Kuroda Deserves Better

“Chop wood, carry water.”

It’s a Buddhist mantra oft quoted by, among others, Los Angeles radio host Vic “The Brick” Jacobs. Jacobs uses the line mostly to describe the attitude of Lakers players at their best. It also describes the workmanlike attitude of Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. While his career record in Major League Baseball is 9 games under .500, Kuroda’s 3.50 ERA over that time makes him the second most consistent Dodgers pitcher. At the age of 36, Kuroda’s career may be winding down and, for all he’s given the Dodgers, he is deserving of so much more.

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A night etched in history. And a pitcher always up to a big moment. This is how Dodgers fans will remember Kuroda’s 2008 postseason.

In the first round against the Cubs, the right-hander gave up no runs in more than six innings and, in what was the Dodgers’ first LDS win in 20 years, Kuroda protected his teammates, and in turn shut down the eventual World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

See the near-brawl he started here.

On a Dodgers’ team with other pitchers who probably have better stuff (see: Billingsley, Kershaw, et. al), the Japanese pitcher in his mid-30’s has been the rock. For the past two seasons, as the Dodgers organization has crumbled around the team, Kuroda has quietly resigned and given the team and fans everything he has each time he steps on the mound.

With any run-support, Kuroda might have been unattainable for the Dodgers to sign as a free agent in the offseason. If he had marketed himself more, the Dodgers’ $12 million offer might have been for naught this offseason.

And now Kuroda is at the heart of trade talks. Rumor is that the Yankees and Red Sox are both considering trading for him to bolster their starting rotations going into the stretch run. As long as Ned Colletti can get a good prospect or two in return, the move seems like a no-brainer. Along with the move being a great business decision, Kuroda is one of the easiest players to root for and I, for one, would have no problem trading him at this juncture. He deserves another shot on the big stage and, furthermore, he has proven he can handle it.

The Dodgers are far out of the playoff hunt, the team is bankrupt, and keeping a 36 year-old with high trade value doesn’t make any sense in the first place. They have an opportunity to do the right thing for everyone for a change. The front office can give an aging Kuroda the opportunity he has earned and get a good prospect in return. It won’t change the divorce, the disconnect from fans (have you seen the ballpark lately?), or the bankruptcy.

Hiroki Kuroda has oodles of good baseball karma stored up in his favor. Maybe the Dodgers can take his lead. Good karma, after all, can be started with a single good act.