LOS ANGELES — They were ruining the Dodgers, the once-proud franchise likened to a burning car careening off a cliff, the listless future best represented by the image of a deflating balloon.

The conclusion was this team was drowning in a pit of “smoldering, putrid negativity.”

Strong and biting was the opinion delivered in mid-December of 2015. Strong and biting and oh so wretchedly wrong.

I just wish I wasn’t the one who had delivered it.

Related Articles Whicker: Cody Bellinger takes what Angels give him in Dodgers’ 4-0 win

Kenta Maeda stifles Angels in Dodgers’ 4-0 win

Whicker: Martin Maldonado is driving force in Angels’ rise

Angels vs. Dodgers: Wednesday’s game, TV channels and starting pitchers

Dodgers Notes: Cody Bellinger’s ‘sneaky’ speed a surprising asset

Angels Notes: Team loves Keynan Middleton’s energy and emotion Believe it or not, folks, I was wrong. Yeah, wrong, like putting a wedding dress on a walrus would be wrong.

Putrid instead described my performance 18 months ago when I mocked Dodgers executives Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, my listless effort best represented by the sound of a deflating whoopee cushion.

The Dodgers had just won 92 games, lost the NL Division Series to the Mets and replaced the successful Don Mattingly with the unproven Dave Roberts.

Zack Greinke had been permitted to leave for Arizona, the absolute no-brainer of a decision to re-sign him somehow eluding the brains running the Dodgers.

At that point, Friedman and Zaidi had done nothing to boost the roster, the signing of Kenta Maeda still three weeks away, the addition of Joe Blanton a month from happening.

So, with the subtlety of a blowtorch-welding chimp, I fried the Dodgers’ front office for allowing something good, something with life to inexplicably go bad, to die in the approaching winter chill.

Entering Tuesday, since that column appeared, the Dodgers were 142-98, a winning percentage of .591, their victory total equaled only by the reigning World Series champion Cubs.

Those would be the same Cubs who knocked the Dodgers out of the National League Championship Series last fall, meaning they might have been the only obstacle between the Dodgers and winning the title.

On the occasion of this team putting together a just-snapped 10-game winning streak and a 16-1 overall stretch, I figured today would be as wise a time as any to expose my ignorance.

Some writers and commentators never admit when they’re wrong, and that’s just fine.

It is a matter of personal choice, after all, my personal choice always being that, if I were so smart about sports, rather than reporting on these games, I’d be betting on them.

I also believe you have to keep the proper perspective concerning these things and maintain a sense of humor.

That’s why I took particular note Tuesday of the knee soreness that kept Yasiel Puig out of the Dodgers’ starting lineup against the Angels.

“It gets worse,” Roberts explained before the game, “when he decelerates.” Funny, because the same could be said of Puig’s reputation on his home run trots. It gets worse every time he slows down.

At any rate, the Dodgers really have made me look bad over the past season and a half, and looking bad is usually something I can do on my own, thank you very much.

Honestly, though, in December of 2015, who knew about Andrew Toles? About Charlie Culberson? Trayce Thompson was well known, of course, but as Mychal’s son and Klay’s brother.

Not to make any excuses, but at that point, Cody Bellinger had just spent the season in the California League, hitting home runs against teams nicknamed the Nuts and Rawhide.

Today, Bellinger is being mentioned as a candidate for the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game next month in Miami, the stunning reality being that, during the contest, the homer frequency of his rookie season could slow and he still might hit enough to win the thing.

Naturally, the regime of Friedman and Zaidi deserves credit for knowing a lot more than the rest of us do, me especially. Sure, that is their job. But they have done it exceptionally well.

Their incessant tinkering and unending attempts to upgrade at every level have resulted in a roster good enough to compete for the World Series and deep enough to win the AFC West.

It does annoy a little bit, this team using the disabled list out of strategy as much as necessity. But their plan is working, even if someone as important as Clayton Kershaw has taken exception to the Dodgers’ extremely hands-on approach.

Eighteen months ago, Corey Seager had appeared in 27 big-league games. Chris Taylor was coming off a season in which he batted .170 for Seattle.

Brandon McCarthy, after starting four games, had a torn elbow ligament. Rich Hill had just spent September with the Boston Red Sox but most of summer with the Long Island Ducks.

And look at them now, the Dodgers with the best record in the National League and on their way to another division crown.

Maybe you saw this coming way back when. I sure didn’t, blinded by my own blowtorch.