Andre Ethier

There may be cause for panic in Tinsel Town, as the Boys in Blue are off to a rough start, but no need to sell the farm just yet.

The Dodgers still have a lot to live for, and a lot to look forward to.
So far 2010 has been marked by poor defense, streaking hitting and pitching that looks like it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

The Dodgers are off to an 8-13 record entering a nine game homestand. The road has been rough on the Dodgers, but then again home still doesn't feel like home.

When watching the Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, shades of past glory in California come shining through.

Remember the days of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco in Oakland? I don't...I was born in the 80's, but I've seen the footage.

Just watching two players electrify a crowd like McGwire and Canseco did draws parallels to today in Chavez Ravine. Add to the beat Silver Slugger Awards for two-thirds of the Dodgers outfield, and the stage is set for a new slugger-duo dynasty.

Through the first week of the season, one glaring deficiency is cutting down the Dodgers' success, and their record.

Of the four losses the Dodgers have suffered this season—the Dodgers are 2-4—three belong to relief pitchers. George Sherrill currently sports a 22.50 ERA in just two innings pitched. He has accounted for five earned runs, four walks and a hit-by-pitch. He is the lone lefty in the Dodgers bullpen and has not been reliable when called upon.

Thus far, the offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers has been mired in speculation about the divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt.

Does the team have enough expendable money to fill their roster holes? 

Will Frank have to sell the team to a third party? 

Is this organization dedicated to winning even with the front office distractions? 

But no amount of off the field drama can sour the recognition being earned by Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.

Six walk-off hits—four of which have been long balls.

That’s what Andre Ethier has done this season for the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.

The six walk-off winners are an all-time high for a single player in the divisional era. In fact, he has the most walk-off hits in a single season since 1974, and his four walk-off homers are also the most since ’74.

Justin Morneau was the last player to hit three walk-off homers in a season, doing so in ’07.

After taking the last two games in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Dodgers headed out to Chicago to face the White Sox. Hiroki Kuroda dominated the South Siders in the first game, to give LA their third straight win.

Then the Sox bounced back to take the last two, giving the Dodgers their first series loss since they hosted the Angels in late May.

Manny Ramirez’s stupidity did not just ruin his own fantasy value.

Nobody in baseball benefited more from the teammate hitting behind him than Andre Ethier has since Ramirez was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trading deadline last season.

Before Hollywood transformed into Mannywood, Ethier was known in fantasy circles as a nice doubles hitter who could bat around .290, but had average speed and average power. He was good enough to be a fourth outfielder on a fantasy roster, but he did not do one thing well enough to be much more than that.

The Los Angeles Dodgers began their first homestand by rolling over the San Francisco Giants.

Not much changed when the Colorado Rockies came into town.

The Dodgers completed their sweep of the Rockies on Sunday with a 14-2 win, including a seven-run fifth inning led by Matt Kemp's grand slam to right field. Kemp would add a solo homer in the eighth inning to give the Dodgers their fourth multi-homer game this week and third in three days.

Andre Ethier and Orlando Hudson also each drove in three runs for Los Angeles.