Next week, Palm Springs' world junior-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 knockouts) will fight unbeaten welterweight Carlos Abregu (29-0, 23 KOs) at Agua Caliente Resort Spa Casino in Rancho Mirage, but the HBO bout is a copreliminary of sorts in advance of a Bradley showdown with Don King's star junior-welterweight Devon Alexander early next year. 

"We're very intrigued by that matchup between two of the best 140-pounders in the world; two young, in-their-prime, American studs," HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg told The Times on Wednesday.

Alexander (20-0, 13 KOs), the IBF and WBC champion, has an Aug. 7 date to keep in St. Louis against Andriy Kotelnik, but should both he and Bradley avoid an upset, Greenburg said "we have a slot the week before the Super Bowl -- prime real estate -- and this is a fight that would be very intriguing to place there."

Bradley's bout against Abregu will be his first on HBO after formerly starring on Showtime. The premium cable network has access to the top fighters in boxing's deepest division, including Amir Khan, Oxnard's Victor Ortiz, Marcos Maidana and the July 31 Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz winner. Ortiz is expected to fight Sept. 18 at Staples Center, likely against Vivian Harris, said Richard Schaefer, the Golden Boy Promotions chief executive.

Greenburg also is pushing to stage a rematch between once-beaten Paul Williams and newly crowned middleweight champion Sergio Martinez on Oct. 2.

Williams defeated Martinez by majority decision in December in Atlantic City, and he proceeded to beat super-welterweight Kermit Cintron in a disputed technical decision in an accidental-fall-shortened fight in May while Martinez defeated Kelly Pavlik.

One of the obstacles could be Williams' promoter Dan Goossen's push to move the fighter back to 147 pounds to land a shot at Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao if their tentatively scheduled Nov. 13 fight can't be made. Neither has expressed interest in fighting the taller, constantly punching Williams.

Greenburg is also monitoring the future of WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, who lost a chance to land a previously scrapped bout against Shane Mosley and is now seeking a foe. Demetrius Hopkins (30-1), who won Friday at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, has called out Berto.

"Berto has to find a dance partner," Greenburg said.

Last week, Greenburg first told ESPN.com that he was no longer interested in the European dance partners of the heavyweight-champion Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali. He is declining to buy Wladimir's September fight against Alexander Povetkin.

"Certain heavyweight fights in this country would intrigue, like if [David] Haye or [Tomasz] Adamek were to fight a Klitschko, we'd be in the business," Greenburg said. "We only want big heavyweight fights that intrigue the American public. I don't feel like the Klitschko-Povetkin fight, in Germany on a six-hour delay, registers in this country."

-- Lance Pugmire

A person familiar with the negotiations says Carlos Boozer is headed to the Chicago Bulls.

The person tells the Associated Press that the two-time all-star forward agreed to a deal on Wednesday and is leaving the Utah Jazz after six seasons. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the contract doesn't become official until Thursday, did not reveal the terms.

Boozer becomes the latest chip to fall on a day when Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh confirmed they will play in Miami next season.

The jewel of this star-studded free-agent class, LeBron James, is still out there. While everyone awaits his announcement on Thursday night, the Bulls at least know they're not coming away empty-handed after landing Boozer.

-- Associated Press

Photo: Carlos Boozer. Credit: Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images

The Kings, who became "reengaged" in talks with free-agent winger Ilya Kovalchuk on Tuesday, according to General Manager Dean Lombardi, have received a proposal from Kovalchuk's agent, Jay Grossman.

However, the proposed deal is so complex -- and the ramifications so big from the Kings' perspective -- that they are not expected to respond for at least a day and possibly longer.

The Kings dropped out of the hunt Sunday, after Kovalchuk's representative did not submit a counteroffer to the Kings' initial proposals. Kovalchuk's only other confirmed NHL suitor has been the New Jersey Devils, but they would have to clear substantial salary cap space to sign him, and they have not made any transactions that would allow them to sign the 27-year-old left wing.

The KHL in Kovalchuk's native Russia appears to be his other option. The money there is big and tax-free, but he obviously couldn't win the Stanley Cup there -- if that, indeed, means more to him than a big payday.

After telling The Times on Wednesday morning that the Kings were again in the mix, Lombardi declined to comment further. Grossman would not comment at all.

The New York Post reported this week that the Devils were offering Kovalchuk a seven-year, $60-million deal. The Kings were rumored to have offered more money over a longer term to keep the average annual value of the deal down, but that could not be confirmed.

The Kings' reasons for dropping out of the Kovalchuk sweepstakes Sunday remain valid: They want to ensure that they can retain Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and other core players. Doughty and Johnson can become restricted free agents after next season and Doughty, coming off a season in which he won an Olympic gold medal and was a finalist for the Norris Trophy (awarded to the league's top defenseman), will command megabucks. The Kings, if they're serious about contending for the Cup, will have to pay him.

Lombardi must also factor in the possibility that the salary cap will decrease under a new collective bargaining agreement and that giving Kovalchuk a salary that would create a large cap hit will impede the Kings' ability to keep their core players. The current labor deal between the NHL and the NHL Players' Assn. expires after the 2011-12 season and owners could push to lower the cap, which will stand at $59.4 million next season.

The saga continues. More as we get it at www.latimes.com/sports

-- Helene Elliott

The California Horse Racing Board has sought a business plan from the company that runs Santa Anita, MI Developments, and a spokesman for the board, Mike Marten, said Wednesday that the "board received a transmittal" before Tuesday's deadline.

MI Developments had asked for an extension to the original July 1 deadline to submit a business plan, and it was granted.

Marten said he was not authorized to discuss the contents of the transmittal.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Candace Parker was unable to help the Sparks against Phoenix on the court on Tuesday, but the injured superstar did help Los Angeles to defeat its rival in merchandising.

Parker's No. 3 Sparks jersey was the league's top seller for the second straight year, the WNBA announced Wednesday. It is also the bestselling WNBA jersey in the history of both the NBA store in New York City and WNBA.com. 

Before she dislocated her left shoulder on June 13, Parker was averaging 20.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. The Sparks are 1-6 without her.

Retired Sparks forward Lisa Leslie's No. 9 jersey was the third-most-popular seller on the list, which was based on sales from October 2009 through June 2010.

The Sparks also topped the list of overall merchandise sales, with Phoenix in second.

TOP 5 MOST POPULAR PLAYER JERSEYS:

1.    Candace Parker – Los Angeles Sparks

2.    Diana Taurasi – Phoenix Mercury

3.    Lisa Leslie – Los Angeles Sparks

4.    Becky Hammon – San Antonio Silver Stars

5.    Janel McCarville – New York Liberty

TOP 5 MOST POPULAR TEAM MERCHANDISE:

1.    Los Angeles Sparks

2.    Phoenix Mercury

3.    San Antonio Silver Stars

4.    Seattle Storm

5.    New York Liberty

-- Laura Myers

And Carles Puyol will forever be remembered as the man who sent the Spanish there with his high-flying header late in the second half that lifted La Furia Roja to a 1-0 win over Germany on Wednesday.

Spain will meet the Netherlands, a 3-2 winner over Uruguay in the other semifinal, on Sunday in Johannesburg.

Puyol’s goal, just his third in nearly 90 international matches, came in the 73rd minute off a beautifully designed set piece that started with a Xavi corner kick. Puyol began the play at the edge of the penalty area and came charging in to meet the ball with a well-timed header, driving it past German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

The goal exposed a strange German strategy that saw the team laying back for most of the match, giving Spain the run of the field. After Puyol's goal, the Germans, aggressive for most of the tournament, desperately tried to shift gears. But with the Spanish laying back, it was too little, too late.

The bigger, more physical Germans were exceedingly patient in the first hand, ceding much of the early action on the offensive end to the nimble, crisp-passing Spaniards. And as a result, Spain, left free to work right down the middle of the field, had the best scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes.

But David Villa’s sliding shot was stopped by Neuer in the seventh minute; Puyol’s header off an Andres Iniesta cross in the 14th minute sailed over the net; and Sergio Ramos’ shot from the right wing also was high.

Spain got one last shot off in the final seconds of the half, but Pedro's 30-yarder skipped into Neuer's arms as the half ended.

Germany’s best opportunity -- and just about its only chance in the first half -- came in the 32nd minute on a 25-yard left-footer kick from Piotr Trochowski that Spanish keeper Iker Casillas stopped with a hand. For most of the half, though, the speedier Spaniards kept the Germans bottled up in the midfield.

The German defense, meanwhile, played so deep and allowed Spain to operate so often in and around the penalty area that it seemed to be just a matter of time before a tiny mistake would prove costly.

USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett sent a letter of apology to the University of Florida and several other schools regarding allegations that they made impermissible contact with Trojans running back Dillon Baxter after the NCAA announced sanctions against USC.

ESPN reported last month that a USC compliance official had sent a letter to Pacific 10 Conference officials alleging that Florida, Washington, Oregon, Fresno State and Alabama had contacted Baxter, who had enrolled at USC in January and participated in spring practice. ESPN also first reported about Garrett’s letter to Florida.

Garrett’s July 1 letter to Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, read in part, “I have spoken with Mr. Baxter and he has now confirmed that he did not receive a call from your institution. Therefore, USC has no intention of pursuing this matter further.

“I apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment this matter has caused to you and your institution.”

Several media outlets have reported that Alabama and Washington also have received letters from Garrett.

-- Gary Klein

Photo: Mike Garrett. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times.

 
Carles Puyol has just scored his most important goal for Spain.

He launched himself at an Andres Iniesta corner kick and powered a header into the back of the German net in the 72nd minute for a 1-0 lead.

The World Cup is guaranteed a first-time champion if the score holds.

Germany Coach Joachim Loew is wearing his lucky blue sweater but looking worried on the sideline.

Fifteen minutes to go, and hearts are beating fast in Spain and Germany.

-- Grahame L. Jones in Johannesburg, South Africa

Photo: Carles Puyol scores a goal past Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 72nd minute of Wednesday's World Cup semifinal matchup. Credit: Eddie Keogh / Reuters.

The Spaniards have come out a little more fired up, a little more determined, for the second 45 minutes.

They created two clear scoring opportunities in the first five minutes of the half, both squandered by Xabi Alonso.

First, the Real Madrid player skewed a shot wide left after being set up by a dazzling run by Pedro, who beat his defenders several times before passing to Alonso.

Moments later, Alonso fired the ball wide right after again being set up well by some good Spanish buildup play. The two misses could come back to haunt Spain.

A little later, Xavi tried to set up David Villa for his sixth World Cup goal, but Villa did not get hold of the ball well and his shot went wide of the right post.

Suddenly, Spain has Germany rattled. A shot by Pedro is saved. The pressure is turned up another notch and a ball is crossed right across the face of the German net, but no one is on hand to apply the finishing touch. Another shot goes wide.

The hour mark arrives and it is still 0-0, but there looks to be a goal in the offing.

-- Grahame L. Jones in Johannesburg, South Africa

Continuing our countdown of the 15 greatest L.A. Dodgers of all time, as chosen by our readers.

No. 1: Sandy Koufax (6,284 first-place votes, 116,888 points)

When you talk about the greatest left-handed pitchers of all time, you start with Koufax, add in Warren Spahn, Lefty Grove, Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton and figure it out from there.

Koufax was the first pitcher to win multiple Cy Young Awards, as well as the first pitcher to win a Cy Young Award by a unanimous vote. Many people will tell you that the greatest pitcher in baseball history was Sandy Koufax on four days' rest. Second greatest? Sandy Koufax on three days' rest.

Koufax pitched four no-hitters, one of those a perfect game, and led the Dodgers to two World Series titles.

On the L.A. Dodgers' all-time list, Koufax is third in wins (156), third in strikeouts (2,214), eighth in losses (77), eighth in games pitched (335), third in complete games (133), third in shutouts (38), fourth in walks (709) and first in ERA (2.64).

-- Houston Mitchell

Previously:

No. 2: Don Drysdale

No. 3: Vin Scully

No. 4: Tommy Lasorda

No. 5: Maury Wills

No. 6: Steve Garvey

No. 7: Orel Hershiser

No. 8: Fernando Valenzuela

No. 9: Mike Piazza

No. 10: Don Sutton

No. 11: Walter Alston

No. 12: Ron Cey

No. 13: Walter O'Malley

No. 14: Tommy Davis

No. 15: Kirk Gibson

Photo: Sandy Koufax in 1965. Credit: Associated Press

Wonder if Kobe Bryant is enjoying this game?

After all, the Laker star is a Barcelona fan and there are no fewer than eight Barcelona players on the Spanish roster.

Not that it has done much good so far. The Spanish have yet to find a way to break through the German lines.

Meanwhile, Germany is becoming slightly more adventurous. Its first shot came from Piotr Trochowski and was good enough to force Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas into a diving save to his left, the keeper just managing to turn the ball around the post.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, predicted a 2-1 victory for Germany. That means the second half had better provide some goals because the first half, which has just ended, has failed to do so.

Germany's Mesut Oezil tried to draw a penalty kick by going to ground in the area, but the referee would have none of it. Pedro took a fierce shot for Spain, but it was straight at goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, and came to naught.

Which is where we stand, at nought-nought, or nil-nil, or 0-0.

-- Grahame L. Jones in Johannesburg, South Africa

We've been a nation held captive for years and years. And on Thursday night, NBA free agent LeBron James finally will make the announcement that will allow us to return to our regular lives once and for all.

But which team will he choose? Will he stay in Cleveland? Will he join his buddies Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami? Will he shock the world and sign with the Clippers?

Vote, and then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did (especially if you choose "other" -- you obviously know something that we don't).

 
It is an interesting tactical game that Germany Coach Joachim Loew has his team playing.

Rather than running at the Spanish with pace and power, as they did against Argentina, the Germans are holding back, protecting their lines and only breaking forward occasionally.

It could be that the Mannschaft is missing suspended forward Thomas Mueller more than it wanted to let on before the match began.

Spain, meanwhile, continues to try to thread through balls between the German defenders, with little success. A Xabi Alonso shot that flew wide has been its only recent goal effort.

One-third of the way through the game, it's still scoreless, but the feeling is that the younger German players will be picking up their offensive effort before too long.

-- Grahame L. Jones, in Johannesburg, South Africa

Photo: Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger jumps for the ball next to Spain's players Wednesday at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban. Credit: Jerry Lampen / Reuters.

The match has gotten off to the sort of start that was expected.

Spain is maintaining possession and stroking the ball about the field with apparent ease. Germany is dropping its midfielders back to help out the defense, with the resulting strength in numbers being enough to snuff out the probing Spanish forwards.

The only real scoring chances in the first 15 minutes have both fallen to Spain.

David Villa, the tournament's co-scoring leader with the Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder, collected a through ball from teammate Pedro and blasted a shot that German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer blocked.

Later, Carles Puyol launched a diving header over the bar off a cross from Andres Iniesta.

Two somewhat close calls for Germany, but the team in black and white looks unconcerned.

After 15 minutes, it's 0-0.

-- Grahame L. Jones in Johannesburg, South Africa

Mixed martial arts organization Strikeforce will stage two shows next month in the Southwest, most notably an Aug. 21 light-heavyweight title defense in Houston featuring Southern California's Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal versus Brazil's Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, Showtime announced Wednesday.

Lawal (7-0, with five KOs) claimed the title with an April decision over Gegard Mousasi and was cage-side last month when his former-champion friend and training partner Renato "Babalu" Sobral defeated Robbie Lawler at the Nokia Theatre to apparently earn a shot at Lawal.

However, Strikeforce has respected the fighters' wishes to not face off, so Cavalcante (9-2, eight KOs) has been inserted. Cavalcante knocked out Antwain Britt in May.

The Houston card will also include a bout featuring Tim Kennedy.

A week earlier, on Aug. 13, Strikeforce will stage a 135-pound, four-fighter women's tournament at Phoenix's Dodge Theatre. A Showtime representative said the entrants will fight to earn a title shot at the organization's 135-pound champion, Sarah Kaufman of Canada, who's 11-0 with eight KOs. Kaufman has a July 23 fight in Everett, Wash.

The Phoenix card, a Strikeforce Challengers show on Showtime, will be headlined by a bout between MMA veteran Joe Riggs versus Louis Taylor.

-- Lance Pugmire

The stage is set at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban and we are 90 minutes, or perhaps 120, away from finding out whether it will be Germany or Spain which moves on to Sunday's World Cup final against the Netherlands in Johannesburg.

The starting lineups feature one mild surprise. Spain Coach Vicente del Bosque has opted to leave out-of-form forward Fernando Torres on the bench.

Here are the starting elevens:

Germany: Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Arne Friedrich, Per Mertesacker, Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Piotr Trochowski, Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose.

Spain: Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Pedro Rodriguez, David Villa.

-- Grahame L. Jones in Johannesburg, South Africa

Where FIFA was afraid to tread, rugby has moved in and trampled all underfoot.

We are talking about the appalling vuvuzelas, those cheap plastic noise-makers that have -- at least from an audio standpoint -- made this one of the most unpleasant World Cup tournaments to attend in person.

They will be there in full force again on Sunday, when the final is played at Soccer City. But when rugby moves into the same stadium on Aug. 21, when the Springboks, South Africa's world champion rugby team, play the New Zealand All Blacks, all will be back to normal. Crowd noise is all that will be heard.

A record turnout is expected for the match, which pits two of the world's top three traditional rugby powers (Wales being the other; sorry England), but the plastic horns will not be welcome.

"We'd rather not have vuvuzelas" a match organizer said in Johannesburg on Wednesday, adding that they drown out necessary communication between players.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the annoying horns have been banned from Eden Park in Auckland this weekend when South Africa plays New Zealand in another match in the Tri-Nations series, which also features Australia.

"I think it's a judgment call on whether to let in certain items," a stadium executive said. "Any vuvuzelas brought to the venue will be confiscated."

Back in Africa, several large shopping malls also have banned vuvuzelas after receiving complaints from their customers.

So they may go down in history as one of Sepp Blatter's lesser mistakes. The FIFA president could have issued an edict calling for a vuvuzela-free World Cup, but he bowed to local pressure and "tradition," and eardrums all across South Africa are the worse for it.

-- Grahame L. Jones in Johannesburg, South Africa

Photo: A Netherlands supporter blows a vuvuzela on Tuesday. Credit: Franck Fife / AFP / Getty Images.

BASKETBALL LEGEND: Clippers guard Eric Gordon played Michael Jordan's son in the film Space Jam.

STATUS: False.

Michael Jordan's youngest son, Marcus, made the wrong kind of headlines when the college sophomore called out Kobe Bryant on Twitter in the middle of the seventh game of the NBA Finals (a game Bryant's team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won) as not being worthy of being compared to Marcus' father. The younger Jordan is currently playing basketball for University of Central Florida. Before Florida, Jordan graduated from Whitney Young, a prestigous public school in Chicago. Jordan only attended Whitney Young his last two years of high school. His first two years he spent attending the private school, Loyola Academy, along with his older brother, Jeffrey. The two played together during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons and led Loyola to a pair of conference championships. In February of 2007, the Jordan brothers faced off against North Central High School (from Indianapolis, Indiana). North Central's star player, guard Eric Gordon, exploded for 43 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists. This is noteworthy because an Eric Gordon PORTRAYED Marcus Jordan in Michael Jordan's hit 1996 film, Space Jam!

But is it the SAME Eric Gordon who now plays for the Los Angeles Clippers?

MY answer is no.

First off, some details on Space Jam. Filmed and released in 1996, the movie involves Michael Jordan teaming up with Bugs Bunny to stop some evil cartoon bad guys through the power of basketball. All of Jordan's three children, as well as his then-wife, Juanita, are characters in the movie, but none of them are played by themselves. Theresa Randle plays Juanita, Manner Washington plays Jeffrey, Penny Bae Bridges plays Jordan's daughter, Jasmine, and, sure enough, Eric Gordon plays Marcus Jordan.

Sadly for us, the Gordon in the movie has not done any films since, so we cannot verify that it is not the basketball-playing Gordon simply by noting that this Gordon is currently starring in a sitcom or a film. His IMDB profile page suggests that the Gordon in the film was born in 1989, but they also add "circa," and even if they did not, IMDB is user-generated so the information posted there is not always correct. So the fact that Eric Gordon (from here on out I'll refer to the NBA player as Eric Gordon, Jr. as that's what his full name is) was born in December of 1988 and the actor in the film was allegedly born "circa 1989" does not really tell us anything.

However, in terms of the doubtfulness of the story...

Good news from Soccer City, the site of Sunday's World Cup final between the Netherlands and (take your pick, it doesn't kick off for a while) Germany or Spain: Shakira will be the headline performer at the closing ceremony, which organizers say will be "more youthful and a bit more technologically advanced" than the opening ceremony.

Translation: It will be louder and with a lot more flashing lights.

Bad news from Soccer City: Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe is among the 14 foreign heads of state who have been invited to attend.

Translation: Human rights abuses apparently are not enough to get you banned from taking part in what is supposed to be a celebration of sporting achievement.

Final news from Soccer City: No decision has yet been reached on whether former South African President and Nobel Prize winner Nelson Mandela will attend the final. If the 91-year-old statesman does, he would likely be the one handing the trophy to the World Cup winner.

Translation: Having Mandela in the house would be a fitting finale to a tournament that has captured the continent's and the world's imagination.

-- Grahame L. Jones in Johannesburg, South Africa

Reporters from around Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times

Bobby Cox and Joe Torre will make the Hall of Fame as well, but Tony La Russa is my pick. No manager is better prepared for a game, or more intense about a game.

He is so confident in his abilities -- and so respected for them -- that he can try such out-of-the-box ideas as batting the pitcher eighth or using three pitchers for three innings apiece without losing his clubhouse. He invented the modern bullpen, defining roles for situational relievers and converting Dennis Eckersley from a washed-up starter to a Hall of Fame closer.

La Russa has had a winning record with each of the three clubs he has managed -- the White Sox, A's and Cardinals, none of them big spenders.

Perhaps most impressively, he has kept pitching coach Dave Duncan by his side since 1983. No combination of manager and pitching coach has a better record at coaxing success out of pitchers who have flopped elsewhere, a trait that grows in importance with each dollar the major-market teams spend in trying to beat the Cardinals.

[Updated at 12:50 p.m.:

Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune

Sparky Anderson is already in the Hall of Fame. Whitey Herzog is to be inducted later this month. Either of them would be a good answer to the question on the table – the best manager in the last 30 years – but they’re not the two at the top of my list.

The question is here is choosing between Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa. They’re polar opposites in many ways but have produced consistent results where almost everybody else – including Joe Torre before he got to the Yankees – has failed.

Cox is better at managing people than La Russa, which gives him a slight edge.

Neither has had as good of a record in the postseason as you’d expect, but baseball’s true nature is more marathon than the big game, so I’ll say that one World Series is enough to qualify Cox. He’s the best there’s been day in, day out (but La Russa isn’t far behind).]

[Updated at 1:05 p.m.:

Peter Schmuck, Baltimore Sun

The top three major league managers -- in terms of success -- over the last 30 years are, in no particular order, Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa. Separating them is no easy task, but I think I can make a quick case that La Russa is the best manager of his generation.

Obviously, if you were deciding the issue just on total playoff appearances and championships, Torre would come out on top, but it's fair to point out that he was not considered one of the top managers in the game until he was managing the team with the most resources in the game. Cox also is an excellent manager with a long string of playoff appearances, but you can also point to reasons beyond his control -- namely a stable of Hall of Fame-caliber starting pitchers and a front office that was able to keep them together -- that contributed mightily to his success.

La Russa, however, was the only one to have great success in each of the three decades and spread that success over three teams in three very different situations. He gets my vote.]

[Updated at 2:30 p.m.:

Mandy Housenick, The Morning Call

You could make a case for a few others such as Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox, but Joe Torre is baseball’s best manager in the last 30 years.

His record of 2,292-1,952 through Tuesday speaks for itself. In 12 years as the Yankees' skipper, he led his team to nine consecutive division titles and 11 of 12. They won four World Series titles and six pennants.

[For the record, 2:57 p.m.: An earlier version of this post misstated Joe Torre's career managerial record. It is 2,292-1,952.]

Some will argue that his teams should have done that well with the big-name players they had. But just because something should happen doesn’t mean that it will. Torre was the key to those dominant Yankees teams.

And it’s no coincidence that after taking over in Los Angeles in 2008, he guided the Dodgers to back-to-back National League Championship Series appearances and has his team in the hunt yet again in the NL West.

And let's not forget that he's well respected by his players and media members. That counts for something, too.]

Upper photo: Tony La Russa. Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire

Lower photo: Bobby Cox. Credit: Marlin Levison / MCT