Sunday, August 26, 2007

Which One's the Newest Dodger?

You’re 44 years old. You’re bald. You’re the same height lying down as you are standing up.

Congratulations. You’re the newest savior of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

David Wells, who spent most of August assuming he was retired, earned his first Dodger paycheck today. He allowed two runs on seven hits in five innings’ work against the New York Mets, in a Dodger win, 6-2.

But here’s the fun part: As he led off the top of the fifth inning at Shea Stadium Sunday, Wells, who says he’s 6’ 3”, 250, (which sounds low, if you’ve seen him), dropped a bunt down the third base line and beat it out for a single.

It worked because Mets third baseman David Wright logically assumed that Wells was simply too massively corpulent to lumber his way to first.

But give Wells credit. The bunt was placed perfectly, he got on base. The stunt worked, and the best part—somehow the Dodgers managed to score Wells. That was entertaining as well, because the guys behind him on the basepaths, Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre, are fleet of foot, but had to advance one base at a time with Lefty in front of them.
Great to see the one guy who looks like half the people watching, get the win on the mound AND jumpstart the offense with his corpulent hustle.