Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Team

While the Dodgers' acquisition of a top starting pitcher before the trading deadline remains woefully uncertain, one thing has become wonderfully clear. They just got their ace. Vin Scully, thought to be retiring this winter after 60 seasons, said this week he is planning on coming back for one more summer. Scully, 81, said if he continues to feel well he will work past his landmark year and retire after the 2010 season.

The full blaze of the midday sun shone down on Dodger Stadium, and heat waves danced on the infield dirt. But the Dodgers weren't poised to take the field. In fact, the only Dodger present was Andre Ethier, and he was sprawled on a yoga mat in pigeon pose. All around him, about 100 fans were similarly contorted -- having paid $100 a pop for the privilege. In the brave new world of sports marketing, it's not always enough to sell game tickets or offer high-priced trips to spring training.

The concerns that existed in spring training about whether Andre Ethier would continue to let his temper get the better of him are something of the past. "To me, I think, last year, he let a bad at-bat sort of affect his other at-bats," Manager Joe Torre said. "I don't see that this year." What Torre is seeing from his starting right fielder is increased production. Ethier is hitting .327 with six home runs and 26 runs batted in.

Fifteen years is long enough. Two-hundred and fourteen wins and three Cy Young Awards is stuff enough. The ghost of Delino DeShields has haunted enough. It's time to bring Pedro Martinez home. One year after an opening day in which the Dodgers ceremonially connected with their past, they could do it for real by turning a humongous mistake into a homecoming king. Bring back the giant they thought was too small. Bring back the fighter they thought was too brittle.

Jonathan Broxton was called out of the bullpen with two out in the eighth inning Wednesday night. The first batter he faced: Albert Pujols. Broxton was called out of the bullpen again in the eighth Thursday evening, this time to start the inning. The first batter he faced: Albert Pujols. Both times, Broxton retired the hitter Dodgers Manager Joe Torre says is "in a class by himself." Broxton fell behind 2-0 to Pujols but forced him to ground out to third on a 3-1 pitch on his way to earning a four-out save in the Dodgers' 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the National League division series.

Go around the Dodgers' locker room and ask someone to tell you a story about James Loney. Eyes will brighten. A serious expression will turn into a smile. "Every day there's something," Russell Martin says. "He is who he is," Andre Ethier says. "He's very left-handed," Randy Wolf says. "He's out there." But not in a bad way. Players and coaches are quick to say that when they laugh thinking about Loney, they do so out of affection for the 25-year-old first baseman.

The 50,000-plus fans at Dodger Stadium might as well have thrown in their towels instead of continuing to wave them around their heads. This game was over. The bases were empty. The Dodgers were trailing by a run and down to their last out. When James Loney hit what looked like a catchable a line drive toward Matt Holliday in left field, Andre Ethier said he turned his back to the field and started to make his way across the dugout, figuring the game had ended. "All of a sudden, I heard people go crazy," Ethier said.

When the Texas Rangers learned two months ago that Vicente Padilla would no longer pitch for them, several players exchanged handshakes with General Manager Jon Daniels in the clubhouse. Second baseman Ian Kinsler even reportedly said, "Congrats." Padilla spurred a different kind of clubhouse celebration Saturday at Busch Stadium. The castoff with a reputation as a bad teammate was among the most popular Dodgers during the fizzy festivities that ensued after a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the National League division series.

Some of the highs and lows of watching Dodgers-Cardinals Game 2: Say hey Welcome to Dodger Stadium. There's not a better high-definition shot than the one taken from the blimp on a sunny October afternoon over the happy ballpark. Say what? Just after TBS' Bob Brenly spoke about how Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw needed to throw hard stuff to Mark DeRosa, play-by-play man Dick Stockton said DeRosa struck out on a high fastball. Analyst Brenly gently stepped in and said it was a slider.

Andre Ethier's roller-coaster ride at the plate this season is on an upswing again. Entering Wednesday's game, the Dodgers' right fielder had hit four home runs and two doubles in the previous week, driving in six runs and batting .450. That lifted Ethier's overall average to .280 from .250 in late May, when the left-handed hitter struggled after enjoying a strong start in April.