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From Bill Shaikin: I hit my limit when I saw a Dodgers cap in a color called “Orange Popsicle.”
It looks more like a creamsicle bar, really. The cap is orange, with “Dodgers” across the front in white cursive, with a tan-colored bill and an under-the-bill color described on the marketing pitch as “camo” and described by me as “ice cream stains.”
Excuse me while I throw up.
The Dodgers cap is a classic: blue, with the interlocking “LA” letters in white, worn with pride by legends from Sandy Koufax to Clayton Kershaw, and by the 200 million fans who have assembled at the ballpark over 65 years of home games in Los Angeles.
Dignity, alas, has gone the way of outfield walls without ads and pitchers taking their turn at bat.
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MORE DODGERS
From Jack Harris: The Dodgers starting rotation is facing a sea of questions over the final couple months.
Will Clayton Kershaw stay healthy?
Will Julio Urías continue his return to form?
Will Tony Gonsolin ever figure things out?
Will Walker Buehler return from his Tommy John rehab in time to contribute as a starter?
Of all the components in the team’s late-season pitching plans, however, few are bigger than Bobby Miller — the 24-year-old phenom who could emerge as an X-factor down the stretch or fade down the pecking order if rookie struggles mount.
ALSO:
Reinforcements on the way? Dodgers see positive signs from Walker Buehler, Blake Treinen
NL WEST STANDINGS
Dodgers, 67-46
San Francisco, 62-53, 6 GB
Arizona, 57-58, 11 GB
San Diego, 55-60, 12 GB
Colorado, 45-69, 22.5 GB
WILD-CARD STANDINGS
top three teams qualify
Philadelphia, 63-51
San Francisco, 62-53
Miami, 60-56
Chicago, 59-56, 0.5 GB
Cincinnati, 60-57, 0.5 GB
Arizona, 57-58, 2.5 GB
San Diego, 55-60, 4.5 GB
New York, 52-62, 7 GB
Pittsburgh, 51-63, 8 GB
ANGELS
From the Associated Press: Shohei Ohtani left the mound muttering to himself after his 97th and final pitch ended the sixth inning. He even unleashed a yell of frustration when he reached the dugout steps.
On a night that drained him physically and mentally, the Angels’ two-way superstar fought through fatigue to victory — and even made one more bit of baseball history.
Ohtani allowed one unearned run over six innings of three-hit ball, and he earned his 10th victory of the season after Mike Moustakas hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in Los Angeles’ 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.
Ohtani (10-5) surpassed Babe Ruth in yet another measure of two-way transcendence at the Big A, becoming the first player in major league history to have multiple seasons with both 10 victories and 10 homers. He’s also the only player to record 10 mound wins and 40 homers in the same MLB season.
AL WEST STANDINGS
Texas, 68-47
Houston, 66-49, 2 GB
Seattle, 62-52, 5.5 GB
Angels, 58-58, 10.5 GB
Oakland, 33-82, 35 GB
WILD-CARD STANDINGS
top three teams qualify
Tampa Bay, 69-47
Houston, 66-49
Toronto, 65-51
Seattle, 62-52, 2 GB
Boston, 59-55, 5 GB
New York, 59-56, 5.5 GB
Angels, 58-58, 7 GB
Cleveland, 55-60, 9.5 GB
RAMS
From Helene Elliott: The vapor trails left by Rams players as they dashed off the field at UC Irvine were still hanging in the air Tuesday when workers swooped in to pack mats, nets and other equipment for the transition to the team’s Thousand Oaks training facility. The first part of training camp had ended. But the work for the Rams, coming off a dismal and injury-marred 5-12 season and a seventh straight draft without a first-round pick, has only just begun.
Prepare to hear the word “patience” a lot this season, as in coach Sean McVay learning to be patient with new and young players; as in those players being patient during the process of getting to get to know each other and their roles.
Also, as in fans being asked to patiently sit through what might be another five-win season and wait for the Rams’ front office to spend big money on premier free agents next season, after keeping the purse strings tight this off-season, and drafting with smarts.
HIGH SCHOOLS
From Eric Sondheimer: Get ready for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High basketball games to be filled with celebrities for the upcoming season with Bryce James, the second son of Lakers star LeBron James, joining the team. He had his first practice with the Knights on Wednesday, coach Matt Sargeant said.
As reported last month, James began to consider attending Notre Dame after a previous announcement that he was leaving Sierra Canyon for Campbell Hall. He had been seen touring the campus and watching workouts in recent weeks with plans to enroll.
ALSO:
Edison football team cancels nine-day trip to Maui because of wildfires
NFL
From Chuck Schilken: The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. They haven’t even advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs since then.
But they are the most valuable franchise in the NFL. Yet again.
The Rams followed their Super Bowl victory in early 2022 with a disappointing 5-12 record last season.
But their value increased substantially, from $5.91 billion at this time last year to $6.94 billion right now, a 17% increase.
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
From Kevin Baxter: Following the earliest exit from a women’s World Cup in U.S. history, Vlatko Andonovski’s tenure as the team’s manager has seemingly run its course.
Yes, Andonovski is unbeaten as a World Cup coach, but the Americans won just one of four games in this tournament, the other three ending in draws with the U.S. going scoreless over the final 238 minutes. And yes, Andonovski was playing with a short deck after losing four starters — midfielders Catarino Macario and Sam Mewis, forward Mallory Swanson and defender Becky Sauerbrunn — to injury. But the replacements he chose were, for the most part, ineffective, as was his coaching.
And with the U.S. exiting the World Cup in the round of 16 two years after losing twice and settling for bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, Andonovski, is the only U.S. manager to coach in both major tournaments without winning at least one of them. He also had the bad luck to follow Jill Ellis, the winningest coach in U.S. history and just the second manager, male or female, to win consecutive World Cups.
But changing coaches isn’t as simple as firing one person and hiring another. There are contracts and timing issues to deal with. Andonovski’s deal with U.S. Soccer runs through the end of the year, for example, which means he would have to be bought out. And the team has two games scheduled next month as part of its build-up for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which are less than a year away.
Is a year enough time to get a new coach up to speed?
The biggest issue, however, is will the new coach be better than the old one? Andonovski lost just five of 65 matches, winning 51 times. Among U.S. managers to coach at least 60 games, no one lost fewer times.
U.S. Soccer could announce a decision on Andonovski’s future and, if necessary, on a replacement as early as next week. Here’s a shortlist of names that should be part of that discussion.
Schedule, results
All times Pacific
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday
Spain vs. Netherlands, 6 p.m., Fox
Friday
Japan vs. Sweden, 12:30 a.m., Fox
Saturday
Australia vs. France, 12 a.m., Fox
England vs. Colombia, 3:30 a.m., Fox
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1900 — The first Davis Cup is held with the United States beating Britain, 3-0.
1949 — Ezzard Charles knocks out Gus Lesnovich in the eighth round at Yankee Stadium in his first world heavyweight title defense.
1975 — Jack Nicklaus wins the PGA Championship for the fourth time with a two-stroke victory over Bruce Crampton and Tom Weiskopf.
1980 — Jack Nicklaus wins his fifth PGA Championship with a record score of 274, seven strokes ahead of Andy Bean.
1984 — The US beats Spain 96-65 to win the men’s basketball gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics; future ‘dream team’ members Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin feature.
1984 — The much anticipated matchup between American world champion Mary Decker and South African Zola Budd in the women’s 3000-meter race at the Los Angeles Olympics ends in controversy. Just past the midpoint of the race, Decker steps on Budd’s heel, causing Budd to stumble and Decker to trip over Budd. Budd gets back into the race and Decker goes down with an injured thigh. Romania’s Maricica Puica, who had set the fastest time in 1984, wins the race and Budd finishes seventh.
1995 — Michael Bradley, a third-year pro without a tour victory, shoots a record-tying 63 in his first PGA round to lead the PGA Championship.
1996 — Cigar’s bid for a 17th straight victory ends when longshot Dare and Go passes the super horse in the upper stretch and pulls away to win the Pacific Classic at Del Mar. Cigar, 3 1-2 lengths behind Dare and Go, fails to break a tie with Citation for the record winning streak by a North American-based horse this century.
2008 — In Beijing, Michael Phelps begins his long march toward eight gold medals by winning the 400-meter individual medley in 4:03.84 — smashing his own world record. The U.S. women’s 400-meter freestyle relay team, anchored by 41-year-old Dara Torres, takes the silver behind the Netherlands’ Olympic record effort. It’s the 10th medal of Torres’ career.
2008 — Ireland’s Padraig Harrington rallies from three shots behind to win the PGA Championship, closing with a 4-under 66 at Oakland Hills to become the fourth player to win the British Open and PGA in the same year. Harrington, the first European to win consecutive majors, closes out Sergio Garcia with a 15-foot par on the 18th for a two-shot victory.
2012 — The United States wins the women’s 4×100-meter track relay in a world-record time of 40.82 seconds to give the Americans their first Olympic victory in the event since 1996. Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter combine for a perfect trip around the track that ends a string of disappointments for the U.S. in the marquee relay.
2012 — Maurice Purify catches a record seven touchdown passes and the Arizona Rattlers win the Arena Bowl with a 72-54 win over the Philadelphia Soul.
2014 — Rory McIlroy wins his second straight major championship and fourth of his young career, rallying on the back nine in the PGA Championship. The tournament finishes in near-darkness at Valhalla Golf Club, with the final two groups essentially morphing into a foursome as they race to beat nightfall. McIlroy rallies from a three-shot deficit at the turn, to shoot a 3-under 68 to beat Phil Mickelson by one stroke. McIlroy finishes at 16-under 268.
2016 — Daryl Homer becomes the first American to win an Olympic silver medal in men’s individual sabre in 112 years.
2016 — Kristin Armstrong wins the road cycling individual time trial, finishing with a time of 44:26.42 for her third consecutive gold in the Olympic event.
—Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally…
Michael Lorenzen, an Anaheim native and Cal State Fullerton alum, tossed a no-hitter Wednesday night during his Phillies home debut. Watch highlights from his milestone game..
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.