Fuck the Beatles, It's Manny Mania

I am not sure if you any of you follow sports, but if you then you may not have heard Manny Ramirez got traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. I am not quite as excited about this trade as it seems the rest of the free world is. I don't really believe it will make a big positive difference for any of the teams involved. There are thousands of articles I can link for Manny Mania but we will stick with the original trade announcement.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/07/31/manny.sweepstakes/index.html?eref=T1

Thursday afternoon was one of the most exciting and drama driven days for me in my life and it has only gotten more and more exciting. Baseball has taken on a new meaning for me.

Could it be because the balance of the American League has shifted with Mark Teixeira's trade to the Angels, coinciding with my favorite team selling players off for the first time since I had a fish named Dale Murphy? No.

The Yankees are still attempting to collect the 1999 All Star team and traded for Ivan Rodriguez and gave up my favorite pissed off, glasses wearing reliever who knows martial arts? Not even close.

One of the greatest left handed sluggers in major league history got traded and is in the middle of a pennant race for the first time in seven years and he got traded to a team that is in an exciting three team race for a division championship? Boooooooooring.

A Hall of Fame player finally pouted his way out of a city and has been traded causing a pennant contending team in the American League to become arguably weaker AND this player got traded to the weakest division in baseball and "will tip the balance" AND "stunt the growth of young prospects." Hell yes! It's Manny mania bitches!

I was very sad all day Friday because I had not seen any articles about Manny's trade on any major site. I had woken up at 3:30am to see what others thought about two teams managing to pull off such a huge trade. Obviously the world did not see it like I did. Here's what happened, just in case you have not heard:

-The Red Sox got rid of their second best hitter and helped team chemistry, but actually could have made their team worse AND gave up two of their prospects to do this. Brilliant!

-The Dodgers are the favorites in the NL West, which means they get to be swept in the first round of the playoffs instead of the Diamondbacks. Congrats LA!

-The Pittsburgh Pirates are going to hoard four good prospects until they can trade them back to the Dodgers, Red Sox or Yankees. Take good care of them Pittsburgh!

I found a couple articles written about this trade, these are the ones just linked on the one web page I am linking here.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/lee_jenkins/08/01/manny.dodgers/index.html?eref=sircrc

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/08/01/bay.sox.ap/index.html?eref=sircrc

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/60594?eref=sircrc

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/60571?eref=sircrc

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/60470?eref=sircrc

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/gameflash/2008/08/01/19906_recap.html?eref=sircrc

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/joe_lemire/08/01/bay.boston/index.html?eref=sircrc

This does not seem like overkill at all. He did play for the Boston Red Sox after all. Of all the players who got traded at the deadline, he had the most homeruns. Whoops, nevermind that was Griffey. He also got traded to the best team in baseball. Mmmm...that was Teixera. Well, he certainly is an impact starter who got added to an already good team. No, that was C.C. Sabathia and Rich Harden. Either way, it is a BIG deal. At least that is what I keep getting told.

After the press conference, Live on the local Boston sports network, ESPN, in which Manny answered questions in English and Spanish, I think I can never get my fill of Manny Mania. Let's look at this genius trade a little closer with a little help from Jon Heyman.

The Dodgers, who appeared to give up next to nothing in the three-team trade, quieted critics who doubted their ability to do deals

If I were a major sportscaster, I personally have been one of these people who doubted their ability to make deals. When both players the Dodgers gave up are in the top 15 of the farm system,
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7094

I would also not classify what they gave up as "nothing" either. Especially since Andy LaRoche is #2 in the system and they are renting Manny for two months and are probably going to be swept in the first round when he gets intentionally walked every time he is up to the plate. A good trade for the Dodgers in the short, short term.

I would also like to see how Manny is going to help the Dodgers chemistry. I know Jeff Kent has a history of welcoming difficult players with open arms and a fist or two to the face. Maybe Manny, Derek Lowe, and Nomar Garciaparra can create a Red Sox Refugee group on Facebook!

The Dodgers look like the big winner in the trade in that they surrendered no one who really fit into their immediate plans

Let's be a little bit fair here. The Dodgers have a well known history of late of having great young players on the team and then forcing them to share time with veterans who hit below .200. So it is difficult for anyone under 25 to fit into the Dodger's immediate plans. When I first heard this trade I was wondering exactly what the Dodgers were thinking. Sure, they need a power hitter who can carry the lineup but they needed to trade for/sign one that was going to play for them for a couple of years, rather than two months. But congrats on being big winners for two months. As a recent loser in the "he is going to be a free agent soon" derby with my favorite team, you will find the recent joy of sweet nectarine of victory in your mouth will soon be replaced by the shit taste when that player leaves the team to chase money. Enjoy it though.

while acquiring one of the greatest hitters of his generation.

You can say the same thing about Ramirez you say about Griffey in that he used to be a great hitter of his generation but he has gotten a little older. Oh, and also, he is not going to be on the team after this year, so they have the same problem next year they had this year. Again though, big winners! Good job!

I am not in love with prospects by any stretch of the imagination but at some point is any one going to question why the Dodgers think Ramirez is going to fix the entire offense in two months? I don't think it is going to happen.

Never mind that they were already overstocked with outfielders, including also Juan Pierre, Andruw Jones, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier.

Sounds like Heyman works for the Dodgers front office. "Who gives a shit we already have Jay Bruce to play RF, we need to get Luis Gonzalez in here ASAP. Fuck Jay Bruce, I lost out on the bidding for Gonzalez's gum on Ebay back in 2001 and now I have a chance to get him on my team. Score!"

I know you can't take back the Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre signings but getting another OF ensures in late game situations you will either sit your best OF (Ethier and Kemp) or have uan Pierre or Andruw Jones pinch hitting for you. If you don't think that is frightening, then you also liked this trade a whole lot.

Ramirez will now be eligible to play the market as a free agent after the season.

Exactly. The Dodgers are not stunting the growth of their prospects permanently because he will be gone after this season but this does not fix the power outage problem after this year. Maybe they don't care but I don't believe they have enough to offense to win a playoff series, so that will put them right back where they started this year. They have very little chance to sign Ramirez after this year, so it is not like the Teixiera trade where the Angels seem to want to make an effort (I would like to again wish them the best of luck in that endeavor. I like Tex but I am going to send a get well card to the owner who pays him $200 million because that certain person is sick in the head. Tex is not a difference maker for a team. An excellent player, yes, a team changing player, not at all). Ramirez is also old so no team is going to want him for 5 more years, so it is more like the Griffey trade. Now I am realizing there is a difference in numbers each player puts up for this given year, but I still don't get why this is being treated like the biggest trade in the history of the world since the Red Sox last made a trade.

I think I am taking crazy pills.

He also was never completely comfortable in the fishbowl existence in baseball-crazed Boston.

He just held a press conference at home plate. He is not going to like Los Angeles either if this "fish bowl" problem is the case.

The Red Sox spent most of the 24 hours before the trade deadline haggling with the Marlins, who seemed primed to pull of a stunner of their own. However, the Marlins balked at the inclusion of several of their better prospects, including power-hitting outfielder Mike Stanton and hard-throwing reliever Ryan Tucker.

Again, I am not in love with prospects but I have seen Mike Stanton play, and will see him play again tonight to be exact, but the Marlins were smart to not trade good young players for a two month rental. Why not use those good young players for a player you can keep longer? You are telling me Andy LaRoche could not get something better than a two month rental? His big league numbers being known, I still think he could have gotten Jason Bay, with another prospect of course, instead of Manny. That's what gets me, why not just get Jason Bay instead of Manny. He is younger and cheaper. Also he is not insane.

"It was something that happened very quickly, obviously,'' Dodgers manager Joe Torre told the media out in L.A.

"I thought I avoided this type of shit when I left New York," is what he meant to say.

The Dodgers were only too happy to pick up the pieces, claiming an all time great for very little. LaRoche, the brother of Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche, was hitting .203 in limited time with the Dodgers while Morris, just 21, was 2-4 with a 3.20 ERA in A-ball.

Again, they are not studs, but Manny is not going to help them that much after this year, so to give up these two young ball players seems like a lot to me. Call me crazy or just Bengoodfella being Bengoodfella and over valuing prospects. It's worth the risk, I agree with that, but this is not the end all be all of trades that is going to change the balance of the National League.

Other than all the talk about this trade, and the fact it was with the Red Sox which automatically gives it national coverage, this trade is not going to lead to the Dodgers beating the Cubs, Phillies or Mets for the National League pennant.

In earlier talks with the Dodgers, L.A. is believed to have offered young outfielder Ethier for Ramirez

I don't doubt this for a second. Given a chance to trade a younger player for an older player, the Dodgers will take it in a heartbeat.

with the Red Sox requesting the more talented Kemp.

I would have thrown up if this had been accepted. Seriously, thrown up. Unless they are talking about Shawn Kemp, in which case, I would go purchase a Red Sox hat and jump right on the bandwagon. The thought of him impregnating baseball groupies is too much fun to handle at this point. Can you imagine a team of Kemps in the NBA and MLB? I can.

Boston was still able to replace Ramirez with a former All-Star outfielder in Bay, who has resurrected his career this year after struggling all last year. His numbers -- 22 home runs, 64 RBIs and a .282 batting average -- are comparable to those of Ramirez (20, 69, .299), although Ramirez was playing at half-speed the past couple weeks

Oh yeah, it had nothing to do with the fact Ramirez is 36 years old. He was just playing half speed. You know, compared as to how he used to just go all out all the time and dive for balls and not being Manny being Manny. This is a horseshit excuse for Ramirez's good, but bad for him, numbers.

as he started to growing increasingly upset about the possibility of having to play in Boston under the team's terms for two more years.

Their terms: $20 million per year on a contract he signed and agreed to. More horseshit excuses from Heyman in defending Manny.

Bay is a solid if unspectacular player who's never played in a pennant race but replaces Ramirez in a very cost-effective way.

If his numbers are similar to Manny's, so I would call them spectacular, but good try to act as if he is the little Canadian ballplayer that could.

Anyway on to other thi---What? What's that you say though? He has never been in a pennant race? So he is not aware you play with your helmet on backwards and have to hit the baseball into rings of fire in the outfield? He is also not aware the pitcher will be dressed up as a clown and the bases will be moving around the field carried by millions of tiny ants? This trade is doomed for the Red Sox. They should have signed Scott Brosius instead. He would know what to do.

Dealing such a productive and clutch player is a major risk,

Along with Bigfoot, 70 foot pythons, a politician who cares and is really going to look out for what you care about, the Dover Demon, and a good Madonna song...there is no such thing as a clutch player. Small sample sizes in situations that never remain consistent enough to compare players make this impossible. Sorry. (A solitary tear drops from my eye)

The Dodgers' offense has been underwhelming this season, ranking 13th in the NL with 449 runs scored.

There is little doubt Manny is going to help this out. I just don't know if a two month rental player is going to fix it after two months enough to let the Dodgers win a playoff series. The Dodgers could always resign Manny and then they will have three highly paid unperforming outfielders. Always an option and one I think they will take. He and Andruw Jones can have eating contests in the clubhouse, so the extension will be worth the $15 million Manny will want.

No player on the Dodgers currently has more than 12 homers or 60 RBIs.

No player on the Dodgers has dreadlocks or looks like he has not bathed in two weeks either. Definitely a win for the Dodgers on that issue.

So wrap to it up. The reason this trade was such a big deal is that it allows the Dodgers to win the weakest division in baseball, allowed the Pirates to farm out a couple more prospects in a few years, and weakened the World Series Champs. Now I can see why Manny Mania is so awesome. Consider me converted.