It's the best place for Dodgers to be
JERRY CROWE
Text messages from press row . . .
Be thankful, Dodgers fans, for the National League West, where even your running-in-place heroes are contenders in baseball's worst division. . . .
In the American League West, a 49-52 record would put Andruw Jones & Co. 13 games behind the runaway Angels, whose Francisco Rodriguez has an outside chance of finishing with more saves than the Dodgers will victories. . . .
Jones, by the way, is four for 51 with runners in scoring position after striking out with runners on second and third in the eighth inning Wednesday. . . .
That's an .078 average. . . .
Eric Gagne, in 2003, is the only closer to win a Cy Young Award since 1992, when Dennis Eckersley of the A's was honored in the American League. . . .
Reader Mike Casey of Temecula e-mails to note, "Brett Favre is making Aaron Rodgers famous." . . .
Danica Patrick made Milka Duno famous for a day or two. . . .
Speaking of Patrick, the Sparks could use the petite firebrand. . . .
As a mediator. . . .
Sparks rookie Candace Parker, who won a second NCAA title with Tennessee in April, could add an Olympic gold medal and a WNBA title before the end of October, but she might have a more lucrative future in WWE. . . .
It looked as if Kevin Garnett was going to fall out of his seat laughing during the ESPY Awards telecast when host Justin Timberlake noted that the Nokia Theatre, adjacent to Staples Center, was "built from Shaquille O'Neal's bricks." . . .
With USC scheduled to play Ohio State in September at the Coliseum, Trojans fans may recall the electrifying 1980 Rose Bowl, when a late drive fueled by tailback Charles White gave third-ranked USC a 17-16 victory over the top-ranked and previously undefeated Buckeyes. . . .
One who surely hasn't forgotten is Pete Carroll, who was Ohio State's 28-year-old secondary coach that day under Buckeyes boss Earle Bruce. . . .
USC drove 83 yards to the victory, all on the ground. . . .
A missing Tiger and a reinvigorated Shark were part of the story line at the British Open and, if bravely attired Ian Poulter had kept pace with Padraig Harrington on Sunday, the year's third major might have been won by a Pink Pants-er. . . .
Greg Norman is one for eight when leading after three rounds of a major. . . .
