By Michael
Melissa
Tuesday, June 25th, 2002
Dan Evans must be the smartest man in baseball.
You have to be brilliant to trade one of the best hitters in baseball for
a solid, yet injury prone left fielder, and an unproven, inconsistent left-handed
starter.
What did the Dodger general manager see in these two players that
convinced him it was enough for Gary Sheffield? Neither came with
the promise of World Series riches -- heck, they didn't come over with World
Series rings even (despite playing with one of the best dynasties in baseball
history -- but that's a whole other issue for another day).
Geniuses often take calculated risks, which is the only way to explain why
Evans traded a player with Hall of Fame numbers. All right, maybe Sheffield
was a tad disruptive in the clubhouse. Maybe he didn't really give the Dodgers
much trade options with his effusive behavior. Perhaps his signaling out
players to make his point for more money was a bit over the top, but really,
is that enough to trade a perennial all-star and future Hall of Famer?
You bet it is.
Evans turned a lousy poker hand into a royal flush. He disposed of a major
headache and acquired two quality players in the process. Let the Atlanta
Braves have the Sheffield experience. For Evans, it's about the team
as a whole rather than its parts. It was a refreshing move for an organization
that been known lately to go for the quick, expensive fix.
Moving Sheffield out for Brian Jordan and Odalis Perez was
a distinct message to the rest of the team and its fans - the Dodgers will
not accept a lone wolf on this squad.
And while Jordan is not Andruw Jones and Perez is not Tom
Glavine, both have contributed to Los Angeles' 46-29 record. With Jordan,
the Dodgers got a 10-year veteran who is a proven clutch player with some
pop, and a strong clubhouse presence.
Many are quick to point out that Jordan will not come close to Sheffield's
offense, however, this season, Jordan's numbers are better or comparable
to Sheffield in eight different categories. Sheffield has battled a wrist
injury for most of the season, while Jordan has played with a sore knee for
more than month and still has more RBI (38 to 33), better slugging percentage
(.520 to .440), and runs scored (40 to 31).
What really makes Evans a genius, though, is getting Perez as a throw in
on the deal. Japanese import Kazuhisa Ishii may be 11-2 this season
and earmarked for the all-star game, but Perez, at 8-3 and a 2.52 ERA (fourth
in the National League), has arguably been the Dodger's best pitcher this
season. The 23-year-old left-hander has thrown 2 complete games, 1 shut out,
walked just 14, and struck out 73 in 107 innings this season.
So while Sheffield is being pandered by Atlanta with a marketing campaign
centered solely on him (rather than its two potential Hall of Fame pitchers,
and all-star center fielder, and third baseman), the Dodgers have quietly
played some of the best baseball in the National League. Attribute most of
it to a Sheffield-free clubhouse that has gelled without the off-field
distractions.
Fourteen years ago, a former Los Angeles GM made his mark by acquiring a
couple of free agents and making some crucial trades. After a the 1988 season,
everyone and their brother were calling Fred Claire a brilliant baseball
man for signing Kirk Gibson and acquiring Alfredo Griffin,
Jesse Orosco, and Jay Howell for Bob Welch. Those moves
helped the Dodger capture their sixth world championship.
Four years later, Claire traded Pedro Martinez for Delino
DeShields. People didn't call him a genius too much after that.
Will people still be calling Evans a genius after a few years?
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