Dodgers Trade For Ramirez Paying Instant Dividends Off The Field

Dodgers Already Cashing In On Ramirez Acquisition

Dodgers fans have sold out the first two games at Dodger Stadium following the aquisition of LF Manny Ramirez, and "have purchased more than $125,000 worth of No. 99 T-shirts and jerseys," according to Ben Bolch of the L.A. TIMES. When the Dodgers return to L.A. from a six-game trip that begins today in St. Louis, fans will "find brown dreadlocks and blue ones for sale in the team stores." Dodgers manager Joe Torre "doesn't appear to be too worried about Ramirez cutting his hair." That "should come as a big relief to Dodgers merchandising officials, who, in addition to the dreadlocks are readying blue skullcaps and helmets with dreadlocks descending from the bottom for the next homestand" (L.A. TIMES, 8/5). ESPN’s J.A. Adande said, “People are going crazy for the Dodgers who just a few days earlier were being ridiculed because they didn’t make a bold deadline move the way the Angels did when they got (1B) Mark Teixiera." Adande: "Now (the Dodgers) have to compete in the market … (and) everybody’s excited. They’re wearing Dodger blue again. They sold 10,000 tickets in a few hours” (“PTI,” ESPN, 8/4). 

NOT SHEDDING LABELS: In Ft. Lauderdale, Sarah Talalay reported the labels on Ramirez' "Manny Being Merlot" wine bottles "aren't going to change." Talalay notes the labels "don't say Red Sox, but they do reflect the team's colors." Charity Hop Sports Consulting co-Founder & Marketing Dir Brett Rudy said in an e-mail, "The bottles are already printed and in retail, so the labels cannot be changed" (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 8/4).