Text messages from press row ...

The Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres provided an October’s worth of drama in one night Monday and a tough act to follow for the Angels and the six other teams that have extended their seasons beyond September. . . .

Unlike Jeff Kent, whose comments last month made him sound like an out-of-touch old fogy longing for the good ol’ days, Todd Helton of the Rockies seems to have found a way to peacefully coexist with younger teammates. . . .

Matt Holliday’s controversial game-winning run capped a 14-1 Rockies surge to the playoffs that included a 7-0 record against the Dodgers. . . .

Replays, though, seemed to show he never touched home plate. . . .

Will baseball ever join the 21st century and embrace instant replay?. . . .

And why do players continually risk injury by sliding headfirst when it has been proved that they’d get there faster and stronger by sliding feet first?. . .

By the way, the last team to end the regular season on a 14-1 tear was the 1965 Dodgers, who went on to win the World Series. . . .

Former USC right-hander Ian Kennedy, 1-0 with a 1.89 earned-run average in three September starts for the New York Yankees, has not pitched since Sept. 13 because of a strained back muscle. . . .

The injury left the rookie free to be married Saturday, as scheduled, to USC basketball player Allison Jaskowiak, but Kennedy could be available for the American League Championship Series, Manager Joe Torre told reporters this week. . . .

Because of the throwback football jerseys worn by Washington, viewers tuning in late last Saturday might have thought USC was playing Notre Dame. . . .

Because of the sloppy way the Trojans played, viewers tuning in at any point probably could imagine what until then seemed wholly unimaginable: that USC might actually lose to Notre Dame on Oct. 20 at South Bend, Ind. . . .

A better team would have outscored the tottering Trojans. . . .

Keeping in mind that newsreel footage can be deceiving, that Notre Dame team from the 1925 Rose Bowl may have possessed more overall team speed and quickness than the current edition. . . .

Even the hard-to-convince Phil Spector jury probably would agree that the New England Patriots were guilty of some type of crime when they plucked Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders for a fourth-round draft pick. . . .

The Raiders used the pick on cornerback John Bowie. . . .

Judging by their wistful chants Sunday, San Diego Chargers fans must be wondering: Would Marty Schottenheimer consider coming back?. . .

Derek Fisher says he’s “cautiously optimistic” about the long-term prognosis for 15-month-old daughter Tatum, who suffers from a rare form of eye cancer. . . .

“Right now, the tumor’s at bay,” the Lakers’ old-new point guard says. “We’ve fought off the worst of it, we hope, and so right now we’re in a continual management and observation process.”. . .

The life of Lakers executive vice president Jeanie Buss, which was being developed into a possible scripted television series a few years ago, could still wind up on the small screen -- in the form of a reality show. . . .

The same production company responsible for “The Girls Next Door” shadowed Buss during the Lakers’ media day photo-op this week. . . .

“They’re looking to do a story about a businesswoman,” Buss says. “It’s not about the Lakers. It’s about what I do in my life with my dog and my friends.”. . .

Still, notes the daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss and girlfriend of Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, “If I had a similar position at a computer company, they probably wouldn’t have been interested.”. . .

Says guard Sam Cassell of Clippers teammate Chris Kaman, who will soon start drawing paychecks on the $51-million contract he signed last year, “He thinks there’s no pressure on him, but, I’m sorry to say, there is pressure on him.”. . .

The New York Knicks can’t win on the court or in court. . . .

Whiny, second-guessing goaltender Hope Solo of the U.S. women’s soccer team showed once again last week that, while it’s true that there is no “I” in team, there is an “M” and an “E.”. . .

Her expulsion from the bronze-medal-winning team was a Solo shot.

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jerome.crowe@latimes.com