Baseball Toaster Dodger Thoughts
Help
Jon Weisman's outlet
for dealing psychologically
with the Los Angeles Dodgers
and baseball.
Frozen Toast
Search
Google Search
Web
Toaster
Dodger Thoughts
Archives

2009
02  01 

2008
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2007
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2006
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2005
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2004
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2003
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2002
09  08  07 
About Jon
Thank You For Not ...

1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with

Return of The Fountainhead
2005-01-04 21:12
by Jon Weisman

Following this morning's great Tim Brown column in the Times (and ensuing interesting dicussion), new Dodger beat writer Steve Henson knocks one for extra bases with a provocative piece on Paul DePodesta.

And yes, Henson smoothly gets at both the praise and criticism of DePodesta ...

And yes, The Fountainhead is back ...

Architect is a description the Harvard-educated DePodesta would find flattering because the fictional character he admires most is Howard Roark, the fiercely independent architect in Ayn Rand's 1943 novel, "The Fountainhead."

Roark dismissed traditional methods and stood by his radical designs in the face of severe criticism. Rand presented him as a man of extraordinary conviction, and, no surprise here, Gary Cooper played him in the movie.

Fans alarmed at the wholesale shakeup of the Dodgers probably feel DePodesta is more interested in detonating dynamite than in drawing up the blueprint for a winning team. Not that he would be insulted — Roark too blew things up when he deemed it necessary.

Here, for me, is the toughest Roark to swallow.

DePodesta didn't return agent Scott Boras' phone call the day Beltre agreed to terms with the Seattle Mariners because Beltre, he of a monstrous 2004 season after six years of inconsistency, was not part of the plan.

To this day, this sounds oversimplistic to me - the idea that Beltre was not part of the plan. At a minimum, I can't believe he wasn't of part a plan - whether or not that became the ultimate plan. If that's the case, I disagree. But I really don't know if this should be taken at face value.

As a postscript, I'm wondering now how Roarkian I am with my approach to this site.

Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.