Pitching should prop up Los Angeles Dodgers

May 10, 2009

In honor of the dreadlocks-wearing, fastball-crushing slugger with an apparent need for female fertility drugs, it's time to slide a Bob Marley disc into the player and consider the next two months for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Recent columns

• MLB power rankings

  May 10, 2009

  1. Red Sox (3): Terry Francona's team is 5-0 against the Yankees, outscoring them 38-23. Jason Bay continues to quietly make the Manny Ramirez trade look like another stroke of genius for Theo Epstein.

• Explanations don't hold up for Manny Ramirez

  May 8, 2009

  Hold on. Maybe we're all missing something. Maybe Manny Ramirez wanted to get pregnant.

• Explanations don't hold up for Manny Ramirez

  May 8, 2009

  Hold on. Maybe we're all missing something. Maybe Manny Ramirez wanted to get pregnant.

• National League needs designated hitter rule too

  May 5, 2009

  So how bad is it?

• Tony La Russa, Cito Gaston get better with age

  May 2, 2009

  Tony La Russa is 64 and began the weekend with 2,477 career victories, third most all-time. Cito Gaston is 65 and owns two World Series rings he earned with his current team, matching Terry Francona for the most with the team he currently manages.

• So far, Jim Hendry's off-season moves look bad

  April 30, 2009

  Mike Norton, a Tribune subscriber living in California, makes good points. He also has a nice sense of history.

• Milwaukee Brewers suffering pitching woes

  April 26, 2009

  Future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman should make his Milwaukee debut in the next few days.

• Hitting for the cycle on hot streak

  April 19, 2009

  Ian Kinsler walked to the plate in the sixth inning of Texas' game against Baltimore on Wednesday night. His thoughts were simple.

• Sad day in baseball with passing of Harry Kalas and Mark Fidrych

  April 14, 2009

  On one side of Wrigley Field, manager Clint Hurdle and his Colorado Rockies were trying to unravel how Ubaldo Jimenez's attempted pickoff of Ryan Theriot had turned into a balk.

• Kyle Farnsworth always enticing, always disappointing

  April 8, 2009

  "Anybody but Farnsworth."

• Chicago Cubs follow script in 4-2 Opening Day win over Houston Astros

  April 7, 2009

  HOUSTON — Two pitches. One swing.

• Chicago Cubs' Carlos Zambrano to face Houston Astros in opener

  April 6, 2009

  Come on, Carlos. Do it again.

• Chicago Cubs have questions, but not with Geovany Soto

  April 2, 2009

  PHOENIX — Geovany Soto knew something good was coming.

• 5 essentials for the 2009 Chicago White Sox

  April 1, 2009

  PHOENIX — You have to pick your spots.

• Ex-Cubs Felix Pie, Rich Hill seek fresh starts in Baltimore

  March 28, 2009

  FT. LAUDERDALE — There's no blinking neon sign above the Baltimore Orioles' clubhouse door, certainly not one saying what newcomers must think when they walk inside.

• Former White Sox third baseman Joe Crede quickly impresses Twins with glove

  March 27, 2009

  FT. MYERS, Fla. — Managers, like pitchers, like their double plays turned. Even in spring training, the beauty of a hard ground ball that turns into two quick outs will make an impression.

• Ex-Cub Scott Eyre not bitter, loves life with Phillies

  March 23, 2009

  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Scott Eyre apparently has a new nickname. You can call him Cub Guy.

• St. Louis Cardinals hope to build on Chris Carpenter's spring

  March 22, 2009

  Don't sell the St. Louis Cardinals short.

• Chicago Cubs scout sees potential of Korean players

  March 20, 2009

  Few saw South Korea coming in the first World Baseball Classic, when it outlasted the United States, Venezuela and Puerto Rico to advance to the Final Four. Its run this March was almost as surprising, as the Koreans kept playing after Cuba and the Dominican Republic were sent home.

• Injuries riddle Team USA in World Baseball Classic

  March 17, 2009

  As the United States tries to fight off elimination, it is dealing with a run of injuries sure to provide ammunition for World Baseball Classic critics, especially those who feel the event is too risky for players not in regular-season condition.

• Gift Ngoepe could be South Africa's bequest to baseball

  March 15, 2009

  Gift Ngoepe.

• A-Rod story far from over

  February 21, 2009

  Brian Cashman rarely wastes time with sugar coating. He was being remarkably honest when he said the black cloud following Alex Rodriguez won't be going away anytime soon.

• Same old, something new the agenda for Chicago Cubs

  February 15, 2009

  Yes, they really showed up.

• Bobby Abreu a good addition for Los Angeles Angels

  February 14, 2009

  While the White Sox grappled with the knowledge that baseball's leading think tank had pegged them to go from first to worst in the American League Central, the chronically underachieving Los Angeles Angels reacted to an ugly projection of their own. According to Baseball Prospectus, they were poised to finish behind Oakland, failing to win the AL West for only the second time in six years.

• White Sox Triple-A skipper Shines razor-sharp

  July 5, 2006

  Evaluating?

• Examination of bats proves little

  June 5, 2003

  About halfway through ESPN's two-hour, "Say It Ain't So-sa," special, the broker who owns the authenticated bat that Sammy Sosa used to hit his 498th career home run, did something remarkable. He and another man held the ends of the bat while a third man used a hand saw to slice through the barrel.

• No need for Sosa to cheat

  June 4, 2003

  Talk about overkill.