Manny sees Cleveland reunion before career is finished
Posted by Anthony Stalter (04/14/2009 @ 12:34 pm)

It hasn’t even been six full weeks since the Dodgers re-signed Manny Ramirez to a two-year contract and already Man-Ram is talking about playing for another team.
Before the Dodgers’ 11-1 win in their home opener against the Giants on Monday, Ramirez indicated that he would like to play in Cleveland one more time before his career is finished.
“I would like to play for Cleveland one more time, to go back where I started,” said Ramirez, with the Dodgers playing their home opener Monday against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. “I have so many good memories there, why not?
“I think to go back where you started is everyone’s dream.”
Thome and Ramirez each might be eligible for free agency this winter if Ramirez opts out of his two-year contract. And if they become free agents, Ramirez told Thome, they should both consider returning to Cleveland.
“Manny was very sincere when he brought that up to me,” Thome said. “Manny was saying how special that would be for us to both go back together. He was very passionate. Baseball’s such a weird thing. You never know what’s going to happen.”
I’m not going to make a bigger deal out of this than it is, but it’s amazing to me that Ramirez just did a four month dance with the Dodgers over a new contract and the second he has the opportunity, he talks about potentially playing for another team down the road.
Dodgers, Manny starting fresh in contract talks
Posted by Anthony Stalter (03/02/2009 @ 11:00 am)
According to the L.A. Times, Dodgers’ owner Frank McCourt wants to start fresh contract talks with free agent Manny Ramirez and his agent Scott Boras.
McCourt said the latest phase of negotiations ended the moment agent Scott Boras made him a counterproposal instead of simply accepting or declining an offer the Dodgers made Wednesday of a two-year, $45-million contract with much of the money deferred without any added interest. By Thursday evening, Boras had made two counterproposals, the second one asking for two years at $45 million with an opt-out clause Ramirez could exercise at the end of the first year, only with no deferred salary.
McCourt on Sunday called that counteroffer “too little too late” and said negotiations would resume with “a fresh start.” He said he stressed to the agent that he had wanted a resolution by Friday because he didn’t want the negotiations to dominate conversation Sunday, the day the Dodgers opened the gates of their new spring training ballpark.
But why not consider the offer when the two sides appear to be so close?
“Because we’re going to start from scratch,” McCourt said.
But why start from scratch when you’re so close?
“I answered it twice,” McCourt said.
He looked away from the reporter who asked the question and didn’t say another word until another question was asked by another reporter.
I don’t like to compare athlete’s contracts to the common man’s salary. Athletes and celebrities live in their own worlds and the money they make doesn’t even seem real. Furthermore, who am I to say what an athlete should or should not ask for when it comes to his salary?
But even I have to admit that this contract situation between Manny and the Dodgers is absolutely ridiculous. Every day, more Americans lose their jobs across the country and Boras is fighting the Dodgers for $1.5 million. Ramirez is 36 years old, doesn’t play the field that well and quit on the Red Sox last season. It’s insane for him and Boras to argue over $1.5 million when some Americans are working for $7.50 an hour just trying to get by. Ramirez should have to play for free at this point.