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2008-10-02 05:38
by Alex Belth

Both Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay went deep last night helping their teams, the Dodgers and Red Sox respectively, win Game One of the ALDS.  Ramirez's dinger was one of those Are You Kidding Me? shots.  He swung at a pitch only Yogi Berra or Roberto Clemente or Vlad Guerrero could love, and golfed it into the bleachers at Wrigley.  The great ballpark in Chicago was almost silent during the last couple of innings, a hundred years of knowing, inevitable dread overwhelming the positive vibes.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox beat the Angels, again, prompting me to wonder if the Angels are men or

Untitled

It's only one game, but still.  The Angels need to make this a series.  C'mon you Halos, get it together.

Comments
2008-10-02 05:55:02
1.   ms october
the angels are useless as hell when you need them. i thought with lowell and drew hurting and beckett relegated to game 3 the angels could win the first two. blah.

i know there is not much support for it, but i would love to see manny in pinstripes next year, getting the bulk of the time at dh. matsui got off to a nice start this year, but i don't know if matsui can be counted on to stay healthy - knees generally don't get better with age and more wear and tear; and i love posada, but hopefully he can in fact catch about 120 games.
but i doubt manny happens, especially listening to some of the clips from cashman (i couldn't get through the whole thing).
in fact he is making it seem the yanks are not even really going after any of the "top" free agents, but we'll see.

2008-10-02 06:00:51
2.   Sliced Bread
Manny probably stays in Mannywood right?
Probably likes the weather, chillin' with Torre in the laidback L.A. Dodger blue, the less intense fan/media scrutiny etc.
But could he be swayed to Queens by Omar's guesstimated 5 years/$25 mill per?
Maybe, but I say he stays. There's no figuring Manny... or why fools throw him anything but straight up take yer base intentional balls.

Fuggin' Halo rats are scary only to us it seems.

2008-10-02 06:06:04
3.   Sliced Bread
1 I know this is your month, and he's a good man for your month, ms. october, but please just say no to Manny. Why should we or anyone believe he wouldn't tank on us (them) when things don't go his way in that mind of his? No thanks.
2008-10-02 06:24:22
4.   RichB
Yeah, the halos have been talked up all season by ESPN and others, and they are a good team, deserving of a playoff spot, but you have to temper that with the fact that they played in the weakest division in the AL. They fattened up a bit on the pathetic pitching of Seattle and Texas, winning their season series with them by 14-5 and 12-7 respectively. Now, against Oakland who has the fifth best ERA in the league they wound up only 10-9.

They're really a 94-95 win team in 100 win team's clothing.

2008-10-02 06:24:57
5.   vockins
Rooting for the Angels feels like rooting for cancer.
2008-10-02 06:25:52
6.   RichB
2 Manny is Boras' boy, he's not just going to automatically stay put. He'll take the biggest contract out there.
2008-10-02 06:26:57
7.   RichB
5 Ignore the AL, root for the Cubs! It's their time! (yeah, I used to live in Chicago)
2008-10-02 06:31:00
8.   3rd gen yankee fan
RATS! Oh wait, mice! hee hee

7 We can root for the Cubbies WHILE ALSO rooting for someone to stomp Boston. Go Cubbies!

2008-10-02 06:33:08
9.   Sliced Bread
6 I don't think contracts mean anything to Manny. It seems whatever makes Manny happy at the moment is what he adheres to, and everything is subject to change on his terms, and at his convenience. With or without Boras pulling the strings no question there'll be drama... but for now I'm guessing he stays in the sunny land of lala. I think it's been a welcomed change in climate for him in many ways.
2008-10-02 06:39:25
10.   ms october
3 :}
i probably really wouldn't want manny for a 162 game season (or however many games he was more motivated to play, though i think that it is a bit exaggerated and part of the boston hit job on him); but as you say i am seduced by "october performers".

this should be a pretty interesting off season from a mlb perspective - who ends up where; length and value of contracts. i just hope it is not disapointing from a yankee perspective.

2008-10-02 06:46:41
11.   standuptriple
0 Speaking of Vlad, I heard it mentioned last night that he hasn't had a post season extra base hit in in 50+ ABs. And he looked horrible on the basepaths last night. It sucks seeing probably my favorite non-Yankee in that much pain.
2008-10-02 06:49:04
12.   Shaun P
4 Its even worse than that. The Angels' Pythagorean record this year? 88-74!

http://tinyurl.com/52f99h

Their 3rd order record by BP (taking into account the numbers of runs they should have scored and allowed based on how they hit and pitched) is 84-78.

In comparison, the Sox finished at 95-67, Pythag says 95-67, and their 3rd order record by BP is 102-60.

I had hopes for the Angels, but those are gone now. Go Rays!

2008-10-02 06:52:43
13.   Shaun P
11 If the Angels are really worried about Vlad, they may make a huge push to sign Tex. That is why I wouldn't mind if the Sox knock the Angels out. If the Angels were to go all the way, with how bad the rest of the AL West is, Tex might just decide to stay put.
2008-10-02 06:58:19
14.   Sliced Bread
13 regardless of Vlad's health, or how the Angels finish they'd be fools not to go all-out to retain Tex. Cashman's up against some very serious competition for the items on his list.
2008-10-02 07:19:07
15.   JL25and3
Angels-Red Sox reminds me of the 1975 World Series: I'm rooting hard for both sides to lose. Unfortunately, that means I'm disappointed no matter what happens.

It's a tough postseason for me. I can't stand the Dodgers, and the thought of the Cubs winning - after all the Red Sox blather of 2004 - makes my teeth hurt. I'm pulling for the Non-Satanic Rays.

2008-10-02 07:38:13
16.   Sliced Bread
15 Baseball Nihilism: I Live For This!
2008-10-02 08:38:49
17.   OldYanksFan
Manny is like George Bush. He appears incredibly stupid... but he's not. Just self indulgent as hell.

Manny is very aware of how many HRs he has (527), and what is means in baseball history. Sosa is 6th with 609, Jr. above Sosa and then the great Willie Mays at 660. It is no mean feat to hit more HRs then Willie. And 4 more years as a DH, needing 134? You do the math.

Manny is playing for records/history. His ego wants money, but had he not had a falling out with Boston, he already had 2/$40 in the bank, and tiny little Fenway to play in.

Wih TB getting some playoff money, I would think they would go for Manny. Imagine Manny as their DH. White Sox? Toronto? Prime FAs means spending above value... that's the way it is these days. Manny will get 3 years easy, and probably 4.

2008-10-02 09:31:53
18.   pistolpete
17 >>Wih TB getting some playoff money, I would think they would go for Manny. Imagine Manny as their DH.>>

They're not getting that much playoff money.

2008-10-02 10:24:44
19.   Shaun P
18 They might: IIRC, Nate Silver calculated that simply appearing in a Division Series (not even winning it!) was worth an extra $20M to a franchise.

Add in improved ticket sales for next year, and I think they could easily afford Manny, if they wanted him.

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