Quick'ems Hitter'ems

It's been a minute since I've posted and there has been a lot going on in the sports world, so here are a few things that have been on my mind these past couple weeks... Enjoy good readers

MLB
In baseball there are a few good story lines going into Major League Baseball's Playoffs, but the one thing that has really had me perplexed was the situation going on with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have been the team that noone wants, and it stinks. The McCourts are involved in divorce court to find out who is going to have custody of the team. It seems in this case a big piece of evidence was how the lawyer that drew up the papers that separate the proprieties owned by the McCourts, went back and changed some of the verbiage after the documents were signed and notarized. Big Dummy (Fred Sanford voice)... I'm not sure of the official outcome, but it looked like Jaime McCourt was going to get custody from Frank McCourt. I hope Frank gets weekends and maybe Thanksgiving at his house...

On top of that Joe Torre gave the Dodgers the deuces (say bye bye...)

NBA
The season is upon us and it is a joyous occasion. I must say, I love NBATV because they gave us insight into training camps. As much as I didn't want to, I couldn't help but watch Miami Heat training camp. Those dudes, led by Lebron James, were intense in camp.

*Editorial Note... That will be the last time I mention his name, he will now be referred to as 6*

Anyway, the vocal and on court leadership of 6 will prove to have a big affect on the Miami Heat this season. It was evident in the preseason game against the Pistons. 6 looked energized and he looked like he was definitely going to live up to his twanksta statements. He still needs to get a jumper, but it looks like he will get himself to a place where Mr Wade can get him over the top. Chris Bosh is going to benefit the most as he will be able to score efficiently. I would not be surprised if he has a game going 12-12 from the field, 8 of those buckets being dunks.

Matchup wise they will have problems against the top teams in the league. I honestly don't see them winning a series against the Celtics to even make it to see the Lakers in the finals. The difference will be Shaq clogging the middle, and since 6 can't shoot, there will be a repeat of last season. I can go on about this in length, but I will save it for the NBA Preview.

Oh and John Wall is a beast and will be Rookie of the Year...

NFL
The hot news worth noting is Randy Moss returning to the Minnesota Vikings. I actually think this is a good move for the Vikes. One of my favorite Florida Gators, Percy Harvin, will get much space to operate out of the slot. I know the trade won't cure his injuries, but damn, we all have to know that his season will improve. It also helps the Ageless Wonder because when he gets in trouble he can close his eyes launch the ball down field and there is an 80-20 chance Moss will score.

NCAAF
I am not a Boise St fan, eventho most of their recruits come from the LA area, shame on me. Boise St plays a good brand of football and they do everything they are supposed to do. I just can't get passed their schedule and how weak their conference is. Part of me wants to see them play for a BCS Championship only because I want to see them get waxed by an Ohio St or an Alabama so we can put an end to all this cupcake schedule should make it talk. Bitter...

Boxing
The much hyped Super Six Middleweight Tournament has been a bust. The first round was good, but after Jermaine Taylor got KO'd he quit. Allan Green wasn't good enough to stand in for Taylor as he got outclassed by Andre Ward. Mikkel Kessler sighted injury, but inside circles says he quit. Glen Johnson, another Ageless Wonder, is joining the tournament but noone cares. Last and sadly, Andre Dirrell is out of the tournament with neural issues. Dirrell is very talented and this blogger wishes him the best of luck in his recovery.

I hope Paul Williams v Sergio Martinez puts a nice end of the year stamp on what was been a crazy boxing calendar year.

- @lostherod is back

Man(ny) For Hire

Some players get way too many passes. After spending the majority of the season on the DL and now being claimed off waivers on Friday, Manny Ramirez will be taking his talents over to the Chicago White Sox for the rest of the season. If you remember the Dodgers acquired Manny in a similar fashion back in '08, when Boston traded him to them after he spent a lot of time on the DL. There was speculation at the time if Manny was really injured, as he came to the Dodgers and put up MVP-caliber numbers. Whether this will be the case in Chicago is yet to be seen, but I wouldn't be shocked if Ramirez had a monster September and helped push the White Sox into the playoffs.

It's not difficult for a franchise to be enamored with Manny Ramirez. He has put up Hall Of Fame worthy numbers over the course of his long career. He is the type of hitter that opposing managers hate to see at the plate at critical points of the game and is rumored to be a decent teammate. Sure, you have to deal with the quirks of "Manny being Manny", but that's very little considering what he brings on the field. He stays out of legal trouble and fans love him. What gets lost in the fact that when Manny is unhappy, he has a tendency to force his way out of a team's favor. Ramirez proclaimed that he wanted to end his career in Los Angeles and managed to squeeze $45 million out of the Dodgers for 2 years. And what do the Dodgers get in return? 65 games on the disabled list, ending with a one pitch ejection during a pinch at-bat. Really, Manny?

Let's call it what it is. Manny Ramirez is the baseball equivalent of a mercenary and a master manipulator. He's very smart and still produces enough that another team will desire his services, but does just enough that his current team is willing to part ways with him. He is aging after turning 38 this summer and he isn't really able to play the outfield effectively anymore (not that he ever was, see here for examples), but I have a feeling Chicago will not be Manny's last stop. Let's not forget he will be a free agent again this summer and has always said he wanted to play for that famed franchise in NY. Don't be too surprised if you see Manny being Manny in pinstripes next season.

-ALR