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Manny has done enough to be NL MVP
Meet the candidates
So who is Manny up against? FOXSports.com baseball editor Aram Tolegian runs down the top five candidates for the NL MVP.
Actually, I thought, he'd prefer Dodger green. Ramirez had finally and permanently fallen out of favor in Boston, shoving a traveling secretary and suffering a knee injury that miraculously healed as soon as the Red Sox renounced their option and traded him to L.A.
It wasn't very Yogi-like, nor inconsistent with Curt Schilling's accusation that Ramirez "disrespected" his teammates. Then again, I wonder if Boras could distinguish between Ramirez's "open spirit," as he called it, and the spirit of commerce. The real reason for the trade was money. It was said, with some authority, that Boras believed he could get his client up to $100 million for four seasons.
Now I understand Boras' status as baseball's designated villain, but I can't help but root for him. As a rule, the owners — most of them prone to lazy and collusive thinking — believe in welfare (expansion fees, luxury taxes, stadium subsidies). Boras believes, if nothing else, in the sanctity of the market. For years, he's been more enterprising than his competition.
Still, $25 mil per for a 36-year-old malcontent?
Good luck, I thought.
Now, two months later, I can't help but think that Boras has outsmarted the opposition yet again.
No one has done as much for a single team this season as Manny Ramirez has done for Los Angeles. Not only has he transformed the Dodgers, he's changed the balance of power in the National League.
"I don't think it's going to happen," said Joe Torre when recently asked about Ramirez's MVP chances. "Two months is really tough. You look at Pujols and some of the things he's done ..."
Conventional wisdom says the league's most valuable player is Albert Pujols, who is hitting .354 with 34 homers and 104 RBIs. The MVP ballot's first two criteria are, first, "actual value of a player to his team" and second, "number of games played." To be sure, then, a first-place vote for Pujols is not a ballot miscast. But the Cardinals are a fourth-place team in the Central Division.
"It's depending on your interpretation of MVP," said Torre, who won the award with the Cardinals in '71. Torre recalls the controversy engendered by his selection: though he had the best stats, St. Louis didn't make the playoffs. Willie Stargell, meanwhile, led Pittsburgh to a World Series victory. "That's part of the argument," said Torre.
What makes a player valuable is not necessarily, or easily, quantifiable. Ryan Howard leads the league with 45 homers and 137 RBIs. But he's on his way to 200 strikeouts and hitting .249 — 18 points less than the lowest average by an MVP (that would be Marty Marion, a shortstop, who hit .267 in 1944). And though he's been torrid of late, the Phillies were still a first-place team early in the season when he couldn't buy a hit.
Next, consider CC Sabathia. If Ramirez should receive consideration for a partial season, then so should Sabathia, who's 9-1 since joining Milwaukee. The Brewers were 49-39 when he arrived from Cleveland. Now they're 84-68, a marginal drop in winning percentage.
Now, Ramirez's "actual value" far exceeds "number of games played." The Dodgers were 54-54 the day he arrived, but seemed worse off than that. They had little else but their "kids" — this generation's answer to Eric Karros — all of them good, but none great. In other words, they were star-less, the dullest big-market team I've ever seen.
What's more, you had the feeling they were about to crash. Their shortstop was apparently lost for the season. Their closer was on the DL. Their big free-agent acquisition (Andruw Jones, whom Boras got two years at a little more than $36 million) was a big, fat bust. And though the Dodgers are a mellow way to pass the time between this town's real obsessions — Lakers basketball and Southern Cal football — the general manager had finally begun to feel some real heat. It was about to get ugly.
Then came Manny, who made everybody forget that vast fortunes had been spent on Jones and Jason Schmidt. The Dodgers were hitting .256 that day. According to Stats Inc., they've been hitting .285 ever since. As of Friday morning, they are 80-73, in sole possession of first place, and a lock for the playoffs.
"He made the difference," Torre said the other day.
Ramirez single-handedly changed the Dodgers from a bad-hitting club to a good-hitting one. Jeff Kent (the relentlessly dour veteran whose departure may have actually added to the club's recent good fortune) was hitting .255 when Ramirez arrived, but .343 thereafter. Andre Ethier, one of those aforementioned "kids" — a .274 hitter on August 1 — is batting .453 in front of Ramirez.
As for the prospective MVP himself, he's batting .400 with 44 RBIs in as many games. He has six game-winning hits. His slugging percentage is .738. His on-base percentage is .485. Even when he has a bad day, as he did Thursday, he walks a couple of times.
Finally, there's this: Dodger home attendance has gone from an average of 44,577 to 48,494, a 9 percent increase since Ramirez arrived.
Now you want to talk about value? Certainly, Boras does.
He's worth more here in Los Angeles, on a team with such a desperate need for a star, in a town where a star's peculiarities are interpreted as Buddha-like (or even Yogi-like) wisdom. It's not like Boston or New York. Everybody loves Manny here.
But maybe none more than Dodger general manager Ned Colletti. I can just imagine how Boras will begin the negotiations:
"What's it worth to you?" he'll say. "My guy saved your team and your job."
Member Comments
This guy is a punk (Kriegel)he writes whatever he can to piss people off to get a reaction. Just a loser with a word processor.
Clee9/30/2008 9:41:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Mark please for all of us QUIT writing you know nothing!!!! go back to your gay bar!!!
ABBOUD9/26/2008 8:50:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Go Dodgers no go TWINS you Dodgers arent in our LEAGUE!!!!!
ABBOUD9/26/2008 8:48:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Hey Manny get a hair cut and try no be a role modal for the younger generatio. Your a thug and a slob and in 10 yrs nobody will care and you to will be broke smoking pot lost in the world!!!
ABBOUD9/26/2008 8:46:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Ahh I see a lot of what a use to be a "Staunch Manny supporter in denial". Now I am enlighten, but it was a long road to that enlghtenment, with many excuses along the way.<br /><br /><br />I truly cant blame any of you, because I have been there.
9/26/2008 3:23:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Everyone deserves to make mistakes and to be forgiven for them....and I forgive Manny...there, that's settled!!!! Go Dodgers!!!
CarBizzBoss9/25/2008 19:17:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
GO DODGERS!!!!!!!!<br /><br />BRING THE CHAMPIONSHIP TO LOS ANGELES!!!!
9/25/2008 17:09:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
NYYDude (or Bahstonsux)<br />I see spewing his idiocee across the boards again...nothing new.<br />Manny quit on the Sox you d-bag and besides the Sox have gotten MORE production out of LF with Manny gone and have WON more games.<br />MVP?<br />No chance! IF MLB condones a quitter then we all are following the wrong sport!
9/25/2008 11:48:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
I?m not big into awards, but if you?re looking for a player who has meant the most to their respective team, then Manny is your man. <br /><br />The numbers stand on their own merit. Instead of the numbers, look at the way he?s injected enthusiasm into this teammates, the fans and for the baseball purest, the game it self. Throw away the number and name on the back of his jersey, toss the team name from the front of his shirt and more importantly, erase from your memory bank his former years and focus only on what he has done in 2008 as a Dodger. If you?re able to do that, then I hope you can see that Manny is at least deserving of some mention of being the most valuable to their team.<br /><br />In addition, I love the passion of Yankee and Red Sox fans, but this blog has nothing to do with your teams. Go have a spitting contest where a spitting contest exists.
GusBruins9/25/2008 10:59:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
As of this moment, I am not sure who I think should be the MVP. Manny is always magnificent, but I'd have to take a closer look at the other contenders.
inside_sports9/25/2008 9:09:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Manny is a great player, but he is stuck in the 90's with that hair. His play can make the most important statement for him. Like Whoopie Goldberg who hangs on to the very unbecoming dread locks for several decades now, Manny is falling into the same trap. It gets old. It is old, and it detracts from his overall good looks. Instead of seeing him, all you see is the locks. He should let go of this and be his own man in doing so. Look at Johnny Damon: he had long hair, all flying around and messy in his face, and it was his trademark for a while. But, since he is strong, he changed the look and let's his play be his trademark.
inside_sports9/25/2008 9:05:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
This is how people react when not having a good argument, ?ohhhh but Manny beat up a 150 year old man?, ?Manny looks nasty with that hair? , ?Manny has to learn how to speak fluid English?? Again, this is not the issue people, the guy delivers, the guy fricking guy deliversssssssssssssssssssss(I?m shouting just so you can understand)? You want talk who you think is a better person,,, go place a comment in Cosmo or other ?I feel this? magazines. Talk baseball facts?. Manny is a baseball player that earns his money, and has been the MVP for the last couple of months for any team in the MLB: Ramirez is hitting .398 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 50 games with the Dodgers??..<br />People wont stop, is incredible?..
VinnieC9/25/2008 6:16:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Enemy of Smarts;<br /><br />Did Pujols beat up a 76 year old man when he didn't produce enough free tickets for his liking or quit on his teamates during the season?<br /><br />No, I didn't think so...
NYYDudes_Dad9/25/2008 4:46:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
ok dude, please explain to me exactly WHY Manny doesnt deserve the MVP ? MVP= Most Valuable Player.. the player most valued. No question its ramirez.. in 50 games w LA he has 17 HRS and 53 RBIS while batting .398 Let's compare the season totals now of manny and pujols :<br />Manny- .331 BA<br />Pujols- .348 BA<br /><br />Manny- 37 HRS<br />Pujols- 34 HRS<br /><br />Manny- 121 RBIS<br />Pujols- 106 RBIS<br /><br />Manny- 102 RUNS<br />Pujols- 94 RUNS<br /><br />Clearly, other than avg. (which ramirez certainly doesnt have a BAD avg) manny leads in every offensice category...<br /><br />So tell me who's been more valuable to their team..?<br /><br />Pujols to an average, now eliminated Cardinals team..<br /><br />or Manny, who revived the Dodgers, gave them the jumpstart they needed to start winning and now are the hottest team in the Majors ?<br /><br />Yeah, i thought so
Enemyofstatedp9/24/2008 23:29:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Well I guess they go from teh biggest disappointment to the best team in the NL huh? Wow
yankeesox9/24/2008 23:21:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
The majority of these comments are uneducated and completely biased, everybody hated manny before he went to LA, now all of you Dodger fans love him. Bosox till I day, manny is a great hitter and he will always be a retard.
craptlker9/24/2008 22:25:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Manny should also be MVP...he turned around a team that was dead....he also had a great record coming over...so the Sox were tired of him....who would not be tired of the Sox management over time. Manny for MVP all the way.
BaseballFan299/24/2008 18:19:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
If I hear any nonsense that Torre is now manager of the year for turning around the Dodgers I will vomit. Manny gets ALL the credit for the team spark. He got the team lit - NOT TORRE. Torre is and always will be a sub par mgr - he got lucky with the great players he had when with the Yanks.
BaseballFan299/24/2008 18:17:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Boston fans are a bunch of whinning b.i.tches.<br /><br />i hope that the dodgers and redsox meet in the series so manny can slam your spoiled boston team. But that would be asking too much, cause the rays and halos have a better chance this year of going than the sox. jason bay is a decent replacement of ramirez at best..<br /><br />Manny for MVP. oh yeah, and dayn perry, how in gods name do you have a job being a sportswriter? Of course manny deserves the award.. he leads pujols in both hrs and rbis (for the year) oh yeah and in the past 2 months he's batted .400
Enemyofstatedp9/24/2008 17:07:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
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