On Spring Training Opener, Dodgers Make New Offer To Manny

The Los Angeles Dodgers have made a new offer to Manny Ramirez after they fell to the Cubs 5-3 in the team's Spring Training opener. The deal is reported at being 2 years, $45 million with an escape-clause for the second year if Manny wishes to test the free-agent market. Tony Jackson of the LA Daily News reports the second year is guaranteed if Ramirez is injured at any point during the 2009 season. In early February, Manny's agent Scott Boras said that he expected the slugger to be signed by the beginning of Spring Training games, but that never came to fruition. Boras has remained adamant regarding 4 years at $25 million each year, while the Dodgers have held firm at no more than 2 guaranteed years. The offer comes amid rumors from many sources that the two sides reached a deal, the most known being a report from AM 570 KLAC of Los Angeles and a Dodger sales rep's voice-mail message. Manny and Boras are expected to respond to the offer by tomorrow.

Editor's Note: With the Arrival of Spring, Dodgers Face Questions

Spring Training has begun with the Dodgers' loss to the Cubs, but just the sights and sounds of baseball are music to fans' ears. However, many questions arise with the beginning of baseball, most of which don't include Manny Ramirez.

• Who will be the ace of the staff? Billingsley (above) or Kuroda?
• Who will take the fifth slot in the rotation? Will it be the 1-win-in-2-seasons Jason Schmidt? Or will it be starter-turned-reliever Ramon Troncoso? How 'bout Eric Milton, Claudio Vargas, or Scott Elbert?
• Can Jonathan Broxton handle the pressure of closing, along with pitching in the WBC?
• Can Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson stay healthy to become the NL's best middle infield?
• Will Russell Martin actually get to rest this season now that a competent backup has been signed?
• Can Randy Wolf and Hong-Chih Kuo contribute without taking full advantage of their health benefits?
• Can Guillermo Mota be the veteran presence in the bullpen the Dodgers need, not just the only veteran?
• Will Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier reach their potential after years of being just "young phenoms"?
• Do Juan Pierre and Blake DeWitt have the stones to be satisfied with the backup positions that their current S.T. teammates would kill for?
• Can Joe Torre manage without thinking of material for his next book?
• Will the Dodgers actually do well in their interleague matchups since they're playing the AL West for both interleague and S.P. matchups?
• Can Matt Kemp and 3B coach Larry Bowa agree on what gestures mean "stop running" and "go"?

You can find all Spring Training news and highlights here during March, as well as key World Baseball Classic contests that involve your Los Angeles Dodgers.

Abreu Knocks in Two in Dodgers' Loss

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Chicago Cubs 5-3 in their first Spring Training game in Arizona. Tony Abreu, who just last year missed the entire season with an injury, drove in 2 runs, and James Loney had two hits. Ramon Troncoso surrendered a grand slam to Micah Hoffpauier that sealed the Dodgers' fate. Matt Kemp had a hit and scored two runs, and Eric Milton pitched a scoreless inning-and-two-thirds. Claudio Vargas gave up one run in 2 innings.

Kings Close in on Playoff Spot

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in a shootout, keeping their playoff hopes alive. After both teams scored in the second period, the game went scoreless and reached the game-winning shootout. The Kings won the shootout 2-1. Jack Johnson scored LA's only regulation goal, as well as a SO goal, and Drew Doughty grabbed the game-winning goal on the Kings' fourth shootout attempt. Jonathan Quick stopped 23 of the Wild's shots from getting inside the net, as well as 3 of 4 SO attempts. Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom made 24 regulation and OT saves, but could only stop 2 of LA's shots in the shootout.

Lakers Avoid Thunderous Collapse

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-93, their 10th win in 11 games. Kobe Bryant passed Adrian Dantley to become the 19th all-time scorer in the NBA, just one game after passing Laker-great Elgin Baylor. The Lakers had to fight a serious comeback from OKC, with their lead being cut to just one point with 9 minutes left in the game. LA shot .526 from the field, including 7-for-15 from 3-point range. Bryant finished the game with 36 points, and Pau Gasol had 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Derek Fisher scored 12 points, Luke Walton had 11, and Jordan Farmar came off the bench to score 10. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points to go with 10 rebounds, and former-Bruin Russel Westbrook finished with 14 points. Kyle Weaver came off the bench to score 16.

Broxton Named to Team USA

Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton (above) was named to Team USA's 27-man roster, and will pitch for the team in the World Baseball Classic. Broxton became the Dodgers' de facto closer last season after Takashi Saito was injured. He has shown loads of potential, specifically in his fastball which is capable of reaching 100 MPH. Broxton will join names like Derek Jeter, Jake Peavy, David Wright, Jimmy Rollins, and 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia. Russell Martin will join Team Canada as one of three catchers. Martin is a two-time All Star in his 3-year career. He will compete along with Jason Bay and Justin Morneau. Joining Martin and Broxton as Dodgers in the WBC are Valentino Pascucci (Italy), Luis Maza (Venezuala), and Kenley Jansen (Netherlands).

Clippers Deal Their Own Blow

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 118-105, their 14th win of the season. The Clips shot .511 from the field, including 13-for-24 from 3-point range. LA scored 24 points off turnovers, but committed 19 turnovers of their own. Zach Randolph scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Eric Gordon also had 27 points. Baron Davis had a near-triple-double with 25 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds. Stephen Jackson led the Warriors with 28 points.

Manny Returns (?)

AM 570 KLAC of Los Angeles is reporting the Los Angeles Dodgers and Manny Ramirez have settled on a two-year contract with an option for a third year. The station says the contract will be signed later this week. No other sources have reported this deal.

UPDATE: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti denies rumors of any deal with Manny, saying "Nothing's changed in 48 hours."

Schmidt & Hudson Make Progress

The Los Angeles Dodgers started more serious practice Monday, playing their first intrasquad game. Jason Schmidt, who underwent two elbow operations over the last two seasons, pitched a scoreless inning and retired 3 of 4 batters. Schmidt hasn't pitched a Major League game since 2007. Other relievers threw as well, including closer Jonathan Broxton and left-handed hurlers looking to fill the hole left by Joe Beimal. Orlando Hudson also began practice on Sunday. The team still has concerns over his wrist. Last season in an awkward collision with Brian McCann, Hudson suffered a dislocated fracture in his left wrist and needed two different surgeries to repair the damage. Hudson participated in field activities and took batting cage practice.

Lewis's and Hackett's Problems Reach Front

After an altercation between Dwight Lewis (left) and Daniel Hackett (right), more of more of their other problematic situations have come to light. Originally, it solely was believed that after USC's loss to Washington on Saturday, Lewis and Hackett began to fight on the court. Some witnesses believe the two engaged in a shoving match, while others claim to have seen punches thrown. However, other disputes have occured as well. Witnesses believe they saw Lewis argue with Leonard Washington during games, and make vulgar gestures towards Washington. Donte Smith also got into an argument with Hackett. Last year, Hackett had an argument with O.J. Mayo, which ended with Mayo punching Hackett, breaking his jaw.

Clippers Get No Help in Loss

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 116-87, their 43rd loss of the season. In the first quarter, Steve Blake tied an NBA record by acquiring 14 assists, the first time someone accomplished this since John Lucas set the record with San Antonio in 1984. The Clips scored only 16 points in that first quarter, and 19 points in the fourth. Portland finished the game with a .522 shooting percentage, while LA shot .367. Eric Gordon led the Clippers with 21 points, and DeAndre Jordan scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Blazers, and Brandon Roy scored 20. Blake finished with 17 assists.

Lakers Escape Minnesota Cold

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 11-108, their 46th win of the season. The Lakers won despite allowing Minnesota to shoot 50%, including 10-for-25 from 3-point range. The T-Wolves committed 20 turnovers, and failed to hold on to slim leads throughout the game. Kobe Bryant scored 28 points to pass Elgin Baylor and take the 20th spot on the all-time scoring list. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom each had 25 points, with Odom grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. Ryan Gomes and Sebastian Telfair each scored 20 points for the Wolves, and Craig Smith finished with 19 points off the bench.

Irratated Trojans Fall Apart

The USC men's basketball team fell to Washington 60-51, and remain in sixth place in the Pac-10 standings. The loss was somewhat overshadowed by a clash between Daniel Hackett and Dwight Lewis. Witnesses saw Hackett and Lewis engage in a shoving match after Hackett became irritated with a group of fans. Lewis defended the fans and a fight began between the two Trojans. USC led 50-46 with 5:53 left, but only scored one point after that. The Huskies out-rebounded the Trojans 19-12 in the second half, and both teams finished the game with a .380 shooting percentage. Lewis and Hackett both scored 11 points to lead USC, and Taj Gibson had 10. Qunicey Pondexter had a game-high 22 points.

Kings Recap

Thursday: The Los Angeles Kings fell to the San Jose Sharks, their 23rd loss of the season. Erik Ersberg filled in for Jonathan Quick, and made 36 saves on 40 shots. Evgeni Nabokov saved 30 of 32 shots for the Sharks. Each of San Jose's goals was scored by a different player, with Rob Blake and Joe Thornton both grabbing 2 assists. Michal Handzus and Alexander Frolov both scored goals for LA, and Dustin Brown had an assist.

Saturday: The Kings lost to the Phoenix Coyotes 6-3, and are 4 points behind the 8th playoff slot-holding Anaheim Ducks. Phoenix scored 5 straight goals after LA took a 2-1 lead in the second period. Olli Jenkin led the way with 3 goals, achieving his sixth career hat trick. Alexander Frolov, Dustin Brown, and Derek Armstrong each scored goals for the Kings. Jonathan Quick could only save 23 out of 28 shots, and Ilya Bryzgalov had 30 saves.

Bruins Left in Ruins

The UCLA men's basketball team was upset by Washington State 82-81, their 5th conference loss of the season. This was the Cougars first road victory against the Bruins since 2005. The two teams entered the second half tied at 42, and both shot above 50%, with UCLA committing only 6 turnovers. The Bruins were just 3-for-10 from three-point range, while the Cougars were 8-for-15, including 5 for Taylor Rochestie, who finished with 33 points. Nikola Dragovic led UCLA with 23 points, and Darren Collison scored 20 and had 8 assists. Josh Shipp finished with 14, and Alfred Aboya had a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.