Before steroids exploded on to the scene in the 1990s, teams like the 1986 Los Angeles Dodgers often contended for a playoff spot. Just two years later they would win the World Series. Think about that the next time you're watching a journeyman middle infielder smack a 450 foot home run.......

Four years ago, Kyle Kendrick was helping Mt. Vernon High advance in the Northwest 4A district playoffs. Today, having just turned 23 in August, Kendrick is the key to the Phillies' playoff fate--and, by extension, the happiness of the entire, championship-starved city of Philadelphia. He's the Phils' starter in a must-win game two against the Rockies today at noon PST. Kendrick hasn't had as smooth a road to the majors as you might think, according......

LAist was comped front row seats by the Dodgers due to Malingering being struck by a foul ball last week, and she came back with some great photos, and earlier made fun of 4th of July on Venice Beach. But the biggest stories of the week was that the Mayor's Hot Tamale was revealed, and that a Kwik-E-Mart was erected in Burbank. Phillyist was busy doing the Fourth of July up right, exercising their......

Before the 2007 season began, we said local Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Mark Hendrickson sucked, silly HOF induction or not. And the stats don’t lie—he sucked. Yesterday, to our shit-eating chagrin, he proved he deserved the call … to replace sore Jason Schmidt in the Dodgers rotation. After six scoreless innings on the hill at Chavez Ravine, Hendrickson’s got this line for the season: 27 IP, 24 Ks, 5 BB,......

--The P-I has a great feature package about a local guy the CIA recruited to put a surveillance device on one of the highest mountains the world. --If only Jerramy Stevens played as hard as he drinks. --The soft bigotry of low expectations strikes again. --Tonight's Mariners game vs. Texas will be on FSN. Game time is 6:05. --Vista is selling well. --Nike doesn't make Nate Robinson's favorite shoes anymore, so his friends scour......

The Hall of Fame voting is over, and 6’9” Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Mark Hendrickson is a winner. That’s right, he’ll be inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame on April 18. What Hall did you think we meant? In his professional career, Hendrickson has the indignity of being a two-sport debacle. From 1996-2000, he averaged 3.3 ppg in 114 NBA games. He started six times. Hendrickson then decided to gave baseball......

Could Randy Johnson don a Mariners uniform in 2007? Those speculating aren’t entirely convinced floundering GM Bill Bavasi could pull off a (worthwhile) deal to acquire the Yankees’ aging Unit, and although we’re not the most astute of M’s followers, we’re dubious, too. We think it’s more likely the Mariners will trade for another mound giant—the Dodgers’ Mark Hendrickson. Because we saw him downtown last night. We couldn’t help doing a double-take when we walked......

In yesterday's NL Division Series game vs. the Mets, the Dodgers' Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew got tagged out at home on the same play (video available here). Your loveably loseable Seattle Mariners also once "accomplished" this, in a 1985 game against the Blue Jays, but theirs was even weirder. After a run-down of the players involved, we give you the report from the original Retrosheet box score: Dramatis Personae: Phil Bradley: Mariners leftfielder......

With the playoffs underway we thought it would be fun to look at all of the former Mariners you may come accross DODGERS Derek Lowe—Last year he went through a very public divorce after it was revealed that he was having an affair with Carolyn Hughes, a reporter for the Dodger’s pre-game show. The name of the program: ‘Dodger Insider.’ Giovanni Carrara -- “I’m-a gonna strike-a you out Delgado.” Aaron Sele—Quick note to the Dodgers......

Yes, the M's won yesterday, pulling within 3.5 games of first-place Oakland. But not without another startling managerial gaffe. With runners on the corners, and two outs in the Dodgers fourth, Hargrove had Joel Pineiro pitch to the #8 hitter instead of walking him to get to the pitcher. Of course, the #8 hitter singled, driving in a run, and even Dave Niehaus, who is rarely critical, lamented "I don't understand why you don't walk......

JJ Putz's two ninth-inning strikeouts of Barry Bonds (one Friday, looking at a splitter, one Sunday, swinging on a fastball) are the twin highlights of the Mariner season so far. Putz has been terrific this season--11 saves in 12 opportunities. Better yet, the numbers are there--he's struck out 46 this season, and walked only 6. That's Sasaki-esque. And then there's Joel Pineiro. Pineiro's allowed five earned runs or more in five of his last seven......

Mariner manager Mike Hargrove said something so unexpectedly candid after yesterday's 14-5 win over Texas that the Times plastered it on the top of this morning's sports section. Evidently some poor writer made the mistake of asking whether the win could be a "turning point." "I'm so sick of hearing about turning points, I'm about ready to puke. Let's all wait to the end of the season and see what our turning point is."......

Something tells us that the world-beating, intense Ichiro who disliked his relaxed 2005 clubhouse is going to be none-too-pleased when he finally arrives in Peoria. Mariners spring camp has morphed into late 70s summer camp, with closer Eddie "Giggles" Guardado as the wacky camp counselor. In the past few days, Guardado's masterminded lighting Jose Lopez' shoes on fire, showering Kenji Johjima with garbage, and taunting Cuban shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt after his homeland lost the WBC.......

The Sonics lost their first preseason game last night, 82-75 to Nate McMillan's Portland Trail Blazers. McMillan, you will recall, played 12 years for the Sonics and coached the team for 5. But, after his contract expired last season, he made the admirable decision to test new waters as the coach of the notoriously uncoachable Blazers. McMillan's move elevates the Sonics-Blazers rivalry to one of the NBA's most compelling. To draw an analogy for those......

Three B's have killed the Mariners this season--Bavasi, Beltre and Boone. Bill Bavasi, the team's general manager, is the mastermind behind such trades as Carlos Guillen (batting .355 for the Detroit Tigers) for Ramon Santiago (batting .225 for the Tacoma Rainiers), and of last year's free agent signings of Scott Spiezio and Rich Aurila, the pop-out twins. His major signing this year was B number 2, Adrian Beltre, who, after hitting 47 home runs in......