Dodgers Nab Manny Ramirez At Trade Deadline

Say what you will about Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, but his desire to win cannot be questioned. Since he has been holding the wallet, LA has shown a willingness to spend money-- even if some of the spending has been ill-advised (i.e. Jason Schmidt, Andruw Jones).

And now with the opportunity to acquire one of the top 5 hitters in the game-- even if it's only for a few months--the Dodgers pulled the trigger just before the deadline in hopes of not just making the playoffs, but being a serious contender once they get there.

Even with Ramirez set to be a free-agent in the off-season, the deal was still a no-brainer when you think about it. The Dodgers part ways with a struggling Andy LaRoche and a minor league pitcher, while the Red Sox will still pay the remainder of the contract for Ramirez this season.

So, enjoy it while you can, Dodger fans. Ramirez in Dodger Blue won't last long, but it could be one memorable ride.

DODGERS ACQUIRE 12-TIME ALL-STAR MANNY RAMIREZ FROM BOSTON RED SOX

Dodgers send infielder Andy LaRoche and right-handed pitcher Bryan Morris to the Red Sox;
Pittsburgh acquires LaRoche, Morris, outfielder Brandon Moss, and right-handed pitcher Craig Hansen from Boston in exchange for outfielder Jason Bay

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez and cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for infielder Andy LaRoche and right-handed pitcher Bryan Morris. General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.

Following the trade, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired LaRoche, Morris, outfielder Brandon Moss, and right-hander Craig Hansen from Boston in exchange for outfielder Jason Bay.

A 12-time American League All-Star, including each of the last 11 seasons, Ramirez has won nine AL Silver Slugger Awards during his 16 Major League seasons. The 36-year-old is a career .312 hitter with 493 doubles, 510 home runs, and 1,672 RBI in 2,050 games with Cleveland (1993-2000) and Boston (2001-2008). He was the AL batting champ in 2002 with a .349 average and the 2004 AL home run champ with 43.

Ramirez ranks 23rd on baseball’s all-time home run list, and is one of only 11 players in baseball history with at least 11 seasons with 30 or more homers (1995-96, 1998-2006). He has also hit at least 20 home runs in 14 straight seasons, including a career-high 45 in 1998 with Cleveland and 2005 with Boston.

Ramirez won two World Series championships with Boston in 2004 and 2007, and was named the World Series Most Valuable Player in 2004. The Dominican Republic native is a veteran of nine postseasons overall, including four World Series. He also played in the 1995 and 1997 Fall Classics with Cleveland. Ramirez is baseball’s all-time post-season home run leader with 24, and ranks second with 64 RBI.

Among active players, Ramirez ranks third in RBI, fifth in home runs, sixth in on-base percentage (.409), and seventh in batting average. He also ranks eighth in baseball history, and second among active players behind only Albert Pujols (.620), with a .590 slugging percentage. His 2,318 hits rank 10th among active players, while his 493 doubles are tied for fourth.

Ramirez ranks 23rd on baseball’s all-time RBI list with 1,672. He has logged at least 100 RBI in 11 seasons, including nine straight campaigns from 1998-2006. Since “RBI” became an official statistic in 1920, only eight players in history have recorded nine consecutive seasons of at least 100 RBI. Ramirez has 1,300 RBI since the start of the 1998 season, trailing only Alex Rodriguez (1,340) among all Major Leaguers in that time. Ramirez’s 401 home runs in that same span rank third, behind only Rodriguez (477) and Sammy Sosa (402).

Ramirez leaves Boston ranking fifth in franchise history with 274 home runs and a .411 on-base percentage. He also ranks fourth in Red Sox history with a .588 slugging percentage and sixth with 868 RBI.

Ramirez, who graduated from George Washington High School in Bronx, New York in 1991, hit .299 with 22 doubles, 20 homers, and 68 RBI in 100 games with the Red Sox in 2008. He hit career homer No. 500 on May 31 at Baltimore, accomplishing the feat in his 7,263rd at-bat, eighth fewest all-time. Ramirez was originally selected by the Indians as the 13th overall pick of the 1993 First-Year Player Draft. He then signed with Boston as a free agent on December 13, 2000.

The 24-year-old LaRoche, who was selected by the Dodgers in the 39th round of the 2003 draft, hit .217 with three homers and 16 RBI in 62 games with Los Angeles over the last two seasons. He is batting .294 with 95 homers and 331 RBI in 494 minor league games. LaRoche played 27 games with the Dodgers in 2008, batting .203 with two homers and six RBI. He is hitting a combined .284 with five homers and 27 RBI in 42 games this season with Las Vegas of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and Jacksonville of the Double-A Southern League.

Morris, 21, was the second of two first-round picks (26th overall) of the Dodgers in the 2006 draft, and is 6-9 with a 4.16 ERA in 30 professional starts. After missing the entire 2007 season due to “Tommy John” ligament-replacement surgery, he is 2-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 16 starts this year with Great Lakes of the Single-A Midwest league.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, pioneers in sport and world culture, are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2008. In that period, they have won more games, more pennants, and more World Series than any other club in the National League. Since the start of the modern era in baseball, the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles, combined, have a cumulative attendance of more than 177 million, the highest total in the history of baseball or any other sport.

Visit the Dodgers on the Internet at http://www.dodgers.com/.

CLIPPERS SIGN FREE AGENT BRIAN SKINNER

The Los Angeles Clippers signed veteran forward Brian Skinner, Vice President of Basketball Operations announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

Originally drafted by the Clippers in the first round (22nd overall pick) of the 1998 NBA Draft, Skinner is a 10-year NBA veteran who returns to Los Angeles after playing 66 games last season with the Phoenix Suns. Skinner averaged 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.2 assists for Phoenix in 2007-08.

“Brian Skinner is a veteran NBA player who will give us both size and depth in the middle,” Baylor said. “We are familiar with Brian, and know that he will be a good fit in his return to the Clippers.”

Skinner has averaged 4.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 538 career NBA games with eight different teams. The six-foot-nine forward started his career with the Clippers in 1998-99 and played three seasons in Los Angeles.

“We are very pleased to add Brian to our front line,” Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said. “He adds great size, presence and veteran experience to our team.”

In addition to the Clippers and Suns, the Texas native has also played for Cleveland, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Sacramento and Portland during his NBA tenure and has played in 21 career playoff games.

Lakers To Host Euro League Team In Preseason

David Stern's dream of having NBA teams in Europe may be approaching faster than any of us realize.

First, it was NBA teams traveling across the Atlantic for part of their training camps. Now, the process is starting to flow in both directions.

Here's an excerpt from an article posted on http://lakers.com about the Lakers hosting Spanish League powerhouse FC Barcelona in a preseason game at Staples Center:

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Euroleague Basketball have announced that three Euroleague teams will compete in five NBA preseason games from October 10-21, 2008.

The five games, which are part of the Euroleague American Tour, will be played by 2008 Euroleague champion CSKA Moscow (Russia), FC Barcelona (Spain) and Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania). The teams may face up to five NBA opponents including the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Orlando Magic, the Toronto Raptors and possibly the Los Angeles Clippers.

“These games continue our collaboration with Euroleague Basketball, as we work together to grow the game of basketball on a global basis,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/080730lakersfcbarcelona.html

There's A Tractor Rolling Through LA

If you hear a loud "boom" or feel the earth rattle sometime today near LAX, don't worry. It's likely not an another earthquake, but rather Robert "Tractor" Traylor working out for the Lakers at their practice facility in El Segundo.

I know the Lakers are a little short of personnel right now with only 12 guys signed for next season, but is the talent pool of players so shallow that a guy who hasn't played in the league in 3 years really be a viable option?

But who knows, maybe Traylor has re-committed himself to his game and steps on the Lakers practice floor in the best shape of his life. That alone would be a victory within itself.

Here's more on the story from the Orange County Register:

The Lakers confirmed Wednesday that former NBA player Robert “Tractor” Traylor has been invited to their El Segundo practice facility for a private workout to be conducted Thursday.

The 31-year old Traylor has not played in the NBA since the 2004-2005 season, when he averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 74 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Traylor will be put through an assortment of drills by the Lakers’ coaching staff that likely will include Bill Bertka, who has been at the practice facility this week.

If the workout goes well, Traylor likely would be signed to a non-guaranteed contract and invited to training camp.

http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2008/07/30/theres-a-tractor-in-the-gym/#more-1225

Shaun Livingston Update

I bumped into Shaun Livingston last week while I was in Chicago for the Unity Journalists Convention. He's back there working out with famed trainer Tim Grover, who after getting his start with Michael Jordan is considered to be the best in the business around NBA circles.

Shaun told me that he feels great, and that he can't wait to get back on the court. However, it's the latter over which he has no control.

First, his doctor must clear him for full-court, full-contact practice. Right now, he's been limited to 1-on-1 drills.

Second, even after he's cleared to run up and down without limitations, he still has to wait for a team to offer him a contract. For a guy who's used to running the point and dictating the action, these two uncertainties give him the most concern.

The Clippers continue to state that they want Shaun back for next season, but they aren't going to offer him millions of dollars without some type of assurances that he's 100% healthy.

Shaun's on the top of our radar. We keep up with his progress, said Clippers Director of Player Personnel Neil Olshey. "Hopefully he'll end up in a Clippers uniform come October."

Shaun is a class individual, who wants nothing more than to prove that he is the star-in-waiting the Clippers thought he was when they drafted him number 4 overall in 2005. I just hope his knee is up to the challenge.

Dan Dickau Worth $4 Million A Year?

With the recent move by Josh Childress to turn down the Atlanta Hawks for a more lucrative deal with a team in Greece, there's been talk and concern that more and more NBA players will make the leap across the pond and play in Europe.

Only time and, ultimately, money will determine if Childress becomes a trendsetter or just a rarity.

But having said that, it appears that there's plenty of money available to American players willing to take their skills abroad.

Check out the following excerpt from an article in the Oregonian regarding former Clipper Dan Dickau, who was originally willing to accept the league minimum to stay in LA:

According to Realgm.com, Unics Kazan, a team in the Russian Basketball Super League, has offered to pay Dickau $4 million a season for two years. Dickau, 29, averaged 5.3 points and 2.6 assists while playing in 67 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season.

Dickau earned $770,610 last season and is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

"Sometimes, players get caught up in the, 'I'm an NBA player and I'm only going to play in the NBA,' ego thing," said Dickau, who called the Realgm.com report an Internet rumor. "If there's a situation that's better -- career-wise and financially -- you hope you could put your ego on the backburner and make the best decision."

Dickau's agent, Mark Bartlestein, said a number of NBA and European teams are interested in the point guard.

"There's some folks we've spoken to in Russia," Bartlestein said. "There are a number of high-level teams that are pursuing him."

http://www.oregonlive.com/nba/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1217474723246870.xml&coll=7&thispage=2

CLIPPERS WAIVE JOSH POWELL

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward Josh Powell, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor.

In 64 games played last season, Powell averaged 5.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 19.2 minutes per game.

Chargers FanFest FREE on Saturday

Chargers FanFest ’08 at Qualcomm Stadium on Saturday, August 2 will be a special day for kids of all ages and, best of all, it’s free.

The parking lot gates open at 8:00 am and the stadium gates open at 9:30 am. Players and Charger Girls will be greeting fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures at the autograph session sponsored by See’s Candies from 10:15-11 am.

At FanFest – presented by Bud Light – parking and admission are free, and kids 14-and-under can shake hands and get an autograph from the 2007 AFC West Champion Chargers. And fans should bring an appetite because hot dogs and sodas will cost just $1 each. Other fun activities for kids include temporary tattoos, balloon animals and a variety of fun surprises.

Fans will enjoy the rare opportunity to see an NFL practice from 11am - 1pm. The latest in Chargers merchandise, including jerseys, hats and shirts, will be available at the Chargers Team Store.

Fans can find more information by going to http://www.chargers.com/ or calling (858) 874-4500.

Paul Pierce: I'm The Best Player In The World

I guess when you are the reigning NBA Finals MVP from the reigning NBA Championship team, you can say pretty much anything you want. Well, that's exactly what Paul Pierce did recently in Spain.

He was in Madrid for a basketball camp when a Spanish reporter asked him if Kobe Bryant was the best basketball player in the world-- a belief widely held throughout basketball circles, except Inglewood evidently.

Not only did Pierce claim that he was the world's top baller, but he went as far to say why Kobe should not be considered the best. And Pierce's reasoning did not have anything to do with Kobe's on-court skills. It was more about Kobe's ego than his game.

Check out the interview posted on Red's Army: http://redsarmy.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/the-spanish-interview/

Breaking News: Kings To Trade Artest To Rockets

So much for the Lakers landing Ron Artest for next season. He's reportedly heading to Houston in exchange for former King Bobby Jackson and a number one draft pick.

I was kind of on the fence about what acquiring Artest would do for the Lakers. He would definitely make them tougher both physically and mentally. However, I also wondered how he would mesh with Phil Jackson, but it doesn't really matter now either way.

The question still remains though: is the return of Andrew Bynum simply enough to push the Lakers towards another championship run?

HOUSTON (TICKER) —The Houston Rockets are close to acquiring mercurial forward Ron Artest in a trade with the Sacramento Kings, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday.

Citing an NBA executive with knowledge of the deal, the newspaper reported that the teams reached an agreement that would send Artest to the Rockets for guard Bobby Jackson, a first-round pick next season and “another player that the individual with knowledge of the trade could not name.”

The Chronicle also said that because of contract considerations, the trade would not be announced until August 14, causing the newspaper to speculate that the deal could include Houston’s No. 1 pick, Donte Greene, who cannot be traded until then - one month after he inked a deal with the Rockets.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AgOcSPPVuRQt3fEf5DSpGRM5nYcB?slug=txartesttrade&prov=st&type=lgns