Sixty Two Years Later, It’s Still Time For Dodger Baseball

While one baseball legend walked away from the game, another announced he would give it one more go.

On the same day Lou Piniella managed his final baseball game, Dodgers announcer Vin Scully announced his voice would serenade Dodgers fans across the city, state, and country for a 62nd year.

The announcement came as a relief to many who felt Vin, as Dodgers fans have come to call him, would hang up the mic after this season. Vin himself said 2010 would make sense as his final year. But no year will ever make sense for the voice of baseball to go quiet.

Manny’s Return Only Adds Fuel To An Already Burning House

[[Updated 8/21/10 5:04 p.m.]] Coming off another loss that saw the offense go out with a whimper, the Dodgers will welcome Manny Ramirez back to their anemic lineup.

Prior to their 3-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, there was news that Ramirez  could be activated from the disabled list as soon as tonight. That news was confirmed Saturday as he will bat third in the lineup. Ramirez will return after a three-game rehab stint in Class-A Inland Empire. The Dodgers made room for Ramirez by designating infielder Juan Castro for assignment.

Padres Bolster Lineup By Adding Ludwick, Tejada Before Deadline

The San Diego Padres helped out their top-ranked pitching staff by adding some lumber to their roster at the trade deadline.

The Padres acquired outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-team deal which also involved the Cleveland Indians. The Cardinals received pitcher Jake Westbrook from the Indians and minor league pitcher Nick Greenwood from the Padres.

Greenwood, a 14th-round pick in 2009, was 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA in Class-A for the Padres.

The Padres also sent right-hander Corey Kluber to the Indians as part of the deal. Kluber was 6-6 with a 3.45 ERA in double-A for the Padres.

Dodgers Add Dotel, Ship Out McDonald

About a half hour after the trade deadline passed, the LA Times reported that the Dodgers acquired veteran reliever Octavio Dotel from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Dodgers shipped pitcher James McDonald and minor-league outfielder Andrew Lambo to the Pirates.

Dotel will likely join the team on Sunday for the series finale against the Giants. He is 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA and 21 saves. The 36-year-old reliever should add some relief to a bullpen missing one of its horses as Ronald Bellisario remains on the restricted list as he undergoes substance-abuse treatment.

It’s an overall good move for the team as the Pirates also handed over $500,000 to help the team pay for the remainder of Dotel’s $3.25 million salary for this season. The Dodgers will likely not pick up his $4.25 million option after the season, making this a rent-a-player scenario for the team.

Make or Break Stretch for the Blue Crew

Billingsley Continues To Deal In 2-0 Win Vs. Padres

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 2-0 Tuesday, getting within five games of the Padres in the N.L. West. The victory was the first step in a 10-game stretch in which the Dodgers will play the two teams ahead of them in the division standings.

After the next two games against the Padres, they travel to San Francisco to take on the N.L. Wild Card leading Giants and then finish off with a four-game series against the Padres next week at Dodger Stadium.

With the trade deadline just days away, this stretch will make or break the Dodgers’ chances to take down the division (Note: The Dodgers made one move already, reportedly dealing top catching prospect Lucas May and class-A pitcher Elisaul Pimentel to Kansas City for Scott Podsednik).

Stuck In Reverse With No Help In Sight

Lucky No. 6

A week ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers were tied atop the N.L. Wild Card standings with the Colorado Rockies and just two games behind the N.L. West leading San Diego Padres.

A week ago the Dodgers looked like they were just a pitching ace away from making a real charge at the N.L Pennant.

But a week later, the sky is falling and the boys in blue are just as likely to blow up the team rather than add any help at the July 31st trade deadline.

With the embarrasing loss Tuesday night to the San Francisco Giants that included a near bean ball war, a dropped flyball in left field by someone not named Manny Ramirez and a blunder that necessitated the appearance of much-maligned reliever George Sherrill, the Dodgers are on the verge of collapse.

It’s Time! A Ringside Recap Of The Experience That Was Carwin vs. Lesnar

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin

A sellout crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and an expected one million pay-per-view buys can’t be wrong. 

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was a card for the ages with the best collection of fights since UFC 100, culminated by the UFC version of Ali vs. Foreman. 

For a first-time attendee at a UFC event, the atmosphere was incredible and the action was nonstop. Walking through the concourse littered with UFC merchandise and a pull-up bar for fans to test their strength against one another. The only thing missing was a mini-octagon to have the rabid fans try out their Jiu-Jitsu on each other. 

Walking through the tunnel and looking down at the Octagon is a sight one is never truly prepared for. On television, the proving ground for these gladiators appears to be a massive cage of death, but on close inspection it’s an impressive, yet much smaller than expected apparatus.