NL Franchise Notes: Dodgers Ready To Market Manny's Return

Dodgers Have Organized Fan Trip To San Diego For Ramirez' Return Series

In L.A., Dylan Hernandez reported with suspended Dodgers LF Manny Ramirez scheduled to return to the field for the July 3 game against the Padres, the Dodgers have "organized a fan trip to San Diego" for the July 3-5 series. The team in an e-mail last week "encouraged fans to sign up for the trip to see 'Manny's first game back.'" Meanwhile, Dodgers President & COO Dennis Mannion said that the team has "not decided whether to bring back the 'Mannywood' seats in left field, a promotion halted when Ramirez was suspended for violating baseball's drug policy." But Mannion added that the Dodgers "will not exclude Ramirez from their marketing campaigns." Mannion: "When he is playing, we will market him" (L.A. TIMES, 6/14).

SIGNED & SEALED: In Pittsburgh, Dejan Kovacevic reported the Pirates Friday signed first-round draft pick C Tony Sanchez "with a snap," as Sanchez accepted $2.475M, exactly 10% below MLB's slot recommendation. Pirates Owner Bob Nutting Friday said that the team had developed a plan to "sign either of the two players they rated higher than Sanchez," No. 1 pick P Stephen Strasburg or No. 2 pick CF Dustin Ackley, both clients of agent Scott Boras, "had they fallen to No. 4 overall." Nutting: "There's no question we would have signed them. ... We have excellent, competent people on our side, and I don't think we would have been overmatched heading into a tough negotiation. We would have come up with something rational. But no, we wouldn't have backed away from either of those two players" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/13).

BREWING SUCCESS: WISBUSINESS.com's Gregg Hoffmann noted as the Brewers have "won on the field, they also have become big winners in the marketing field." Debbie Attanasio, wife of Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio, and Senior Dir of Merchandise Branding Jill Aronoff are "given some of the credit for the increase in retail sales." Hoffman noted in part through their work, the Brewers' team store at Miller Park "now has a special area for women, called 'Brewed For Her'" (WISBUSINESS.com, 6/15).