If it's the 4th of July, Jason Bowles is winning a NASCAR race at Irwindale.
Bowles, a driver from Ontario, won the NASCAR Camping World Series West race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night. It was his second win in a row on the 4th of July and his third straight at Irwindale. He also won the August race at Irwindale in 2008.
With the win, Bowles took over the lead in the West Series standings at the track. Eric Holmes, who entered the race as the leader in the West Series standings, finished sixth.
Go to www.haddockinthepaddock.com for video interviews of the drivers and all the results from the races at Irwindale.
Patrick Long, a driver from Thousand Oaks, made his first start in a NASCAR Camping World Series West race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night.
It was Long's third start in a stock car at the track. He entered two NASCAR Super Late Model races at the track on May 2. He finsihed fourth in one race and 11th in the second.
Long is a regular driver in the American Le Mans Series. His next race is July 17-18 at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.
Long was in a field at Irwindale that included Jason Bowles, a driver from Ontario and the second-place driver in the West Series standings, Greg Pursley, a Canyon High graduate who won the West Series season opener in Kyle, Texas, and Andrew Myers of Carlsbad, who won a NASCAR Late Model race at Irwindale on April 11.
Just as he said in the Los Angeles Dodgers pregame show on Prime Ticket, analyst Steve Lyons said on the postgame show that Manny Ramirez wasn't ready to play baseball yet Friday.
After listening to Manny make some brief comments after the game, Lyons said, "He's really not ready to play. ... I'm really disappointed he didn't use his time (off) better ... so by the time he got here he was more game-ready. I'd be surprised if he's in the lineup tomorrow."
So we are pretty sure that Steve Lyons didn't think Manny used his 50-game suspension in the most productive way. We like a man who is confident of his opinion.
-- Diane Pucin
Photo: Manny Ramirez swings into a ground out in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres on Friday. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
So now it's time to get to the Dodgers' post-game show. We will be treated to Manny emails, Manny's words in the clubhouse and well, it's about Manny Ramirez. What, you expected an in-depth interview with Juan Pierre?
Steve Lyons, who suggested Manny didn't acquit himself totally perfectly in this whole situation by not owning up to his transgressions and not spending significant suspension time with his team, wasn't quite as harsh on Ramirez after the game.
"He looks good up there, looks like his old self...he didn't have a slow bat," Lyons said. 'You can't expect him to get a hit every time up. The toughest thing for Manny is to live up to the legend of Manny."
In what turned out to be Manny Ramirez's last at-bat, Vin Scully, so matter-of-fact, made this of Manny's pop-up:
"[David] Eckstein goes out and calls it. That will be that. Manny goes 0 for 3."
And shortly after Fox Prime Ticket showed Dodgers Manager Joe Torre talking to Ramirez before Ramirez took off his batting helmet and walked out of the dugout, done for the night and replaced by Juan Pierre.
Which brought Scully to tell this little story of a song about an invisible man.
"There was the song, oh, gosh, a million years ago, Mr. Cellophane. The man was singing this woeful song. Nobody was aware of him, like he wasn't there. He was the invisible man. Juan Pierre said 'I am the invisible man.' Well, he is very visible right now."
That's when Pierre came into the game.
Mr. Cellophane wasn't quite a million years ago, though. It's from the Broadway musical Chicago, which debuted in 1975. Which only seems like a million years ago.
-- Diane Pucin
Credit: Manny Ramirez throws his bat after hitting a pop fly in the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres on Friday. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
The Kings got the "character" winger they wanted -- but he comes at an advanced age and with a hefty price tag.
Late Friday, while the rest of the world was watching Manny Ramirez or enjoying the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Kings acquired left wing Ryan Smyth for defensemen Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing and a fifth-round pick in next year's entry draft.
Smyth, nicknamed "Captain Canada" for his many appearances for Canada's national team, is 33 and carries a salary-cap hit of $6.25 million through the 2011-12 season. He had been on the market for a while, as the Avalanche is going younger and wanted to shed his age and his salary.
Smyth had 26 goals and 59 points in 77 games with a bad Colorado team last season, a good rebound from his previous, injury-marred season in which he played only 55 games.
That the Kings would trade Quincey is a surprise;he was solid on defense after they picked him up on waivers. Preissing had fallen into Coach Terry Murray'sdoghouse and never quite emerged, with Murray often saying Preissing's "compete level" was lacking.
Photo: Ryan Smyth reacts after scoring a goal in Game 3 of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals while playing for the Edmonton Oilers. Credit: Paul Chiasson / Associated Press
Before the top of the fourth inning, Fox played a snippet of the Manny Ramirez pre-game news conference, an interview session filled with a nervous Ramirez not saying a lot about that.
Vin Scully listened to the clip then weighed in with the pefect summation:
"They had a press conference before the game, and, I agree, he didn't say much. But that's what he said."
Once again kudos to Dodgers announcers. Ramirez isn't getting a free pass from them.
For Manny Ramirez's first at-bat in his comeback from suspension, the never-flustered Vin Scully told us that he would just shut up and let the crowd noise announce Ramirez. And he did and we just sat back and listened to the crowd boo some, cheer more, and then Scully came back and called the game as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
And it kind of hadn't. Ramirez walked, the Dodgers scored five runs and because of Scully's matter-of-fact call, this suddenly became just a baseball game and not a Manny-fest.
For Ramirez's second at-bat, Prime Ticket added a gimmick, a picture-in-picture view, with the big shot of the crowd reacting loudly to Manny and a small shot in the left-hand corner of Manny caressing his bat. Scully didn't point out the new addition, he didn't need to. After all, this is just a baseball game.
Figure skater Michelle Kwan, whose trophy case is lacking only an Olympic gold medal, has left her options open regarding the Vancouver Games next February and whether she will make one more attempt at that elusive prize. Hip surgery, getting a degree from Denver University and her diplomatic work for the State Department have kept her busy, but she's now planning to skate in front of an audience for the first time in three years.
Is it just a favor to world champion Kim Yu-na, who invited her to perform in Seoul, South Korea, in August? Or the first triple salchow toward another Olympic appearance for Kwan, who will turn 29 on Tuesday?
Time will tell. But Kwan's agent, Shep Goldberg, confirmed Friday that Kwan will skate in Kim's show, to take place Aug. 14-16. The last time the five-time world champion and nine-time U.S. champion performed in front of a crowd was August of 2006, six months after an injury forced her to withdraw from the Turin Olympics.
"Michelle has turned down other invitations, but she and Yu-na have a mutual admiration society going," Goldberg said. "Michelle is feeling healthy and has her abilities up to the standards she sets for herself, which are very high standards."
Kwan won a silver medal at Nagano in 1998 and bronze at Salt Lake City in 2002. To compete in Vancouver, she would have to go through regional events and win one of two Olympic berths at the U.S. championships, which will be held next January in Spokane, Wash.
Her fellow Southern Californian and longtime rival, Turin silver medalist Sasha Cohen, has already announced she will try for a place on the Vancouver Olympic team. The upcoming figure skating season should be very interesting.
-- Helene Elliott
Photo: Michelle Kwan appears at the American Idol Season 8 Grand Finale on May 20. Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images
On the Dodgers Fox Prime Ticket pregame show, analyst Steve Lyons didn't pull any punches about what he thinks about the return of Manny Ramirez.
"I'm not sure (Manny) is ready. I'm not sure I liked the way he handled the suspension. He has not and will not answer any questions (about the suspension). I would have wanted him to have spent more time with the ballclub.
"I don't think he put himself in the best possible situation to succeed at this level. On a day-to-day basis I don't think he's ready."
Can't say that the Dodgers' television network or its announcers are acting like a house organ. Lyons couldn't have been more clear about what he thinks. Good for Lyons.
Manny Ramirez's first official press conference was just televised on ESPNews (thank you to the only outlet that gave it to us live) and here's the gist of what Manny said:
He's moving on. We are all humans, we learn from our mistakes and only one man was perfect and they killed him. Which seems to mean Manny isn't Jesus Christ.
Manny will only talk baseball, not drugs. Manny has nothing to prove, or, as Manny said, "No, I don't got nothing to prove."
Manny wore white-framed sunglasses with Dodger-blue lenses. Nice touch.
Manny chewed gum a lot. And maybe in a Lakers tribute, he finished by saying, "It's showtime."
Then Joe Torre talked. His message? Manny is uncomfortable in this moment. Ah, the burdens of stardom. And failed drug tests.
-- Diane Pucin
Photo: Manny Ramirez arrives at Petco Park prior to playing in his first game with the Dodgers since serving a 50-game suspension. Credit: Denis Poroy / Associated Press
Former Encino Crespi tight end Joseph Fauria, who received his release from Notre Dame, said Friday he plans to attend UCLA. He said he hopes to work out final details to make it official in the coming days but has made it clear the Bruins are the team he wants to play for.
The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Fauria would be reunited with his former Crespi teammate, quarterback Kevin Prince.
"I can't wait," he said Friday.
Fauria will have to sit out the 2009 season and will have three years of eligibility remaining.
-- Eric Sondheimer
Photo: Joseph Fauria poses during his sophomore season at Crespi. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times
In the world of sports, whenever a team faces a bump in the road ranging from "smallish" to "batten down the hatches and hang on for dear life" happens, we are typically guaranteed two responses.
1) Athletes will be asked by a gaggle of writers if said event is a "distraction."
2) Said athletes will do their best to insist said event is not a "distraction."
There are, however, cases big enough in which the rules' exceptions are observed. For example, Manny Ramirez returning to the Los Angeles
Dodgers from a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a female fertility drug that is banned by baseball. It's impossible to pretend the impending media circus taking its big top to San Diego for a series against the Padres won't be in the back, front and every corner of the team's collective heads. Thus, I was glad Joe Torre and several Dodgers didn't pretend otherwise.
These L.A. stories are in the news. And if they're not, they will be. Let me help with some perspective and explanation.
An idea for crowd control: If they do hold a huge Michael Jackson memorial service at Staples Center on Tuesday, have a Sparks game come in immediately behind it. That should clear the arena quickly and safely.
Why Manny won't apologize: Because it's like asking a frat boy to apologize for drinking beer. Why should he when everyone on frat row is doing the same thing? Ever notice that none of the performance enhancers who get busted in baseball ever show an iota of genuine remorse or honest contrition? And when they do apologize, it's because their agents tell them it's good PR. Why don't they ever own up? Because they aren't sorry! They figure they're doing what 95% of players in every clubhouse have, and likely still are doing, which is juicing, a way of life in today's game. They're only sorry they get caught. Why Juan Pierre, a top 10 hitter in the National League, has to go back to the bench: Because his next home run this season will be his first. Because with his arm, Juan needs TWO relay men. Because they're paying Manny mucho dinero. And because no one wants to pay to sit in Pierrewood.
Why it's non-negotiable -- the Dodgers and Ned Colletti must bring in a front-line pitcher: Because they could lose their chance at the World Series if they don't. And if Joe Torre keeps over-relying on the bullpen the way he has, the Troncosos, Belisarios and Broxtons are gonna be KICKING the ball up to home plate by mid-August. But Kershaw is growing up very quickly now, right before our eyes. If they add a Peavy or Cliff Lee and Manny hits, they're way good to go. Why Randy Wolf gets so many no-decisions: Is it lack of run support, bad luck, occasionally good luck? I can't decide. Apparently, it's contagious. But if he gets any more no-decisions, he's going to have to start pitching for the government.
Why Kobe is staying with the Lakers: Because the water along the Riverwalk in San Antonio is dirty and muddy? Because you can't find good sushi in Memphis? Because Houston has a problem? Because 20 other NBA franchises are useless? I mean, where would he go, New York? They have no players. Besides, the Knicks haven't won a title since Red Holzman had hair and Phil Jackson was 27 with hips of his own that worked. Of COURSE Kobe is staying with the Lakers. L.A. is his home and he owns this city now. Besides, staying is his only shot at catching Jordan and his six rings. Why Shaq won't make the difference in Cleveland: Because he's on the downside. Because his downside has a downside and it's getting steeper by the minute. The Cavs were already playing too slowly and not scoring enough points BEFORE Shaq got there. Now they'll be playing at the speed of a 33-RPM vinyl record. LeBron can film three more puppet commercials in the time it'll take Shaq to cross half-court.
Why the Clippers are apparently trading their top scorer, Zach Randolph: You really have to ask? Randolph is one of those NBA scorers who is just good enough to lose 60 games with. I hear there is actually a lottery Ping-Pong ball that has Zach's picture on it. Besides, in financial terms, owing Zach Randolph $33 million must feel like owning stock in General Motors. Plus, confidence in your scoring ability is not the same thing as smart. The Clips knew Zach would still need 30 touches a night to feel like The Man, but there's only room for one man and Blake Griffin is The Man now. Or should be by January.
-- Ted Green
Green formerly covered sports for the L.A. Times. He is currently senior sports producer for KTLA Prime News.
Photo: Manny Ramirez walks back to the Inland Empire 66ers dugout after striking out in a minor league game Sunday. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
The newsprint isn't dry yet and I can already hear the more traditional and cautious Lakers fans among you.
Ron Artest? THE Ron Artest? Has Jerry Buss lost his everlovin' mind?
Let me answer for the good doctor: No, he hasn't.
Phil Jackson coached the ultimate looney tunes, Dennis Rodman, and they won three championships together. Knowing the strength and character of the Lakers' core players, you think the Tenmaster is worried about Ron Artest acting out? Not in his Zen lifetime or the afterlife, either.
Moreover, let me state this in its most basic terms: If the Dodgers are steeped in enough True Blue Tradition to accommodate a (mostly) happy landing for an outsized personality like Manny in L.A., then the Lakers, no newbies to sports glory themselves, can certainly find room for Ronny, who'll be as eager to please as the happiest little child.
Plus, any city brazen enough to hold a memorial for Michael Jackson right in the heart of downtown is more than big enough to handle Ron Ron, a minor celebrity by comparison.
Sonny Tevaga, a 6-foot-5, 345-pound redshirt junior offensive lineman, is no longer a member of the UCLA football team, the university announced today.
Tevaga, who hails from Compton and went to Dominguez High School, played in three games last season and started at right guard against Tennessee.
His plans are unknown at this point.
-- Baxter Holmes
Photo: Sonny Tevaga. Photo credit: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times.
UCLA announced today that safety E.J. Woods is no longer
part of the team.
Woods, a 19-year-old from Encino Crespi High, said
in a telephone interview today that he will transfer to Santa Monica College, enrolling
this afternoon, with intentions to be there through December before attempting
to enroll in another four-year university in the Pac-10 to play football next
season.
Woods said he will not try to rejoin the UCLA football team.
“I wouldn’t come back [to UCLA],” Woods said. “I’m definitely going to try to come back to the
Pac-10. I’m going to work extremely hard this year in junior college to get
better physically, get better mentally and just to mature a little bit, and
then go back to a four-year, finish my time there and then go to the NFL. That’s
the plan.”
The Kings have a verbal agreement on a four-year deal with defenseman Rob Scuderi, whose shot-blocking talents were showcased during the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup victory over the Detroit Red Wings just a few weeks ago.
It's not complete because the paperwork must still be finished, and the numbers aren't available yet. But for the Kings' first free-agent move,it's a pretty good one, even if they still lack the scorer they need. Scuderi, 30, had one goal and 16 points and a plus-23 plus/minus rating for the Penguins last season. The left-handed shooting defenseman also had a goal and five points in 24 playoff games.
Kudos to the management of the Canadian men's Olympic hockey team for actually paying attention to teams that play west of New Jersey and extending invitations to one King and three Ducks to the orientation camp that will take place in Calgary in late August.
Drew Doughty of the Kings, 19, was the youngest player invited to the camp, the first step toward participating in the 2010 Vancouver Games. He's among the 16 defensemen asked to attend the camp, a group that also includes Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer and former Ducks Francois Beauchemin and Chris Pronger.
Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry of the Ducks were among the 25 forwards invited. They'll rub elbows with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Rick Nash, JaromeIginla and surprise invitee Dan Cleary of the Red Wings, who's better known for grit than sheer talent.
Being invited to the camp doesn't assure anyone of a spot, and players not invited to the orientation camp can still be added to the Olympic roster, but the recognition is significant and well-deserved.
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