eaded to the World Series for the first time in 71 years.And they just might be getting another key piece to their lineup.Outfie

ESPNs Buster Olney is on vacation this week, but hes still compiling roundups. View his latest roundup here.I dont know exactly when my grandfather, a construction worker by trade, fell in love with baseball. For as hard as he worked, it never occurred to me that there would be enough time for anything except rest preparing for the next day. But I can still see him listening to the games lying down. And now it all makes sense. I dont know when he became a Los Angeles Dodgers fan, but I can remember when I did.It was the summer of 1967. My friends and I used to play baseball in front of Russell Walkers house. He and I both lived in cul-de-sacs. I didnt realize until much later that cul-de-sac was just a fancy French word for dead-end street.When I saw my grandfathers gray, four-door Pontiac (with a black vinyl top) coming down the street, it usually meant I was in trouble for staying out past my curfew. But that couldnt be it today. The street lights hadnt come on yet. We all stepped aside to let the car circle the street. As he drove by, his drivers-side window rolled down, the smell of Pall Mall Reds wafting from inside the car, he looked at me and said, Get in.We drove north up Interstate 5, and I tried to figure out where we were headed. My first clue was seeing the Stadium Way exit. It was about a mile and a half up Elysian Park Avenue.Ill never forget seeing Dodger Stadium for the first time. Little did I know that going to Dodger games would become a tradition for my family.By the end of the 1980 season, the impact of Fernando Valenzuela had caught everybody off guard. Throwing almost 18 innings of shutout relief was insane, and the reaction of all Dodger fans was like nothing I had ever heard before.But wait, Valenzuela: Thats us. This guy looks like us. He could pitch, he could hit and when he ran, he looked like he was barely going to make it to first base -- just like us.That great move of looking to the sky before every pitch added to his identity. Who doesnt look at home plate when hes pitching? you could overhear people say.My grandmother would say, Hes asking God to help him throw a strike, huh, George? To which I would reply, Yeah, Grandma.Starting the season 8-0 caught the city by surprise. It was almost impossible to get a ticket. But the night that Valenzuela single-handedly beat the San Francisco Giants by driving in a run and shutting them out? I was there, sitting high up in general admission.That was also the night a female fan in a Valenzuela shirt ran on the field, caught Fernando off guard with a kiss and then raised her arms high in the air. We all raised our hands in the air and pumped our fists, too. It was impossible not to take the ride with Valenzuela.He was the subject of what appeared to be every conversation. It got so crazy that instead of people believing he was 20 years old, there was talk that he was in his 40s. No 20-year-old could possibly be that good. Plus, he was born in Mexico and didnt have a birth certificate. That was hilarious.My grandmother worked nights at the time. One morning, I woke up and saw a Fernando Valenzuela T-shirt, hat and button on the counter. I couldnt figure out where they came from. When I asked my grandmother, she said, Oh, there was somebody selling them at work.Wait, there was somebody selling Fernando Valenzuela stuff at a factory in Van Nuys, California?Thats how crazy Fernandomania was.News conferences before a game were unheard of. But Valenzuela would have them and back them up with a win. I cant remember a time before or since that I wouldnt miss a game either on television, radio or in person.Valenzuela galvanized Dodger fans with both his talent and his playfulness. Seeing him kick around a baseball in left field like it was a soccer ball was something fans would go early to watch.Manager Tommy Lasorda would even use him as a pinch hitter. There was nothing Valenzuela couldnt do.Fernando made us believe that no matter where we came from or what we looked like, talent was the equalizer. He did this by showing us, not telling us; hes not comfortable with accolades, which is why I find a way to sneak it in. Ive never forgotten what I learned from Valenzuela, and it has helped me become another living proof example.Ive gone to Dodger Stadium with regularity in the years since Fernandomania. Every time I go, I remember my grandmother and grandfather and how much fun we used to have cheering and feeling proud every time Valenzuela did something great.My seats now are a lot better than my 75-cent ticket to the left field pavilion, but nothing is better than looking out from the seats behind home plate and imagining them both still out there.Ive known Fernando for a few years now. When were both on the field, we always make a point of saying hello. Hes a great guy, and Ill always find a place to tell him how much hes meant to me over the years.And then the conversation will switch to how much we both love golf.Wholesale Custom Jerseys . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Custom Basketball Jerseys China . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. http://www.customjerseyschina.com/ . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. Sale Custom Jerseys . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Cheap Custom Jerseys From China . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training.The Chicago Cubs have one of the best young lineups in baseball, and as everyone on the planet knows by now, theyre headed to the World Series for the first time in 71 years.And they just might be getting another key piece to their lineup.Outfielder Kyle Schwarber has been out since April 7 after tearing his ACL, and he was presumed to be lost for the remainder of the 2016 season. That could all be changing, however, as Schwarber has been added to the Mesa Solar Sox roster in the Arizona Fall League, and theres a real chance he could be added to the Cubs World Series roster before Tuesdays game against Cleveland.In his first action in six-plus months, Schwarber went 0-for-3 with a walk, but thats only part of the story. I had a chance to speak with an AL scout who attended the game, and he had positive -- but cautious -- things to say about the left-handed hitter.The timing is just a little bit off, the scout said. But thats to be expected; this guy hasnt played in a game since April. He still showed quality bat speed, he appeared to recognize pitches well, and hes always a threat with the long ball. As talented as this young man is, it wouldnt surprise me at all if hes ready to contribute with the bat in a couple of days.ddddddddddddow Schwarber would fit is intriguing, and potentially less problematic than you might think. The Cubs will have the DH available for the first two games of the series and (potentially) the last two, so you dont have to worry about him defensively. He wasnt exactly a defensive star before the injury, and he certainly wont play defense in the games at Wrigley Field, but hes a potential weapon off the bench late in games. At the very least, Cleveland would have to be careful about using right-handed relievers, knowing that Schwarber is just a substitution away. Also keep in mind that the Cubs are currently carrying three catchers and have a ton of roster versatility, so they dont have to worry as much about late-game decisions knowing they have a non-option on defense.Its a risk -- and no decision will be made on Schwarber until after Sundays simulated game -- but Schwarber could be a major addition to the Cubs lineup in the first two games, one they werent expecting to see on the field until 2017. ' ' '