It looks like the Manny Ramirez show in LA has finally come to an end. The Dodgers are expected to place Ramirez on waivers before the end of the week.
It seems everywhere Manny Ramirez goes it’s always the same thing, a short period of Manny mania followed by him being run out of town. When Manny Ramirez left Boston, he was welcomed with open arms by LA and the Dodgers. Manny continued to hit homeruns at a torrid pace and Dodger fans applauded the arrival of Mannywood. The Dodgers looked like the team of the future and it appeared it wouldn’t be long before Torre and Ramirez took the Dodgers back to the World Series. But it was not to be. Steroid allegations and a plethora of injuries later and the marriage between the Dodgers and Ramirez is about to come to an end.
The Dodgers themselves have been a complete disappointment this year and Manny Ramirez has been a shell of his former self. The Mannywood signs and the Ramirez maniacs that used to fill the seats at Dodger Stadium have disappeared. It always ends the same way for Ramirez.
But with Manny about to be placed on wagers, redemption may be right around the corner. If he can get healthy and return to his slugging form, he could be the missing piece in a contender’s lineup. The Padres who are on the verge of making a solid pennant drive could benefit from adding Ramirez to their lineup. Other teams like Rays could also benefit from brining Ramirez in to bat at the DH spot as Ramirez is certainly a bigger threat than their current battery of powerless DH’s. If there’s a coach that could handle the personality of Ramirez it would be the Rays Joe Maddon whose unconventional style of managing would jive with Manny’s unconventional attitude.
There is of course the slight possibility that Boston may take a chance on Ramirez. After all, Boston did scoop Johnny Damon off waivers, why not have a World Series reunion by adding another former Red Sox hero like Ramirez? Read more.
What Manny does bring to the fold is protection for other power hitters in a team’s lineup. His mere presence can bolster the offense like it did for the Dodgers in the last two years. The question that teams have to ask themselves is how much does the 38 year old Ramirez have left in the tank?
