DONNIE & PUIG

The title of this post sounds like an ill-fated sitcom doesn’t it? A modern day CW rip off of “The Odd Couple” or, in the case below, the short-lived show called "Tenspeed & Brown Shoe" featuring Jeff Goldblum and Ben Vereen.

Shows filled with reused jokes and old plot lines, and is ultimately cancelled for the next Amanda Bynes pilot…once she rights her ship. But the truth is that the situation in LA may be closer to a bad TV show then we think.

I continue to lament the loss of Donnie Baseball from the Yankee staff. I feel that the Yankees picked the right guy when they selected Joe Girardi to skipper the club, but watching Mattingly go hurt. I understood why he left and probably would have done the same in that situation. I will NEVER be okay with him wearing Dodger blue however.

Anyone who knows me will tell you I’d rather see the Red Sox prosper then see the Dodger win a single game. I don’t wish the Sox well mind you; I just have always “disliked” the club that left Brooklyn a touch more. Lasorda, The Penguin, Garvey and those “fans” are the worst…I even hate that awful Randy Newman song. In short, I DON’T love LA. Hey, I lived there for a while. There are great things about The City of Angels…the Dodgers just aren’t one of them in my opinion. And that’s all it is, my opinion.

I truly feel is Yasiel Puig is a perfect fit for LA and Donnie is not. Yasiel is a beast. He is an outstanding, natural athlete. He is big, fast and has the potential to be an all-time great…if he listens to his current manager. As it stands now he’ll be an individual numbers guy that gets caught driving his expensive cars too fast on the 101. The difference between being great and achieving greatness is all done on the mental side. If you have all the physical tools but a two-cent head…well, Manny Ramirez, please stand up.  Puig could be “Manny being Manny” on an entirely new level. And LA will love him for it. It’s all about the show out there. He’s off to a great start in terms of selfish, showboating behavior that could cut a brilliant career short.

What a gift it would be to have Don Mattingly as your skipper. To learn from a guy that knew how to lead in good times and bad. Donnie was ultimately respected and played the game the right way.

It was about the team…and there were years Mattingly was the only reason to go to Yankee Stadium. I think most everyone in the baseball world can clearly see that the Yankees loss is surely the Dodgers’ gain with regard to Donnie…well, except Yasiel Puig. That’s a big mistake if you ask me. Now, I’d be happy to see Puig continue to act like bratty diva and turn the Dodger clubhouse into an episode of “The Real Housewives of Chavez Ravine”. Again, I am not a fan of this club and think the beach ball toting masses showing up in the 4th won’t mind too much…they can go on pretending to watch the Lakers or continue their legless demand an NFL team.

If I were in the Dodger front office I’d sit Yasiel down fast. I’d explain to him as PAINFULLY and SLOWLY as possible that he’d better listen to Mattingly get on the same page ASAFP…or he can head down the 5 and find a job with The Los Angeles Angels of Orange County, near Knott’s Berry Farm, but closer to Disneyland, north of Irvine of Anaheim. He has a chance to be something special…and give me heartburn for years to come. Puig could be the real deal and give the Boys in Blue their first title since “Limpin’ Kurt Gibson” and “The Bulldog” in 1988.

I feel for Mattingly. The Dodgers let him twist with regard to his contract. He doesn’t seem to have the entire clubhouse behind him and what should be one of his greatest weapons is one of his greatest headaches. The game is changing and you can see the shift in the type of player Mattingly was to the type Puig is. I wish Donnie had stayed with the Bombers, but again I understand his decision. He, for the time being, is no longer our Donnie Baseball…he is their Donnie Ocho (his words, not mine). It’s tough to see a guy I admire so much working for a team I have less than favorable feelings for.  But LA is lucky to have Mattingly. They should see that and Yasiel Puig should learn all he can from one of the good guys in this sport.




--Mike O'Hara, MLB Fan Cave Host, Season 1
   Twitter: @mikeyoh21
"Paulie was always my favorite player."
 


You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!