San Diego trading Greg Maddux to the hated Los Angeles Dodgers is Exhibit A in how the grand ol' game has changed over the years.
Time was when the Padres would have rather ingested a few gallons of WD-40 motor oil than do anything to aid the hated Dodgers in their quest to win a NL West title.
Now? Whatever. The Padres primary goal now is to cut payroll -- for the rest of this year and for 2009 and, possibly, depending on owner John Moores' divorce, beyond -- and if that means helping out the Los Angeles friggin' Dodgers, well, that's just the way it goes.
And beyond that, it's simply a matter of professional courtesy: Maddux deserves far more than the Padres are able to give him, given the lousy decisions they've made and the embarrassing team they've fielded, so they figure the least they can do is place him in what could be the final pennant race of his illustrious career.
It's a move bound to help the resurgent Dodgers, who are brimming with confidence in the days since Manny Ramirez' arrival. Picking up both Ramirez from Boston and Casey Blake from Cleveland were huge boosts that have helped Joe Torre's club climb into a first-place tie with Arizona, setting up one final sprint toward the finish line.
Maddux won't have as significant of an impact as Ramirez or Blake, but he'll help. Especially if, as expected, Brad Penny is finished for the season. Los Angeles needs pitching, and Maddux, even into his 40s, remains pretty darned good at providing five or six quality innings every fifth day.
And as for the Padres? Maddux's departure simply means there's one less reason to bother watching them the rest of this season. And there weren't that many left to begin with.