Dodgers fans will pay price to see Yankees

So if you live in Los Angeles and want to watch the Dodgers play Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and the New York Yankees this summer … you’re going to have to pay a big price.

Forget about buying single-game tickets when the Yankees come to Los Angeles on June 25-27.

If you’re a Dodgers (or Yankees) fan and want to watch the Bronx Bombers in LA, you’ll have to buy a 14-, 21-, or 28-game package to do so.

Ouch!

So much for the “average” fan getting to see the Yankees-Dodgers renew what once seemed like an annual World Series match-up in generations past.

The Dodgers anticipate selling out all three Yankees games via ticket packages. If tickets remain available, they'll be sold individually at a later date. Hey, buy your Yankees tickets now and at least you’ll get to see the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals come to town, lol.

This is similar to a ticket ploy of the San Diego Chargers several years ago when they used to lose regularly to the Oakland Raiders … instead of the Chargers now having won 13 straight against Oakland.

To keep the stadium from being comprised of primarily Raiders fans 10 or so years ago, the Chargers made people buy tickets to several other games besides Chargers-Raiders.

The Dodgers really don’t need much of an attendance boost from what they normally draw annually. But selling out the Yankees series will probably assure other sellouts this season.

Cheating is fine; if you're on the home team

So here we go again.

Now we discover that the Boston Red Sox first World Series title in 86 years was tainted when they won in 2004.

Surprise, surprise … David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were among the 104 major league players listed as having tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in 2003.

Does that diminish Boston’s championships in 2004 and 2007 with these guys on the team?

If you’re a Red Sox fan, absolutely not. If you’re a fan of someone else, of course it tarnishes the accomplishment.

Funny, but it wasn’t so long ago that Red Sox fans were on the New York Yankees for having known cheaters such as Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi.

But failing a drug test is only a crime if you are not on the home team, according to the fans.

After all, Los Angeles Dodgers fans couldn’t figure out why San Francisco Giants followers cheered cheater Barry Bonds. Now those same Dodgers fans support Ramirez … because it’s OK to cheat if you’re on the home team.

Mark McGwire will always be a hero in St. Louis; same with Sammy Sosa in Chicago.

And the list goes on.

Lesson learned? Society has taught us to cheer for cheaters … as long as they wear the uniform of our home team.

Why are A Rod, Manny potential 2009 All Stars?

Alex Rodriguez is third in the American League All-Star voting at third base.

Manny Ramirez is fourth among National League outfielders in the voting.

So much for whether a person’s drug usage has an impact on how the fans feel ... at least when they vote.

There’s more reason than drug history not to vote for either player.

A Rod did not even begin his season with the New York Yankees until May 10 due to hip surgery in March.

Ramirez has not played for the Los Angeles Dodgers since May 6 because he is serving his 50-game suspension for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Apparently, a guy (A Rod) can play 2 ½ weeks after an offseason plagued by questions about past drug involvement, yet still be considered an “All-Star.”

Or a guy (Manny) – who won’t even be eligible to come back till 11 days before the All-Star game – is still considered a “star” by many. (And considering Manager Joe Torre will send him to the minors for at least a week upon his return, Manny may not even be in the majors at the All-Star break.)

What keeps fans voting for these two guys?

Either they don’t know any better … or that’s the way it goes in New York and Los Angeles.

MLB's 'greats' will never make Hall of Fame

First, Pete Rose became MLB’s all-time career hits leader with 4,256.

Then, Roger Clemens became the first pitcher ever to win seven Cy Young awards.

Finally, Barry Bonds became the all-time career home run king with 762.

Besides being all-time leaders, what else do these baseball “greats” have in common?

None of the three will ever make the Baseball Hall of Fame.

You can bet Rose will never get there due to his gambling on MLB games.

Clemens and Bonds not only are career leaders; they are also among the “leaders” in the clubhouse of those being exposed as probable cheats due to suspected drug usage.

It’s too bad that the modern era of MLB is so tainted. It’s even worse that perhaps the three finest players of their respective eras will never make the Hall of Fame.

But this is not a case for them getting there: In each instance, keeping them out of the Hall is justified.

What’s worse is that Alex Rodriguez may be the one to break Bonds’ record. And he’s certainly among the top … if not the top … cheaters of today.

On top of it all, Rose is already petitioning for A Rod to make the Hall of Fame despite the New York Yankees third baseman’s admitted drug usage.

“I'm willing to give a guy a second chance,” Rose said in an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show.” He later went on to say that steroid use is worse than someone such as himself betting on his own team to win.

No matter what, cheaters will be cheaters.

MLB Players: Few of character; many A-Frauds

Character is often defined as “doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.”

Under that definition, baseball is full of characters without character, right?

Absolutely.

Let Alex Rodriguez and his recent revelation about steroid usage from 2001-03 stand as the latest Exhibit A.

To refresh your memory, A-Rod told Katie Couric a few years ago on national television that he never used steroids. But when Sports Illustrated discovered he really did use steroids, A-Rod had little recourse but to tell the truth.

A man of character? Hardly.

Then we have such baseball characters as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Miguel Tejada.

None wanted to reveal what they did behind closed doors (i.e. take steroids.) But when the truth comes out, you can bet they were all steroids users.

Bottom line: Don’t go describing them as men of “character.”

Rodriguez may have been referred to by his New York Yankees teammates as “A-Fraud.” But now that the truth is coming out, too high of a percentage of baseball players are nothing but A-Frauds.

Dodgers gaining on Padres?

The Padres better not look back, because someone could be gaining on them.

And that someone is none other than the Dodgers.

When Joe Torre becomes manager of the Dodgers, it could create a domino effect. Don’t be surprised if former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez follows, which is just exactly what the Dodgers need.

If the Dodgers had a black hole last year (besides pitching injuries), it was third base. And A-Rod is only the best in the business at that position, which could make the Dodgers a contender in 2008.

Already, the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks have clearly surpassed the Padres. If the Dodgers sign A-Rod, the Padres could be staring fourth-place in the face next season.

The Padres already need a second baseman, (most likely) a center fielder if/when Mike Cameron leaves in free agency, and a right fielder. Brian Giles must move to left field where he has less ground to cover.

The post-World Series offseason has barely begun, yet the Padres already have some catching up to do.

The NL West is just becoming too strong for the Padres not to make major improvements this winter.

Money can't buy Yankees championships

The Beatles taught us through song in the 1960s that “Money Can’t Buy Me Love.”

The New York Yankees are teaching us in the 21st century that money can’t buy them love … or championships.

They can have the highest payroll in baseball, as always.

They can have Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, et al.

Come October, one thing they won’t have again is something they haven’t possessed since 2000 … a World Series title.

As you know, the Anaheim Angels are lurking in the background. They’ve done it before – and they will do it again – when it comes to knocking the Yankees out of the playoffs in October.

If the season were to end today, the Yankees would not be in the playoffs. But history tells us the Yankees will be there; no matter where they stand on Aug. 9.

They won’t be there long in October. The Angels are just around the corner waiting to eliminate the Yankees.

This will break the hearts of such East Coast transplants as Pat Colabucci who are in San Diego rooting for the Yankees.