It's sad to see Baylor leave this way, considering the 22 years of extreme loyalty he has shown Donald Sterling and the Clipper organization.

Baylor has had one of the most fascinating careers of anyone in the NBA. Up until his death, Chick Hearn always said that Baylor was the best player he ever saw. And Baylor was the first real superstar in Los Angeles basketball history when the Lakers moved here from Minneapolis.

He became the Clippers GM in 1986 and developed one of the worst track records of any executive to ever run any NBA team. However, his record should be viewed in context. Conventional wisdom has always been that Baylor was repeatedly hamstrung by Donald Sterling, who prevented the GM from acquiring any players that were remotely expensive. If reports are to believed, Baylor had numerous trade deals killed by Sterling and his tight budget, and the Clippers were never serious contenders for any high quality free agent. This manifested itself in the Clippers being an organization of misery, one in which players wanted to get out as quickly as they arrived.

When Baylor finally was given the opportunity to use a larger portion of the salary cap, he wound up acquiring Elton Brand and a host of complementary players that would lead the Clippers to the Western Conference Semi-Finals in 2006 and earn Baylor Executive of the Year honors.

Still, I would argue that Baylor deserves plenty of responsibility for the shortcomings of the Clippers through the past two decades. When a GM is running a team on a tight budget, it is incumbent on that GM to be creative. Prior to about 2000 or 2001, what Baylor was allowed to try, failed spectacularly for the most part.

Additionally, low-budget GMs need to draft well, and no GM in NBA history has drafted more first round busts than Baylor. His list of first round draft picks includes Reggie Williams, Joe Wolf, Danny Ferry (who refused to play in LA), Bo Kimble, LeRon Ellis, Randy Woods, Elmore Spencer, Terry Dehere, Lamond Murray, Greg Minor, Lorenzen Wright, Michael Olowokandi, Darius Miles, Melvin Ely, and Yaroslav Korolev. It's very hard to build a strong organization, when your team almost goes 0-for-the-1990s in the draft, especially when most of those picks are in the lottery. Baylor's best picks in the 1990s were his draft day trade for Brent Barry, his pick of decent power forward Loy Vaught, and his selection of Lamar Odom, even though Odom was never happy with the Clippers and left for Miami as soon as he could.

Still, some time around 2000 or 20001, something seemed to click for Baylor. While Sterling opened up the purse strings a bit, Baylor started making some very solid moves. He made several clever moves on draft day in 2000 including one that brought in Corey Maggette, and on draft day in 2001, he acquired Elton Brand. Some of his other moves also worked out, as he traded Marko Jaric for Sam Cassell, recognized that he shouldn't give max contracts to Maurice Taylor and Michael Olowokandi, and shrewdly drafted Chris Kaman and Al Thornton.

Unfortunately for Baylor, he was also the victim of bad luck and difficult circumstances. The franchise very nearly stole Kobe Bryant from the Lakers, but ultimately that didn't work out. Shaun Livingston suffered one of the worst knee injuries one could ever witness, and his career stalled as a result. And just days after pulling off a coup in signing Baron Davis, Baylor saw his organization get screwed over by Elton Brand who signed with Philadelphia after leading the Clippers to believe he'd stay.

By the last few years of Baylor's tenure, it also seemed like Mike Dunleavy was effectively calling the shots in the front office. Still, Baylor never publicly complained, and he appeared to play an important role in the decision-making process. Oddly enough, Dunleavy now takes over the GM role at a time when just months earlier, he was feuding with Sterling through TJ Simers' columns in the LA Times. One wonders just how this situation will play itself out.

At the end of the day, Baylor is a great basketball man, who showed remarkable loyalty to the Clippers organization for years. While it's unfair to blame him for most of the Clippers misfortunes -- that responsibility ultimately lies with the owner -- he does deserve criticism for his draft picks and many of his smaller scale moves. Still, I'd argue that in the past few years, Baylor has been a pretty solid GM, and the Clippers should be praising his years of service rather than forcing him out the door.

At the age of 74, it seems unlikely that Baylor will become an NBA GM again. This may be an opportune time for him to be reconnected with the Laker organization though, where he enjoyed his playing success, and serve as some sort of consultant. He has plenty of basketball wisdom to offer.

James Loney once again stepped up with a big hit and Russell Martin seems like he's in a zone for the playoffs. Hiroki Kuroda, Cory Wade, and Jonathan Broxton all got out of jams, preventing the Cubs from doing any damage. Broxton really seemed to grow up tonight, and his stuff looked about as good as I've ever seen it.

Next the Dodgers face either the Phillies or the Brewers. With the way the team has played over the past few weeks, one would think that LA will be the favorite in the NLCS. The Phillies are a stronger team with one of the best lineups in the game. Their pitching staff isn't that strong after Cole Hamels, and their bullpen is above-average but not spectacular. Milwaukee limped into the playoffs, and I'm not sure if they have much left. They need to rely on CC Sabathia getting fabulous starts, but that might not happen if he keeps going on short rest.

Regardless, tonight's victory is certainly one to savor for Dodgers. There's been a ton of frustration with this team for past 20 years, and it's great to see them finally breakthrough.

Now we'll see how the Dodgers do against an excellent pitcher in Rich Harden. The Dodgers need to continue working the count against Harden (who doesn't have a ton of stamina), and try to get to the bullpen early.

So far the Cubs have dominated the national media narrative for this series. While I'd like to see the Dodgers get a little more credit for their solid play since the Ramirez deal, it's not bad for the pressure to be place upon someone else.

--After winning 100 regular season games, the Angels are now down 2-0 in their series with the Red Sox. The Angels have a terrific team, but I don't like how their roster is built for the postseason.

I've always felt that power is an underrated commodity in the postseason, and acquiring Mark Teixeira didn't turn the Angels into a great power hitting team overnight. They don't have the power depth to match the Red Sox. The Halos had 11 hits tonight, and 10 of them were singles.

Pitching-wise, the Angels are stronger than Boston on paper, but in a short series the Red Sox have the horses to compete. Also, the Halos have to be disappointed with their "Cy Young candidate" or "MVP candidate" in Francisco Rodriguez. As I noted a few weeks ago, his record save total would be far more impressive if he didn't also have 6 blown saves. Tonight, he threw a fastball to JD Drew, right as Buck Martinez said on TBS that he absolutely shouldn't, and Drew crushed it to centerfield for the game-winning home run. That home run alone might have knocked $1 million off of K-Rod's annual salary for his next contract negotiation.

The Angels do have some hope in Game 3, largely because I don't think Josh Beckett is pitching healthy. But to win this series, the Halos may need some help from heaven.

--Finally, congratulations to Candace Parker on winning the WNBA MVP Award for the Los Angeles Sparks. It's a shame though that the Sparks were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the San Antonio Silver Stars.

The Dodgers were effective offensively because of their plate discipline. Ryan Dempster struggled with the Dodger hitters all night, but staved off bad situations until his 108th pitch in the 5th inning resulted in Loney's Grand Slam. This allowed the Dodgers to face the bullpen early, and they gradually added to the lead.

The Dodgers are also significantly boosted by the presence of Rafael Furcal in the lineup. He might not be 100%, but I'd argue that Frucal at 75% is better than a healthy Angel Berroa or Nomar Gaciaparra playing with whatever ails him on any particular day. The Dodger pitching staff hasn't gotten the credit it's deserved all season long, and the bullpen is underrated too. Making Greg Maddux the closer tonight though was, well, very interesting.

Now all of the pressure in this series is on the Cubs. They were the team on the cover of Sports Illustrated last week, and they have everyone in Cubs nation hoping and praying that they're destined to win it all in the 100th anniversary of their last title. Game 1's result has much of Cubs nation freaking out.

How Oregon State slowed down USC is still a mystery to me. Somehow, every receiver looked covered. Somehow, the line broke down. Surprisingly, Mark Sanchez looked lackluster under pressure. And there wasn't much consistency to the running game.

Defensively, USC just couldn't stop Jacquizz Rodgers to save their lives. The Trojan defense may have a lot of big bodies and hard hitters, but none of them could get low enough to tackle the tiny Rodgers. His longest run was only 15 yards, but he consistently earned sizable gains on the ground, milked the clock, and kept the Trojan offense off the field.

When USC lost to Oregon State two years ago, it was because they committed too many turnovers. Last night, the Trojans got flat-out beat. It's a bit unfair that college football doesn't have a playoff system, and that it doesn't allow title contending teams to have a bad day. But considering how awful the Pac-10 has looked this season, it would take a tidal wave of losses like last year for USC to have any hope of a national championship.

In the meantime, the Trojans have to be very concerned about injuries. Shareece Wright is already out, but Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Zack Heberer, and Taylor Mays are also on the injury report.

--The Dodgers are in pretty good shape heading into the playoffs. They'll open on the road, but unless the Brewers win the Wild Card, they'll face an NL East team that will probably be operating on short rest with a pitching rotation that is out of sync. The Phillies and Mets both have something to play for this weekend, and both will have to deal with bad weather which could extend their seasons.

Right now, the Dodgers are looking to use Derek Lowe in Game 1 and Chad Billingsley in Game 2. As great as Greg Maddux is, he's done nothing this season to show he belongs on the playoff roster. Hiroki Kuroda will probably pitch Game 3, but if Joe Torre needs a fourth starter in the NLDS, then one would hope he'd pick Clayton Kershaw.

It seems like the Phillies or Mets would be the best the matchup for the Dodgers in the NLDS, and the Cubs would likely be the toughest. But frankly all of the NL playoff teams have holes and anything can happen in a short series.

--There's been a number of changes in LA sports talk radio over the past few weeks. KLAC 570 will replace Joe McDonnell's local show with a new syndicated program hosted by Tony Bruno. I have two reactions to this.

First, it's disappointing to see that KLAC now has only two original weekday shows that cover local sports. That's the same number as 710 AM ESPN Radio. Is there a belief that local sports fans aren't interested in talking about their teams on the air? Does LA have so many sports fans from out of town that we'd rather have more national sports shows? Or is this all about finances? I'm not sure of the answer, but I would love to listen to more local sports talk radio, particularly in the morning when Dan Patrick and Mike & Mike are currently heard.

Second, I think Tony Bruno is as good as any sports talk host in the country. I understand that people might not agree with that. But I'm thrilled he's back on the airwaves. His show offers a very unique perspective on the sports world and he's often very funny on the air. Also, while I'm not sure how much of his show will cover local sports, he will broadcast out of the KLAC studios in Burbank with Tim Cates who was on McDonnell's show. Bruno had a particularly revealing interview on Deadspin over the summer that I recommend reading.

As for McDonnell, he will almost certainly be on another station in LA soon enough. He's never off the air for too long here.

In other local sports talk, Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton has stopped doing his Saturday show on KLAC, and he has also left XTRA Sports 1360 in San Diego after he came to a "mutual" agreement with ClearChannel to not renew his contract. Reportedly, he appears to be moving to satellite radio and Chris "Mad Dog" Russo's new station.

I, for one, will miss Hacksaw on the local airwaves. His shouting of random SoCal suburbs, his unbridled passion, his oddly pretentious comments, and his bizarre and seemingly made up rumors were all oddly endearing. Hacksaw was one of the few sports talk show hosts out there who really tried to carry his show on substance, yet his style was certainly one of a kind. It's a shame that Hacksaw has made some offensive comments on the air over the years and that he burned bridges with the San Diego Chargers, because he is one of the most underrated play-by-play announcers out there. He's done the Chargers, USC football, Seahawks, and several other teams over the years, and technically and stylistically, he's excellent at calling the action.

There was a time when Hacksaw dominated the local airwaves, when XTRA 690 was the only sports talk station here. The San Diego Union & Tribune has an interesting article measuring his impact on local sports radio. And of course, Hacksaw had some very unsurprising words for Jay Posner, who wrote the story.

“I had one more quote I wanted to give you,” Hamilton said. “Who wants to hire the best sports talk show host in America?”

In the meantime, you can listen to my own sports talk show, every Monday from 12 PM to 1 PM on KSCR 1560 AM and KSCR.org.

Ohio State is clearly unable to handle a team with speed on offense. Yet it was a bit unnerving how they dominated time of possession in the first-half and seemed to throw the ball effectively before holding penalties derailed them. USC may look like the best team in the country right now. But even with a blowout win over Ohio State, I actually think they could have played better.

--UCLA's 59-0 loss to BYU was absolutely stunning. This is the third time in the last calendar year that these two teams have played, and Dewayne Walker was on the sidelines for all three of those games. He should have known exactly what BYU would do offensively. And while Kevin Craft is not the long-term answer at UCLA, BYU isn't exactly known for its defense.

I think UCLA was hurt by the absence of Khalil Bell and any semblance of a running game. But the Bruins were probably a bit overconfident after defeating Tennessee.

--I'd be more impressed with Francisco Rodriguez's 58 saves if he didn't also have 6 blown saves. Sure it's great that the saves record is held by a SoCal baseball player. But it's more a product of circumstance than anything else. K-Rod is a very good closer, but the Angels have an amazing pitching staff, an offense that doesn't generate a ton of runs, and a first-class middle-relief corps that's helped create tons of save opportunities.

K-Rod is better than Bobby Thigpen, who did absolutely nothing after his 57-save season, but any team would be nuts to give Rodriguez a $15 million a year contract.

--The Dodgers are the hottest team in the National League right now thanks Manny Ramirez, and I think they're well-positioned to win the NL. It looks like the Dodgers will be motivated to give Ramirez a big deal in the off-season, and then they'll have to find a trade partner for Juan Pierre... even if they have to pick up some salary.

Mark Sanchez showed no ill effects from his dislocated knee injury, and was smooth and poised in the pocket. He only had two bad throws by count, but for the most part, he made excellent decisions, he used the whole field, he threw to eight different receivers, and he even showed some mobility. Quite honestly, Sanchez looked about as good as John David Booty ever did, and he left no doubt that he's the leader of the team on offense.

But Sanchez didn't do it alone. The Trojan offensive line gave him plenty of time. Their run blocking was phenomenal. Joe McKnight shifted his feet as well as any running back I've seen in college. CJ Gable had a few great runs. Allen Bradford got some tough yards. Anthony McCoy had a few quality receptions. The entire receiving corps looked like they erased last year's woes with Vidal Hazelton proving to be a good possession receiver, Damian Williams living up to his potential as a transfer from Arkansas, Patrick Turner showing he has a nice rapport with Sanchez, and Ronald Johnson making two terrific catches.

Defensively, the Trojans stuffed the Virginia run, severely pressured Peter Lalich even though he was in shotgun formation for most of the game, and covered most of his receivers down the field. Let's also not forget that USC didn't exactly open their season against a weak mid-major or a I-AA school like many other BCS conference teams. They were willing to go across the country and play in some pretty awful humidity on the home field of a team that made the Gator Bowl last year. Virginia is in a bit of a transition year, but they still have a solid program. These kinds of wins make serious statements.

Next, USC turns their attention to Ohio State, who might be without Heisman candidate RB Chris Wells. Let's hope he's healthy enough to play. It would be great to see two of the best teams in college football go head to head at full strength, with no potential excuses for a loss.

--UCLA's dramatic 27-24 overtime win over Tennessee was both surprising and impressive. Virtually no one gave UCLA a chance with a new offense and a third-string QB going up against one of the better SEC programs. But the UCLA defense kept the Bruins in the game, thanks to some great pressure in the middle of their defensive line. Tennessee is also going with a new offensive system, and it showed they were trying to adjust, but credit the Bruins for frustrating Johnathan Crompton and forcing him to make bad throws. I was a bit surprised that the Volunteers didn't try to run the football more, where they had success.

The big story was obviously Kevin Craft, who had four interceptions in the first half, yet turned things around with an excellent fourth quarter. Craft showed he can make some high-quality underneath throws, but needs to work on his passes to the outside. He has a tendency to let the ball float too much in the air, but he did settle down late in the game and was much more efficient. UCLA is going to have to run the football better if they want to win more, especially if Khalil Bell is seriously injured, but I was very impressed with the fight that UCLA showed in light of losing three key players.

Rick Neuheisel's presence is already being felt as the Bruins seemed to play with an extra bit of spirit and toughness, despite being the lesser talented team. UCLA teams I've seen in the past might have quit, as their offensive line was beaten fairly well. But the Bruins displayed an impressive never-say-die attitude, and suddenly they look like a very dangerous team for anyone in the Pac-10 to play. This was also a great win for the conference, to get one over the stubborn and arrogant SEC, a conference that often claims its the best while simultaneously shying away from quality non-conference opponents.

--Majestic Realty VP John Semcken said earlier this week that he has "no doubt" an NFL team will play in Los Angeles in 2009, most likely at the Rose Bowl, in an interview with the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Semcken has worked with Ed Roski on a proposed City of Industry football stadium plan that we've covered extensively on this site. In the meantime, a Minnesota Vikings executive told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that owner Zygi Wilf has turned down overtures to move his team to the site.

It's really difficult to know exactly what is going with teams potentially moving, but the Vikings did seem a little less likely than potential suitors such as the Chargers, Jaguars, Bills, and Raiders to move to LA.

In a bit of a surprise, Aaron Corp is now the No. 2 QB on the depth chart for USC, ahead of Mitch Mustain. I guess Mustain just isn't a great fit for the USC offense, and if I were him, and I was the No. 1 QB recruit in the country a few years ago and now I'm the 3rd-string quarterback on my team, then I would transfer.

--After losing to the Nationals last night, the Dodgers have lost six in a row, and are falling apart at a crucial juncture of the season. They're still just 3 games back, but they haven't exactly inspired hope in their fans.

The performances show that just "making a move" or getting "a bat" isn't exactly a panacea. Team performance goes beyond one simple quick fix. Teams win or lose based on adhering to a strong organization philosophy and vision. The Dodgers have tried to do too many different things in recent years, and the team lacks an identity. Also, right now their bullpen is sort of a random collection of rag-tag pitchers and their veteran players are really really old and not nearly as productive as they used to be.

When people long for the old "Dodger Way", they long for a time when the organization reflected continuity and built through the farm. Manny Ramirez does make the Dodgers a better team, but if they want to sustain success, then they have to be patient and let themselves build from within.

--If you haven't checked out the LA Times' Olympic coverage yet, then you should. Their Ticket to Beijing blog is one of the most comprehensive sites I've seen yet on the Olympics. It seems like the Times sent half their staff to Beijing, and they have some high-quality results to show for it.

--The Times also broke news that the Dodgers have traded for Greg Maddux. Given Brad Penny's recent injury, the Dodgers could certainly use another pitcher. Greg Maddux is a shell of his former self, but he's better than Eric Stults and more reliable than Chan Ho Park. Rob Neyer points out that Maddux has been a league-average pitcher for most of the past few years, but the Dodgers got a taste of his value two years ago. Not only was Maddux phenomenal in his two months in LA in 2006, but he was a valuable teacher and mentor for every pitcher on the Dodgers staff. Perhaps he can help with the development of Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley -- who have been doing great so far -- just as much as he'll help on the mound.

--Jeff Kent is an absolute disgrace. In TJ Simers' column yesterday, Kent bashed Vin Scully, and said he was insulted by those who claim he's hitting better recently because he's batting ahead of Manny Ramirez in the lineup. Kent claimed that Scully "talks too much," referred to him as "some guy," and added: "I've been here four years and I have never seen Vin Scully down here in the clubhouse...How does Vin Scully know me? How does Vin Scully know Derek Lowe?"

No idea how Derek Lowe got thrown in there, and apparently neither does Lowe, who disavowed any involvement in this.

For nearly 60 years Scully has diligently called Dodger games and he means everything to Los Angeles baseball. The Dodgers are as popular as they are today because of the job Vin Scully has done behind the microphone, spanning generations of local baseball fans, and educating us all on the game. He is the greatest announcer in the history of sports, and there is virtually no debate about that. No one else is even close. He is LA's local treasure, he's the classiest man alive, and I feel incredibly fortunate that I still get to listen to his voice every time I watch a Dodger game.

This past week I was in Cooperstown, NY, and I made a point of finding Scully's picture in the broadcaster's wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame. There's a decent chance that Kent will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown as well, but I think the Hall should establish a "Jerk's Wing" as well, starting with Ty Cobb, Eddie Murray, and Jeff Kent as charter members.

In the previous bullet point, I noted how great Greg Maddux has been in working with young players, and how he has been a terrific mentor for his teammates. On a young Dodger team, I've never once heard that the veteran Kent has done a thing to help his teammates develop and grow. Instead he called out Matt Kemp and others last year, he argues and whines with umpires more than anyone I've ever seen in the game, and his own performance has declined for the past few years.

As for Kent's actual comments about his recent improvement (he's hitting .500 while ahead of Ramirez in the lineup), there has actually been a great deal of statistical work that has shown that lineup order and hitting in front of an RBI man doesn't necessarily correlate to improved performance. That being said, there are a tiny handful of extraordinary power hitters who are so great that they do alter the way a pitcher approaches a lineup. A pitcher is more likely to throw strikes to a guy batting in front of a super slugger than he is to most other players. Manny Ramirez is in that exclusive group. So is Barry Bonds, and Kent had some rather dramatic splits hitting in front of him when the two played in San Francisco... like in 2002 when the Giants made the World Seires.

No less an authority than Joe Torre, a future Hall of Fame manager, agreed with Scully's points.

"I think it's helped [Kent]," Torre said in the column. "Jeff is a good enough hitter in his own right, and being a good hitter he has the patience to take advantage of a pitcher who doesn't want to walk the guy who bats ahead of Manny."

Jeff Kent should be ashamed of himself for saying anything negative about Vin Scully. If he's smart, then he'll apologize before tomorrow night's game.

--Much has been written about the buzz Manny Ramirez has generated in Los Angeles, and how much he has helped the Dodger brand. I was very high on the move when it was made almost three weeks ago. I do want to dispel one misconception about Ramirez's value that I hear mentioned on sports talk radio periodically. Ramirez may help Dodger merchandise sales, but that doesn't really matter. All Major League Baseball teams share revenue on MLB-licensed products. If you were to go to Foot Locker or Champs Sporting Goods tomorrow, and buy a No. 99 Ramirez jersey or t-shirt, then the Dodgers would collect just as much money on that purchase as the Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, or Boston Red Sox.

The only place where the Dodgers would keep all of the money from a merchandise sale is at Dodger Stadium or at a team-owned store, like the one at Universal Citywalk. Home ballparks and team-owned stores are the only locations where an MLB club collects all of the revenue off a merchandise purchase. So while Ramirez may be helping the Dodgers bottom line with improved attendance, the extra jerseys he sells only makes a tiny dent.

--The Los Angeles Galaxy today announced the Bruce Arena would take over as GM and Head Coach of the team. Apparently the Ruud Gullit experiment didn't work out, and Alexi Lalas never assembled any quality depth on the roster after the handful of superstars that AEG helped bring in for him, like David Beckham and Landon Donovan. There's no question that the Galaxy are better off now than they were before.

Bruce Arena is the greatest American soccer coach ever, having won 5 NCAA titles at Virginia, 2 MLS Cups with DC United, and took the US to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup. I once read an article that called Bruce Arena "the Bill Parcells of soccer", and he's the type of coach who knows how to build a winning atmosphere in a locker room. This is a move that Galaxy fans should be excited about.

--UCLA Football named Kevin Craft as its starting quarterback today. He only got the job after both Patrick Cowan and Ben Olson got injured. Honestly, I'd be very surprised if Craft played the whole season, as redshirt freshman Chris Forcier offers some potential at the position. Craft is a former San Diego State and Mt. Sac QB, and I've heard mixed reviews about his training camp performance. He sort of got the job by default. I like Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow, but this is going to be a transition year for the Bruins. I wouldn't expect too much from UCLA in the new coaching staff's first season.

--In the meantime, everyone wants to know who will be USC's starting QB at Virginia on August 30. There's a possibility it will be Mark Sanchez, who is healing quickly from his knee injury. I'm a little surprised that Mitch Mustain hasn't had a better training camp, or even separated himself from Aaron Corp in the competition for No. 2 on the depth chart. Mustain did go 8-0 as a starter at Arkansas, but perhaps USC's offense isn't suited to his strengths.

Rob McMillin at 6-4-2 blogs that Wills is defensible for his achivements as a player, but not for what happened after. it makes him suspicious not just of Streeter, but of the Times.

--If the Dodgers fail to sign Ramirez to a long-term contract, then they will likely receive two draft picks as compensation for losing him, assuming he's offered arbitration. If the team that signs Manny Ramirez drafts outside the top-15, then they receive that team's pick, and a supplemental pick between the first and second round. If that team drafts in the top-15, then the Dodgers receive their second round pick and still keeps the supplemental pick. I hope that's clear.

--The Dodgers took advantage of the Red Sox apparent desperation to get rid of Manny Ramirez. The Red Sox have been desperate to get rid of his act before, exposing him to waivers in 2004, nearly trading him for A-Rod at one point, nearly sending him to the Mets at another point, and he's been dangled many times before. But they always held onto him, and he helped Boston win two World Series. This time however, Manny's antics were too much to bear for the Red Sox, and they were insistent on getting rid of him, that they gave up two decent prospects and agreed to pay his salary. In order to succeed in baseball, organizations must be opportunistic. The Dodgers took advantage of a unique opportunity in this case.

--As Kevin Roderick points out, there has been some serious concern about the "baggage" that Ramirez brings to LA. I haven't been in the Red Sox clubhouse, so I have no idea how much of a problem he's really been. Evidently, he was problematic enough that the Red Sox upped the ante to trade him. But I'm not as pessimistic about Ramirez being an organizational cancer as some others.

The fact is, Manny is now a certain free agent after this season. He reportedly wants a 4-year $100 million contract. I find it hard to believe anyone will pay that much for his services through his 40th birthday. But if Manny really wants to have any chance at that salary, then he has to perform at his best in the next 2 months. I think he recognizes that. I also believe that Ramirez will be motivated to prove the Red Sox nation wrong, and a motivated Manny is an effective Manny.

Since he'll only be here for two months, I'd be shocked if his act will wear thin. He already has the "Manny being Manny" mantra, and teammates will likely expect the bizarre from him and possibly embrace it.

--It's true that Ramirez weakens the Dodgers defenisvely. In fact, the Dodgers may have one of the worst defensive teams in baseball on days in which Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra, Juan Pierre, Casey Blake, and Ramirez are all in the lineup. The presence of Ramirez in the outfield practically mandates that Kemp and Ethier start, just to mitigate that effect. I don't believe that Blake's as bad defensively as some have suggested, but his range isn't great, and it's compounded if Nomar is playing shortstop.

At the end of the day though, I agree with TJ Simers' and Keith Law's takes as the trade was a no-brainer for LA because of what was involved, and that it will make the Dodgers the favorites in the West.

Not sure what this does to the Dodger outfield situation, but on the surface, the team has certainly made a huge splash and not sacrificed too much. If the Dodgers were really trying to top the Angels' Teixeira deal, then I'd say they can credibly say "my rental is better than your rental." More to come later...

Update

I've been slightly critical of the Dodgers in the past, saying that they shouldn't be making short-term deals to satisfy the local media and create headlines. Great organizations never put themselves in position to resort to such gimmicks. It's as if the organization saw yesterday's Bill Plaschke video at LATimes.com, and accepted the challenge to match the Angels. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick writes about a litany of deals that were made to satisfy short-term desires, and turned out to hurt the organization. Too often, the LA media pushes the Dodgers or the Angels into making these deals without fully understanding the implications, and then bashes them when they fail to wave the magic wand. Very rarely does one move change an organization, and very rarely are one-sided moves even feasible.

So with that all of that being said, I really like this deal for the Dodgers. Yes, it's a short-term gimmick that will grab headlines and appease the local pundits. But Manny Ramirez is a special player. He is one the great power hitters of our generation and he is still putting up terrific numbers. He also has the personality to thrive in this city which puts a premium on superstars. Ramirez puts an instant shot into the arm of a brand that had been sagging somewhat this year.

In all likelihood, Ramirez is a short-term rental. But I don't think that's a problem. For one, the lift he is bringing this franchise is enormous, even if it is unquantifiable. Secondly, the Dodgers gave up a more than reasonable package for him. Bryan Morris is a high-ceiling pitcher, but he's already had Tommy John Surgery, and is at least three years away.

A lot of people like Andy LaRoche, but the Dodgers were going to need to trade him at some point to make room for Blake DeWitt. Given the current dynamic between the Dodgers, the organization, the fans, and the media, LaRoche was setup to fail. It seemed like few people had the patience to watch him develop, he was setback by injuries just enough for impatient types to believe he was a bust, and he didn't put up stellar numbers in the very small sample size of at-bats he was given. If LaRoche had been handed the 3B job full-time, and gotten off to a mediocre start, then he might have been ridden out of town. I don't think LaRoche is the next Paul Konerko, who this town also soured on quickly, but I do think he has the talent to be a quality everyday major leaguer. But I also think that DeWitt has a higher ceiling. So at the end of the day, LaRoche was expendable.

With Ramirez in the lineup, the Dodgers get some much-needed power. And it's not just any power. Ramirez has slugging ability that just a tiny handful of MLBers can match. In fact, he's arguably the greatest power hitter to ever wear a Dodger uniform for any length of time. Eddie Murray and Frank Robinson are the only other Dodgers to have ever hit 500 home runs.

The Dodgers are now the clear favorites in the NL West, and given Ramirez's excellent postseason history with the Red Sox, their odds look better in October.

The only other question now is what the Dodgers will do with their crowded outfield. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have both proven they're everyday major leaguers, and it would stunt their development to take them out of the lineup. Andruw Jones has proven that he has no business being in the lineup. And Juan Pierre continues to be a topic of hot debate. I wouldn't be surprised if the Dodgers chose to outright Jones to the minors (provided he accepts). If he doesn't accept, then Jones would be a free agent. Either way, he'd be owed all of the money on his contract, but Jones has been so inexplicably awful that they really might not have a choice.

There's little question that Teixeira is a top-flight power hitter, and he will absolutely make a difference in the Angels lineup. The Angels were probably going to the playoffs without him, but they needed someone who could get a big hit in the playoffs, and Teixeira is a better guy to count on in the middle of the order than what the Halos have been working with lately.

Still, Teixeira is a free agent after this season, and his agent Scott Boras is going to demand an astronomical contract for his client. Boras will probably play the market to drive up Teixeira's price, and it's not clear if the Angels will pay him in the neighborhood of $20 million a year for the long-term.

If the Angels lose him, then they've effectively given up Casey Kotchman for nothing. While there's plenty of argument among Halo circles as to how promising a young player Kotchman actually is, he's been the third-best hitter on the team and seemingly still has room to grow. The Angels may figure though that they could lose Teixeira in the off-season, and at least find a comparable first baseman to Kotchman statistically at a low price.

Overall, this move will satisfy Angels fans who have been begging the organization to make a move. Sometimes, I think MLB teams have to be careful not to make a trade just to make one and satisfy some sort of primal urge. One could argue that's the case here. The trade makes the Angels a better team this year, and possibly years to come if Teixeira re-signs. Their odds of going to the World Series have just improved. But in the long-run, the Angels will either be saddled with an expensive contract that could hurt their payroll flexibility, or they will have created a hole at first base in exchagne for two good months of offensive production. It's a calculated gamble.

The trade has drawn a wide mix of reactions from all sides of the baseball community. For the remainder of this season, the deal clearly helps the Dodgers. Casey Blake isn't an all-star, but he's an above-average hitter, who has some power, and his bat will add a sorely-needed boost to a Dodger team that has been inconsistent offensively all season long.

He's a significant upgrade over Blake DeWitt, who has been awful since he was NL Rookie of the Month back in May. At this point, it's best for DeWitt's development to play every day in AAA. He wasn't even supposed to be in the majors this season, and while he's talented, MLB scouting reports figured him out and he hasn't learned to adjust yet.

Blake will also be starting every day over Andy LaRoche, a third baseman who draws a wide variety of opinions. Scroll through Jon Weisman's Dodger Thoughts blog, and you'll find plenty of people who think that LaRoche has the talent to be a very good ballplayer, but bemoan that he's been jerked around by the organization and never given a fair a opportunity. It seems as though the mainstream LA media, such as the LA Times, has never been high on LaRoche, and they don't like what they've seen in the few snippets of playing time he's received.

If LaRoche hadn't torn a thumb ligament in spring training, then he almost certainly would have received the opportunity many felt he deserved. But now, at 24, he's almost too old to be a prospect, and one can't help but feel that the Dodgers organization has soured on him. There are still plenty of teams that like LaRoche, and I'd expect him to be traded in the offseason.

Blake also doesn't figure into the Dodgers future plans, as he's 34 years old, and a free agent after the season. For now, he's a rental down the stretch.

Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus is critical of the deal, claiming the Dodgers gave up too much for 200 at-bats, and is disappointed that LaRoche's development is blocked. Jonathan Meloan flourished in the minor leagues as a reliever, but struggled in five games last September in the majors. He was converted to a starting pitcher this year, and struggled in that role in Las Vegas. In reality, he's probably best used as a reliever, and he could be a really good one.

Carlos Santana is putting up excellent numbers in Single-A, but he's a bit old for that level of the minors, and his path to the majors is obviously blocked by Russell Martin.

I'd argue that the Dodgers gave up a good package to get Casey Blake, and it has more potential than what they received. At the same point in time, it's questionable if that potential will ever be realized. While the Dodgers might have a losing record, they're only 1 game out of first place, there is no runaway team in the NL, and anything can happen in the playoffs. I can't see LaRoche thriving this season within the current structure of the Dodger organization, given the lack of patience that seems to exist with his game, even though it's probably not fair that impatience exists. For now, I think this helps the Dodgers in their pursuit towards the playoffs, and I'm not convinced they'll regret it 5 years from now.

Camby has earned a reputation as a defensive player, a shot-blocking specialist who can rebound and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07. Most teams would love to have a guy like him. But Camby is also 34 years old, and it remains to be seen how much basketball he has left in him. He may have been the only Nugget who played defense, but I don't recall him being too effective in slowing down Pau Gasol in the first round of the playoffs. I also wonder how he'll fit in with Chris Kaman, since both guys basically play the same position, but I guess it's possible to slide Camby over to the power forward position.

--The LA Kings have hired a new coach in Terry Murray, the brother of former Ducks coach Bryan Murray. Terry is a fairly accomplished NHL coach having won with Washington, Philadelphia, and Florida. He took the Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, but was fired after that season.

I know some Flyers fans who criticized Murray during his stint in Philadelphia for his goaltender rotation of Ron Hextall and Garth Snow, and for his "choking situation" comments after the team lost Game 3 of the Finals that year. But the fact is, Murray is a winner, and I don't know many sane Flyer fans. He figures to face much less scrutiny in Los Angeles.

The real question is if Murray is the right person to develop the Kings' good young players. Marc Crawford was an accomplished coach who did work not out in LA. We'll see if Murray can fill that role better.

--Russell Martin played extremely well in the All-Star Game last Tuesday night, and won constant praise from Tim McCarver. Clint Hurdle seemed so impressed by Martin's gritty defensive play and the bunt that he selflessly laid down, that he didn't bring in Brian McCann until the 15th inning. I know the Dodgers would like to sign Martin to a long-term contract, and I know Martin has been reluctant to have his arbitration years bought out, but the Dodgers should recognize they have a star and do whatever they can to lock him up. In this city of stars, Martin should be the face of the Dodgers.