Southern California's two best baseball teams both got a lot better within a two-day period.

The Angels may have won a world championship by acquiring Mark Teixiera...... The Dodgers may have reached the playoffs by landing Manny Ramirez..... Southern California's two best baseball teams both got a lot better within a two-day period. It could be that Teixiera and Ramirez will each be with their new clubs for only two months, but even if they turn out to be just rental players, they can determine how far those squads can go in 2008. The Angels have a better team than the Dodgers. Hey, they have a better record than any of the 30 major league franchises. But, the Halos needed to improve their run-scoring ability to be even more potent in post-season play. Getting Teixiera from the Braves should also help Vlad Guerrero improve his numbers the rest of the way by affording him protection in the heart of the batting order. I think the Angels have as good a chance as anybody to win it all. Ramirez will give what has been an inept and erratic Dodger offense a boost, the deal with the Red Sox being a no-brainer. Giving up two minor leaguers and having Boston pay the remainder of a 7-million dollar contract for one of the most consistent hitters in baseball? Are you kidding me? The Dodgers have won only one post-season game in 20 years, but look for Manny to get them in the playoffs. The happiest player when Ramirez changed leagues? Angels closer Frankie Rodriguez. On July 31 and August 1, the Dodgers were beaten by the Diamondbacks, 2-1 each night. That meant the Dodgers had lost SIX 2-1 games this season----FIVE of them at home. They had only one 2-1 victory entering August. Man-Ram might change that. I well remembered the last time a major league batter collected five extra base hits in a game. That was May 23, 2002 when Shawn Green of the Dodgers slugged four home runs and a double in Milwaukee. I broadcast that game and described three of the homers. Kelly Shoppach had a career day July 30th for the Cleveland Indians, becoming only the second American League player to accomplish the feat of five extra base hits in a game. Ironically, the other was Indians Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau in 1948 when he laced a home run and four doubles. Shoppach, who is normally the backup catcher to Victor Martinez in Cleveland, clouted two homers and three doubles against Detroit. There have been only eight men in big league history do it, including two before 1900. Did you know Boudreau was named playing manager of the Indians when he was 24? ----------------------------------------------------------

The Summer Olympic Games begin this weekend in Beijing

The Summer Olympic Games begin this weekend in Beijing, China. John Naber, a winner of four swimming gold medals and a silver for the United States in the 1976 Olympics at Montreal, has shared his thoughts with "Real Sports Heroes" in recent weeks. As he looks back on his Olympic career, what does Naber think he gained most out of it? "In my opinion, there is nothing that I could possibly say that was more important than the delayed gratification concept of ' No pain, no gain.' To me, the opposite is also true. ' Diamonds in, diamonds out.' Hard work is a price willingly paid if you have the desire to enjoy success. Nobody's entitled to victory without investing effort in advance." Do you have a message, John, for the youngsters who are desiring to be Olympians in the future? "Find your passion. Find what excites you and makes life fun. Don't skimp on the effort. Give it everything you've got. Chase it with all your heart, soul and mind. Keep going until you don't like it any more. Always seek to be better tomorrow than you were today. If you are committed to improvement, then the results will eventually follow." And one final word from the 52-year-old resident of Pasadena, California......."I don't think that whatever country wins the gold is the best country. I don't put it in those terms, and therefore I'm able to take a loss or a defeat in a slightly better different point of view." Ross Porter