The Weak Ender: Our Girl Needs An Apology

Manny Ramirez, I'm cool with you while you disappoint the world's worst baseball fans disguised as extras from Training Day. In fact, that was pretty funny.

But when you disappointed our girl, Alyssa Milano, you went too far. Attempts to reach out to Alyssa to offer a shoulder to cry on were unsuccessful, but we're here for you young lady.

Dodgers fans have taken this surprisingly well. And why shouldn't they? Manny is going to miss 50 games and will return on July 3. Is there any chance that one of the other teams in the National League West will catch and pass them? The team is in a pretty similar situation to last year. They will do enough to lead the West, get an infusion of Manny and then roll into the playoffs.

That is, if Manny can play without the female fertility drugs.

The only place the Dodgers lose face is in the court of public opinion. The Dodgers have the history over the Angels, but that's where it ends. Arte Moreno is considered the best owner in baseball. The organization also is considered one of the best. People actually want to go to Angels Stadium, and the club doesn't have to resort to bogus promotions such as offering free hot dogs to the entire right field pavilion to get people in the gate.

So consider this another round for the Angels in the battle of Los Angeles.

When you consider all of the things that the Angels have gone through this season, they are only 1.5 games out of first place in the AL West. If Mike Scioscia isn't the manager of the year, then they should just discontinue the award. This team has played so poorly, and yet are just outside of first place.

John Lackey and Ervin Santana will return soon. If the franchise is as smart as we all hope they are, then Pablo Escobar will go to the bullpen to make that one of the leagues best. The offense is hitting. Kendry Morales has as many home runs as Mark Teixeira with more RBI and a higher batting average. Morales only trails in walks, but you can imagine that the Yankees didn't pay Teixeira and his wife to walk.

FAVRE WATCH
Maybe my original prediction of Brett Favre joining the Redskins was more accurate. Favre won't be joining the Vikings -- for now. He again appears disinterested in doing minicamps, OTAs and even training camp.

Bucky pointed out in the comments yesterday that Favre was at his best when the Packers coaching staff made Favre, you know, work at his job. But Favre's been doing it too long to go through all of the work. And there's the rub. Like it might be fun to think about going back to college -- for a day. But when you think of actually going to class, studying, thesis papers, etc., it's not as fun as it sounds.

Favre finally realizes that and is more than happy to call it a career. But in the summer he will get that itch to play. And a guy like Dan Snyder could come calling and make Favre an offer he can't refuse.

• Alex Rodriguez probably wants to kiss Manny Ramirez right now.

• Jose Canseco continues to look better with each passing suspension, right? We've been saying this for years, but all is forgiven, Jose.

• Dom DiMaggio quietly passed away at 92. One of the best players not in the Hall of Fame, and a guy who gave up his prime playing years to participate in World War II.

• Has the Sports Dork Bill Simpson lost his damn mind? Why are we asking this now?

• St. Louis sucks, and they have some tact, too. I believe it was the late Jack Buck in one of our roasts who said that St. Louis was nothing more than a third-world country. If St. Louis was its own nation, Ethiopia would be sending it wheat.

AND FINALLY
The Lakers, for years, have been viewed as soft. The NBA has given teams the green light to inflict any physical punishment on the Lakers as they saw fit. Remember Kevin McHale's clothesline of James Worthy? (Am I losing my mind, it's Kurt Rambis.) Detroit's idiotic Bad Boys?

But now that the Lakers are fighting back, fans are screaming for suspensions and fines.

Derek Fisher's biggest problem from Wednesday night was that he hit the Rockets' flopping, soccer playing, Euro. That play wouldn't have seemed like a big deal had he run into a man.

I like this nasty streak from the Lakers. If the NBA teams feel like they can take liberties with the Lakers and get away with it, they are certainly mistaken. I like it.