L.A. Times: Dream a little dream

Manny Ramirez will earn more than $17 million this season—his $25-million salary minus the $7.7 million he lost during his suspension—but he paid for $30 worth of lottery tickets on Friday.

He wasn’t alone.

About 10 players in a clubhouse full of millionaires pulled together a couple of hundred dollars for a chance to win a Mega Millions jackpot that was worth more than Alex Rodriguez’s contract with the New York Yankees.

Such are the methods used by players to break up the tedium of a long season.

The idea to play was that of utilityman Juan Castro, who said he and his teammates often bought lottery tickets when he played for the Cincinnati Reds.

“One time we won more tickets,” he said.

Hiroki Kuroda didn’t want to play, noting that something almost mathematically impossible happened to him when he was struck on the head by a line drive two weeks ago.

“I should stay away,” he said. “If I play, I’ll probably win. Then something else will happen the next day that would kill me.”