It's hard to believe that a little over 2 weeks ago, the Dodgers were "playing over their heads" and the bubble was "inevitably going to burst" when Matt Kemp's nagging hamstring issue (that caused his batting average to drop below .400) forced him on to the 15 day DL. What happened next is even HARDER to believe. "Dem Bums" decided to stage their own 2 week rendition of Major League, by going 9-4 and extending their lead in the division to 7.5 games. All along doing so with a half dozen nobodies. The best record in Major League Baseball isn't news any more. Neither is having the largest divisional lead in the MLB. But you know what is news? Tomorrow is the last day of the "Kemp-ocalypse". Assuming Kemp's 2-game rehab stint in Albuquerque goes as planned, May 28th will be the last day the Dodgers (32-15) don't have the best player in the NL at their disposal. The last day Los Angeles wont have have their biggest cheer leader in Dodger Stadium. And most importantly, Monday will (hopefully) be the last game for a while that Don Mattingly is forced to create some sort of Kemp-less game plan with a slew of rookie call ups and career backups.
For the last two weeks, it felt like we couldn't turn on our TV's, computers or phones without hearing about the Dodgers when it came to sports news. Regardless of the heliocentric east coast sports world focusing on the AL East and NL East, the Dodgers' band of under appreciated misfits refused to relinquish the title of "MLB-best". Every night it was another "nobody" taking a turn at hitting the clutch button and getting their 30 seconds of fame on Sportscenter. But now the Dodger bench players are wrapping up their Risky Business moment. It feels as if Matt Kemp left the team with a couple hundred bucks on the counter and a list of food in the fridge on May 14th. And now "Mom and Dad are almost home". Time for the kids like Jerry Sands, Scott Van Slyke, Ivan DeJesus and Elian Herrera to clean the house, take out the trash and restock the liquor cabinet. One more game without the best player in baseball (and Juan Rivera) means one more night for a few rookies to preserve the team's positive momentum until the big boy's get their jobs back.
The club's position in the standings is much better at the end of Matt's absence than we previously expected. Which is only good news now that names like Hairston, Rivera, and Kemp are trickling back into the Dodgers clubhouse. The last time the Dodgers faced the Milwaukee Brewers (19-28) was in the midst of their head turning, hot start to the season. But when Los Angeles dropped two of three at Miller Park, it caused most to question the validity of the Blue Crew's record. But now we're approaching the end of May and it's the BREW crew that is definitively having a poor first-half (5th in the NL Central, 8 games back). While the reigning NL-MVP (in question), Ryan Braun comes to town on Monday, the Dodgers just have to shore up their outfield for one more day. A day that will feel like an eternity ago on Tuesday. Serendipitously the final day of the Kemp-less Dodgers will have "One Dollar Dodger Dogs" at Dodger Stadium. So maybe even the fringe fans might be compelled to come back to Dodger Stadium prior to Matt Kemp doing so. But one thing is for certain, Dodger Stadium should be packed and rockin' on Tuesday night. That is, if we survive the final day of Kemp-ocalypse. Make sure you have the first aid kit, the ramen noodles and a flash light with fresh batteries.
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