Pledge Your Allegiance This Memorial Day - Dodgers or Lakers

May 25, 2009, 10:52 p.m. Not that you can't have it both ways – you can, in theory – but one takes precedence over the other. You know it does. Probably has for years, if not decades.

Be honest now, with Lakers and Dodgers telecasts running opposite each other, what are you watching? It's an unfair comparison, with the baseballers playing comparatively insignificant games in a lame division while the cagers fight for their lives, but still a call you have to make.

Fine, I'll share first. I've always put the Dodgers ahead of the Lakers. Always. I'll tune into an April or May Dodger game over the Lakers as a matter of course. And I did so during the first round of this year's NBA playoffs. A good chunk of the second round too.

But with my continuing disappointment in the Manny Ramirez performance enhancing drug scandal (and it is a scandal), and more importantly, the Dodger organization's handling of and lack of urgency in the unfortunate affair, I'm turning toward the Lakers. Check that; I've turned to the Lakers.

I doubt I'm the only guy in L.A. who feels this way, but you tell me.

And yes, I'm as frustrated with the Lakers relievers as I am with the Dodgers. But look, with Kobe leading and Manny cowering in a dark corner someplace, the Lakers are the compelling story. By a mile.

So, with "Mannywood" already a long lost marketing strategy and "Bleacher Beach" falling upon deaf ears (scarfing mouths are another matter), Dodgers management is pumping up its "This is My Town" campaign.

But right now, try as they might for the whole sports enchilada, Los Angeles is really only the Dodgers town when it comes to baseball. And that's only because the Angels equal vanilla in every county on Earth except for one. It's not because of anything the Dodgers are doing. In fact, they're blowing a big opportunity here.

Manny's actions have mattered. The Dodgers may still be safely in first place, but the luster is off the team's fast start, at least in the minds of some of their fans, myself included. There's something missing, and it's more than just the disgraced left fielder. I've been trying to explain it in my last few columns, to what degree of success I'm not sure.

It's a strange feeling to be a Dodger fan right now, almost a guilty feeling. Kinda. I'm uncomfortable, that much I know.

So in the mean time, I'll still watch as many games as is humanly possible, but I'm genuinely bleeding different colors right now. The colors purple and gold, that is, and big-time. I'll worry about the transfusion to reverse it back to blue later. Probably...

Talkback: Your comments are always encouraged…

Russell Martin Day-Off-O-Meter: With Russell Martin working his seventh straight game behind the plate today, and after not getting the obligatory day game after a night game off Sunday (and a day game after an extra-inning night game, at that), this seemed like as good a time as any to resurrect the Day-Off-O-Meter feature from 2008. And yes, that is DOOM for short.

Joe Torre promised to go easier on his young catcher this season, and by resting him three full days in April, seemed to be well on his way to doing so. However, since a day off May 3, Martin has played in 19 of 20 Dodger games, starting at catcher in 18 of them, and finishing at the position the other time.

My suggestion to Dodger fans who share my concern for Mr. Martin is to leave him off your All-Star ballot. It's as simple as that. He played nine innings in last year's mid-summer classic, and if we have anything to say about, just might get some rest this time around. More than likely, it's the only way…

Trivia Question: From the old crime-doesn't-pay-trivia-question-file, newly-incarcerated, tax-evading Jerry Koosman has given us an opportunity to revisit an old standard. In case you missed it, the New York Mets 1968 Rookie of the Year runner-up to Johnny Bench skipped out on a few IRS bills, and is paying his debt to society as we speak. Behind bars. With that in mind, name the full complement of Cy Young Award winners who've done time. Answer below…

Jaking It: No, Jake Peavy is not part of the answer to the above trivia question. But we would like to give him a shout-out for nixing a trade to the White Sox. It wasn't a particularly difficult decision, what with Peavy's stated desire to remain in the National League, and with the Padres being closer to contending, and San Diego being the better city and all, but you just know Ozzie Guillen's reputation as an extreme a head-case a manager as there is in the game had to have something to do with it. It would've been nice to hear Jake say it, but we can read between the lines, can't we?

Rhetorical Question of the Day: OK, San Diegans, sound off. How is it that you can chant "BEAT L.A.!!" at a baseball park with such furor one day, and then root for the Lakers in bars across your city the next?

And by the way, L.A. fans, if you're worried about the Padres continuing their hot streak long enough to compete for the division, don't…

Prediction: Clint Hurdle will be fired by the end of the week…

Media Savvy: With my increased interest in the basketball this postseason, I've been finding myself reading and enjoying the work of Los Angeles Times Lakers reporter, Mike Bresnahan. Like many an LAT baseball man, current and former, Bresnahan is an accomplished writer, who does a great job with game stories. This kind of writing deserves more credit than it gets.

ESPN's in-game analysis with Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy is worthy of praise as well. Sharp, well-communicated commentary with a sense of humor. Great stuff, guys.

The in-studio team, not so much. Michael Wilbon has smarts and personality, but Magic Johnson has lost his broadcasting touch. And John Barry is just sort of there...

Rather than annoy you with my annual rant about the uninspired Bud Selig brainchild that is interleague play, I'll let Jayson Stark do the honor this time, in a nice piece on ESPN.com. No doubt this is just part one in a series…

And congratulations to Jamie McCourt for creating the WIN broadcasts, and for giving Jeannie Zelasko a well-deserved opportunity. The Main Squeeze has scheduled Wednesday nights for the foreseeable future. She'll be at the computer and fired up for action come game time. After last week at the Ravine, she pretty much has to be.

With Torre on the field to remove a pitcher, Squeeze wondered aloud why the entire infield had to join the skipper at the mound: "Are they saying good-bye to the pitcher?" Ah, out of the mouths of babes…

Trivia Answer: Vida Blue, Dwight Gooden, La Marr Hoyt, Ferguson Jenkins and Denny McLain. With any luck, we'll be adjusting the answer to include Roger Clemens sometime soon…

James MacDonald would do well to familiarize himself with the career path of Edwin Jackson. My guess is MacDonald will advance faster and farther than has Mr. Jackson, who's developed into quite the find for the Detroit Tigers. To be fair, let's remember that Jackson, six years after his memorable Dodger debut in defeating Randy Johnson, is still just 25 years old. MacDonald is 24...

Investors Wanted: Invest a thimble full of venture capital today, make major league minimum tomorrow…

Statue for Sandy: The Koufax in bronze campaign continues. Please Vote “Yes on 32.” And tell a friend…

Remember, glove conquers all….

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