Advertisement

Yeah, but what Dodgers fan wants to go to New York or Boston?

Share

One more reason to cheer Manny Ramirez’s return: JetBlue’s special $99 “Manny Fan Fare” each way between Long Beach and New York or Boston, or between Burbank and New York. . . .

Too bad Manny didn’t request a smaller number this season. . . .

The offer ends today. . . .

Frugal but deep-pocketed fans making the trip to Boston might want to check out Ramirez’s newly listed 37th-floor apartment, which reportedly features four bedrooms, six bathrooms, three valet parking spaces and a wraparound terrace offering spectacular views of nearby Boston Common and the Charles River. . . .

Ramirez, who bought the place for $5.8 million in 2001, reportedly is asking $8.5 million. . . .

Advertisement

Notes reader Anderson Harper of Los Angeles, “Ramirez may be better compensated, but his childish antics during his salary negotiations leave no doubt that Wayne Gretzky remains the classiest Southland athlete to don No. 99.” . . .

No argument here, but Gretzky never hit with power. . . .

The “Noche Latina” jerseys worn by Los Lakers the other night may have been a hit with fashion maven Lien Na, but reader Ivan N. Rodriguez of Lakewood e-mails to say he was “insulted” that the team’s name was not translated to Laguneros. . . .

Notes a friend who teaches Spanish: Lighten up, por favor. . . .

UCLA’s 11 NCAA championship basketball teams lost a combined six conference games. . . .

This season’s team lost five. . . .

On Saturday, UCLA assistant Scott Garson told a reunion of players from the three-peating 1969 championship team, among them Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sidney Wicks, Kenny Heitz and Lynn Shackelford, “We get everybody’s best shot not because of what we’ve done but because of what you did.” . . .

That’s a lasting legacy. . . .

When Shaquille O’Neal and the Phoenix Suns played consecutive road games last week against the All-Star center’s three former teams -- the Lakers, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat -- the Big Cactus called it the “Hate Shaq” tour. . . .

Tuesday night’s Staples Center visit by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers might not be their last this season. . . .

A push from Jason Giambi, Matt Holliday and the rebuilt Oakland Athletics could prove helpful to the Angels come playoff time -- provided the A’s don’t push past them, of course. . . .

Advertisement

Last year, Vladimir Guerrero and the runaway Angels didn’t play a meaningful game between July and October. . . .

According to odds posted at BetUS.com, the Oakland Raiders are the most likely team to wind up with disgraced quarterback Michael Vick, with the Dallas Cowboys the No. 2 pick. . . .

Speaking of odds, PinnacleSports.com is taking bets on whether Lance Mackey will win his third consecutive Iditarod. . . .

Abdul-Jabbar has launched a fundraiser called “Raise Your Hoop I.Q.,” which offers any organized team an opportunity to learn basketball history, view training videos featuring Lakers players and win one-of-a-kind prizes such as VIP seats at a game as guest of the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. . . .

Information: HoopIQ.com. . . .

Ex-New York Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams, whose second album of contemporary jazz is due next month, drew positive reviews for his 2003 debut, “The Journey Within,” allmusic.com noting, “No doubt many critics will see this as a sports-celebrity vanity project . . . but Williams truly holds his own.” . . .

Calling David Beckham “the Sarah Palin of MLS,” reader Werner Haas of West Hollywood notes, “Much was expected but the end result was a total bust.” . . .

Advertisement

Perhaps Marta, endorsed by Kobe Bryant, will fare better. . . .

Olympic silver medalist and CoverGirl model Alicia Sacramone will sign autographs for the first 150 fans attending today’s UCLA-Georgia women’s gymnastics dual meet at Pauley Pavilion, probably a good enough reason for most guys to attend. . . .

Georgia gymnasts, by the way, are called Gym Dogs. . . .

Did Donald Sterling really believe that threatening expulsion from the team would motivate the Clippers to play harder? . . .

He really is clueless. . . .

Reader Mark Skurnik of Rancho Santa Margarita, suggesting that it would be “wrong” to ask Lisa Leslie and the Sparks to play a high school boys’ team in a charity battle of the sexes, e-mails to ask, “How about the Sparks vs. the Clippers?” . . .

The loser goes to Sterling.

--

jerome.crowe@latimes.com

Advertisement