Tag: Manny Ramirez (Page 25 of 26)

      Will The Mets Collapse Again?

      September 18, 2008 /

      I’m a lifelong Mets fan, and while they have been in four World Series and won two, they have been good enough to get there numerous times and have not. Most recently, the Mets were eliminated from playoff contention in 2007 on the season’s final day–to complete an epic collapse in which they were leading the Phillies by seven games with 17 to play. I remember those days vividly. My wife had just had our first child so I was up in the wee hours at least once a night, and every time I turned on ESPN News the Mets had lost while the Phillies had won. I get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think about it. It doesn’t help that the year before that, 2006, the Mets were painfully beaten in a Game 7 in the NLCS by the upstart (and annoying) Cardinals.

      Now, it appears that recent history will repeat itself. Despite that the Mets replaced Willie Randolph with interim skipper Jerry Manuel in June, and had that amazing run in July to get back on top of the division, they continue to build 3-4 game leads only to have the Phillies catch them. Right now they sit 1/2 game behind in the NL East, and 1/2 game up in the wild card standings only because Milwaukee has had their own collapse.

      Is this a repeat of 2007? How can you say it’s not looking that way? Jay Schreiber of the NY Times parallels some eerie things from last year to this year in his blog.

      Me, I just feel it. The middle of the order has stopped hitting, though they did wake up last night against Washington. Still, the Mets had an 8-2 lead and won 9-7. The bullpen is maybe the worst in baseball, and are responsible for a minimum of 10 losses already. And even the starting pitchers have started slipping a little. Not even Johan Santana makes you feel like they are going to win for sure.

      Throw in the fact that guys like John Lannan look like Cy Young against the Mets, and guys like Anderson Hernandez, Jorge Cantu and So Taguchi look like Ted Williams against them….and you just can’t feel good. Oh, and every day I look at the morning paper and the Phillies have won.
      Seriously, do they ever lose in September?

      Despite all of my negativity here, there is a good chance the Mets wind up as the wild card. They would face the Dodgers, who they match up well against. Well yeah, but don’t think someone like Casey Blake won’t hit .800 in that series. Plus, they haven’t face the Manny Ramirez Dodgers yet.

      If the Mets do wind up choking here down the stretch, I won’t say I told you so. And if they make it, I’ll root for them like crazy. But I still don’t feel very confident.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

      Top 10 Active MLB Rally Killers

      September 13, 2008 /

      In baseball, nothing kills a rally like an inning-ending double play. Well, this list of the Top 10 active players who hit into double plays does not take the inning-ending variety into account, but it sure does give some insight into who erases base runners. And a lot of these guys are also some of the game’s best sluggers. With that, here we go….

      1. Ivan Rodriguez, New York Yankees (284)—What’s most amazing about the fact that Pudge leads everyone in double plays among active players, is the fact that he did it 31 times in 1999. That’s not a record (Jim Rice holds that distinction with 36), but what’s crazy is that is the same year Pudge won the AL MVP with Texas….he hit .332, and had career highs in homers (35), RBI (113), and double plays.

      2. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (229)—The way Manny Being Manny runs to first base most of the time, it’s a wonder he only has 229 of these.

      3. Frank Thomas, Oakland Athletics (225)—I guess a lifetime .301 hitter with 521 homers has to hit a few ground balls too. But with 32 career stolen bases, you have to think this dude is also a pretty slow runner.

      4. Jeff Kent, Los Angeles Dodgers (224)—It seems like Jeff Kent gets better with age as a hitter, but on top of that he has increased his double play numbers the more his career wears on. He’s also become a bit grumpier.

      5. Gary Sheffield, Detroit Tigers (222)—Okay, look back over the first five names on this list. All five are volatile personalities who are also quite bitter. The fact that they top this list might have something to do with that.

      6. Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels (220)—Of any name on here, Vlad is the first guy I’d welcome on my team, all 220 double plays and all. The guy is just an amazing hitter.

      7. Miguel Tejada, Houston Astros (212)—In 144 games this season, Tejada has already tied his own single-season record with 28 double plays. For a guy earning eight figures, that just doesn’t seem right.

      8. Luis Gonzalez, Florida Marlins (211)—At 40, Gonzo is slowing down a bit. Still, for a guy who once stole 20 bases in a season and hit .336 in another, 211 double plays is just a tad excessive.

      9. Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox (209)—Forget about Konerko’s double plays for a second. He hit 41 homers in 2004, 40 in 2005, 35 in 2006, 31 in 2007, and in 109 games this year has 16. I’m just sayin’……

      10. Edgar Renteria, Detroit Tigers (207)—You’d think a guy with 280 career stolen bases would be hard to double up. That’s what makes this statistic for Edgar a little puzzling.

      Source: Baseball Reference

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Introducing Andre Ethier: The New Face of the Dodgers

      September 10, 2008 /

      Andre EthierAfter getting called up to the big leagues in 2005, Andre Ethier was immediately traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Los Angles Dodgers, in exchange for Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez. Though the Dodgers gave up a formidable talent in Bradley, they saw something special in the minor-league right fielder. Simply stated, it was potential. When new general manager Ned Colletti was given the reins in 2005, he focused on creating a starting lineup that depended on its youngsters. Since then, he’s been brutally criticized for signing former stars to bulky contracts that have failed to pan out. However, he should be credited for completing what he set out to do way back in 2005. By dipping into his farm system instead of his check book, Colletti has made Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, James Loney, and Andre Ethier into everyday players.

      At times, it’s tough to be a Dodger fan. Besides the Yankees, the Dodgers make more transactions involving blue chip players than any other organization. Their starting lineup one day may be completely different the next, as a smorgasbord of future hall-of-famers and one-time greats jump in and out of the lineup. Colletti has taken huge risks in spending enormous sums on big-name players. Manny Ramirez is proving to be his first untainted success after the unfruitful acquisitions of Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra, Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, and Brad Penny. Colletti is paying each of these guys at least $5 million a year and is hearing about it every day.

      Then there’s Andre Ethier. After signing a one-year $425,000 deal for the 2007-08 season, Ethier has quickly matured into the Dodgers’ most economic star. Actually, forget “economic.” He is the Dodgers’ best all-around player and will soon become the face of their organization if Colletti plays his cards right. Keep in mind, Ramirez came aboard more than two-thirds into the season. At 36 years-old, Manny is a future hall-of-famer with only a few years remaining. As much as the Dodgers and their fans would love to keep the free-spirited slugger, his contract is up at the end of the season, and all signs point to Manny in pinstripes.

      Ethier is only 26 and just finishing his third professional season. He has an unbelievable arm, can hit for both power and average, and has avoided injury. On a roster that contains five capable outfielders—Ethier, Jones, Kemp, Ramirez, and Pierre—Ethier has undeniably earned a starting slot. He leads the Dodgers in homeruns (20) and batting average (.299), is tied with Matt Kemp in doubles (36), and is second in RBIs (71) and triples (6). Ethier is a free agent at the end of this season and, as these numbers show, he’s proven more valuable than those other cash cows.

      The Dodgers are finally breaking away from the Diamondbacks and are running a blue streak towards the pennant. This current success can be found in the bats of the veteran Ramirez and the youngster Ethier. Next year, the Dodgers are likely to look much different. (Manny Ramirez, Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp, Greg Maddux, Chad Billingsley, and Derek Lowe are all up for contract renegotiation.) Hopefully, Ned Colletti will follow those same instincts he had in 2005 and focus on youth by re-signing Andre Ethier.

      MLB

      Top 10 Active MLB Windmills

      August 23, 2008 /

      Many power hitters in baseball also have a penchant for swinging and missing. While batters have evolved over the years into more complete players, and Dave Kingman types aren’t the norm anymore, there are quite a few that we can classify as “windmills.” Here is a list of the Top 10 active players in strikeouts in baseball today.

      1. Jim Thome, Chicago White Sox (2155)—Even though Mr. High Socks has a career batting average of .280, his 533 home runs are tempered by the air created when he swings and misses. Thome has struck out 2155 times in his 17-plus seasons, or roughly 30 % of his at-bats. Yikes.

      2. Carlos Delgado, New York Mets (1701)—Sitting comfortably behind Thome is Mets’ first baseman Carlos Delgado, who is a cool 454 strikeouts behind Jimmy. Delgado has clubbed 457 home runs, but he has now struck out 100 or more times for the thirteenth straight season.

      3. Ken Griffey Jr, Chicago White Sox (1669)—Around the time Griffey was tearing up the American League in the late ‘90’s with 209 home runs over four seasons, he also tallied 454 strikeouts. And with 1669 career windmills, Griffey strikes out about as often as he smiles.

      4. Jim Edmonds, Chicago Cubs (1656)—Edmonds has quietly amassed 378 career homers, and has also compiled 1656 career strikeouts. But he’s currently in one of the two places (other than Colorado) where his power more than makes up for his K’s.

      5. Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers (1643)—Will someone tell me how a career .313 hitter averages 102 strikeouts per season? Wait, let me guess — Manny being Manny?

      6. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (1614)–$22 million for a guy that fans 107 times per season and doesn’t produce in the postseason? Am I missing something?

      7. Mike Cameron, Milwaukee Brewers (1605)—Mike Cameron is a six-tool player—speed, average, power, glove, arm, and a penchant for missing the ball with his bat. That’s a very odd combination.

      8. Jeff Kent, Los Angeles Dodgers (1515)—Ripping on Vin Scully? In Los Angeles, that’s like the priest ripping on the pope. Yeah, Jeff….you are 40, and even though Manny Ramirez now hits behind you, you still have almost as many career K’s on the scorecard as he does.

      9. Andruw Jones, Los Angeles Dodgers (1468)—Seriously, now…..three of the current top ten windmills play for the L.A. Dodgers. No wonder this team can’t seem to catch the Diamondbacks.

      10. Frank Thomas, Oakland Athletics (1394)—Mr. Thomas has 521 career homers, and though he’s only struck out more than 100 times three times in his career, he has landed here mainly because of his longevity (currently in his 19th season).

      Source: Baseball Reference

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

      Manny Ramirez buckles and gets a haircut – kind of

      August 15, 2008 /

      One of the most talked about and debated sports topics of all time can finally come to an end: Dodgers’ outfielder Manny Ramirez abided by manager Joe Torre’s demands and got a haircut.

      That’s right – Manny cut a full one-inch off that mane.

      “One inch, half-an-inch,” Ramirez said regarding the cleanup. “It’s still long. If I come back next year, it will be shorter.”

      “I was in the principal’s office right now,” Ramirez said upon emerging from Torre’s office some three hours before the Dodgers faced the Philadelphia Phillies. “(Torre) told me he’s fine, for now.”
      When asked what that meant, Ramirez said: “Ask him. I’ve got to go stretch.”

      Said Torre: “He came in and showed me. As Billy Crystal said in `Analyze That,’ it’s a process. He took a little bit off. It’s within the rules of cleaning it up a little bit. Right now, it’s around his shoulders. It’s not covering his name up. We’ll continue to monitor it.”

      Boy, Joe Torre really laid down the law. Maybe by the time the season is over, Manny will have trimmed his hair all the way to the back of his neck!

      Like I wrote Wednesday, Manny is going to do things his way and this situation proves it. “Get a haircut,” Joe Torre says. So what does Manny do? Gets an inch taken off and calls it a day. Hey, it’s a haircut, right?

      It’s Manny’s world – we’re just renting space in it.

      MLB

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