The Angels' acquisition of Scott Kazmir discourages the Rangers, against whom he is 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA, and he changes the playoffs with his 2.53 lifetime ERA against the Yankees and his career of success against the Red Sox. Look, the Angels have gone through 13 previous starters who compiled a 5.00 ERA, and they can afford the $22.5 million Kazmir has coming with their payroll that ranks fourth in the American League behind the Yankees, Tigers and Red Sox.The Phillies completely remade their postseason vision with the Cliff Lee trade; they could afford it, with the third-highest payroll in the National League and ownership's mandate to win, now. The Red Sox have been a completely different team since they acquired Victor Martinez at the trade deadline. They were able to take on shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who has changed their infield defense. The cash they saved releasing John Smoltz and Brad Penny and their combined 6.24 ERA pays for Billy Wagner.(By the way, Department of Labor statistics showed that Ohio has lost more manufacturing jobs this year than any other state in the country.)The AL team with the highest payroll, the Yankees, spent their capital in the offseason; when they acquired Eric (Mr. October) Hinske, the Pirates chipped in some of the money. The NL team with the highest payroll, the Mets, not only are in training room free fall, but have so much of a Bernie Madoff problem that they could not keep Wagner and collect two draft choices and the $3 million to $5 million it would take to pay them.But look at the American League teams that did improve themselves: The Tigers (Jarrod Washburn), Red Sox and Angels are 2-3-4 in payroll behind the Yankees. The White Sox, who have added Jake Peavy and Alex Rios (as well as reliever Tony Pena), now rank fifth in the AL in payroll and could have close to $50 million coming off the books for 2010.The Cubs were already second in the NL in payroll, and despite their sale restrictions, they took on Tom Gorzelanny. The Cardinals took on the contracts ($19 million combined) of Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa to support starters like Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, which makes them an early October favorite and puts them into the Dodgers' payroll neighborhood. The Giants took on the remainder of Freddy Sanchez's $6.1 million salary and have made it clear they will continue to add, if possible. Yes, the Marlins did go get Nick Johnson, but the Nationals had to pick up salary to get it done.Those who can, will. But the fact that the Rays had to move Kazmir, after he won four of his last six starts, to try to plan for the next three years speaks volumes about trying to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. That the Rangers, for all they have done to cobble a pitching staff that has allowed the fewest runs in the league (88 fewer than the Angels), have been able to add only Pudge Rodriguez because of Tom Hicks' financial issues demonstrates the financial inequities as they make their run at the Angels in the AL West and the Red Sox in the wild-card race.Kazmir, at 25, may have a 5.92 ERA, but he is a worthwhile gamble for the Angels, especially since he has thrown far better after going on the DL and reworking his mechanics. "The Angels have some serious pitching issues," says one scout who covers most of their home games. "[Jered] Weaver is down to 87-88 [mph]. [Ervin] Santana is down five miles an hour. [John] Lackey hasn't been the same. [Joe] Saunders is coming off the disabled list. If Kazmir comes back and they get Lackey, Weaver and Saunders straightened out, then with all the talent they have, they can win in October."

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Going into the weekend, this is the Manny Ramirez Watch. The first line is his Boston numbers from the time he essentially quit in mid-August 2006 until he was traded on July 31, 2008. The second line is from the trade to L.A. until he was suspended, the third since the suspension, going into this weekend.Draw what you choose to draw, but do not dismiss a monster September. In the past, when Ramirez has struggled, he has had problems connecting his leg lift to his right shoulder. Recently, Dodgers third-base coach Larry Bowa told Ramirez that where in the past he fouled balls off to the right side, he has been pulling balls foul, which told Bowa that he is trying too hard to open up and thus was pulling off the ball. So, wait and see, and appreciate how Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have emerged as star players.Since Randy Wolf stopped the Rockies' surge Wednesday, the Dodgers remain favorites to make the playoffs. But after falling short of a deal for a proven starter (their 4-for-1 package for Cliff Leeincluded their best prospect, SS Dee Gordon), the Dodgers may have serious matchup problems in the playoffs as they rely on Wolf, Chad Billingsley and 21-year old Clayton Kershaw. Yes, Vicente Padilla did win his first Dodgers start, but he still gave them only five innings, and then four relievers were required to get 12 outs. While Joe Torre has taken heat for the way he uses his bullpen (the Dodgers' relievers are second to the Padres in innings pitched), the fact remains that in keeping down the payroll the Dodgers' rotation does not have an innings-eater. If it weren't for Wolf and the trade for George Sherrill, they would not make the playoffs. And if they reduce payroll down into the middle of the NL pack next season …

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Architect Janie Marie Smith has completed the essentials of re-creating Fenway Park to move on to remodeling the Rose Bowl and Wrigley Field. What Ms. Smith has done with Fenway Park is to take what amounted to a 19th century building to a 21st century park.There should be a place in Cooperstown for her, and for Larry Lucchino. Lucchino and Smith changed the game's finances by figuring out what fans want and need. They made ballparks revenue destinations and have as much to do with the explosion in the sport's revenues as anyone, including Bud Selig.Without Smith and Lucchino, there would be no Pac Bell or Citi Field or new Yankee Stadium. Without their vision, the game would be far, far different.

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In 1976, Nat Showalter batted .434 for the Hyannis Mets, with a wood bat. That remains the Cape Cod League regular-season record, and this weekend, having moved on to be a highly successful major league manager and television analyst, the man known as Buck Showalter looked back to his days in the Cape League.One of Showalter's jobs in Hyannis was to paint all the fences around the Kennedy family compound in Hyannisport. "It was an amazing experience," says Showalter. "To see all those people come and go was amazing for a college kid to watch. I met some of the family. I saw Ted come and go. "I remember," says Showalter, "when Ted and some others came to one of our games and I got to meet him. I'm proud of that. Put political beliefs aside, he was a remarkable man who spent his life helping others. Hey, I got to paint and play for him."

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In case you haven't noticed, Delmon Young's OPS has jumped 100 points in the second half. Delmon has figured out that if he takes pitches and gets deeper into counts, he can concentrate on getting his pitch. In the last month, he has pounded the ball to right-center, and it looks like he is becoming the hitter he was thought to be when the Rays made him the first pick in the draft.

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During the Great Strike of 1994-95, Paul Kirk took me to former John Kennedy aide Davis Powers' office at The Kennedy Library. Powers opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out the 1961 Baseball Register. It was, of course, the year JFK was inaugurated as president, and on the inside cover was a picture of Ted Williams, who had retired at the end of the 1960 season."JFK took this with him everywhere," said Powers. "It was a good luck piece."We who grew up in The Hub have spent our lives bidding kids adieu, and are better for it.