'Manny Mania' Comes To Tinseltown
Oh Manny! What A Trade
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― Who would have thought that the Los Angeles Lakers' trade for Pau Gasol would not even be the biggest trade for a Los Angeles professional sports team this year?Who would have thought that the Angels' pick up of Mark Teixeira would not even be the best L.A. sports move of the week?
On Thursday, the Dodgers pulled off the biggest acquisition of the 2008 MLB season, and the biggest trade for the Dodgers since swapping Mike Piazza for Gary Sheffield a decade ago.
The Dodgers looked into their magic hat on Thursday and instead of pulling out a rabbit, they yanked out Manny Ramirez. 'ManRam' was on the trading block this week due to his shenanigans with the Red Sox this season, and up until the final day before the trading deadline it seemed that only a trade to Florida would be possible. But only in Hollywood can a shocking, last-minute plot twist like this happen!
28th in the league in home runs and 26th in RBI, the Dodgers were itching for a big bat like the Packers are itching for a rock to hide under. Surely being that deep in the hole, there was no single player available who could potentially change the entire offensive dynamic. Cue: Manny Ramirez, arguably the best offensive player of the last decade.
"He's one of the best four or five hitters in baseball," Dodger skipper Joe Torre said when a little birdie told him that the Dodgers would try to make a stab at Manny. Ramirez, who comes from the Bronx, will add a little more New York flavor to Chavez Ravine, along with Torre, who was born in Brooklyn.
The three-team deal included the Dodgers sending third baseman Andy LaRoche and minor league pitcher Bryan Morris to the Pirates. Boston also gave the Pirates outfielder Brandon Moss and pitcher Craig Hansen. In return, Boston obtained Jason Bay, who is batting nearly .282 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI.
Without question, the Dodgers got by far the best deal out of the trade. For the Dodgers, the deal makes sense in so many ways. First off, they did not have to give up much. Andy LaRoche recently became the third string third baseman when the team traded for Casey Blake. Secondly, the Dodgers also traded little known Bryan Morris who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and may never see the Major Leagues. The Dodgers have won one postseason game in the last 20 years, and in Ramirez they got a guy who is certainly no stranger to winning in October. They also got a guy whose power single-handedly puts them in position to win every night. He also has a career batting average of .312. And best of all, Boston will pay Manny's salary for the rest of the season – a free rent-a-Hall-of-Famer!
However, before the Hollywood happy ending, there must always be a little drama and suspense. Will Manny continue to behave erratically? Will his antics off the field, and his occasionally lazy on it cause headaches in the front office and the manager's office? After all, this is a guy who reportedly had altercations with a teammate in the dugout during a game, and a female front-office employee.
Do the Dodgers need that type of circus? Essentially Manny is the Terrell Owens of the Major Leagues – undeniable talent coupled with inexcusable behavior. However, the Dodgers may have just the right answer in taming Manny: manager Joe Torre. Torre is a no nonsense coach who has been around the block and handled all manner of personality (and perhaps personality disorder!). If any manager can control Manny, Joe can. When Torre found out about the trade, he was optimistic.
"When a player like Manny becomes available, I don't think there's a manager in baseball who wouldn't say they're interested."
Additionally, Dodger Stadium might be a great place for Manny. L.A. provides some great weather, and a new atmosphere. Manny is also in a contract year and the Dodgers are in a division race - all reasons for Manny to pick up his play.
One negative aspect to the trade is that it leaves the Dodgers with five outfielders. Obviously Manny will play left (get the blooper-reel cameras ready). The inconsistent Matt Kemp has too much potential and too much talent to be on the bench, so look for him to claim centerfield, leaving Andre Ethier in right.
What about Juan Pierre and Andrew Jones? Pierre just returned from injury in the waning stages of his career, he may better suited as a sub. Kemp has a better arm than Pierre, and Pierre's running ability and low strike out rate make him an excellent pinch runner or pinch hitter. As for Jones, he was given the opportunity to win his starting role after he returned from the disabled list, but his remarkably poor hitting and only slightly better than average fielding may have sealed his fate. Jones should accept his role as a pinch hitter and continue to do what he did Monday night: get big hits in big situations, counting his blessings than he has not been released! If he can find his stroke as a pinch-hitter, his salary alone could force him back into centerfield and Kemp to right.
As long as the Dodgers can stay healthy, they are the favorites to win the National League West. Manny's presence in the line-up will force pitchers to offer better pitches to other Dodgers, and could spark the dormant offense. Look for a jump in the stats of Russell Martin, James Loney, and Jeff Kent, who will likely be hitting around Ramirez.
The National League is up for grabs, and with this trade the Dodgers have climbed into an excellent position from which they could advance to the NLCS or maybe even the World Series.
Maybe this is L.A.'s way of paying Boston back for the NBA finals.
