Slumps can make fans say funny things about players. We can all admit that James Loney is going thru a terrible slump right now (.554 OPS in August). But lately, I have been reading comments on message boards about how the Dodgers must get an upgrade at 1st base during the offseason. And tonight, after Loney's first at bat, Ferio (a self-proclaimed die-hard Loney fan) sent me this email:

Loney is fucking awful.
I wish we wouldve given the farm away for A-Gon when we had the chance.
Excuse me while I go burn my hat.
This coming from a guy who drove 45 minutes to get his hat signed by Loney! Of course, Loney came up in his next at-bat to hit a 3 run HR and give the Dodgers, to this moment, a 6-1 lead. I know Loney is not going to ever be a big HR guy. I wish he would walk a bit more, but he is still probably going to hit about 10-15 HR's, 25-30 doubles, and 80-95 RBI's every year. I would not be mad at that, but I can certainly understand why some fans would want more power out of the 1B position. What I don't understand is why some fans want him gone when he hasn't even hit his arbitration years. I think the Dodgers are getting good production out of Loney for what they are paying him. Maybe if he was making $10 million a year, I would feel differently.