It’s late September and we’re talking about baseball. Better yet, we’re talking about Dodger baseball, which, of course, is a cause for concern.
For some, this is the best time of the year. For Dodger fans (like yours truly), this time of the year hasn’t felt this way for a long time.
And even though it is still unknown whether the Dodgers will find themselves playing in October, it is never too early to start getting ahead of ourselves.
After the season ends (hopefully with a clubhouse celebration filled with champagne popping), left fielder Manny Ramirez becomes a free agent. Trustworthy baseball insiders claim Ramirez and his agent Scott Boras will be looking for a contract in the neighborhood of $20 million per year. This broke college student says: Give the Man-ny his money.
All of this madness began at the trading deadline on the last day of July, when Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti basically dealt the baseball equivalent of a pair of Hollywood star maps and a bag of chips for Ramirez.
Ever since Man-Ram arrived, the Dodgers have climbed to the top of the National League West. Barring a late-season collapse, the Dodgers are well on their way towards reaching the postseason. Most importantly, Ramirez has revived the Chavez Ravine faithful, something that has been missing since the Eric Gagne era of the early 2000s.
Since landing in Los Angeles, Ramirez is hitting close to .400 with 16 home runs and 51 runs batted in ““ astonishing numbers, seeing as he switched leagues for the first time in his career. His offensive presence has also led to the emergence of the sweet-swinging Andre Ethier, who has greatly benefited by hitting in front of Ramirez in the batting order. Thanks in large part to Manny’s exuberant persona, a visibly looser roster is often seen smiling and jumping around in the dugout, something that was missing before Ramirez was in town.
That is Manny on the field and in the clubhouse.
Off the field, his torrid play has also paid dividends by boosting ticket and merchandise sales. For Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, Manny means money. But if you own a baseball franchise, you’re probably in good shape financially. So the decision to re-sign Ramirez this offseason shouldn’t be about how much money he will bring in, it should solely be based on how many victories he will help his team obtain.
Although Ramirez is 36 years old and not getting any younger, he is still one of the most feared sluggers in the league. If mediocre players are overpaid, Manny at least deserves to receive the market value for a player comparable to him. In this modern age of inflated baseball salaries, it just so happens that the market value for a hitter like Ramirez is in the $20 million range. And quite frankly, Manny is worth every penny.
The Dodgers should sign Ramirez if they want to be a better team. Without him, they were struggling to maintain a winning record. With him, they’ve been one of the best teams in baseball. Ultimately, it’s up to the Dodgers front office to decide if they want Ramirez roaming left field for the years to come.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go put on my dreads.
E-mail Angulo at bangulo@media.ucla.edu.