Jack Clark fired as Dodgers hitting coach

On Sunday evening, Jack Clark was fired as the Dodgers hitting coach after 2 1/2 seasons in charge of the Dodger offense. Dodger fans hated Clark. How do they hate thee? Let me count the ways: (1) he played many years for the Giants, (2) he was cocky beyond belief, (3) he knocked the Dodgers out of the 1985 NLCS with his game-winning three-run homer in the top of the 9th in Game 6 off the immortal Tom Niedenfuer, and (4) he was very good. But of course, who can forget old Pedro Guerrero slamming his glove to the ground as Clark's homer sailed into the left field pavilion at Dodger Stadium.

But I remember that there were a lot of bitter Dodger fans when Clark was hired by new manager Jim Tracy. I mean, that's like hiring your mortal enemy, isn't it? The next thing you know, Karl Malone will come to the Lakers. How preposterous is that? What? He WHAT?? Oh well... he's still good, right?. I must have conked my head or something. That's why you don't root against players because you never know. And for those ardent Kobe Bryant fans out there, don' t be heartbroken (well, setting aside his legal troubles) if he leaves for the Grizzlies after 2004.

But back to the Dodgers. Obviously, all would be forgiven if the Dodgers offense produced. And really, they haven't been bad. They were 8th in the NL in 2001 and 9th in the NL in 2002 while playing in a ballpark that suppressed run production by 10%. If you augment the Dodgers run totals in 2001 and 2002 by 5% (if they played in a neutral offensive environment), their offense would be in the top 5 of the NL. To me, that's pretty good when you combine it with the usually solid Dodgers pitching staff.

But now, the Dodgers are dead Dodger-fans-know-what last in the NL in runs scored and folks, it ain't close. The Padres are second-to-last and they are a tick over four runs per game. The Dodgers are scoring at the not-so-prodigious rate of 3.4 runs per game. This has offset the beast pitching staff in baseball. But for as much as "pitching wins championships," you can't win unless you score.

So is it Clark's fault this year? If so, you have to give him credit for solid 2001-02 performances by his hitters. What happened to Shawn Green after fabulous 2001-02 seasons? And Gary Sheffield had a tremendous 2001 with Clark at the helm. But Green is doing his best Dale Murphy imitation. And other Dodgers have stunk out loud.

I don't blame Clark. I can't explain Green's struggles this year. I've noticed that his swing is a lot longer and slower but I know Clark has spent a ton of time with Green to try to correct it. The other offensive players are just inherently awful. So if there's anyone to blame, it has be placed at the feet of Dodgers GM Dan Evans who is under fire in today's LA Times. Sure, he inherited a terrible situation from now Masters College VP of Development Kevin Malone (it brings back the old joke - WWJD if Jesus were a Dodgers fan? He would've fired Kevin Malone for burying his one talent into the ground). Does Evans deserve to be canned? I don't think so. But this will be an important offseason for him. He made the Sheffield trade when the Dodgers had no offense to spare and while acquiring Odalis Perez was nice, the Dodgers' had enough pitching to win. If he expected Brian Jordan to replace Sheffield, he would've been (and has turned out to be) sorely mistaken.

Everyone has bad years. If the Dodgers fired Clark because of his motorcycle accident and that bad vibes he brings to the clubhouse, fine. But the Dodgers can exhume and revive the frozen remains of Ted Williams and they still wouldn't be able to hit water if they fell out of a boat.