Off Topic: Does baseball need the Dodgers and Red Sox?

Going into the baseball postseason, several storylines surfaced, along with potential in-state world series match ups. In Southern California, fans are hopeful for the long awaited “freeway” series, with both the Dodgers and Angels qualifying for the playoffs. The windy city remains hopeful that the Cubs would meet the White Sox. Floridians look for their beloved Rays to complete their run from worse to first. And as for Beantown, they are the defending champions looking to build on their own legacy. And of course, if those Sox of Boston face the Cubs of Chi-Town, we’ll have the cursed of yesterday versus the curse of today, with all games played in historic ballparks. But with all this potential, and World Series ratings mostly miserable in previous years, which World Series contest would be best for baseball? The answer is about as simple as the NBA needing (and getting) the Celts and Lakers in the finals. Major League Baseball needs the Red Sox and Dodgers.

No disrespect to any of the other franchises still competing, but if there was ever a series to pump the ratings, this would be it. Fewer mid-season trades were greater than the Sox sending Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles. It resulted in the Dodgers being launched to the top of the NL West and into championship contention. Let’s just imagine all the hype that would surround a Dodgers/Red Sox World Series. Let’s imagine Manny, now clad in Dodger blue, being greeted at Fenway. Let’s imagine Theo Epstein sitting there hoping and praying that his defending champions won’t lose to an opponent that has an increase in power, based on his decision to trade.

Outside of the Ramirez drama, look at Joe Torre. The former Yankees skipper was forced out of New York, and would be in position to win another Series, as Hank Steinbrenner and the Yankees’ roster watches from their living rooms. From 3,000 miles across country, Torre can still act as a thorn in the Red Sox sides. Would the people in New York have interest in this series? Damn right they would. Torre, as a Yankees manager, rallied his team from late season deficits to participate in October. Now Torre, as a Dodgers manager, did the same for the blue crew, with the Dodgers needing a fierce run in the final weeks to overtake the division leading Diamondbacks. For everyone in New York that said Torre was the problem with the Yanks, it's time to rethink that. It's another season without vacationing in October, regardless of league and roster.

And let’s not forget Dodger owner Frank McCourt and the tale of two cities. McCourt, a Boston man has been building what I like to call “Red Sox West” in Los Angeles. If you just look at his actions over the years, you can see that he’s a fan of the Red Sox, though he owns the Dodgers. Since McCourt took ownership of the Dodgers in ’04, he’s acquired former Red Sox lovechild, Nomar Garciaparra, hired and fired former Red Sox manager Grady Little, brought former Red Sox ace Derek Lowe to L.A, hired long time Red Sox coaching nemesis Joe Torre, and put Red Sox superstar Manny Ramirez in Dodger blue. I’m sure I’ve missed some other L.A/Boston connections in his 4 years of ownership, but you get the point.

A regional series is great for the town it’s being played in, but not good for baseball as a whole. “Worse to first” is a great story that may have a fairytale ending, but if the Rays’ own fans in Tampa don’t offer much interest in their home team, why should we think the rest of the nation would? The Cubs would draw a large audience, being centrally located, and with people having interest in the breaking or continuation of “the curse”, but much would be pending on the opponent. If baseball wants to make an October splash, there’s no better way than the Dodgers and the Red Sox. And of course, the worse case scenario may actually be the Brewers versus the Rays, but I don't see that happening.

Off Topic: Many arrives; knows nothing about Dodgers

Manny Ramirez made his arrival in Los Angeles today and addressed the press. One thing he quickly learned is that he’ll fit right in, with this city having a very large Latino community. Just as quickly as the press conference began, is how quickly he started to take questions and give answers in Spanish. But based on some things said, Ramirez doesn’t know the Dodgers or this city.

When asked about his jersey number (99), Manny said he wasn’t sure why he was given that one, and that he requested No. 34 and doesn’t know what happened. What he obviously doesn’t know is that the No. 34 was worn by Dodger pitching legend Fernando Valenzuela. Manny was also asked about the city in general, and he claimed he’s only been here once for a Spring training game. I would take that as the record breaking attendance game played earlier this year in the Los Angeles coliseum between the Sox and Dodgers, in commemoration of the Dodgers’ 50 years in Los Angeles. But of course, that can’t be the only time he’s been here. Hello! The American League Angels play in this town. Sure, they technically play in Anaheim, but that’s like calling teams the Auburn Hills Pistons, Irving Cowboys, and the old Inglewood Lakers. They are the “Los Angeles” Angels of Anaheim.

One thing Manny does know about the Dodgers and Dodgers stadium is the dynamics and its notoriety of being a pitcher’s ballpark. He told the press not to expect him to be launching 40 homeruns out of this new stadium, as he did in Fenway Park. But anyone already in L.A, and knowing the Dodgers and their stadium, already know this as the obvious.

Welcome to L.A., Manny. I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of the place.

DOH-mer Of The Week- ねり粉! (Batter up!)

As a lifelong baseball fan, I’ve just witnessed the greatest foul. It has nothing to do with needles and enhancing player performances, but everything to do with playing outside the lines. As a fan, there are several dates on a baseball calendar that are special, and Major League Baseball just deprived fans in Oakland of one of them, which is opening day.

For me, opening day was always that afternoon game. Parents call in sick to work, you play hooky from school, and the family rushes out to the ballpark to welcome back their beloved veterans, and say hello to the new faces prepared to make a run at the pennant. When baseball decided to open the season earlier for 2 teams, and play that game in foul ground (Japan), it was like being hit with a Louisville slugger, accompanied by feelings of desertion and abandonment. One of my personal possessions was stolen and sold on the black market for others to enjoy. After seeing the Red Sox play the A’s in Tokyo, all I could do was ask myself…“what’s next, fan appreciation day in f*cking India?!?!”

I realize baseball, like America’s other major sports, is a business. The main goal of every business, such as Walmart, McDonalds, etc, is to become global. But I honestly couldn’t give a $h!t about the Japanese buying my burgers or fruit of the looms. What happens when they come bidding to purchase my team? Well, my Dodgers are a money maker, so I like my chances of surviving international ownership, but what about those struggling franchises? Baseball had trouble giving away the Montreal Expos, so suppose a foreign investor came knocking. Why wouldn’t they? They’re already selling the product overseas. The “Mitsubishi Marlins” has a nice ring. Doesn’t it?

The bottom line is, teams that the DOHmers are serving up to foreign lands were built and survived on the money of the American fans. This is money that not only came from your pocket, but from your father’s, and his father before him. Industry has been jumping our borders faster than fugitives on the run, and the American people are quick to voice their opinions on that…so why not see it for what it is? When baseball opens on foreign soil, it’s a reality check that enables us to see it for the business that it is. Our blue collar workers are screaming to “buy American”, but the league is purchasing foreign players. The comparison is lost, because Baseball is viewed as a sport and not a business. And now, with this opening day in Japan, we’re not only purchasing foreign products, we’re selling America. We’re selling that little bit of something that I actually called “my own”.

My list of special baseball dates would include, opening day, the all star game, any playoff or World Series appearances for my home team, and fan appreciation day. Oakland fans can scratch opening day from the list, and the rest of us will have to keep watch of the remainders to be checked off. You don’t get two opening days, regardless of how some analysts will defend baseball’s decision. You only have two openers, if you are willing to accept the artificial, while another country receives the real product. I’m not, and never will, accept that.

I wouldn’t call Major League Baseball “DOHmers” for their business approach, but they get the tag for leaving America behind. Sell your product, with exhibitions or a regular season game in May, but don’t serve the Japanese dates that have always held importance to the American baseball fan.