OPINION

By Richard Justice

updated 9:28 p.m. ET Sept. 2, 2008

The Los Angeles Dodgers are toast. Turns out, Manny Ramirez couldn't save them. Neither could Greg Maddux, Casey Blake, Joe Torre, Andruw Jones, Clayton Kershaw or Blake DeWitt.

The Dodgers haven't won a post-season series in 20 years, and it's especially painful this season because things seemed to be breaking their way just a few days ago.

Manny had brought hope with him. He was crushing the ball, playing for a contract, and when GM Ned Colletti acquired Maddux, the Dodgers seemed positioned to sprint by the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers left the ballpark on Aug. 17 tied for first place in the National League West, and there seemed to be no doubt how this thing was going to go.

They'd won 10 of 15, and Manny was hitting .424 since changing uniforms. There was electricity in the clubhouse, a sense of anticipation.

The Dodgers are 2-10 since then. Manny has continued to hit, but almost no one else has. The ERA is close to seven during this stretch.

They broke an eight-game losing streak Saturday night in Arizona, but it's too late for heroics. They're 3.5 games behind the Diamondbacks and probably playing for their season when they send Derek Lowe out to face 19-game-winner Brandon Webb.

This is the day we remember them fondly as we lower their hopes into the ground. We remember how nice October baseball is at Dodger Stadium. Such a pity.

Sometimes it's not your year. That's how it is for the Dodgers this season. They may spend months studying the numbers and not come up with an answer.

The pieces simply didn't fit, and no matter how many times Torre called a team meeting or juggled the lineup, he couldn't find the magic. His Dodgers were at their worst when the games mattered the most.

Jeff Kent's screaming left knee finally forced him out of the lineup. Nomar Garciaparra tried -- but couldn't -- play any more shortstop. Matt Kemp hit a wall that many young players hit.

Clayton Kershaw, the best Dodger pitching prospect in years, got lit up in back-to-back appearances and was sent back to the minor leagues.

The Dodgers scored 15 runs during the eight-game losing streak. They were 8-for-69 with runners in scoring position.

And the guy that was brought in to push the Dodgers to the top has done his part. Manny is 14 for his last 22.

All the Manny being Manny moments have belonged to others. Reliever Tanyon Sturtze was summoned to Torre's office recently and told he was being sent back to the minor leagues.

Before he could pack his bags, he was told, "Uh, never mind. You're staying."

Torre called one team meeting, then said he was done calling team meetings. He promptly called another.

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Why not? What did he have to lose? The Diamondbacks have lost five of six and are 39-46 since late May. If the Dodgers can't win this division, they can't win any division.

Good timing doesn't just apply to the players. When the Dodgers were at their lowest, team owners Frank and Jamie McCourt sent a letter asking season-ticket holders for money.

If you renewed your tickets for 2009, you'd get them at the same 2008 price.

A Los Angeles Times columnist speculated the letter was a transparent admission that the McCourts are having cash-flow problems.

Whatever the reason, the timing was terrible. It'll be interesting to see who they hold accountable for the problems.

Truth is, sometimes a franchise does things right and still gets bad results. That's why sports is such a tough thing for people from the business world to figure out.

Other than the awful Andruw Jones deal, Colletti's every move made sense. They just didn't work out.

Rest in peace, Dodgers. We hardly knew ye.

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