The Dodgers are officially ‘waiving’ goodbye to Manny Ramirez. ESPN reported today that the Chicago White Sox were
“awarded a waiver claim that gives them exclusive rights to make a deal to acquire Ramirez over the next four days.”
So now that the ‘Manny’ experiment is over, was the acquisition of the prolific hitter with personality issues a good thing or bad thing?
When you look at all the factors in play, it may depend on whether you get past the 50-game suspension for failing a drug test and the nagging injuries that have kept Manny out of the lineup for more than 100 games over two seasons.
If you’re weighing in on those issues, then the answer to the question would include the words, “bust” and “failure”
The Dodgers were revived after the 2008 arrival of Ramirez in Los Angeles. The excitement surrounding Dodger blue exhibited by the players and fans carried the team all the way to the NLCS, for the first time in 20 years. It also helped that he hit the ball from every angle, to every field, with power and consistency.
The club installed “Mannywood” and sold Manny wigs while ticket sales shot through the roof.
The best thing about this rebirth was they got him for free after the Red Sox agreed to trade him and pay the rest of his season’s salary. That meant that the moment he stepped on the field for his introductory press conference, the Dodgers were in the black.
The Dodgers started off the 2009 season believing they could take the next step to the World Series. Manny, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp led the way, until that dreadful day in early May when the 50-game suspension was announced. Manny, an instant hero was sent packing for those 50 games after his routine drug test revealed the presence of a female hormone, known to be used after a cycle of steroids.
The news sent shock waves through the clubhouse and the fan base but was ultimately overcome. The Dodgers shook off the news, won 95 games and landed in the NLCS for the second season in a row. When Manny did return he was never the same as a player and teammate. Fan support waned as his performance disappointed.
Manny avoided addressing the situation and became withdrawn. Joe Torre explained it as a colossal embarrassment to the proud hitter that took his swagger and seemingly his power as well. The young players who Manny had nurtured in 2008 took over and they led the way from that point on and Ramirez could not be counted on in crucial situations any longer.
When 2010 arrived, Ramirez declared that it was his last year with the club – his two year deal would expire at season’s end – and that he wouldn’t speak to the media at all. He kept to the promise but he also stopped engaging with most of his teammates as well.
Manny was a different player. While he hit for his typical average, his line drives were more long singles or doubles and couldn’t find the seats. He was rested frequently after a hamstring tweak early in the season and then went on two long stretches on the DL.
Then there was trouble brewing between Matt Kemp and the team, Ethier who started out hot, broke a bone, sat for a couple of weeks and didn’t get back to form until after the All-Star game. The team suffered through long losing streaks and this late in the season are still a long shot to take a wild card spot.
So with Manny waived and claimed by the Chicago White Sox it looks like another Manny experiment is coming to an unhappy end.
Used with permission of the author.
Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.
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