Los Angeles Dodgers News

NEW YORK (AP) _ Four decades after the Brooklyn Dodgers broke hearts by departing for Los Angeles, Harry Nespoli is still fuming. ``It was a betrayal of the Dodgers fans who were here supporting the team,'' Nespoli said Sunday. ``They took the heart and soul from Brooklyn. When they left, they left such a despairing feeling and loss of hopes.'' The 68-year-old Nespoli was among several thousand spectators at KeySpan Park in Brooklyn who watched the reenactment ...

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) _ The Los Angeles Angels optioned first baseman Kendry Morales to triple-A Salt Lake following Wednesday night's 9-1 victory over Tampa Bay and said they intend to bring up infielder Brandon Wood from their Pacific Coast League club. Wood, a first-round pick in the 2003 amateur draft, batted .278 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 20 games with Salt Lake while playing mostly at third base. ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Every player on the Dodgers will be No. 42 for a day. Los Angeles will honour the late Jackie Robinson by having all of its players wear his jersey number on April 15 when the Dodgers face the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on the 60th anniversary of his becoming the first African-American player to play in a big league game. ``Jackie Robinson was a ...

The Los Angeles Dodgers were working out a few final details Thursday with right-hander Jason Schmidt and outfielder Luis Gonzalez, hoping to finish up before the end of the winter meetings. New Dodgers athletic trainer Stan Conte left Central Florida on Wednesday afternoon for Los Angeles to administer physicals on both players, a necessary procedure before either signing would become official. Schmidt was nearing agreement on a three-year deal worth ...

Starting pitcher Randy Wolf and the Los Angeles Dodgers closed in on a contract Monday that would bring the left-hander to his hometown team. The sides were close to a deal, according to a baseball official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been completed. Wolf, who is from the Los Angeles area, spent much of last season recovering from elbow surgery with Philadelphia. He went ...

Centre-fielder Juan Pierre and the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a five-year contract worth about US$45 million on Wednesday, giving the team additional speed at the top of the lineup. ``Juan's ability to hit combined with his speed make him a perfect catalyst for our lineup,'' Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said in a statement. ``His work ethic and character are second-to-none, and he knows what it takes to win. He's ...

Former AL batting champion Bill Mueller, limited to 32 games with the Dodgers last season before undergoing what turned out to be career-ending knee surgery, retired Friday and will serve as a special assistant to Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti. ``In one way, it's really disappointing, because I love what he brings to the table as a player,'' Colletti said. ``When he got hurt last year, it was probably as big an injury as we had ...

Fired Fox announcer Steve Lyons got backing on two fronts Tuesday: He can keep his part-time broadcasting job with the Los Angeles Dodgers if he completes diversity training, and Lou Piniella came to his defence. Lyons was fired over the weekend for making a racially insensitive comment while on the air with Piniella during the AL championship series. ``There isn't a racist bone in his body. Not one,'' Piniella said after being introduced as manager of the Chicago ...

The Los Angeles Dodgers' season came to a most appropriate end _ with two streaks. The first was a winning one that got them into the playoffs. The second was a losing one that knocked them out. And another year passes without success in the post-season. ``I wasn't ready to go home,'' veteran second baseman Jeff Kent said. Maybe not, but that's the way it is after the New York Mets beat the Dodgers 9-5 on Saturday night ...

Shawn Green and the hitters started fast, Billy Wagner closed it out quickly and now the New York Mets are headed to the NL championship series. A dominant offence and reliable bullpen led the way as the Mets completed their first post-season sweep since 1969, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-5 in Game 3 Saturday night for a first-round sweep. The Mets will open the NLCS at Shea Stadium on Wednesday against the San Diego-St. Louis winner. The ...

The Los Angeles Dodgers did their part to win the NL West, beating San Francisco 4-3 Sunday in what might have been Barry Bonds' final game for the Giants. The Dodgers clinched at least a wild-card spot Saturday, and began Sunday tied with the San Diego Padres in the division race. The Padres played at Arizona, and held the tiebreaker over the Dodgers based on head-to-head record. Ramon Martinez hit ...

Greg Maddux pitched the Dodgers back into the playoffs, a key second-half piece on the club's remade roster put together to bring Los Angeles back to respectability after an awful 2005. Maddux outdueled star rookie Matt Cain, hit a single and even stole a base as the Dodgers won their sixth straight game, beating the San Francisco Giants 4-2 Saturday. After winning the NL West in 2004, the Dodgers went ...