Casey Blake News

Once wasn't good enough for catcher Carlos Santana . Topps, the baseball card company, has named Santana its Minor League Player of the Year for the Class AA Eastern League.

Gear up for baseball season with Chicago White Sox tickets and New York Yankees tickets .

Rays officials had heard good things about Derek Shelton 's work and were even more impressed when they spoke with him.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin stands on the mound with manager Joe Torre as infielders Ronnie Belliard , Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal wait during a pitching change against the Philadelphia Philies in the fifth inning of Game 5 of their Major League Baseball NLCS playoff ser Photograph by: x, x The Los Angeles Dodgers had nothing but ...

For the young Dodgers, faced with the daunting obstacle of a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series, there is at least the resource of people in their clubhouse who have been there before, who have seen a team on the brink of elimination turn it around.

Sometimes, all a manager can do is sit back and shake his head. Joe Torre was forced to sit and watch a high-caliber team under perform and make too many mistakes in a forgetful 4-1 NLCS series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

They end up battered and bruised by Phillies for second year in a row, and must add to their pitching rotation if they have any hope of fulfilling promise everyone sees.

Of course L.A. Times writer T.J. Simers had something nasty to say about Philadelphia fans after the Phillies took a 3 games to 1 lead over the Dodgers.

Then again, corpses float to the surface, too. So the National League Championship Series certainly appears over for the Dodgers, with the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series into Game 5 on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Tuesday afternoon that they are extending the contract of general manager Ned Colletti.

Reporting from Philadelphia - Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake said today that all the fuss over Manny Ramirez's showering before Game 4 had ended was unnecessary, calling the act "really nothing out of the ordinary." Ramirez left the dugout and showered in the ninth inning after Juan Pierre replaced him in left field for defensive purposes.

Which reminds me...must renew my search for Captain Barnacle, Diplomat in the back of Psychotronics.

Ned Colletti agreed to a long-term extension Tuesday to stay on as general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Heading into the National League Championship Series between the Dodgers and Phillies, beginning Thursday at 8:07 p.m. ET on TBS, MLB.com looks at the position-by-position matchups and dissects which team has the advantage.

Remember the 2007 clubhouse rift between Dodgers young and old that was laid at the feet of Jeff Kent? Casey Blake turned out to be healer of the wounds.

I should be with the Dodgers; their bullpen rocks! AP Photo: Chris Carlson Los Angeles got another excellent outing from starting right handed pitcher Vicente Padilla and a "Holliday" gift from Phillies second baseman Chase Utley to edge the Phillies 2-1 in a hot afternoon game at sold out Dodger Stadium Friday.

The home team was trailing, but the crowd at Dodger Stadium felt it was the right moment to unleash one of its loudest cheers of the game on Thursday.

Whatever it is - A secret fortune cookie no one is talking about? A lucky necklace? Doubling back under a ladder? - the Dodgers aren't saying.

Third baseman, who had a key walk against the Cardinals, starts winning rally against the Phillies.

It didn't generate quite the thrill of one of his walk-off hits this season, but Andre Ethier will gladly take it.