We know what we would like, here in Southern California. A Freeway Series. Finally. We won’t get it. But it could be fun, anyway. Here’s how I see things unfolding, the next four weeks: (And this is the updated/corrected version; you’d think I was hurrying to get to an airport, or something.)

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Manny Ramirez prompted me to think of this anew. Ballplayers, even many of the greatest  ballplayers on the planet … look like regular people. Sure, “why should they not?”, you’re saying. Well, because if you spend much time hanging around football or basketball teams, it can be jarring to realize that an elite athlete, someone […]

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This would seem to qualify as a “Well, duh,” moment. The Associated Press did its annual “roundup for league leaders story,” with the baseball regular-season ending … and Torii Hunter of the Angels was frank enough to suggest that the lowest homer pace since 1993 was about steroids being (mostly, it would seem) driven out […]

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This is sort of the Holy Grail of Southland big-league baseball. The Dodgers vs. the Angels in the World Series. SoCal print journalists have been writing about this concept almost from the minute the Angels were created, in 1961. And it’s never come close to happening. I can remember a dozen times when we did […]

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David Lassen of the Ventura County Star sent this along to me. About a guy impersonating a Dodger. And it came with this notation: “No, it’s not Andruw Jones. I checked.” Ooh. Good line.

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You might think an unranked team (say, Oregon State) pulling an upset of the nations’ top-ranked team (say, USC) would be a rarity. Turns out, it’s been done nine times in the past 20 years, so it’s not an event quite as rare as Halley’s Comet. Here is a link to the list of unrankeds […]

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A “great” USC team, loaded with the country’s top prep talent, praised and lauded after impressive  non-conference victories … loses to a mediocre-to-bad Pac-10 team. Happened twice in 2006. Twice more in 2007. And once, already, in 2008. Oregon State 27, USC 21. That’s 25-and-a-half-point underdog Oregon State […]

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At some point in my life, long ago, I entertained the notion of how fabulous it would be to work as a traveling baseball writer. One hundred and sixty-two Dodgers games a year, baby! And that’s on top of spring training! Uh, no. You really don’t want that. Unless you’re a freak about ball … […]

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Just musing, after carrying a huge, bright red box labeled “Trojan Condoms” to the recycle bin … At what age does taking that now-empty case of, uh, amorous accessories — become more of a laugh-out-loud moment than a potential point of pride? I’m not sure, but I know I definitely am on the high side […]

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Manny Ramirez hit a home run. So did a suddenly spry Nomar Garciaparra. Clayton Kershaw was competent. And the Dodgers clinched a share of the NL West regular-season title by battering the Padres, 12-4, tonight — up four with four games to play. Which could make for a rather odd “celebration” Thursday.

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