Manny-Mania!

The former Red Sox player has swapped coasts!

On July 31, 2008, Manny Ramirez was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-way deal. The Boston Red Sox acquired outfielder Jason Bay, and the Pittsburgh Pirates got infielder Andy LaRoche, and pitcher Bryan Morris from the Dodgers, and outfielder Brandon Moss and pitcher Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.

From 4pm PST to 1pm the next day, eleven thousand tickets were bought to see Manny make his Friday night Los Angeles debut in Dodger blue. I was fortunate enough to attend that sold out game, even though we lost.

Ramirez has always worn uniform number 24, but the Dodgers have retired that number in honor of Hall-of-Fame manager Walter Alston. Ramirez countered the Dodgers suggestion of 28 by suggesting 34, but no Dodger has worn that number since Fernando Valenzuela. After dancing around number 66, Ramirez finally accepted number 99, but the next day asked for 28, the Dodgers’ original suggestion. However, the Dodgers’ marketing department had already begun producing merchandise with number 99, so Ramirez will wear that number. Ramirez has also told manager Joe Torre that he would cut his dreadlocks. So far that has not happened.

In his first game with the Dodgers on August 1, he went 2-for-4. The Dodgers still lost, however, to the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 2 to 1.

Surprisingly, the talentless Andruw Jones was still disgracing us with his presense in the outfield and in the batting line-up while the stronger players Andre Ethier and Juan Pierre sat on the bench, only coming in to pinch hit (in which they were both successful). Personally, I don’t care how much money Jones is making, if you can’t deliver, then sit down! In any other business, he would have been canned for not being able to produce results, despite how much money he is being paid. I believe he should give the Dodger fans a chunk of his earnings for having to endure his constant sucking. I have no tolerance for a man who continuously fails to perform.

Manny, however, got his 1st home run with the Dodgers last night, on August 2nd, 2008, in a game versus the Diamondbacks. It was a two-run home run to the left-field pavilion that proceeded to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead, which Los Angeles ultimately won, 4-2. This was the 511th home run of his career.

I have high hopes for the Dodgers new line-up. Manny will not disappoint, although he no longer has the big green monster in left field to assist him. But with the Dodgers current players, I don’t see why they can’t get themselves back into first place and have a shot at the playoffs. Unless Torre continues to pray that Andruw Jones will finally hit the ball and keeps playing him. It’s not a risk I would take, but I’m not Joe Torre. But Jones or no Jones, I finally have some hope for our Dodgers.