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
The Dodgers are eight victories from making history, as the first NL team to three-peat. Can they get four of them against Milwaukee? www.ocregister.com/2026/10/10/a...
Alexander: Will the Dodgers seize their opportunity at baseball history?
It will be a more competitive NLCS than last year’s with Milwaukee, but this columnist believes the Dodgers will wind up four victories closer to a three-peat.
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Leading off this week's bucket o' notes, a tribute to Fred Claire. Plus, RIP to Da Coach of Da Bears, LeBron and a helicopter, and more ... www.ocregister.com/2026/10/09/a...
Alexander: Remembering Fred Claire, baseball writer turned decision-maker
The former Dodgers executive, who passed away this week at age 91, was the architect of those unexpected 1988 World Series champions.
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With Yamamoto vs. (probably?) Sale, the Dodgers and Braves will each need to be more creative offensively in Tuesday’s Game 3. www.ocregister.com/2026/10/05/a...
Alexander: For Dodgers and Braves, generating offense will be tough
It’s a marquee pitching matchup for Game 3 of the NL Division Series on Tuesday, Chris Sale vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto … and one team for whom rallies only consist of home runs.
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Just when you thought it was safe to trust the Dodger bullpen again … www.ocregister.com/2026/10/04/a...
Alexander: Is this familiar? Bullpen puts Dodgers in a hole
The momentum has swung Atlanta’s way with the NLDS tied heading to Atlanta for Game 3, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicates he’s now ready to return Edwin Diaz to the closer’s role.
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The Dodgers do have a lot of veterans, but age has its advantages. www.ocregister.com/2026/10/03/a...
Alexander: The veterans in the Dodgers’ clubhouse set the example
Is age going to catch up with the two-time defending champions? Not if the elders have anything to say about it.
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The Dodgers are baseball's bad guys, not surprisingly, as they begin their three-peat quest - and the sport heads for the collective bargaining cliff. Those are not unrelated items. www.ocregister.com/2026/10/02/a...
Alexander: As Dodgers begin, a legacy – maybe even a sport – is at stake
A team in the eye of the collective bargaining storm begins its historical quest for a potential third consecutive World Series title. Are those in MLB’s offices who stump for a salary cap actually ro...
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Yes, the Lakers are Luka Doncic’s team. They’re also Rob Pelinka’s responsibility. And if things go awry … www.ocregister.com/2026/09/30/a...
Alexander: This is the Lakers’ Great Chemistry Experiment
If this collection of players meant to complement Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves works, it could be fun. If not … the fallout could land squarely on Rob Pelinka next spring.
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For Riversiders: Your baseball history - nearly two centuries worth - is now between the covers. www.pressenterprise.com/2026/09/28/a...
Alexander: The definitive history of Riverside baseball
The Riverside Historical Society’s book details the sport’s nearly two centuries in its town.
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If you missed it ...
Jim Alexander@jimalexander24.bsky.social · 2w agoAny time an L.A. team wins a title, especially by beating San Francisco, it's worth a celebration - even if it didn't set foot in its "home" city. Hopefully that'll change. In the meantime, today's bucket o' notes salutes the Queens, WPBL champs. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/25/a...
Any time an L.A. team wins a title, especially by beating San Francisco, it's worth a celebration - even if it didn't set foot in its "home" city. Hopefully that'll change. In the meantime, today's bucket o' notes salutes the Queens, WPBL champs. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/25/a...
Alexander: Another championship, sort of, for Los Angeles
The Women’s Professional Baseball League played its entire 8-week season in Illinois, with the L.A. Queens winning the inaugural title Tuesday.
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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 · 3w agoUCLA’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 · 3w 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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