Thursday, March 05, 2009

Baseball Returns to Los Angeles!

Manny Ramirez will see to that.

Manny Ramirez will play for the Dodgers for one or two more years at $25 billion a pop. Not surprising. In 16 MLB seasons, Manny has earned $162,149,269.


On July 31, 2008, Manny was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-way deal in unusual circumstances: his salary was to be paid by the hapless Boston Red Sox. The Dodgers had him for free for the remainder of the season.

The numbers Ramirez put up for the Dodgers in those two months, when projected over a full season, would have amounted to a .396 batting average, 51 home runs, 159 runs batted in. No player has been able to put up those kind of numbers in a full season, in major league history.

Ramirez is a great hitter in a clutch. He explains his immunity to pressure in his hitting this way:
We've got nothing to lose. Just play the game. Why panic? If we don't do it, we'll come back next year ...... There's always next year. Who cares? It's not like the end of the world.
His presence in the batting order at positions three or fourth transforms the line-up from an average offense to a contending threat. We’re looking at this group of probable starters: Russell Martin, Casey Blake, Blake DeWitt, Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson, James Loney, Andre Ethier, and Matt Kemp. All of these guys have pop and there's not an easy out among them. With Ramirez batting in front of- or behind- them, these guys will produce plenty of runs.

Of course, the season will hang as it always does, on the lack of injuries.

And the pitching. Manny doesn't pitch (baseballs).

6 Moderated Comments:

Blogger Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said...

With Manny, the Dodgers will have a great hitting offense. But starting pitching is suspect. If they don't get it together, they'll be losing a lot of games with scores like 12-8.

3/06/2009 07:29:00 AM  
Blogger Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said...

Vigilante: I forgot to say that, besides his friendliness with teammates, helping them to relax, he doesn't take any racist or ethnic b.s. from anyone on the team, including managers. You don't make fun of the way Latinos speak or tell racist jokes without him curing you out. Despite trailblazers like Roberto Clemente and Jackie Robinson, Latinos still experience racism in baseball. A lot of is resentment of so many Latino players coming into the league and the good money they make. The truth is that they're damn good players.

3/06/2009 07:35:00 AM  
Blogger Kentucky Rain said...

Many years ago I watched as St. Louis Cardinal Jack Clark knocked the ball out of the park to secure the pennant for his team. The Dodgers were powerful indeed and that was one of the greatest wins I can remember for the Cards.

3/06/2009 09:03:00 AM  
Blogger Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Hopefully, Manny will STAY happy. Because if he doesn't, don't expect him to run out very many grounders. I mean, seriously, folks, this guy can really dog it if he wants to.

3/06/2009 07:06:00 PM  
Blogger Commander Zaius said...

Going to make a few Braves games with my brother. Hope to see the Braves lose to the Dodgers.

Manny Ramirez will play for the Dodgers for one or two more years at $25 billion a pop.

Maybe he can load GM some money. Just a thought.

3/06/2009 10:02:00 PM  
Blogger Kentucky Rain said...

LOL Beach!! I have to disagree with that one:-)Go Braves!

3/07/2009 05:00:00 PM  

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