance on the ballot.

A Hall of Fame candidate must receive 75 percent of the vote from eligible Baseball Writers Association of America members to garner induction. The ballots are slated to be collected on January 4 and the tallied results will be announced on January 5. All inductees will be introduced at a press conference in New York on January 6.

For the man affectionaly known as “Donnie Baseball”, the likelihood of Mattingly becoming the 45^th Yankee player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame diminishes with each passing year he fails the litmus test for enshrinement.

In his 14-year playing career, all spent as a member of the Yankees, Mattingly posted a .307 batting average with 222 home runs and 1,099 RBI’s.  

Along the way, Mattingly was a 6-time All-Star selection (1984-1989), a 9-time Gold Glove Award winner (1985-1989, 1991-1994), a 3-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1985-1987) and the American League Most Valuable Player in 1985.

From 1984-1989, Mattingly averaged 27 home runs and 114 RBI’s per season while hitting a robust .327 from the plate.

However, in the following six seasons, back injuries severely hampered Mattingly’s ability to put up the aforementioned prodigious numbers as well as his capacity to stay on the field.

So although he continued to play stellar defense at first base, Mattingly would only hit .286 in these final seasons of his career with per season averages of 10 home runs and 64 RBI’s.

In addition to his longevity, another factor that doesn’t bode well for Mattingly’s Hall of Fame aspirations is that he has only five playoff games to show for his fourteen seasons with the Bronx Bombers.

But despite the 1995 American League Divisional Series against the Seattle Mariners being the only time the Yankees would taste the postseason during his tenure, Mattingly would retire as one of the most beloved players in franchise history.

The organization retired Mattingly’s number ‘23’ and a plaque was created in Monument Park to honor his career on August 31, 1997.

The plaque reads, “A humble man of grace and dignity, a captain who led by example, proud of the pinstripe tradition and dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, a Yankee forever.”

As for Mattingly’s replacement, what “Donnie Baseball” did in six healthy seasons, Tino Martinez did in 16 by averaging 27 home runs and 102 RBI’s per season.

And what Mattingly failed to do in 14 seasons with the Yankees, Martinez did in seven by winning four World Series Championships (1996, 1998-2000).

So essentially, what Martinez’s career does is provide a small window into what Mattingly’s career could have been had he remained healthy.

Surprisingly though, Martinez was only a 2-time All-Star selection (1995, 1997) during his career, despite driving in more than 100 RBI’s in a season on six different occasions, and he never won a Gold Glove Award.

Nevertheless, Martinez finished with career totals of 339 home runs and 1,239 RBI’s and continues to be considered an integral component to the Yankees’ last dynasty of the 20^th century.

All this being said, which beloved former New York Yankees first baseman should first receive the call to be enshrined in Cooperstown?

Another pertinent question is SHOULD Mattingly and/or Martinez be enshrined at all considering their career numbers?

How about this final question: Are Don Mattingly and Tino Martinez any less worthy than the following Hall of Fame first basemen?

Frank Chance – .296, 20 home runs, 596 RBI’s

George Kelly – .297, 148 home runs, 1,020 RBI’s

Bill Terry – .341, 154 home runs, 1,078 RBI’s

Only time will tell the complete story.

Click here to read the original article on SportsHaze.com.

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Piece by piece, the 2011 Los Angeles Dodgers coaching staff is slowly coming together, and within the next few weeks, general manager Ned Colletti is expected to confirm all reports and make an official announcement about who will be working under new skipper Don Mattingly next season.

Ken Davidoff, a national baseball writer for Newsday, reported on Tuesday that pitching coach Rick Honeycutt has agreed to return to Los Angeles for a fifth season.

Honeycutt will presumably be joined by new third base coach Tim Wallach, who was recently eliminated as a candidate for the Milwaukee Brewers‘ managing vacancy.

Several weeks ago, Wallach agreed to a contract to become the Dodgers‘ bench coach or third base coach, as long as he didn’t land a managerial position with another Major League club. Outside of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Brewers were the only team to contact the Dodgers and ask permission to interview Wallach. Toronto wasn’t on the list of teams that Wallach was permitted to talk with, as specified in the contract.

According to Ken Gurnick of Dodgers.com, former Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman has emerged as the favorite to become Don Mattingly’s first bench coach. Mattingly had been campaigning for Larry Bowa to stay on with the Dodgers in the role of bench coach, but it is assumed Colletti wasn’t comfortable with Mattingly’s decision.

Bowa, along with last year’s bench coach Bob Schaefer, have recently confirmed that they will not be returning to Los Angeles next season.

Hillman was fired on May 13 of this year after managing the Royals for just over two seasons. Prior to managing in Kansas City, he was the manager of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan. In 2006, Hillman guided the Ham Fighters to their first Pacific League championship title in over 25 years.

Jeff Pentland, who last year was the Dodgers’ secondary hitting instructor at Camelback Ranch, will be named as the new Los Angeles batting coach. Before being hired by the Dodgers, Pentland worked as the batting coach for the Chicago Cubs (1997-2002), the Kansas City Royals (2003-2005) and the Seattle Mariners (2005-2008).

Former Major League slugger Chili Davis will assume Pentland’s previous position while Dodger great Manny Mota will continue his role as a hitting instructor.

According to a number of sources, Ken Howell is expected to return as bullpen coach despite more than several implosions by Dodger relievers over the course of the 2010 season.

Additional sources are reporting that current first base coach Mariano Duncan has been told to pursue other interests, although there may be a spot available for him coaching in the Dodgers’ farm system if he decides to pursue that route.

Most new managers are permitted to assemble a coaching staff on their own after being hired by a Major League club, but since 2011 is Mattingly’s first year managing and due to the tumultuous state of the franchise, Colletti has decided to intervene to ensure that all the proper moves are made.

If Mattingly doesn’t fare particularly well in his initial season as manager of the Dodgers, it’s already been suggested that he can utilize the excuse of not being able to put together the staff underneath him by himself.

Right now, however, the first task at hand must be to focus on assembling a competitive roster and building positive momentum heading into spring workouts.

In other management news, Dodger fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Assistant General Manager and Scouting Director Logan White will be returning to Los Angeles next season. White was being considered as the new general manager for the New York Mets, but was eliminated as a candidate for the position late last week.

White is described as the “heart and soul” of the Los Angeles scouting system by many who are familiar with the Dodgers organization.

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Normally when a new manager is hired in Major League Baseball, his first task is to assemble his own coaching staff, but in the case of Don Mattingly and the Los Angeles Dodgers, things may be a bit more complicated than they look.

Seemingly, the market for potential coaches around the league is excellent, but problems may lie in trying to convince possible candidates to come to Los Angeles and join a franchise in heavy turmoil. This could very well be the primary reason that General Manager Ned Colletti has gotten involved in the hiring process and not allow Mattingly to put together the staff on his own.

It was reported on Saturday that Tim Wallach has signed a deal to become part of the coaching crew in 2011, so long as he doesn’t accept a managerial position with any other team.

Although it sounds like good news for Dodgers fans, the number of Major League clubs seeking managers will be very high, and Wallach has stated previously that managing is his highest ambition.

Still, it was speculated that Wallach was a leading candidate to fill the Toronto Blue Jays‘ managing vacancy, yet several sources revealed last Saturday that Wallach turned down an interview for the job.

Many people guessed that Wallach could possibly fill the batting coach position vacated by Mattingly, but Dodgers officials confirmed that if Wallach indeed becomes part of the staff, he will assume the role of either bench coach or third base coach. Wallach held the post of batting coach previously for Los Angeles during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

If Los Angeles is forced to primarily promote from within the organization, it’s assumed that current hitting instructor Jeff Pentland may be a sure bet to become the next Dodgers batting coach.

It has also been mentioned that Los Angeles may be pursuing Willie Randolph to become bench coach. Randolph, a former teammate of Mattingly’s with the New York Yankees, is the current bench coach for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Larry Bowa, the current Dodgers third base coach, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for bench coach. Bob Schaefer, who was the Dodgers bench coach in 2009, has already declined to return next season.

According to additional reports, current first base coach Mariano Duncan has been told to pursue other interests, although there may be a spot available for him coaching in the Dodgers’ farm system if he so inclines to explore that avenue.

Rick Honeycutt, who has been the Los Angeles pitching coach since 2006, was reportedly offered a contract to return, however Honeycutt has yet to accept or decline the offer.

Baseball critics everywhere continue to say that the Dodgers need to be very aggressive in both the free-agent and trade markets this winter in order to be contenders in 2011, yet at this stage assembling a coaching staff seems to have its own difficulties.

Depending on the outcome of the McCourt divorce trial and the availability of cash, it may be difficult to convince a big market free-agent to sign a deal with Los Angeles, much less a high profile coach.

For the Dodger faithful, there’s probably no reason to panic just yet; nevertheless, everyone involved with the organization should hope to have something definite in place before Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings begin on December 6. 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t have summarized their disappointing season any better than manager Joe Torre’s farewell speech Sunday, following a Dodgers win that allowed the team to finish a game under .500 for a fourth-place finish in the National League West.

Torre’s speech seemed to stumble along in pleasantry, rambling while he searched for words to describe his tenure as Dodgers manager.

It was clear one of the winningest managers in the history of baseball was exhausted, disappointed, and bewildered in front of a less-than-capacity crowd in Chavez Ravine.

The skipper’s words were hollow, as it was clear he was ready to move on, and wanted to get off the field and out of the uniform as fast as humanly possible. 

The Dodgers were certainly hampered by injuries all season long, and a full head of steam wouldn’t hold up as the team started to fall apart.

Long before September rolled around, it was clear the Boys in Blue were fading, and when rumors of Torre leaving the team at the end of the season began to surface, it was the final straw in a string of disappointments for the Dodgers and their fans.

Torre didn’t close the door on the idea of managing a new team next season, saying “I hope you welcome me whenever I come back to this city.”

Perhaps he was referring to each time his new National League team comes to the Ravine. Torre has been linked to the idea of managing the New York Mets, taking on a new challenge to turn a team around in his old stomping grounds.

His speech was more a window into things to come than a reflection on what has transpired in the 2010 season.

As Torre searched for words, it was clear his heart may have never really been in it, and Los Angeles served as a change of scenery; the polar opposite of life in New York. 

Joe traded cold September nights and historic sights for palm trees and bright Hollywood lights. This was a three-year vacation for him, and it’s clear this was never the new page in a new era of the same dynasty, but rather a segue into the twilight.

A short speech was the climax and epitome of the Dodgers 2010 season, and Torre’s time in Los Angeles will likely be short-lived as well.

Dodgers fans should have expected more, and they deserve more, having endured a constant distraction of a divorce in ownership, and a lack of effort towards a playoff run while funds were limited.

Los Angeles deserves a champion, and just maybe Don Mattingly will succeed where Torre failed, and all he has to do is win.

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As I watched the last inning of the Dodgers’ last game of the season on TV, three things came to mind:

1.  That it was nice to see them end the year with a win.

2.  The way they hit—or more accurately, didn’t hit—they were lucky to have won 80 games, and…

3.  Their biggest highlight was Vin Scully, the greatest broadcaster of all time, announcing that he will return for his 62nd season.

The turning point for the Dodgers in 2010 was in the weeks after the All-Star break. Being in solid contention at that time, they proceeded to go on several losing streaks, including a couple stretching six games with some ninth inning blown saves thrown in.

Add to that some sub-par batting averages from some key players and Manny Ramirez (who by Sept. 1 was no longer a Dodger) clearly showing that he is on the decline to the equation, and you have a second division ball club.

Having said that, here’s what L.A. should do to make things better in 2011…

The first thing that new manager Don Mattingly needs to do is to hire Tim Wallach as batting instructor.

Wallach did an outstanding job managing in Triple A Albuquerque and has Dodger ties, having played for them in the early ’90s. Wallach deserves to coach at the big league level, and he also deserves to manage the Dodgers should Mattingly not work out.

Second, L.A. needs to keep Jay Gibbons and Ted Lilly, and sign them for at least next year.

Gibbons performed brilliantly after being out of baseball for a while and spending some time in the minors, batting a solid .280 with five home runs in his roughly six weeks on the club. He would fit in well in left field and give the Dodgers a capable slugging bat.

As for Lilly, he provided some good innings on the mound after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs, and he would provide some stability in the rotation. Vincente Padilla should be kept as well; when healthy, he eats up innings, too.

Rod Barajas likewise did well in filling in at catcher when Russell Martin went down. I would insist that Barajas be signed for 2011, but Martin is expected back and the Dodgers are high on young A.J. Ellis. Barajas would be seen as a backup, and I have a feeling that he wants to play regularly.

Third, the core of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney, Rafael Furcal, Chad Billingsley, and Clayton Kershaw must be kept together.

While each of those players could have had better overall numbers—Kemp batting a mere .249 on the season as an example—they did do some good things…

Ethier batted .292 after being among the league leaders in most hitting categories early on. Loney led the team in RBIs. Kershaw had over 200 strikeouts for the first time, and Kemp showed what kind of superstar he could be by going deep the last five consecutive games.

Though he’s not completely to blame for L.A’s sub-.500 record, closer Jonathan Broxton need to bear some of the cross. The majority of his seven blown saves came in the second half, and with his ERA being well above what it should be, I consider him a thrower rather than a pitcher.

He may be able to reach 100 miles an hour on the radar gun, but not only does he not throw enough strikes, he has no effective breaking ball. Major leaguers can hit 100 mile-an-hour fastballs, and that’s exactly what happened this year as he blew save after save, eventually giving up the closer role to Hong Chi Kuo.

I’d normally call for the Dodgers to go after some free agents such as Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Rays, who will be highly sought after this winter.

However, the divorce of co-owners Frank and Jamie McCourt has pretty much killed that, as the money that could be spent to improve the team is tied up in court.

So as the old saying goes, “We have to play with the hand we’re dealt.”

If the fans at Chavez Ravine are going to see a contending team in 2011, they need better overall production from their now-veterans like Kemp, Loney and Ethier, and Billingsley.

And in addition to that, young players such as pitchers Kelsey Jansen, John Ely, Ronald Bellasario, and Ramon Troncoso most continue to develop.

The worst case scenario if none of that happens and the Dodgers are also-rans again. Well, at least Vin Scully will be in the booth for another year.

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Tim Wallach says he’s ready to manage in the bigs, and after being passed over by the Los Angeles Dodgers, he may finally have his chance.

According to Bob Nightengale of the USA Today, the Blue Jays currently have their eyes on Colorado Rockies hitting coach Don Baylor, but he also says that Wallach is quickly emerging as a front-runner for the managing job in Toronto.

Current Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston has already announced his retirement effective at the end of the season.

Wallach was the fan favorite to succeed Dodgers‘ manager Joe Torre at the end of this year, however an alleged “secret agreement” was reached between Los Angeles and Don Mattingly before the 2010 campaign ever began.

Upon hearing the news that Mattingly was named the new manager of the Dodgers on September 17, Wallach told members of the media that he would prefer to work under Mattingly rather than return to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Since then, Wallach has been exploring his options. It’s speculated that as many as 12 teams could be in search of a new manager this winter.

Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane told Nightengale that “It’s going to be a circus.”

Over the course of his 16 years as a player in the Majors, Wallach won three Gold Glove awards for defensive excellence and two Silver Slugger awards for his abilities with the bat. He was also named to five All-Star teams.

In 2004, Tim returned to the Dodgers as batting coach, and in January of last year he was named manager of the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Dodgers’ Triple-A farm club. He eventually led the Isotopes into the playoffs with a franchise record 80 wins and was named as Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year.

Wallach is quickly developing a reputation as a “player’s manager,” and has earned the outspoken respect and backing of almost every player he’s coached.

It’s not yet known if Wallach has met formally with any representatives from Toronto. The Blue Jays are also talking with former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, and ex-Cleveland Indians skipper Eric Wedge.

After current Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia was passed over by the Dodgers back in the early 90s, many folks around Dodgertown are hoping the franchise wasn’t letting another diamond in the rough slip through its hands.

Scioscia led the Angels to their first World Series championship in 2002. He is the Angels’ all-time managerial leader in wins, games managed, and division titles. Scioscia was honored with the official American League Manager of the Year Award in 2002 and 2009.

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The Indians, in a trade involving two former promising prospects, acquired shortstop turned second basemen turned outfielder Preston Mattingly from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for outfielder Roman Pena. 

The Evansville High School standout, and the son of former Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, was a surprise selection by the Dodgers in the 2006 draft.  Chosen with the 31st overall selection, the younger Mattingly was tabbed by Baseball America as the 10th overall prospect in a deep Los Angeles farm system prior to the 2007 season. 

Mattingly began his professional career by hitting .290/.322/.403 is 199 plate appearances and stole 12 bases in 15 tries for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers.  He showed promising power for a middle infielder by hitting 12 doubles, three triples, and 1 home run, but struggled mightily with the glove.  In the 30 game GCL cameo, Mattingly committed 10 errors in 99 chances.

Despite the early success Mattingly has often looked overmatched at the plate and in the field since his debut. 

The team promoted the position-less and quickly fading prospect to high-A prior to the ‘09 season despite him hitting .210/.251/.297 and .224/.263/.337 in back-to-back seasons in A-ball.  To no one’s surprise the newly christened left fielder continued to swing a paper thin bat mustering a .238/.296/.350 line. 

This season the Dodgers, running thin on patience, demoted the former first rounder back to rookie ball where he continued to struggle. 

The Los Angeles organization envisioned him as a raw, and a potential middle-of-the-order run producer, but Mattingly has failed to improve his pitch recognition.  The change of scenery away from his father’s organization might allow him to become a useful career minor leaguer or even a fourth big league outfielder.

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Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti has already announced that his club intends on making a number of personnel changes in the offseason, but many folks around Dodgertown are curious to see if the current coaching staff will remain intact to compliment newly hired manager Don Mattingly.

Until some type of direction is established in regards to the verdict in the McCourt divorce trial, it’s difficult to even guess the payroll parameters for next year. Once the team budget is established, the early formations should begin in terms of player personnel.

However, the coaching staff is a small part of the payroll, and could be one of the first areas solidified as the team prepares for next season.

Tim Wallach, who was the fan favorite to succeed Joe Torre as manager, has already expressed interest in coaching as part of Mattingly’s staff. Wallach indicated to the media last week that he would rather assume a position in the Major Leagues instead of returning to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Whether Colletti and Mattingly decide to offer Wallach a spot with the Dodgers remains to be seen. Based on his managerial success in Triple-A, it’s speculated that Wallach will be snatched up quickly by another organization if he doesn’t land some type of job in Los Angeles.

It’s already been rumored that Mattingly asked current third base coach Larry Bowa to become bench coach. There’s been no indication yet from Bowa to confirm the offer, but the common thinking is that the bench coach position will be filled by someone with a reasonable amount of managing experience to help guide Mattingly during his first season.

Bowa is known for personality issues in his past, and has been involved in conflicts with several Dodgers’ players this season. For the Dodgers to move forward and have any chance at a productive season, any such conflicts between the players and the coaches will need to be resolved immediately.

If Bowa does indeed vacate his current position, Wallach could be a very suitable candidate. It’s also been speculated that Wallach could possibly fill Mattingly’s previous job as hitting coach. Before becoming manager of Albuquerque, Wallach was the Dodgers’ hitting coach in 2004 and 2005. He was the recipient of two Silver Slugger awards in his playing days, and certainly has the ability to help rescue Los Angeles from its 2010 power drought.

It’s tough to guess the direction the Dodgers will take in terms of the pitching coaches. Current pitching coach Rick Honeycutt has been with Los Angeles since 2006, and although the starting rotation has been phenomenal especially in the second half of the season, the bullpen was nothing short of dreadful for almost the entire year.

As a player, Honeycutt was always known as a control pitcher and a “nibbler,” and it was evident, at least early in the year, that he was trying to instill some of those philosophies into hard-throwing starters Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley. Both Billingsley and Kershaw have improved tremendously this season, most likely as a result of mixing location skills with their above-average velocity and their abilities to challenge opposing hitters.

Nevertheless, the bullpen will need to improve. Current bullpen coach Ken Howell may be in a position to be replaced, as Los Angeles will definitely need a fresh look to guide the relievers. One name being tossed around for pitching coach or bullpen coach is Charlie Hough, the current pitching coach for Single-A Inland Empire, and former pitching coach for Los Angeles in 1998 and 1999.

Current Dodgers’ catcher Brad Ausmus, who will retire at the end of this season, also has expressed interest in continuing with the organization in a coaching capacity, There’s been no indication by the Dodgers or Ausmus if his coaching career would begin in the Major or Minor Leagues.

Regardless, whether there’s an entirely new look or if most of the coaches return, the working relationships with the players are paramount. If Mattingly and company are able to create positive chemistry no matter what the roster looks like, there may be a chance for success.

But if any of the negative tendencies that were present in 2010 carry over to next year, it will be a very, very long season indeed.

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Just before packing it in at the end of the season, the final task for most players and coaches in Major League Baseball is to take a trip to the general manager’s office—for, at the very least, the purpose of reviewing the performances of the previous year.

But rather than discussing the 2010 season, former batting coach Don Mattingly and GM Ned Colletti will be discussing the future.

For the newly named manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mattingly’s own personal coaching production in 2010 never really seemed to matter. Mattingly knew even before the season began that his future was bright in Los Angeles—regardless of the team’s offensive output.

Just last week, when asked about the cause of the Dodgers offensive struggles by LA Times reporter Dylan Hernandez, Mattingly replied, “It’s really kind of confusing and frustrating.”

And when faced with the question of where the responsibility falls between the player and the coach, Mattingly stated, “In the end, as a player, I always took responsibility for what happened.”

Heading into 2011, if the Los Angeles Dodgers players will be required to take the blame for the performance on the field, this year’s results will look glorious compared to what lies ahead.

Hopefully for the sake of Dodgertown, Mattingly isn’t revisited by those feelings of “confusion and frustration” that he felt as hitting coach in 2010.

Most teams around the league that expect success will make proper decisions in regards to management. However with the Dodgers, the problems start at the top, and the viruses have already spread deep into the roots of the entire organization.

An excellent example of a club being proactive and tackling a similar offensive drought this year is the Philadelphia Phillies. Just one week removed from the All-Star break, the Phils found themselves struggling offensively, and as a team posted a disappointing 49-46 record.

Philadelphia management decided to make a controversial move and replace hitting coach Milt Thompson, who was key in helping the Phillies offense to two consecutive World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009—not to mention that he also played three years for the Phils in the late eighties.

Despite Thompson’s service record with the franchise, Philadelphia replaced him with Greg Gross, and the Phillies offense soared once again. Only two months after the move, the Phillies find themselves with a 90-61 record and are primed for yet another strong run in the 2010 playoffs.

Sure, the Dodgers and the Phillies are two completely different clubs with an entirely different set of circumstances, but the Dodgers, who were 10 games over .500 at the All-Star break, took a different avenue by trying to add a few speedy veterans and selling part of the farm.

As Ned Colletti’s decisions could be evaluated with a multitude of failing grades, Ned’s performance must be correlated to team owner and chairman, Frank McCourt.

McCourt calls the shots and dictates the budget, while Colletti obeys Frank’s every single wish and desire.

Joe Torre recognized the cancer and ended up skipping town. The Dodgers players felt the disease and eventually collapsed.

Mattingly could very well be a victim of circumstance, as he finds himself in a bad spot at a horribly bad time. Yet McCourt and Colletti made a horrible decision in predetermining the club’s future by making a managerial decision almost a year in advance.

The future of a manager who struggles to put together a lineup card or who is incapable of following etiquette when visiting the pitcher’s mound looks bleak.

Under current ownership, Los Angeles needed to make a clean sweep and retool the entire coaching staff if there were to be even a glimmer of hope moving into 2011.

Perhaps a manager from the farm system who was familiar with the future stars or a seasoned veteran who would put his foot down at any signs of clubhouse drama may have been better choices for a skipper.

It’s already rumored that Mattingly has asked third base coach Larry Bowa to become the club’s bench coach next year, and based on Bowa’s past personality issues and his ongoing conflicts with several players on the team, this move could very well be adding fuel to the fire.

While the folks around Dodgertown are hoping Don Mattingly can lead the Dodgers back into contention next year, perhaps they should redirect their hope to Frank McCourt and pray that he doesn’t systematically destroy the core of the squad and put the organization in a hole that will take many years in which to dig out.

And in terms of a career choice for Donnie Baseball, maybe, just maybe, accepting the Cleveland Indians or the Washington Nationals job offer may have been the smart move.

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