SportsHubLA

Y E S T E R D A Y…

All quiet on a rare off day for the locals.

T O D A Y…

Dodgers at Philadelphia (5:22 pm, Fox): It’s Game 1 of the NLCS in the City of Brotherly Love, though given the rep of the Philly fans, don’t look for the Blue to be treated like one of the brothers.  Derek Lowe goes for the Blue, while lefty ace Cole Hamels takes the ball for the Phillies.  Most of the attention goes to Philadelphia’s potent lineup, but it was their pitching staff that pushed them past Milwaukee in the first round, just as the Dodgers had outstanding performances from their arms.  Manny, Howard, and Utley aside, it’ll likely be pitching that determines a winner in this series, too.

Ducks at San Jose (7:30 pm): It’s opening night for Anaheim as they look to get back to the top of the Western Conference.  Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer are back at the get go (a nice change from last season) but the Ducks could still want for O if things don’t break right.  On that end, they hope Brendan Morrison, who will center Selanne’s line, can rediscover some old form and help drive the attack.

Lakers at Clippers (7 pm, Fresno, CA): They’ll tussle more as the real games begin, but for now the Lakers and Clippers are just two squads looking to work out the kinks as they meet for an exhibition game in Fresno.

N E W S W O R T H Y…

• The Ducks, who struggled opening up the ‘07-’08 season, are looking to get off to a strong start this year.
• The Dodgers could enter the NLCS without Takashi Saito, but are on track to get Hong-Chih Kuo back into the bullpen.  Either way, Jonathan Broxton will close.
• Mike Scioscia squeezed before, and he says he’d squeeze again.
• It looks like Mark Sanchez will be good to go when SC plays Arizona State on Saturday.
• UCLA gets an angry Oregon squad in Eugene this weekend.  That means tough work for the offensive line and freshman tackle Jeff Baca.  
• The discussion over the circumstances surrounding Elgin Baylor’s departure from the Clippers continues, and isn’t likely to end soon. 

I N  T H E  B L O G S…

• Dodger Thoughts gets you ready for the NLCS.
• For a Phillies perspective, check out the preview at The Good Phight.
• The ice loving ladies at A Queen Among Kings deliver their LAK season preview.
• More postmortem on the Angels from Rev. Halofan at Halos Heaven.
  

O N  S P O R T S H U B  L A…

• Before previewing the real season, Marie Stiles catches you up on important things about the fake games for the Kings.  
• Ryan Smith looks back at the Chargers flop vs. the Fish in Week 5.
• More roundup on Elgin Baylor.

C O L U M N S…

• Steve Dilbeck of the Daily News wants to skip the appetizers (Phillies/Dodgers, Red Sox/Rays) and get straight to the main course: The Boston vs. LA (okay, Boston vs. Manny) series that everyone outside of Tampa and Philadelphia wants to see. 
• Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia Daily News writes, as many have this playoffs, about the Manny Effect in LA.  He is, in short, a ton of fun and a gaggle of big hits.  People haven’t forgotten his departure from Boston and plenty suspect he’s angling for a new deal by being on his best behavior (probably true) but on the other hand, freed from the tension of life in Beantown, Manny is decidedly and genuinely more relaxed.  That must mean something, too.
• TJ Simers of the LA Times takes a few swipes at Philly in looking at the NLCS.  Far as he can tell, this is LA’s series to win, and it could happen quickly if the Dodgers can get Matt Kemp going.
• SportsHubLA.com Column of the Day:  Bill Simmons of ESPN.com takes a must see look at Baylor and his career both on the floor and in the front office for the LAC.  After years of watching him make bad lottery choices for Donald Sterling, it’s easy to forget how revolutionary Baylor the player was for the NBA.  He redefinded the small forward position, changing the game on the floor, and helped pave the way for the very modern, very rich Association athlete.

Discuss: