New York Nine

There are many things one can say about one Manuel Aristides Ramírez Onelcida, some of it good and spectacular, some of it very damning and negative to which many argue over, but what you can't argue is that Manny is one of those players you don't want to be facing with the game on the line. Indeed, it is hard to argue with Manny's immense talents, his seemingly effortless ability to make a pitcher pay on even the most perfect of pitches, and for this he makes it very easy to hate him. In contrast to some less naturally gifted players in the game Manny at times looks indifferent, uninterested and still worse cocky and arrogant. For sure, as a Yankee fan I have learned to cringe with dread every time he strolls into the box, hating him all the more every at-bat, seemingly deciding to just "turn it on" when it mattered and just shutting it down whenever it tickled his fancy. Well it seems as though the powers that be in baseball have grown sick and weary of his same old song and dance as well, leaving Manny and his new super-agent Scott Boras holding the proverbial bag. Indeed, a few months ago it seemed as though Manny could just get whatever he wanted, very clearly mailing it in as trade deadline for the Boston Red Sox, dogging it down the first base line, giving up on pitches he normally would hammer and apparently faking injuries whenever he wasn't up to it. As a Yankee fan I knew something was up when in a game Manny went to pinch hit against Mariano in a game at Fenway and Manny just sat with his bat on his shoulder as three mariano cutters buzzed by without him even moving, only to walk right back to the dugout from whence he came without even a hint of concern. So finally Manny got his wish, he got to leave Boston where he was beloved by fans and well compensated for another two years and fled to Los Angeles and the Southern California sun where he subsequently decided to just "turn it on." The suddenly healed Manny put on one of the greatest tears at the plate this game has ever seen. Ramirez was named the National League Player of the Month for August 2008. He hit .415 (44-for-106) with seven doubles, nine home runs, 25 RBIs and 21 runs scored during the month. He finished the season with the Dodgers hitting a .396 batting average, 17 home runs, and 53 RBI. Ramirez finished the season with 37 home runs and 121 runs batted in. Among all major leaguers he finished 3rd in batting average, 2nd in slugging percentage, and 3rd in OPS. For sure, when it mattered, contract time, Manny could still show just how lethal he his with the bat, one of the all-time greats, but this time there is no one to play along. After stating his demands for a four year deal and scoffing at the Dodgers' 2 year 45 million offer (Boras rejected it and responded by saying "we will now start accepting real offers from respective teams" what a despicable bastard) the money train never pulled into the station. Yes there have been teams tied to Manny, my yankees for one for a time, the giants, but those "real offers" haven't come in yet and I for one am happy to see it. While some of Manny's criticisms I feel are unwarranted, I have read a great deal speaking to Manny's unparalled work ethic (ed. note: if you're interested the New Yorker ran a wonderful piece on Manny a couple of years ago about this, I highly reccommend it http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/04/23/070423fa_fact_mcgrath), the first to arrive and the last to leave honing his craft, this sort of selfish behavior on the field has been rewarded all too often in sports. Players too frequently mail it in when its appropriate and then somehow just make it happen when they see the dollar signs up ahead. In this time of economic crisis, spending lavishly on a player such as this is a luxury most owners cannot afford and Manny is feeling the pinch for this. When Manny is playing at the top of his game, few are better, his combination of power while still possessing a great batters eye and hitting for average is something that is virtually incomprable in baseball today and even in the history of baseball. But if Manny or certainly any other talented player thinks that trying hard all the time is not a necessity, they're going to hurt where it hurts them most, the wallet.