MLB Showdown Obsession

 One guy can do a lot to turn a teams fortunes around. Sure, talent on the field can be a huge factor, but the intangibles like attitude and leadership can work magic behind the scenes. It can become infectious one way or the other; poor attitude and leadership can make a pennant contender into a basement dweller, or great intangibles can take a team hovering around .500 and make them World Series threats. The 1987 Dodgers were miserable. At 73-89 they could only muster a 4th place finish in the NL West and had no postseason hopes. Added to that, management was lambasted for their non-desire to go after future Hall of Famer Tim Raines when he was a free agent. Team ace Orel Hershiser could do it all on the mound but he made it clear he couldn't help with the offense. Some transactions were made, but LA still needed a big pickup. Kirk Gibson was just freed from a toxic environment in Detroit and was looking to hook up with a winner. Dodger management wasn't going to let another ...