PARK HAS BECOME A PREDICAMENT FOR L.A.Normalcy nor·mal·cy n. Normality. Noun 1. normalcy - being within certain limits that define the range of normal functioning normality never again will be normal, but as games continue, drama in the scope of sports begins to creep back into the main frame. As the Dodgers cling to Verb 1. cling to - hold firmly, usually with one's hands; "She clutched my arm when she got scared" hold close, hold tight, clutch hold, take hold - have or hold in one's hands or grip; "Hold this bowl for a moment, please"; "A crazy idea took hold of playoff beliefs in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of some of their worst baseball of the season, the mess involving Chan Ho Park actually provides clarity on the direction the Dodgers are likely to head once the right-hander's free agency begins. And it's not toward a long, sunny day in the Park. Relationships have been tattered as the Dodgers questioned Park's focus. Park's agent, Scott Boras Scott Boras (b. November 2, 1952 in California) is a sports agent for professional baseball players. He is the president of Scott Boras Corporation, which holds its headquarters in Newport Beach, California. , fired back by wondering aloud how anyone could wonder about Park's commitment, desire and value. The episodes of the past month, viewed in their totality, have made it clear it will take an upset performance in the free-agent market for Park to return to the Dodgers. Once viewed throughout the industry as a slam-dunk that Park would remain in L.A., the New York Mets
Park will get what the market bears, which could be $12 million a year or $20 million a year - given Boras' achievements with Kevin Brown The name Kevin Brown can refer to several different people, including the following:
Park leads the team in wins (13), losses (11), games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. The pitcher is credited with starting the game if he is listed in the starting lineup as the team's pitcher, even if he does not throw the first pitch to the (32), innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is in the game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. (215 2/3), quality starts (25), strikeouts (211) and opponents' batting average batting average n. Baseball A measure of a batter's performance obtained by dividing the total of base hits by the number of times at bat, not including walks. Noun 1. (.212). What he might not lead them in is desire. The prevalent thought is Park didn't want the ball in relief Monday against San Diego, a now infamous outing in which he failed to record an out, allowed four earned runs, walked three and left with an Achilles' tendon strain that healed remarkably quickly. So far this season, Dodgers manager Jim Tracy has tried to push Park through the eighth inning of a few starts, which hasn't worked. The club lashed out at Park for not being ready mentally to compete during an Aug. 19 start against the Mets, then said he didn't try to compete once he discovered the fire wasn't present that day. ``The tone is set by the demeanor of your starting pitcher, and I didn't particularly care for the demeanor that I saw in the early part of the game,'' Tracy said after that game. ``I think it reflected and spread to the point where the ballclub went flat.'' Park admitted he had other things on his mind even when he pitched seven shutout innings Thursday against Arizona. He wouldn't elaborate, but those ``so many things'' came after Park allowed seven runs while pitching on both sides of a two-hour rain delay in St. Louis, and after his bad outing against the San Diego Padres. Park went as far as to say he changed his pitching approach in his last start, working much faster than usual on the mound to keep such thoughts from breaking his concentration. Park met with Tracy and pitching coach Jim Colborn to clear the air, and during that meeting expressed confusion as to why he was the fourth starter coming off the break from the terrorist attacks. Park was told he was held back to create favorable pitching matchups against Arizona and San Francisco, both battling with the Dodgers for a playoff spot, and he was satisfied. But for nearly a week questions burned inside Park. Even though Park, at 28, holds a 78-54 career mark with a 3.77 ERA, and is the top pitcher available in the free-agent market, there appears to be strains in the relationship between Park and the Dodgers. The Dodgers also have these questions to weigh: Are they better off signing Park to the big contract? Would it be more prudent to re-sign Terry Adams and James Baldwin and target a center fielder/leadoff hitter (a la Johnny Damon) in the offseason? Park is homegrown. He grew up in the Dodgers' farm system and developed into one of the top young pitchers in baseball while in the Dodgers' starting rotation. How to go about pursuing him has been the topic of many lengthy conversations in the offices at Dodger Stadium, and will continue to be. However, based on the past month, the answer seems to be gaining clarity. And it appears more pressure will be placed on the club to sign Adams. |
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