Baseball's Hair-Brained History

Defending World Series champs now up 2-1 over Dodgers

(AP) - Cliff Lee dominated the Dodgers and Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth provided the big swings early as the Philadelphia Phillies cruised past Los Angeles 11-0 last night for a 2-1 lead in the NL championship series. Lee provided another brilliant playoff start, striking out 10 and allowing only three hits in eight innings. "Cliff Lee, what can I say about him? He was absolutely outstanding," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. More»

(NEWSER) - The receiver in the R. Allen Stanford case wants seven current and former baseball stars to turn over millions they once invested in Stanford’s alleged Ponzi scheme, intending to divvy up the money among Stanford’s other victims, the Washington Times reports. He’s asking for a combined $9.5 million, an amount that mostly corresponds to the players’ initial investments. More»

Ramirez heads to triple-A Isotopes

(NEWSER) - Manny Ramirez may play for the Albuquerque Isotopes tonight, and droves of locals are planning to be there, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Triple-A team sells 7,715 tickets for a typical game; tonight it expects up to 15,000. Fans aren’t much concerned about the slugger’s suspension for using a performance-enhancing drug. “He’s a cheater,” one told the AP, “but I want to see him play.” More»

(NEWSER) - Manny Ramirez met with his Dodgers teammates today to personally apologize for flunking a drug test and drawing a 50-game suspension, the Los Angeles Times reports. Team management had encouraged the outfielder to talk with the squad. “He knows he made a mistake. I forgive him,” third baseman Casey Blake said. “It's his business.” More»

(NEWSER) - Manny Ramirez will be back with the Los Angeles Dodgers for at least a year after contentious contract negotiations, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 37-year-old slugger, pending a physical, will sign a $45 million contract for 2 years, with an opt-out clause after the first year and a $25 million payout. “I know how people treated me in LA,” Ramirez said. “And I want to thank them.” The deal includes a no-trade clause. More»