Dykstra's Deep-in-the-Money Call: Manulife

This time of year is filled with the melodramatics. That's what happens when the stakes are high and one plays for real money. The NBA and NHL Playoffs breed this kind of excitement. Fans in Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and various other cities are feeling the rush.

Even in baseball, where we haven't even reached the All-Star break, the news has been filled with turn-your-head headlines. San Diego Padres pitcher Greg Maddux reached the amazing milestone of 350 wins, and he will possibly be one of the last ever to reach that monumental achievement. I never really liked Maddux (he broke my wrist during my first at-bat in 1990 -- opening day at Veterans Stadium; nothing but a memory this day and age), but Greg Maddux amazingly continues to push ahead. Elsewhere, the Padres parted ways with another long-time winner: Jim Edmonds, releasing the eight-time Gold Glove Award winner following his disappointing 26-game tenure with the club. Edmonds struggled with the club, batting just .178 and struck out 24 times in only 90 at-bats.

The takeaway here is that even with winners, there are ups and downs. Maddux and Edmonds both had stellar careers; however, the last week was certainly quite different for the two of them.

That brings me to today's pick. Today I'm going with Manulife FinancialMFC. The company provides a number of financial services; focusing mainly on protection and wealth management products. It also provides long-term care services, pension products, annuities, and mutual funds. Lastly, the company offers investment management services to institutional customers -- a very profitable line of business.