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Suspiciously, Manny being Manny
1 comment
It sure is a different Manny Ramirez we're watching these days. Maybe a little too different.
He's changed teams, changed coasts, even changed uniform numbers. And those dreaded dreadlocks? No problema; In LA, they're being celebrated. Along with No. 99 Dodgers jerseys that are selling almost as quickly as No. 4 Jets tops these days, you can buy a Dodger blue cap with dreads attached. And, Manny hasn't stopped hitting since he left Boston -- where he didn't hit much in the days leading up to his departure.
It's one thing for Red Sox Nation to notice the discrepancy. After all, Manny was 13 for 23 with four homers and nine RBI in his first six games as a Dodger -- after ducking starts against Felix Hernandez and Joba Chamberlain in his final week with the Red Sox, and complaining of knee trouble that wasn't detected in an MRI.
And it's another thing entirely when the commissioner's office is looking into the matter. Reports say that's exactly the case, with two things apparently at issue: Did Ramirez intentionally tank it when the Red Sox decided not to rush a decision on picking up his 2009 option at $20 million, thereby forcing a trade?
And did notorious agent Scott Boras -- hired by Ramirez last winter -- have a hand in engineering Ramirez's departure, which will make him a free agent this winter, setting up a big commission that goes with a new contract?
Ramirez dodged (no pun intended) Red Sox-related questions in his introductory press conference in LA, saying that Boston was in the past, and he was happy for a fresh start. And Boras has denied any involvement in the trade. But the track history is dubious in both cases.
This is far from the first time that with selfish and shameless behavior, Ramirez has put himself in front of his team and winning. Let's be clear here, this is a money drive, first and foremost -- and if it cost him the trust and friendship of fellow veterans in Boston, so be it. And Boras will go to any means -- even at times against the wishes of his client (see Rodriguez, Alex) -- to get maximum value on a contract.
All which sets up an interesting scenario over the next two months and into the off-season. Ramirez's impact has been unmistakable in the short term. But the fact remains that the Dodgers are playing without the key to their offense (shortstop (Rafael Furcal), the key to their bullpen (Takashi Saito), and ace Brad Penny lost seven in a row before a stay on the disabled list that ended Friday night. The Dodgers also have a tougher schedule than the Arizona Diamondbacks down the stretch.
And after making huge contract mistakes on Jason Schmidt, Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre over the last couple of winters, it's difficult to imagine the Dodgers giving Ramirez a long-term, nine-figure deal he likely will be seeking. So will that mean his stay in LA will be a brief layover on the way to Cooperstown?
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