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This article profiles Adrian Beltre of the Los Angeles Dodgers. At 25 Beltre has emerged as an MVP front-runner. (The Dodger Stadium crowd chants MVP! during every at bat.) With Scott Rolen, Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds splitting the St. Louis Cardinals vote, Dodgers manager Jim Tracy, among many others, sees a two-horse race between Beltre and Barry Bonds, whose San Francisco Giants ended the week in second place in the West but one game ahead in the wild-card race. Beltre reflexively deflects praise to his teammates, but when pressed, he says, "There have been a couple moments this year where I've just stopped and said, 'Wow.' I am enjoying every minute of this. The Dodgers signed the Dominican Republic native at 15 in 1994, violating major league baseball's minimum-age rule of 16, a transgression that did not come to light until five years later when the team was disciplined by the commissioner's office for having falsified documents relating to Beltre's age. He had reached the big leagues in '98 at 19, and in 2000 he hit .290 with 20 home runs and 85 RBIs in 138 games while playing superb defense at third. Beltre has pushed the Dodgers to the brink of their first playoff berth since 1996 while playing most of the year with bone spurs in his left ankle. That toughness is part of what has made him a team leader, but he's also beloved for his kindness. He's a regular visitor to the children's ward at L.A.'s White Memorial Medical Center. Despite the pressure of a pennant race, Beltre brings an obvious joy to the ballpark, and it's on display during every batting-practice home run derby.

This article discusses the Los Angeles Dodgers as a hot team once again. For nearly half a century the Hollywood Stars game has been a staple of the Los Angeles Dodgers' season, with celebrities of varying wattage hamming it up during an exhibition softball game in front of a packed house at Dodger Stadium. In the wake of a wild July--in which they had a major-league-best 21 wins and made a series of aggressive deals just before the July 31 trading deadline--the Dodgers have acquired the most precious commodity in L.A.: buzz. The biggest move was a six-player deal with the Florida Marlins in which L.A. gave up popular catcher Paul Lo Duca, 32, (see box, page 50) nasty setup man Guillermo Mota, 31, and reserve outfielder Juan Encarnacion, 28, for righthander Brad Penny, 26, first baseman Hee-Seop Choi, 25, and minor league lefthander Bill Murphy, 23. In addition to Finley, 39, L.A. acquired journeyman catcher Brent Mayne, 36, from the Diamondbacks on July 31 in exchange for three minor league prospects.

Profiles University of California at Los Angeles football quarterback Cade McNown. Move from California to Oregon as a junior in high school; Family problems; Life in Los Angeles; Comments of Troy Aikman; Chances of winning Heisman Trophy.

Offers information on Los Angeles County Raceway's (LACR) Friday Night Grudge, an amateur racing event for anyone with a driver's license and an automobile. Automobiles raced; Description of the crowd; Comments from Bernie Longjohn, chief executive officer of LACR.

Presents a scouting report on the University of California at Los Angeles Bruins 1998 college football team. The 1997 statistics; Projected lineup; Pivotal players; Key games; Coach Bob Toledo's concerns about the defense; Hopes for a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Previews the 2000-01 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football season for the University of Southern California. Highlights from the 1999-2000 season; Roster; Statistics; Outlook.

Offers information on the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball team, ranked number ten among United States universities in 1999 by `Sports Illustrated' magazine. History of difficulties for the team; Changes in the 1999 season, including the departure of Baron Davis to the National Basketball Association (NBA); Anticipated roles of players Earl Watson and Jerome Moiso; Comments form coach Steve Lavin; Outlook.

Congratulates the Bruins of the University of California at Los Angeles for capturing the 1996 National Collegiate Athletic Association men's volleyball championship. Their defeat over the favored Rainbows of Hawaii; The number of championships that coach Al Scates has claimed; Why this victory was one of the most satisfying of Scates' career.