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On the Mark: Clubs are scared of Manny

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Mark Kriegel

Mark Kriegel is the national columnist for FOXSports.com. He is the author of two New York Times best sellers, Namath: A Biography and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, which Sports Illustrated called "the best sports biography of the year."

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Updated Apr 1, 2009 4:47 PM ET
     
 
Mark Teixeira, whose best efforts were not enough to get the talent-laden Angels beyond the divisional round of the playoffs, has a new deal with the Yankees, eight years for $180 million. But Manny Ramirez, who single-handedly transformed the Dodgers from a non-descript, underachieving, also-ran into a legitimate World Series contender, is still without a contract. If his two-month tryout with the Dodgers is any indication, he remains the best hitter in baseball. But with just nine days before pitchers and catchers report, his destination remains unknown.
Only this much is clear: the market for Manny never shaped up as forecast. Ramirez can blame the economy if he wants. Or he can point to his agent as the culprit, citing expectations of that four-year, $100 million contract that were stoked by Scott Boras. But if Ramirez wants to accurately assign blame, he's well-advised to look in the mirror. The market for Manny was discounted by Manny himself. Take it from me, a guy who campaigned for him to win the MVP (I was right) and lashed the Dodgers for being cheap (I was wrong). After all these months, and all these phantom suitors, it seems that Ramirez' best offer was his first: two years, $45 million from Los Angeles. Those numbers didn't work for Manny. But at this point, I'm not sure they would work for the Dodgers, either. You see, it's not enough to pay the market price for Ramirez. You have to pay a surcharge to make him happy. Happy Manny is the guy who transforms your lineup and makes you an instant contender. But as baseball people know too well, Happy Manny can become Unhappy Manny with little or no warning. Unhappy Manny is a clubhouse carcinogen. No one wants to deal with Unhappy Manny, much less give him a third or fourth year. Unhappy Manny had to be dealt out of Boston before the team's condition became untreatable. Unhappy Manny whined about his contract (two one-year, $20 million options), faked a knee injury, scuffled with teammate Kevin Youkilis and shoved an elderly traveling secretary. It's worth mentioning that Unhappy Manny didn't just all of a sudden show up last summer. He's been around for years. In 2003, he sat out a series with the Yankees, claiming to have a sore throat. Meanwhile, he was seen at a bar hanging out with a friend, the Yankees' Enrique Wilson. Ramirez hit .325 that season. But when it was over, the Red Sox put him on waivers. The Red Sox didn't do it because they were irrational. They weren't alone, either. No one claimed Ramirez that winter. No one's rushing to claim him now. It's no accident that Boras saw his first task with Ramirez as gentling his client's image. No one bought the he's-a-Dominican-Yogi-Berra bit. Just the same, it was a smart move. If only the agent could have transformed the perception of Ramirez in the same way Ramirez transformed the Dodgers' lineup, he could've gotten those extra years. But now as then it's still plain to see, clubs are scared of Manny being Manny.

On the Mark

The sheriff of Richland County, South Carolina — who has launched a criminal probe against Michael Phelps — vows "to not turn a blind eye because somebody is a celebrity." In other words, he'd investigate every 23-year-old who's taken a bong hit on campus. Guy's name is Leon Lott. Leon Lett has more credibility. Still, the sheriff's is not the most disingenuous statement of the week. That honor belongs to Joe Torre, who was able to maintain a straight face as he told reporters: "This book is supposed to be a celebration." Seriously, I don't know how the bong stuff will affect Phelps' future as a celebrity endorser, but he shouldn't have a problem getting a 10-day contract with the NBA team of his choice. Why are they called "gentlemen's clubs," when the one thing you're guaranteed not to see is a gentleman? Kind of disappointed that Mickey Rourke won't be in the next Wrestemania. I mean, I thought the guy was trying to get his career back on track. If Holiday Kriegel keeps winning these blue ribbons, I'm going to wind up as the Larry Fitzgerald Sr. of the horse set. NHL Players Association president Paul Kelly wants a rule requiring players to wear helmets during fights. What, and risk a rash of hand injuries? Seriously, though, how would they do that? Hey, fellas, hold up. Put these on. When will the sports-marketing geniuses finally recognize the existence of a Silent Majority? Too old for fantasy leagues, too young for Viagra. Speaking of which, some of my Super Bowl colleagues treated this year's halftime act like Charlton Heston's scene from "The Ten Commandments," the one where Moses prostrates himself before the voice of Cecil B. DeMille. I'm a little more circumspect on the subject of Springsteen. If you ask me, he belongs to the Orson Welles School, another artist who peaked in his mid-twenties. Hey, it's all downhill after "Born to Run," lyrically predictable, melodically primitive. Why do you think all those Young Republicans had such an easy time appropriating "Born in the USA" as a frat party anthem? I can't tell you if my source is Scott Boras, but I have it on very good authority that the Newark Bears have a "strong interest" in Manny Ramirez.

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