Also, there’s the Jeff Kent saga. The veteran was miffed when it was suggested — by no less an authority than Vin Scully — that he was benefitting from Manny’s presence in the lineup. Kent then criticized Vin publically, which in L.A. is akin to declaring that Magic Johnson was overrated. There may not be a lot of dissension present, but then again, considering the precarious state of the team, even a little might cause the Dodgers to founder.

The good news is that, besides the four remaining games against the D-backs, the Dodgers play a bunch of losers; all of their other remaining opponents are well under .500. The bad news is that, if they don’t start hitting, they’ll be one of those clubs, too.

But back to the hair.

Torre ordered the haircut because he wants team discipline. But this is Manny, remember. It’s like asking Curt Schilling to shut his pie hole or Prince Fielder to halve his ration of soy dogs. Insubordination isn’t the issue, as it was in Boston. Manny is a free spirit, so any attempt to restrict that freedom — even a short trimming of his long hair — is an example of Manny not being Manny.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Flying on the hardwood, racing on the rink, getting physical on the gridiron, and much more. more photos

Perhaps the smarter way to go is this: A temporary waiver of the policy for the rest of the season. After all, odds are strong Manny won’t be in a Dodgers uniform next season. Signing players for $20 million or more per season for multiple seasons is not how owner Frank McCourt rolls (especially after he wasted $36 million for two seasons on Andruw Jones). So why not let Manny do his thing? Maybe the rest of the Dodgers can grow dreads, too. Maybe such a move would provide follicle fountains of youth for both Kent and NomarGarciaparra.

Meanwhile, the baseball world is stuck with the image of Joe Torre as a wicked woman. Talk about a hair-raising thought.

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