Editorials

Jamey Wright Says Dodgers Were ‘A Blessing And A Curse’

[new_royalslider id=”68″] As the NLCS continues without the Los Angeles Dodgers, they have already started making changes for the 2015 season.

Relief pitcher Jamey Wright returned to the Dodgers this past off-season and spent the year in the bullpen. In his 19 years in the big leagues, Wright had only pitched in the postseason once (in 2013 with the Tampa Bay Rays). He joined the Dodgers with hopes of pitching in October again and possibly in a World Series, but that didn’t happen.



According to J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News, Wright had some interesting words on the 2014 Dodgers:

It’s a frustrating team to watch, a blessing and a curse, to have so many former all-stars,” Wright said. “We lose a couple and play awful, then when we won a game the atmosphere was ‘we’re the best team in baseball’ — thinking we had talent and teams were going to roll over and let us beat them.

The Dodgers won their second straight National League West title, yet the team they beat out is in the NLCS playing the team the Dodgers lost to in the NLDS. Wright also had a take on that scenario:

I’m still trying to figure out why I’m at home right now and not in San Francisco.”

Wright struggled the whole season, finishing with a 4.35 ERA in 72 appearances. He was mostly used in the middle innings and as a long reliever when needed. The 39-year-old tossed 70.1 innings and saw his K/9 drop to 6.9, his lowest since 2011. Wright was part of a Dodger bullpen that caught a brunt of the blame in the playoffs, although Wright did not toss a single pitch in the four games.

While many expected the Dodgers to reach the World Series, they fell short of those expectations and now will head into the winter wondering what they must do to get over the hump.

Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

7 Comments

  1. When a team gets to the playoffs, it takes its best games of the season and condenses them into 3/5, 4/7 and 4/7. They hit, they field, they win. It is all in the attitude. They must not make errors, and at times they must take a chance. But, that chance must come with the confidence that if-I-slide-now-I-will-catch-that-fly ball. Similarly, if we need a hit, I just may need to swing low, high or even across the plate to get it. During the season, I need not take chances so much because we have 162 games to play…an error today will not cost us. In October it can make the difference. Again, it is an attitude thing. Fun and games after the series. Work and mentality first above all else.

    1. Your comment reminds me of the Jesse Orosco/Kirk Gibson eyeblack prank. Gibson basically tore his new teammates a new one, telling them when we start winning, then we can play pranks. I’d trade every beach ball, bubble machine and other bit of grabassery for some serious postseason play.

  2. Love the new hire and I am also in line with Mr. Kasten. Do we just sit and wonder … maybe next year? I was crushed to see our best pitcher who was Superman during the season hang his head walking off the field. Now my cousin the Giants lover giving me the HA HA!!! Let’s all get real here. A great young immature outfielder, lousy relief pitching, getting old team who play when it feels good and a payroll that needs trimming. So what’s next. WE have the talent thats for sure. Mr. Kasten is right to build within and we need to. Keeping draft choices are like gold. Hiring Andrew Friedman was genius if he brings the Manager with him or his young guy Dave Martinez to manage them all the better. Some of you may not like it but you don’t see the big picture. Don’t break the bank for tomorrow. We get those players who are hungry and have some miles on them to complement what we have to win “The World Series” and all along we build a farm system producing tomorrows players to play on those teams that next in years goes all the way.

  3. Why some relief rookies and guys who had not been on the team until the last 3 1/2 weeks of the season……would have been placed in post-season games, when you had a Jamey Wright available to play, and maybe too much tweaking Puig could have smothered some of his aggressiveness at the plate, and needing to pull a pitcher after 2 runs come in or just to hold the lead might make you the bad guy, but if it comes out as a win……so be the bad guy…..

  4. He was pretty much worthless. I wonder where he will be pitching next season. If at all.

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