Wake-up call: Manny Ramirez, Michael Phelps, NFL brains

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First things first: It was good to see the crowd stand and cheer the return of Rafael Furcal last night when he came to pinch-hit in the eighth. Remember how we thought losing him to injury way back in the spring meant this could be a tough year? But then Manny Ramirez came aboard and it still leaves me saying, ‘Wow.’ And now they could clinch the division title today. Can you say M-V-P? I can’t remember wanting to see a Dodger bat as much as I do Manny (except maybe Nomar Garciparra) -- at least not since I was a kid. Refresh my memory. Who has been this exciting?

Related note: Will we be able to watch the New York Mets implode or will it be too painful -- again?

What are they thinking? Vic Seper, my colleague here in Sports, points out that the Buffalo Bills have the NFL’s fifth-ranked defense, giving up only 16.3 points per game. So St. Louis seems to think it’s a good time for the Rams to make a quarterback change against the Bills and plug in ... Trent Green? The last time we saw him play he suffered a grade three concussion -- the scale’s most severe. And it wasn’t the first concussion he’s had in his career.

Speaking of thinking: Twelve athletes, six from the NFL, are donating their brains to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (brain disease) after their deaths. Ted Johnson, a former New England linebacker, says he hope is to clarify the long-term effects of concussions by his donation. Former Seattle Seahawk Isaiah Kacyvenski (at left) quickly agreed when his ex-teammate at Harvard asked if he would donate. ‘It’s a noble cause,’ Kacyvenski said. ‘It’s something close to my heart. I’ve had several concussions.’

Speaking of donations: Returning home to Baltimore, Michael Phelps accepted a $250,000 donation today from Kellogg’s for his charitable foundation, which promotes water safety and youth swimming. Michael, who won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, will have his picture on the front of these items: Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes, Club Crackers and Rice Krispies treats. He may not be as handsome as Mark Spitz, but you gotta love a guy who is so into food.

-- Debbie Goffa

Top photo: Shortstop Rafael Furcal after last night’s game against the San Diego Padres.

Lower photo by Elaine Thompson / AP