Credit Ng With Anderson Pick-Up

Marlon Anderson has had a profound effect on the Dodgers since his acquisition from the Washington Nationals.

After Sunday’s dramatic victory, he added a bold prediction about the team’s playoff hopes.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we can definitely get this done,” he said. “And we will do it.”

That kind of resolute thinking by Kim Ng, assistant general manager, brought Anderson to L.A. The Dodgers sought a veteran left-handed hitter as the Sept. 1 deadline neared for inclusion on the postseason roster. General Manager Ned Colletti assigned Ng to pursue Anderson and Vice President Roy Smith to chase John Mabry of the Chicago Cubs.

Not only was Ng able to get Anderson for right-hander Jhonny Nunez -- who Terry Collins, Dodgers player personnel director, said was expendable -- but she got the Nationals to pay $400,000 of Anderson’s $925,000 salary next season.

Anderson is playing so well he is the everyday left fielder, batting .369 with five home runs in 46 at-bats as a Dodger, including a ninth-inning single that started the rally capped by Nomar Garciaparra’s grand slam.

“Kim did a great job with that negotiation,” Colletti said.

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Not wanting to appear presumptuous, Manager Grady Little is reluctant to broach the topic of a postseason roster. But he did outline his philosophy.

“When it comes time, it will be like making out the lineup,” he said. “We won’t make those decisions, the players will make them by the way they have played.”

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Jerry Royster was fired as manager of the Dodgers’ triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, which was 67-77 this season.

Royster, who played the first three of his 16 major league seasons with the Dodgers, had a record of 124-163 in two seasons at Las Vegas and has a career minor league record of 598-659. He was the Dodgers’ minor league infield coordinator in 2003 and 2004 and a minor league manager in the San Diego Padres organization for several seasons.

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A playful Dodgers tradition might become a casualty of the tight pennant race. There are no plans to have the rookies dress in outrageous costumes for the team flight from Colorado to San Francisco on Thursday.

A year ago, the rookies wore Hooters outfits on the flight back from San Francisco. One of the season’s more bizarre images was of pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo standing in front of his locker in bright orange hot pants answering questions about giving up a home run to Barry Bonds.

Rookies have been asked to dress in various ways over the years, including as Elvis Presley impersonators and as Santa’s elves.

Only when the Dodgers are embroiled in a close race the last week of the season has the tradition been scuttled, a situation they hope is the case through this week.

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Tickets for division series and league championship series games at Dodger Stadium go on sale at 10 a.m. today.

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Times staff writers Helene Elliott and Tim Brown contributed to this report.

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steve.henson@latimes.com