Dodgers Send Hoffmann, DeWitt to Minors

The Los Angeles Dodgers optioned infielder Blake DeWitt and outfielder Jamie Hoffmann to Triple-A Albuquerque, and called up catcher A.J. Ellis. The move leaves the Dodgers with 24 men on their 25-man roster, with a call-up expected before tomorrow's game. The Dodgers could call up power-hitting outfielder Mitch Jones who impressed club officials in Spring Training. However, Jones is not part of the 40-man roster, and his promotion would require another move. Ellis was called up briefly before in the season, but never entered a game; his presence instead allowed the Dodgers to use Brad Ausmus as a pinch-hitter. Hoffmann struggled in his major-league stint, but hit his first home run and totaled 7 RBI's despite only collecting four hits. DeWitt has bounced between the majors and the minors, and had only three hits in his limited appearances.

Game 5: And the Winner Is...

...Your Los Angeles Lakers! The Purple and Gold defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 to take the series 4-1, and were crowned NBA Champions. The game looked like a nail-biter as Orlando had a 2-point lead after the first quarter. But the Lakers stormed back, and outscored the Magic 30-18 in the second to enter halftime with a comfortable 10-point lead. It was all Lakers after that as they held on to win the game, the series, and the title. Orlando shot just .415 from the field for the entire game, and failed miserably on rebounds, 47-36. The Lakers were not perfect, but 8 blocked shots and 13 offensive boards helped pad their lead. Kobe Bryant was named MVP of the Finals as he had 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocked shots. Lamar Odom had 17 points and 10 boards off the bench, and Pau Gasol added 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Trevor Ariza chipped in 15 points, and Derek Fisher threw in 13. Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 18 points, and Dwight Howard had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Blake Powers Dodgers Past Texas

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Texas Rangers 6-3, taking the series two games to one. The Dodgers were in an early hole when a Rafael Furcal error allowed two runners to score in the first inning, giving Texas a 2-1 lead. However, Casey Blake hit a 3-run homer that put LA up for good. Chad Billingsley went 7+ innings, allowing only three runs (two earned). Blake also had a double and scored a run. Orlando Hudson and Brad Ausmus both doubled, with Ausmus getting an RBI and Hudson scoring a run. Juan Pierre scored twice, and James Loney drove in a run. Andruw Jones hit a solo-homer for the Rangers, and both Hank Blalock and Michael Young scored.

Editor's Note: Andruw Jones Shows No Respect

Apparently, it wasn't Andruw Jones's fault. That's according to an article in the LA Times by Dylan Hernandez. In the piece, Jones faults owner Frank McCourt, saying he was responsible for his trials and tribulations during the 2008 season. He explains that McCourt never supported him from the beginning of his arrival to his contract termination. Jones believed that Matt Kemp was the center-fielder of the future, and that the Dodgers had no desire to retain Jones any longer when he emerged:

"I know they had Matt Kemp, who was going to play center field all the time, so I didn't feel like I was in their plans." Jones said he started to get the sense that he was on his way out of Los Angeles when he met with McCourt before undergoing knee surgery last May. "It was disrespect," Jones said of the way McCourt spoke to him. Jones said he was upset when his agent, Scott Boras, told him in the off-season that McCourt was looking into ways to void his contract. While acknowledging that McCourt paid him a hefty salary, Jones said the owner had no right to complain about a deal that was mutually agreed upon. "I got paid that money because that was my value," Jones said, pointing to the numbers he posted in 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves.

Does Jones apologize to the Dodgers or to the fans for showing up to Spring Training overweight? No. Does he apologize for his incredibly disastrous statistics? No. Instead, Jones decides to play the blame-game and point the finger at McCourt, the man who paid him $36.2 million over two seasons to play like the All-Star he was in Atlanta. He wasn't paying for the name; he was paying for homers, RBI's, and diving catches. And when he couldn't deliver, doesn't it make sense that the boss would want to find out why that is? Not to Andruw Jones:

Jones said McCourt was too involved in the Dodgers' baseball operations. "I know it's his money but sometimes they need to stay away from what's going on in the field. He never played baseball before. He might have a sense of it from running the team but he can't be too involved like that."

Jones sure knows how to bite the hand that feeds him. As per his release, the $22 million or so promised in the second season was deferred over the next six years. McCourt is still technically signing Jones's pay checks. But that means nothing to him. As far as Jones is concerned, McCourt was a nosy, over-involved owner who stuck his head in places where it didn't belong. Jones failure to admit his mistakes and fault his own poor approaches on the field is like a slap in the face of Dodger fans who had to stomach his constant strike-outs. Fans had no choice but to watch him fall apart faster than broken fine-china with runners in scoring position, pushing a majority to call for Ned Colletti's dismissal. Jones shows no respect to the various sources of his salary, instead looking to blame everyone but himself for his pathetic collapse in Los Angeles.

Dodgers Overcome Delay, Irony for Victory

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Texas Rangers 3-1, snapping a two-game losing streak. The game was scoreless through five innings before a power failure that caused a bank of lights to fail became too big of a distraction. The game consequently was delayed for an hour and 40 minutes. As soon as the contest resumed, Juan Pierre scored in the sixth to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. However, former Dodger and local irritant Andruw Jones homered to tie the game. Matt Kemp responded though, hitting a two-run home run in the next frame to give LA the lead for good. The bullpen held down after Randy Wolf pitched five scoreless innings, who had to be lifted due to the delay. Rafael Furcal had an RBI and a double, and Orlando Hudson collected two hits. Casey Blake also doubled. The 4-6 hitters in the Texas lineup all failed to get a hit; both Michael Young and Ian Kinsler singled.

Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect ninth for his 15th save of the season after returning from Georgia for the birth of his son.

It's Official: Holiday Enters Draft

Jrue Holiday opted to enter the NBA draft rather than return to UCLA. The guard plans on signing with an agent, a move that will make it impossible to return to college basketball. Jrue announced previously that he would enter the draft, but chose not to select an agent in order to have more time to think about his options. Holiday has undergone workouts with the Sacramento Kings in addition to Chicago, New York, Milwaukee, and Phoenix.

Editor's Note: My Apologies

I thought he was too old. I thought he was just a shell of his former self. I thought he could provide nothing to this retooled Laker offense. But I was wrong. Derek Fisher has still got it. He definitely proved that yesterday. Not only did he recognize the poor defense of Jameer Nelson, he took advantage by hitting his most clutch shot to date. Fisher then went on to hit a tie-breaking three in overtime that put the Lakers up for good. Fisher entered the season as the grizzled veteran, a player with loads of talent and even more experience. Unfortunately, his age has taken it's toll on him, and he appeared to be slower than a starting point-guard should be. His struggles even led Phil Jackson to use Shannon Brown, a player acquired mid-season purely for salary-cap purposes. But Fisher remained persistent. He never quit trying to make the shots he used to when he was younger, and his determination payed off. Fisher is now the toast of Los Angeles, just like he was five years ago.

Silence Continues for Dodgers in Texas

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Texas Rangers 6-0, their third loss in four games of interleague play this season. The shutout loss puts the Dodgers' run total at 17 over the last 8 games. Hiroki Kuroda was solid through five innings before giving up three runs in the sixth. James Loney and Orlando Hudson had rare errors that resulted in three of the Rangers' runs. Juan Pierre singled twice and Rafael Furcal had a double. Casey Blake also collected two hits. Marlon Byrd had two hits, including a triple, a run scored, and an RBI for Texas, and Michael Young drove in a run. Hank Blalock had an RBI and scored a run.

Game 4: The Fish that Saved LA Pt. 2

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-91 in overtime, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The Lakers entered the second half down by 12, but stormed back in the third quarter to take a 4-point lead. The Magic quickly responded, and took what looked like a sure 3-point lead with only seconds left in the game. However, Derek Fisher sent the game into overtime with a long 3-pointer. In OT, Fisher again hit a 3-pointer to give LA the lead for good. The Lakers won the OT period 12-4. Orlando was nowhere near their dominant shooting from Game 3, going 31-for-74 from the field. Their fatal flaws were the free-throws and the turnovers though; the Magic were 22-for-37 from the charity stripe and committed 17 turnovers. Kobe Bryant had 32 points and 8 assists, and Pau Gasol chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds. Trevor Ariza had 16 points as well, all coming in the second half. Fisher finished with 12 points. Dwight Howard led the way for the Magic, scoring 16 points, grabbing 21 rebounds, and blocking a record 9 shots. Hedo Turkoglu added 25 points, and Mickael Pietrus had 15 off the bench.

Editor's Note: It's All Mental

Andre Ethier is the most cerebral player in the league. It's not because he can see the game in a different way than the average Joe Right-Fielder. It's because what he thinks factors into how he plays. You can see that when he slams his gloves or his helmet onto the ground after striking out. For Andre Ethier, every at-bat is serious business. Sometimes that benefits him. It pushes him to play harder and try to excel. But most of the time it just hinders his talent. The suspension of Manny Ramirez took the hardest toll on Ethier's mentality this season. After last year, it became common sense that Manny improved everyone around him in the lineup, and Ethier appeared to benefit from his presence the most. His start this season made him look like a bona-fide All-Star and MVP candidate. Then Manny was suspended, and everything went downhill. One strikeout gets to Ethier, and he starts to think he can't get a hit without Ramirez in the lineup. This creates a downward spiral that becomes harder and harder to stop. But it only takes one swing of the bat to escape it. Ethier began his ascent into solid statistics with a homer off Arizona-ace Dan Haren. It's no coincidence that he has five home runs in 8 games, including his shot off Haren. And during that stretch, Ethier is batting 13-for-31, a .419 batting average, with three multi-hit games, eight RBI's, and three doubles. Ethier has the talent. He just needs to know that he does.

Dodgers' Bats Fall Silent

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the San Diego Padres 3-1, splitting the 2-game series. San Diego struck early, tagging Clayton Kershaw for two runs in the first inning. Kershaw gave up one more run in the third before he was lifted. The bullpen then shutdown the Padres for the rest of the game, but the Dodger bats could not do their part. LA hit a combined 1-for-1o with runners in scoring position, and scratched out only four hits. Andre Ethier had the lone RBI, and Juan Pierre scored the only run. Casey Blake hit a leadoff-double but failed to score. Kevin Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball for the Padres. Both Tony Gwynn, Jr. and David Eckstein had a hit and scored a run, and both Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley singled, doubled, and drove in a run.

Editor's Note: Defeat Brings Hope

The Lakers fell to the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but still have a 2-1 lead in the series. The Magic shot a whopping 62.5% from the field, but don't let that discourage you. The Lakers still managed to hang on and keep the game close in a match that was vaguely similar to Game 3 of the opening round against Utah. Kobe Bryant had a rare off-day, just like in Game 3 against the Jazz, and expect the same kind of turnaround the Lakers had in Game 4. The Magic can't keep up their perfect shooting forever, and the Lakers proved that even with the hot hand, the Magic can't get rid of them. LA must change their play though if they want to defeat Orlando. First, they have to give up on the double-team of Dwight Howard. Howard's dunks and spin-moves may be flashy, but they don't hurt as much as a Rafer Alston 3-pointer. The jumpers and outside open-looks must be limited. Second, they have to attack the paint and put Howard in foul-trouble. That takes away Orlando's most powerful weapon, not just because of the rebounds and field-goals he gets but because of the opportunities he creates for his teammates. If Kobe can awake from his slumber, and the defense can show up, the Lakers will know that they can never return to the Staples Center again.

Power Surge Lifts Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 6-4, their 40th win of the season. The Dodgers are the first team to reach the 40-win mark. LA received most of its offense from the home run, as Andre Ethier, Orlando Hudson and Matt Kemp each went deep; Ethier going yard twice. Kemp totaled three base-hits and 2 RBI's, and Rafael Furcal had a hit, run scored, and run-batted-in. Casey Blake scored a run, and Russell Martin had two hits. Chad Billingsley had a shaky five-and-two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts, but still got his eighth win of the season. Jonathan Broxton gave up a run in the ninth, but held on to get his 14th save. Tony Gwynn, Jr. made his Padre-debut, getting three hits and scoring a run. David Eckstein also had three hits and a run scored, and also drove in a run. Kevin Kouzmanoff had a two-run single.

Dodgers Draft Analysis

Analysis of the Dodgers' draft picks, with info courtesy of Dodgers.com:

Aaron Miller: A left-handed prospect who can hit and bat. His arm makes the rubber a likely destination rather than the plate, but his stats tell a different story: 5.12 ERA and a .310 batting average. I'd put him in the outfield rather on the mound, and look for the same results that two-way phenom James Loney had when converted to a batter.

Blake Smith: Another player who can pitch and hit, but his power-bat makes him a corner-outfielder.

Garrett Gould: Straight out of high school, Gould will most likely not sign due to a commitment to Wichita State. Like most mid-west baseball players, he plays every sport the school can offer, leading the football team as the quarterback and also playing as a forward on the basketball team. Gould was a great pitcher, compiling a record of 6-1 with a 0.78 ERA and 95 strikeouts.

Brett Wallach: Another pitcher, Wallach is the son of Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque's manager Tim Wallach and brother of Dodger-prospect Matt Wallach. Brett has a nasty sinker that has been compared to Orel Hershiser's.

Game 3: So Close, Yet So Far

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Orlando Magic 108-104, but still have a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The game was close for most of the time, with neither team able to compile a double-digit lead. Orlando entered the fourth quarter with a 6 point lead, but the Lakers were able to cut it to two and even tie it on various occasions. However, LA could not overcome the hump, and never managed to take the lead in the second half. The Magic were on fire for most of the game, shooting .625 from the field. Free-throws took their toll on both teams, as the Lakers were 16-for-26 from the line while Orlando was 22-for-29. Kobe had a red-hot first quarter, but could not muster much after that, finishing the game with 31 points and a playoff-low 5-for-10 shooting from the charity stripe. Pau Gasol had 23 points, and Trevor Ariza added 13. Both Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar scored 11 off the bench. Five different Orlando players scored in double-digits, starting with Dwight Howard who totaled 21 points and 14 rebounds. Rashard Lewis and Rafer Alston followed as both scored 20 points. Hedo Turkoglu added 18.