Letters: Dodgers, Angels fans haven't forgotten Howie Kendrick

Nov. 1, 2019 1:29 PM PT

Howie Kendrick was my favorite Angel. I loved his intensity. I loved the look on his face when he was at the plate. He looked like the meanest guy on the planet and ready to rip the pitcher into little pieces. Yet he had the sweetest temperament and the broadest smile. I was very upset when they traded him, except he went to the Dodgers, except he was traded for my favorite Dodger, Dee Gordon, who also had a great smile and turned out to be a wonderful and very intense player as well. To see Howie as still the great player he is in the playoffs and World Series was a treat I’ll never forget.

Ed Masciana

Torrance

Hopefully, it will be some consolation for Dodgers fans that the team that they lost to in a thrilling series now is World Series champion.

It has been a long wait but I, as a Washington native (while no longer residing in that city), finally have seen a Washington team as not only league champions but World Series ones.

As an individual who benefited from being a safety school patrol member and thus eligible for a free admission to the game, I saw my first Major League Baseball game in 1933 in Washington D. C., albeit not a World Series one. For me, contrary to the general opinion of fans everywhere, it seems like yesterday.

Nelson Marans

Manhattan, N.Y.

Finally, something got done in Washington! Congratulations to the World Series champion Nationals. Simply put, they earned and deserved their triumph and were truly baseball’s best team this year.

Irwin Zeke Warsaw

Marina del Rey

There IS unity in Washington! It is because of the Nationals. The grand slam by Howie Kendrick against the Dodgers was part of a fairy tale story. D.C. deserves the championship after losing two baseball franchises and enduring decades of non-contending teams.

Al Delay

Riverside

Perhaps if the Dodgers still had Howie Kendrick, they would have won the World Series this year.

Jeff Hershow

Woodland Hills

So my only presumption is Astros manager A.J. Hinch had been talking to Dave Roberts before he made that ridiculous pitching change.

Fred Wallin

Westlake Village

Nobody makes me miss Vin Scully more than Joe Buck.

Evan Puziss

Mar Vista

Wow! I was 1 year old when Washington had that World Series victory back in 1924. I am now 96 years old and still getting so much enjoyment from our great game of baseball. I can’t help but think about Bryce Harper sitting here in Las Vegas watching all this happen without him. It reminds me that it doesn’t take one Bryce Harper to win, it takes a village. Everyone on that team played an important part.

Thank you, Washington Nationals, for an amazing World Series.

Edee Shuman

Las Vegas

Four reasons to celebrate the Nationals’ World Series championship and Astros’ loss:

1. The Nationals won without Bryce Harper, whose team did not even make the playoffs.

2. Zack Greinke still has no championship after rejecting the Dodgers’ great $30-million-plus multi-year offer.

3. Astros fans in attendance at Game 7 now know partially what I felt like attending Game 7 in 2017.

4. Good guy Howie Kendrick hit a homer in Game 7 and finally has a ring.

Ken Feldman

Tarzana

We’ve just been treated to the best show in baseball, a World Series featuring two great teams, evenly matched, well-coached and loaded with stars. They slugged it out for seven tight games full of dominant pitching, timely home runs, a few crazy fielding plays and come-from-behind rallies each night. Not only did the underdog win, the home team lost every game; never before and perhaps never again.

Any fan not blown away by this show should find another sport to follow. Baseball doesn’t get any better than this.

Bill Bradshaw

San Diego

For great moments in sports history, it’s hard to beat the image of Washington Nationals fans greeting the president with boos, catcalls, chants of “Lock him up” and a huge banner, “Impeach Trump!”

A World Series memory to cherish.

Ray Mungo

Signal Hill

As a 99-year-old veteran of World War II and the Korean War, I take issue with the Washington Nationals fans who showed disrespect to the president during Game 5 of the World Series.

I was taught by my parents, immigrants from Italy, that even though you might not like the president, you should still respect the office. I was actually pulling for the Nationals, as I often root for the underdog and Washington hadn’t been in the World Series since the ’30s, but that changed after President Trump was booed. From that point on, I was rooting for the Astros, and although the Nationals eventually won the championship, I feel that the fans who booed the president do not deserve to bask in the players’ glory.

Dan Alessini

Los Angeles

Piling a ‘load’ on fans

After only four games, the Clippers sat Kawhi Leonard. Not because he was injured. Not because he wasn’t playing well. They sat him after playing less than 120 minutes so far this season so he could rest. Yep. “Load Management.” Fans be damned. Paying customers be damned.

So today, I walked into the HR department and requested a Load Management Day. This shouldn’t be confused with a sick day or a vacation day. This is a day that I need so I could be fresher for work later in the year. And by the way, I also want to get paid. You see, I am contracted to work 82 days a year for a total of somewhere around 41 hours total, but I needed to take today off so I could be fresher later in the year. My colleagues don’t mind if I miss today even though they really needed me to help them with a very important meeting. I bet we all know how that went over with my HR department.

Geno Apicella

Placentia

I have issues with some of the logic behind the “Load Management” concept in the NBA or any other sport.

I understand keeping players healthy and pacing their play so they can be in top form for the postseason, but the Clippers need to figure it a little differently. There are enough BAD teams in the NBA where players like Kawhi Leonard could sit out those games, but to sit him out against a tough Western Conference rival like Utah doesn’t make sense. Every win against the better teams, especially in the West, can be very important down the road.

Also, keeping players playing helps with the team’s chemistry, consistency and continuity. I know I’m an old-school thinker, but I don’t think this new way is best for the team or the league or especially for the fans.

Steve LaRochelle

Simi Valley

Lakers’ roster a winner

The current Lakers roster has quality shooters, rebounders, guard play and bench depth. They are now in a position to be competitive. This was not the case a year ago. Rob Pelinka has accomplished what his predecessor failed at miserably.

Gil Moe

Palm Desert

Some USC grief

As a lifelong USC Trojans fan and alum, I am so happy for coach Ed Orgeron and his LSU Tigers. While being an outstanding coach at SC and not getting the head coaching job as he deserved after Steve Sarkisian was fired for more than good cause, Coach O has proven to be the real deal.

Here’s hoping the Tigers give Alabama a smack down this coming Saturday and take over the No. 1 ranking.

Trojans everywhere still, and always will, love Coach O and his gravelly voice!

Brian Adams

Malibu

Sam Darnold showed once again the three most overrated attractions in Los Angeles are the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive and a USC quarterback.

Barry Smith

Thousand Oaks

Changing perspective

Football, basketball, baseball — all men’s teams! This is what is covered almost every single day in the Los Angeles Times. The other night, the UCLA women’s volleyball team defeated the defending national champions, i.e. Stanford, in three straight sets and no mention of this? It had been a four-year drought as well. Come on, L.A. Times, you need to have broader perspective and coverage for your avid readers. Women’s sports are important and you need to help make that known.

Rosanna Zonni

Santa Monica

RIP, Red

Ron Fairly was a Trojan, then a Dodger, then an Angel. Now, he’s just an angel. May he rest in peace.

Richard Agata

Culver City

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