Wake-up call: Manny Ramirez, ESPN, Alexander Ovechkin, Evander Holyfield, Pete Newell

First things first: Maybe the voting system for the MLB awards should change. Maybe it shouldn't be baseball writers (The Times, by the way, of its own volition, does not vote) who get so hung up on stats. Albert Pujols won the NL MVP. Look at the competition. I wanted it to be Manny Ramirez, who took a longtime listless team and carried it on his back to the NLCS. I saw Koufax and Drysdale and Podres when I was a kid. Born and raised here (though my dad was a Giants fans). I remember what the Dodgers were like then. What a drought it had been since Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson thrilled us all. Still, I have never seen anything like the transformation of the Dodgers this past season. And it was because of Manny. He came on board just as I left for Beijing where I was the Olympics editor for The Times. I followed the baseball scores but was missing out on seeing Manny up close. By the time I got back, he had turned the team around. Attendance was up, season ticket sales were up, ratings were up, the mood of the city was up. Most Valuable Player should mean just that. He hit .396 in 53 games and had 17 home runs in that stretch and 53 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .743. Amazing. Manny is the best, most consistent hitter the Dodgers have had in 20 years. Maybe longer. He taught the kids on the team how to win and taught us it was safe to love the Dodgers again. That is an MVP. Who cares what happened when he was with the Red Sox? I don't.

Gobble, gobble: The juggernaut that is ESPN has now consumed the BCS. So get ready. By 2011, BCS will be everywhere on the countless platforms of the media giant that ex-ESPNer Dan Patrick refers to a "the mother ship." Diane Pucin has a detailed story in today's paper and ESPN made the official announcement a little while ago: The cable network won the bidding war and now has the rights to televise the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and the championship game beginning in 2011.

Caps come to town: The Capitals are in town this week, playing the Ducks on Wednesday and  the Kings on Thursday. It is L.A.'s chance to see Alexander Ovechkin in person, despite his sluggish start to the season. This is a guy who finished last season with 112 points. Take a look at this video.

And finally: Evander Holyfield says he wants to box again, be undisputed heavyweight champion of the world again.  Oh, my. Holyfield told AP, "People make too much about age." Right. Well, we know he can at least dance.

And finally II: Pete Newell will be missed. When it came to basketball, he was a giant of his era.

-- Debbie Goffa

Photo: Manny Ramirez hits an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS. Credit: Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

Comments

[Warren Juniper]

Unfortunately, the video seems to be a bit flawed as it won't play on our high speed DSL connection. No matter, we'll catch the genius that is Alexander Ovechkin on Wednesday and Thursday. Way to keep him a secret to the West Coast, Gary Bettman. Love the work you've done with marketing the league. What a tool!

I would disagree with the characterization that Ovechkin is having a slow season. If 18 points in 15 games and in the league's top 20 in scoring is struggling, I wish the Ducks and Kings had more players in a similar rut.

You didn't even mention the more successful 'Alexander' on the Caps this year, linemate Alexander Semin who leads the NHL in goals. Should be a fun 2 nights, so better see them now in person since the NHL thinks it best if they don't return for another 3 years.