Jim Alexander
@jimalexander24.bsky.social
Sports columnist for Southern California News Group: https://www.ocregister.com/author/jim-alexander/ Author, "Dodgers! An Informal History From Flatbush to Chavez Ravine." https://authors.tertulia.com/jimalexander-draft3p7lmw
Is this week’s Dodgers-Padres series a preview of what we might see in the postseason? And if so, wouldn’t that be a blast? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/24/a...
Alexander: Wouldn’t another Dodgers-Padres playoff series be fun?
Either that, or excruciating … but these teams and their rival fan bases well might see each other in October for the fourth time in the seven years.
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If you missed it ...
Jim Alexander@jimalexander24.bsky.social · yesterdayUCLA’s Tenley Hill and USC’s Alia Pasternak, girls’ flag football players in high school, simply wanted to continue playing in college. They got a hands-on education in sports management in the process. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/23/a...
UCLA’s Tenley Hill and USC’s Alia Pasternak, girls’ flag football players in high school, simply wanted to continue playing in college. They got a hands-on education in sports management in the process. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/23/a...
Alexander: At UCLA and USC, flag football is educational
USC’s Alia Pasternak and UCLA’s Tenley Hill, having both played in high school in Orange County, took the lead in organizing their collegiate club teams.
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If you are a Chargers fan, don’t you wish somebody - coach, player, whatever - would react to these two embarrassing losses with some real emotion?
Jim Alexander@jimalexander24.bsky.social · 4d agoIs the Chargers’ season already spiraling downward, with two poor performances in an 0-2 start and four rugged games coming up? And is there someone who will acknowledge the hard truths internally at least, if not publicly? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/20/a...
Is the Chargers’ season already spiraling downward, with two poor performances in an 0-2 start and four rugged games coming up? And is there someone who will acknowledge the hard truths internally at least, if not publicly? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/20/a...
Alexander: Is Chargers’ season already spiraling downward?
Two sloppy home losses have left the Chargers with little margin for error before a daunting stretch against Buffalo, Seattle, Denver and Kansas City. The bigger question is whether this team can summ...
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Leading off this week's bucket o' notes: Can the Dodgers three-peat with minimal contributions from their top signings of last winter? Also: I'm with Team Holly. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/18/a...
Alexander: Can the Dodgers overcome the curse of the big contracts?
Of their two big offseason signings, outfielder Kyle Tucker is starting to heat up – maybe – but closer Edwin Díaz might not even make the postseason roster.
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The "Protect College Sports Act" ... would it, actually? And what would you, the fan, get out of it? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/16/a...
Alexander: Will – or can – Congress actually ‘protect’ college sports?
With legislation making its way through Congress, how about a simple remedy: Give football its own structure, and re-regionalize all of the other sports.
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Two NFL teams in L.A., two opening day stinkers. How the Chargers laid an egg against Arizona. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/13/a...
Alexander: Chargers’ sloppy opener leaves plenty to explain
Favored by 9½ points against an Arizona team that went 3-14 last season, the Chargers commit costly penalties, turn the ball over twice and have a punt blocked in a 26-14 loss.
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Yes, Angel fans, the Doug Eddings in the news this week was the same one who botched the call in ‘05. Also in today’s bucket o’ notes, the Rams should have left earlier, and a remembrance of Barry Melrose. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/11/a...
Alexander: Hey, Angels fans – remember this guy?
Umpire Doug Eddings was back in the spotlight this week, stirring memories of one bad call in the 2005 American League Championship Series.
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Where do Southern California’s teams - all 18 of ‘em - stand when it comes to seriously contending for a championship? We’ve got the rankings right here. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/09/a...
Alexander: Rams and Dodgers top the Expectation Index
The higher you score on our new ranking of Southern California’s 18 major teams, the more that is expected of you.
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If they had a mulligan, would USC and UCLA still have fled to the Big Ten? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/04/a...
Alexander: USC, UCLA in the Big Ten didn’t have to happen
Two developments the last week, actually, remind us that the demise of the legacy Pac-12 began with the L.A. schools’ defections.
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The late summer malaise has become a recent Dodger tradition. It didn't stop them from winning the World Series the last two years. But ... www.ocregister.com/2026/09/03/a...
Alexander: Will Dodgers break out of their annual late-season slump soon?
They’ve overcome it the past two seasons, but an older club is still trying to recapture its offensive mojo. Either they are setting themselves up for another inspirational finish, or their luck is ab...
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If they had to do it all over again, would the Clippers have spent so much - both above and under the table, according to the NBA's investigation - for a player that didn't bring them close to a championship? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/02/a...
Alexander: Would Clippers go down this path again?
Given the penalties in the Kawhi Leonard case, and the results of the seven seasons with him on the roster, they probably would not.
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Angels fans, you have reason to celebrate. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/01/a...
Alexander: This is a good day for Angels fans
The announcement of Stan Kroenke’s purchase of a controlling interest from Arte Moreno should be cause for celebration for a long-suffering but stubbornly loyal fan base.
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Assuming that Aaron Donald still has something left in the tank, his presence makes the Rams scary good. But is there a level they might reach beyond that? www.ocregister.com/2026/08/31/a...
Alexander: With Aaron Donald’s return, are the Rams unstoppable?
The addition of the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to an already stacked roster makes them a prohibitive favorite to win another Lombardi Trophy.
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Yes, USC’s early schedule seems overly creampuff crowded. But if you were in Lincoln Riley’s spot, wouldn’t you do the same? www.ocregister.com/2026/08/29/a...
Alexander: USC football’s sweet opening schedule makes sense for Lincoln Riley
The Trojans have every reason to ease into a brutal Big Ten schedule, even if games like Saturday’s win over San José State are a tough sell in L.A.
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August has been a grueling sports month, for reasons that have little to do with the competition itself. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/28/a...
Alexander: We’ve had better sports months, haven’t we?
From Mark Walter’s financial fiasco to WNBA fake news and college sports’ unforced errors, August has been marked by chaos, controversy and uncertainty.
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From stand-up comedy to a baseball broadcast booth - and also, maybe, serving as an inspiration for others? www.ocregister.com/2026/08/26/a...
Alexander: Connecting baseball fans with minor leaguers’ stories
Sid Iyer, the radio voice of the Ontario Tower Buzzers, has a significant story of his own, from his journey to the booth to his approach and his heritage.
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Our annual sitdown with CIF Southern Section commissioner Mike West. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/22/a...
Alexander: CIF participation stats are … well, interesting
Increases and decreases are discussed, and more, in our annual season-opening sitdown with Southern Section commissioner Mike West.
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It is an interesting time to be a sports fan in Southern California … but not always for the right reasons. Discussing a tumultuous Monday. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/18/a...
Alexander: The Lakers’ and Clippers’ day of drama, and more
L.A.’s franchises enlivened the NBA offseason with explosive stories on the same day this week … and it all appears far from over.
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My favorite Tommy John anecdote, which didn't make this column (but was in my book): After his return to pitching, we interviewed him in the trainer's room after a start. He had his elbow in an ice bucket ... along with two bottles of beer. Talk about multitasking.
Jim Alexander@jimalexander24.bsky.social · last mo.Those who change the game deserve a place in Cooperstown. And yes, both Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe deserve plaques and to be lauded posthumously as Hall of Famers. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/17/a...
Those who change the game deserve a place in Cooperstown. And yes, both Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe deserve plaques and to be lauded posthumously as Hall of Famers. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/17/a...
Alexander: Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe should be in the Hall of Fame
If the Cooperstown shrine exists to tell baseball’s story, how can you leave out people who changed the game?
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Dave Roberts asked for urgency, but that didn’t solve the Dodgers’ issues. A better offensive approach might. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/16/a...
Alexander: Dodgers’ offensive drought continues
A sputtering offense has contributed to a 13-18 record since July 10, including three losses in four games against Milwaukee over the weekend.
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Another three-peat developing? This one is in beach volleyball, at the Manhattan Beach Open, and Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher are already off to a good start. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/14/a...
Alexander: Beach volleyball’s Brasher and Cruz go for their own three-peat
They’ve won two straight Manhattan Beach Open women’s championships … and after their Olympic experience in Paris, LA28 is on the horizon.
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The sudden sale of the Lakers was a shock, and can we assume there's not another bombshell waiting to happen? www.ocregister.com/2026/08/13/a...
Alexander: Was Lakers’ sale an act of desperation by Mark Walter?
The $12.5 billion deal with Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner, just 14 months after agreeing to buy majority interest in the NBA franchise, raises some questions.
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An all-L.A. Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in February? Why not? One reason why it would be fun: The rest of the country would hate it. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/12/a...
Alexander: A Chargers-Rams Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium? That would be wild
The Chargers seemingly have the heavier lift to get there, but keeping quarterback Justin Herbert upright and productive might be the key.
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A seven-game losing streak, being swept three times in five weeks ... is this time for panic or just the typical dog days for the Dodgers? (Plus, embedded in this week's bucket o' notes, a real dog story.) www.ocregister.com/2026/08/08/a...
Alexander: Where do Dodgers’ woes fall on the ‘competitive balance’ scale?
Their recent 8-14 record, after being swept in three series in five weeks, isn’t grounds for panic … yet.
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The Dodgers are officially baseball’s villains again after the Tarik Skubal trade. That’s hardly a surprise. But don’t the masses have this backward? Maybe their favorite teams should prioritize winning, too. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/03/a...
Alexander: Yep, the Dodgers are ruining baseball again
So say the haters, again, in the wake of the team trading for Tarik Skubal … but is the organization that listens to its fans and makes no bones about trying to win really the villain?
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Sports gambling is not only legal now in most states, but it’s hard to avoid the reminders. But as scandals keep popping up, is there a connection? www.ocregister.com/2026/07/25/a...
Alexander: Has sports’ embrace of gambling contributed to scandals?
An industry that once held gambling interests at arm’s length now partners with them … so what could go wrong?
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Was 24 days of "The Decision, Oldtimers Edition" really necessary? No. www.ocregister.com/2026/07/24/a...
Alexander: The long ordeal is over; LeBron has a new home
And no, a 24-day process that inconvenienced the rest of the NBA, before James announced Friday he would play for the Philadelphia 76ers, was not necessary.
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