Dodgers Insist They Are Still LA's Team

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Don Mattingly made one thing clear Tuesday before his team's first full-squad spring training workout: The Dodgers still reign in L.A.

Drawing on his time in New York — where the Yankees ruled and the Mets always took a back seat — Mattingly isn't concerned with making comparisons to the neighboring Angels and their impressive winter landing of blockbuster free agent slugger Albert Pujols on a $254 million, 10-year contract.

"It's kind of like the Mets and the Yankees," Mattingly said. "No matter what the Mets did, they're going to have their years that they play well but the Yankees are the team. I don't want to badmouth the Angels at all. And I know Mr. (Arte) Moreno does a great job down there in Anaheim and Mike (Scioscia) does a great job and they've had a great run.

"We're the Dodgers and it's not going to change. We need to play baseball. At the end of the day, if we do things right, we worry about ourselves, we take care of our business, you don't worry about what another team's doing. Not even negative at all because they did a tremendous job down there, but at the end of the day, the Dodgers are the Dodgers."

Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti said he is eager for the financially troubled franchise's sale to go through this spring.

Mattingly and Colletti each addressed the team in a pre-practice meeting at Camelback Ranch, where Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda was taxied to the field by golf cart and signed autographs.

Colletti brought up to the players the fact that there are many unknowns with a sale expected to be finalized by April 30.

"At this stage, it will be good to get another chapter going," Colletti said. "It's been a different couple years. Change is coming. Again, our focus has got to be on the field and figuring out how to win games because we've got nothing else we can really worry about or affect change to."

In the sale process agreed to last year by Major League Baseball and current Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, MLB will consider groups for approval before McCourt selects the winner of the auction. The price tag is expected to exceed $1 billion.

"They shouldn't be worried about it," Colletti said. "Nobody knows what's going to transpire in the next month or two. But it's really irrelevant to winning the game. The focus has to be on preparation and getting ready to play."