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Friday, September 12, 2008

Daily Breeze: Klima: Manny Ramirez will hurt more than he helps

The other night I saw Reggie…uhh, Manny, racing back for a ball that had gotten by him…I then realized I had time to sort my Alymer miniature toy soldiers by vest colors! BANNERS FORWARD!

Manny Ramirez is the worst baseball player I have ever seen.

I am not kidding.

A ticket-selling novelty slogan is a great excuse for a player you do not want to settle your fate with his legs, arm, glove or mind. In other words, this guy is a liability anytime he doesn’t have the bat in his hands.

...This is why the Dodgers have a designated hitter in left field, a hair case trigger swinger whose numbers hurt the opposition but who hurts his own team in ways numbers won’t register. He is a poor addition to running a ballgame and a drain on a bench. He’s a terrible National League player. You must run the game around him and not let him run the game. Only a very good team, which the 2008 Dodgers are not, can absorb the runs he gives back with his mistakes and still win a championship.

But Ramirez is also a reason why some detest the modern game. He plays a watered-down version of what the game was designed to be, and baseball has embraced this glossy version of over-the-line.

Repoz Posted: September 12, 2008 at 10:24 AM | 26 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: dodgers

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1. X-Roid User Posted: September 12, 2008 at 10:41 AM (#2939028)

Wat?

2. Flynn Posted: September 12, 2008 at 10:53 AM (#2939030)

Local TV news or local newspapers - which is worse?

3. 3Com Park Posted: September 12, 2008 at 11:12 AM (#2939034)

Take away the wind and Hurricane Ike ain't nothin' but a rain shower.

4. RB in NYC (Now with New iPhone!) Posted: September 12, 2008 at 11:27 AM (#2939038)

Manny Ramirez is the worst baseball player I have ever seen.

Don't watch much baseball, eh, John?

5. OCD SS Posted: September 12, 2008 at 11:43 AM (#2939048)

And another thing: in John's day fans weren't coddled like they are now. If a fan lipped off, Ty Cobb would go into the stands and beat the miserable bastard to within an inch of his life. Would that ever happen now? Of course not. The game is just a watered down version of what it was designed to be, a deadly arena where racist psychopaths would just as soon turn on the spectators as tear up the opposition with their spikes.

6. Smiling Joe Hesketh Posted: September 12, 2008 at 12:32 PM (#2939067)

This guy obviously hasn't seen Jason Varitek's left-handed swing recently.

7. JJ1986 Posted: September 12, 2008 at 12:42 PM (#2939070)

Manny Ramirez is the worst baseball player I have ever seen.

At least he quickly forgot about Andruw Jones.

8. Swedish Chef Posted: September 12, 2008 at 12:46 PM (#2939071)

The game is just a watered down version of what it was designed to be, a deadly arena where racist psychopaths would just as soon turn on the spectators as tear up the opposition with their spikes.

I will borrow that when I launch XLB.

9. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: September 12, 2008 at 02:14 PM (#2939121)

Kevin -> Kelin -> Kelim -> Klima

10. Bob T Posted: September 12, 2008 at 03:02 PM (#2939160)

This guy obviously hasn't seen Jason Varitek's left-handed swing recently.

Gammons is aching for the Dodgers to sign Varitek to a contract in the offseason and move Martin to third. He thinks the Dodgers need a "pitcher-minded catcher."

11. The Good Face Posted: September 12, 2008 at 03:15 PM (#2939167)

The game is just a watered down version of what it was designed to be, a deadly arena where psychopaths would just as soon turn on the spectators as tear up the opposition with their spikes.

A Nats game?

12. AROM Posted: September 12, 2008 at 03:16 PM (#2939170)

Gammons is aching for the Dodgers to sign Varitek to a contract in the offseason and move Martin to third. He thinks the Dodgers need a "pitcher-minded catcher."

Is Dodger stadium supposed to be some kind of retirement home for the 2004 Red Sox?

Lowe and Manny have worked out pretty well, but a Varitek looks to be as useless as signing Bill Mueller - pay him a 'thank you' contract, give up a draft pick, and get zero production out of him.

Then they can resign Nomar, send Loney back to AAA for lack of veteranness, bring in Kevin Millar, then give Pedro and Schilling incentive-laden injury rehab contracts. Trot Nixon wouldn't be hard to sign, and the Yankees might be willing to move Damon's contract even though he's been pretty productive for them.

13. Swedish Chef Posted: September 12, 2008 at 04:14 PM (#2939216)

Gammons is aching for the Dodgers to sign Varitek to a contract in the offseason and move Martin to third. He thinks the Dodgers need a "pitcher-minded catcher."

So the Red Sox FO wants to get rid of Varitek on friendly terms and ask their favorite shill to help.

14. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: September 12, 2008 at 04:43 PM (#2939262)

He is a woefully incomplete player in every way that he is a complete hitter.

He's woefully incomplete in every way, except in one of the two ways he can be incomplete.

15. rconn23 Posted: September 12, 2008 at 04:57 PM (#2939284)

"So the Red Sox FO wants to get rid of Varitek on friendly terms and ask their favorite shill to help."

Prexactly.

16. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: September 12, 2008 at 05:20 PM (#2939309)

Well, look at the facts, people! Manny has destroyed the Dodgers' chemistry and poisoned their clubhouse. Don't let a little thing like their probably making the playoffs fool you. They is doomded.

17. rconn23 Posted: September 12, 2008 at 05:36 PM (#2939338)

Nothing like those chemistry killing two-home run games. My God, the Dodgers must hate him.

18. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: September 12, 2008 at 06:00 PM (#2939370)

Manny is responsible for the rift between Vin Scully and Jeff Kent. The ass beating Scully handed out is the real reason Kent hasn't played this month.

19. phredbird

Posted: September 12, 2008 at 06:11 PM (#2939382)

Manny Ramirez is the worst baseball player I have ever seen.

At least he quickly forgot about Andruw Jones.

beat me to it.

20. phredbird

Posted: September 12, 2008 at 06:13 PM (#2939383)

fwiw, the only thing i really don't like about manny is his uniform. i don't know why he wants to wear it so large. and i have a thing about the postmodern fashion of wearing the pants all the way down. i really really hate that. if i was commissioner i'd change the dress code even before getting rid of the DH.

but boy am i glad he's playing like this right now.

21. Robert in Manhattan Beach Posted: September 12, 2008 at 06:28 PM (#2939400)

The Daily Breeze? Really? My local paper with a clutch hit and - surprise - it couldn't be more embarrassing.

The real question is what does Geraldine Ferraro think about Manny Ramirez.

22. Cabbage Posted: September 12, 2008 at 06:50 PM (#2939434)

fwiw, the only thing i really don't like about manny is his uniform. i don't know why he wants to wear it so large. and i have a thing about the postmodern fashion of wearing the pants all the way down. i really really hate that. if i was commissioner i'd change the dress code even before getting rid of the DH.

The new jerseys will be tight, form-fitting Under Armour!

On a certain level, this would be excellent. It would also make home HDTV sales plummet.

23. Walt Davis Posted: September 12, 2008 at 09:38 PM (#2939706)

But Ramirez is also a reason why some detest the modern game. He plays a watered-down version of what the game was designed to be, and baseball has embraced this glossy version of over-the-line.

Indeed! Why in my day, we never put good-hitting, poor-fielding players in LF or 1B. Never, ever, ever. Every fielder was a gazelle. Greg Luzinski was poetry in motion, a Baryshnikov.

And Manny is "glossy"?

24. Srul Itza Posted: September 12, 2008 at 10:10 PM (#2939742)

The funniest thing about it -- if you believe Mr. Dial's defensive statistics -- is that Manny has not really hurt the Dodgers with his fielding.

It is not that he has suddenly become an acceptable fielder -- small sample and luck of the draw means that he has not done them any significant harm in the time he has been there. Thus, his play for the Dodgers, producing a batting line of .396/.488/.776/1.264, 14 HR, 40 RBI, 27 R in 38 games, has been an unalloyed positive, to date.

25. retro-shiite Posted: September 12, 2008 at 10:31 PM (#2939760)

Indeed! Why in my day, we never put good-hitting, poor-fielding players in LF or 1B. Never, ever, ever. Every fielder was a gazelle. Greg Luzinski was poetry in motion, a Baryshnikov.

Dick Stuart could play short in today's game. And I mean, he could play it TODAY. This product they're passing off as 21st century major league baseball disgusts me.

26. RMc is the loyal supporter of the MLB event Posted: September 12, 2008 at 11:15 PM (#2939793)

His lawn: get off it.

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Daily Breeze: Klima: Manny Ramirez will hurt more than he helps

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