Page 8 July 30, 2009 MANHATTAN BEACH SUN Frankly Plank Sizzling Dodgers, Angels By Duane Plank out of my pretty blue GT. Happened over Great. Got so busy with who knows what in Torrance, corner of Anza and Spencer. I Considering Halladay that we missed the Wienerdog races a couple was just trying to get to work at the West of weeks ago at Los Alamitos Race Track. End Club, pulling my shift as a top-notch Trip? Didn’t have a dog to enter in the deal, what bartender at a highly lucrative wedding recep- By Duane Plank with our dachshunds being the very unath- tion. Anyway, she crashed into the passenger Talking points for the sports week that was... letic types, but it is always fun to head to door of my vehicle, spinning my car in a *Dodgers continue to roll; Manny shines land’s Cliff Lee and Seattle’s Jarrod Washburn. the little racetrack down the 605 Freeway 180-degree circle. Or maybe it was a 360? on his bobblehead night. Halladay is considered by many to be the and watch the festivities. Maybe next year. Not good with those math things--was a *Angels racking up the wins; virtually best starter in the game, Lee has won a Cy Where does the time go? wiz at adding and subtracting, but when the unnoticed except in the OC. Young trophy, and the ex-Angel Washburn Speaking of the ponies, week two of the teacher started talking about planes intersect- *Will Toronto ace Roy Halladay stay in has very quietly compiled an 8-6 record and Del Mar meet kicked off Wednesday. Those ing in space, I remember my eyes glazing the Great White North? 2.71 ERA with the Seattle Mariners. of you who know Del Mar know the good over. Trigonometry, I believe they called it. *Buehrle tosses a gem. It will take a boatload of talent to acquire times that can be had down south. Sunshine, So my GT was demolished but I survived *Favre… Halladay, and lesser amounts of prospects track perched on the ocean, very pretty women the ordeal, except that the seatbelt left a *Tour de What? and/or suspects to get Lee or Washburn into all over the digs. Planning my trip, hopefully wicked indentation on my fat-ass stomach. Can’t seem to get away from the Manny- a Blue uni for the balance of the summer heading down in a few weeks. And my neck was pretty darn sore. Being mania, can we? Even when things look a and postseason run. Speaking with Dodger Last add on the horsies... Shout out to local the trooper that I was, I walked across the little sketchy for the power-hitting outfielder, Girl’s hubby Gregg the other day, he seems Little League baseball coach CS, who hooked street to work the wedding. Sometimes you events conspire to elevate the drug-cheater’s to favor a move for Halladay. Guess we will me up for a nice deal at Hollywood Park a have to play hurt, right? And all of you bar- popularity to even greater heights. see which way the wind blows on that one. few weeks ago. And is a staunch backer of tenders out there, and I know that there is at Like last week, when the sometimes ma- Remember, folks, in the playoffs you don’t the two-year-old runner Seeuat Sticknstein, least one who faithfully reads my diatribes lingering Ramirez decided he wasn’t ready need five starters. So a guy like Jason Schmidt, who I am sure will be running soon at the each Thursday with his young daughter, you to be put in the starting line-up against the who finally made a couple of recent starts, track where the turf meets the surf. Seeuat, know the benefits of working a free-flowing woeful Cincinnati Reds. No big deal, right? won’t see the field. You need one shutdown trained by David La Croix, won a maiden wedding right? The Reds are pathetic, the Dodgers own them stud who you can throw out there on day claimer on closing day at the Track of the Went to work, probably had a medicinal at Chavez Ravine; heck, Plank could even one of the playoffs, and every fourth day as Lakes and Flowers, rewarding her backers shot or two, and then was told to go home start for Los Dodgers in left field against the you progress through the postseason. And with $8 for the win. by the bar manager. Who was only looking Redlegs and the Dodgers would probably then you need super-solid number two and But the baseball season has been nothing out for my best interests, I assume. Or maybe come out on the winning side. And Plank three starters. but good people, good times. It isn’t all she wanted to grip my tips. Happened before. can’t hit the curveball! If the Dodgers don’t acquire Halladay, they about the final score on the scoreboard, is She had called my soon-to-be wife Regina, Any of you old enough to remember gotta be hoping that he doesn’t go to Phila- it? At least that is what we say when we who raced over to the club and coerced me when the Big Red Machine, with Johnny delphia or St. Louis, two division leaders who come out on the short end of the stick. It to go home. Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, etc. used figure to still be playing in early October. Cuz is about the experience, about living in the To do what, I don’t remember. She tried to travel to La La Land and tussle with the it ain’t about beating the Rockies in July--it’s moment. Shoot, I think I am almost quot- to get me to go to the hospital, but being a Blue Crew? Now that was a ball team that all about facing the Angels in October. And ing the Zen-master, Phil Jackson. Not a bad guy, I demurred. Cincinnati could be proud of. speaking of my boys, Los Halos continue guy to quote, though. I believe he has said So the car was totaled, I lost out on a Anyway, Man-Ram begs out of the starting to pile up win after win, even with arguably it’s not all about the result, but it’s about nice payday and I was pretty sore. Then, line-up on Manny Ramirez Bobblehead Night, their best player, Torii Hunter, sitting in the the journey. Guy’s pretty smart. And pretty in a couple of days, I get something in the but the situation arises in the bottom of the dugout, biding his time on the disabled list. damn successful, too. And still has avoided mail, saying that I was the party at fault. And sixth inning where Manager Joe Torre needs The Angels recently took three of four from signing the paperwork with the lovely Jeanie that I was gonna be sued. By the chick who a pinch-hitter. Bases loaded, tie game. So the Minnehaha, playing small ball, big ball, Buss. That a plus or minus? rammed into my car, disabling the beautiful who gets summoned? The mercurial Ramirez, and first-to-third ball to perfection. Almost Any of the legions of FP fans seen the GT and leaving me without a ride. Caramba! who was presumably sitting at the end of seems that Mike Scioscia’s team performs movie Gran Torino? Finally saw the flick a Lawyered up, found out that what the other the bench, playing with his bobblehead doll. better without a big-bopper in the line-up. Saturday ago, after telling the wife I would side had done was pretty much standard And walla! Ramirez launches the first pitch They hit the ball in the gaps, run the bases watch it with her a few times over. Which operating procedure. Course my lawyer got he sees into the Mannywood section of the with abandon, and compile innings like the wasn’t a lie, but may have been stretching a cut of the payout. Which was a couple of stands, plating four runs for the Dodgers one against the Twinkies, where the locals credulity, cuz I am not really a movie guy. thousand bucks, if I recall. And the damn in a game that they go on to win 6-2. The scored nine runs on 10 hits in the bottom I think that the last time I actually went to GT had to be worth a ton, right? Least it guy is amazing, and apparently is doing it of the fourth. the movies and paid the ransom that they was in the Eastwood movie. • all without renewing his prescription for the Chone Figgins started the frame with a charge now, I saw The Dark Knight. Which women’s fertility drug that helped earn the home run, and then added a single to left was very entertaining. But I haven’t returned slugger a two-month unpaid vacation earlier later in the inning. The inning went like to the cinema since then. Must be coming this season. this: Homer, double, single, double, single, up on a year now. So the Dodgers continue to roll, lengthen- double play, single, single, single, homer, Loved Gran Torino. And not just because ing their lead over the Rockies and the hated single, fly-out. Game basically over. back in the day I owned a light blue GT. Giants.