Manny In La La Land

The Cubs were overmatched, especially with the Dodgers' righthanded-heavy pitching staff shackling Chicago's righthanded-heavy lineup. L.A. advance scouts Vance Lovelace and Toney Howell, who had watched the Cubs for nearly three weeks, delivered the game plan before the series began: The Dodgers' pitchers would pound enough fastballs on the fists of the Chicago hitters—the Cubs generally did not like the ball inside—to open up the outside part of the plate for sliders. Says Maddux, "Sliders and sliders. That was the key."

Chicago had no lefthanded hitting of consequence to stem Los Angeles's righthanded power pitching. The Dodgers threw 1,419 pitches over 10 games this year against the Cubs; every one of those pitches was thrown by a righthander. In the NL Division Series, starters Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda, in that order, each beat Chicago while pitching through the sixth inning, guaranteeing the 100th consecutive season without a world championship for the Cubs. Since the fan Steve Bartman touched a would-be foul-ball out with Chicago five outs from reaching the 2003 World Series, the Cubs have lost eight straight postseason games while being outscored 53--18.

While not quite so accursed, the Dodgers had devolved into their own postseason irrelevance. "It's like a piece of silver that's been sitting on a shelf," McCourt says of his team's cachet. "Once you touch it again you know it's silver, and once you rub it a little the shine comes back. Eventually, you need to win. That's why this is a giant step forward for the organization."

Whether Ramirez, 36, leaves as a free agent or gets his preferred four-year contract from Los Angeles, he has enhanced his own value too. Scouts have clocked him at 4.4 seconds running to first base, a speed not seen from him in years. In the first inning of the Division Series clincher, he sped home from first base on a double by Loney, easily beating a clean relay by the Cubs. Then, of course, there is his hitting.

"He's the best righthanded hitter I've ever seen," Mattingly says. "I said that to Randy Johnson once, and he said, 'What about Edgar [Martinez]?' Edgar was great, but this guy has more pop. It's not even close. What he's been doing this year is something he's been doing for years."

RAMIREZ MADE possible the Saturday-night party at Dodger Stadium that was 20 years in the making. "Man, right now this is the place to be," he said on the field just as the celebration began. "We're going to the second round. I did it before. I'll do it again. When you're relaxed and you're in a place you really like, this is what happens."

Ramirez, befitting the best kid on the block, then broke into a wide, happy grin. It was never more obvious than at that moment the Dodgers and Ramirez were a perfect fit. The franchise and the savant each had their shine back.