T.J. sums it all up

T.J. Simers, Los Angeles Times, 10/16/08
Manny Ramirez made the Dodgers important again
He single-handedly made the team a force to be reckoned with.

MANNYWOOD -- The Dodgers are finished two weeks ago, Jose Lima
still standing as the team's postseason hero over the last 20
years, if it isn't for Manny Ramirez.

He not only puts the Dodgers in the playoffs, stretching the
season out an additional eight games and making millions for
the Parking Lot Attendant in souvenir sales and additional
ticket sales, but he single-handedly makes the Dodgers
relevant again.

He plays 61 games in Dodger blue, hitting .410 with 21 home
runs and driving in 63 runs, and there's actually some folks
in the media debating whether to bring the showman back?

The paying customers in the left-field pavilion, apparently
not caring that some reporters can't get past what happened in
Boston, are chanting, "Manny stay, Manny stay."

If Frank McCourt, the image-minded owner of the Dodgers who
talks about winning championships while raising prices every
chance he gets, doesn't throw every available dime at Ramirez,
he can never again be believed.

"Ned [Colletti] and I will talk," McCourt says after the game,
but when asked, isn't it a no-brainer? he says, "It's not a
no-brainer to bring him back. It takes two to tango."

McCourt has proven to date to be a good tap dancer, but the
tango with agent Scott Boras will be something else, Ramirez
laughing when McCourt shakes his hand and says, "We'll talk
soon."

"You see," Ramirez says, "that's the second time he's talked
to me. The other time was the day I arrived."

Outside a group of fans are still in the stadium calling for
Ramirez, so he obliges and returns to the field to wave to
them. Oddly, they are not calling for Andruw Jones, although
the Dodgers had no problem paying him $18 million a year.

"I want to thank the fans for their great support; I think it
was a great trade," says Ramirez, and if he wants $20 to $25
million a year, how much will McCourt will have to put out
after selling more tickets, earning additional cable revenue
and selling more Manny Mania?

"I just want to go home [to Florida] and spend some time with
my family," Ramirez says, while adding with a grin, "I want to
see who is the highest bidder. Gas is up and so am I."

The Dodgers will have a 15-day window to talk exclusively with
Ramirez once the World Series is over, and while McCourt ought
to be knocking on his door every day loaded down with money
bags, the suspicion here is McCourt will try to get away
finishing second in the bidding process, later telling
everyone he did what he could.

"I hope he loves L.A. as much as L.A. loves him," the tap
dancer says, while careful to point out it will be up to
Ramirez whether he returns.

Like any other free agent, though, it will be the length of
the contract and the amount of money that gets Ramirez's
attention. And that's on McCourt.

Now maybe it all turns sour three, four or even five years
from now, as if there's any Jason Schmidt/Jones/ Darren
Dreifort guarantee when it comes to these sort of things.

But Ramirez already has a 61-game proven head start as a
Dodger, and the bigger question might be whether he wants to
return, if McCourt doesn't also do his best to bring back
Rafael Furcal and Derek Lowe.

Ramirez, a healthy Furcal and Lowe make the Dodgers the
favorites to win the West the next few years. If they all go
away, then it will be up to McCourt and Colletti to start
rebuilding the Dodgers.

And how scary is that?

RAMIREZ, ASKED if he will watch the Red Sox playoff game,
said, "I got nothing else to do now."

THE DODGERS are in a do-or-die situation, Phillies' fanatics
are so obsessed with their baseball team they can't contain
their obscenities, the telephone rings and none of it really
matters.

TODAY'S LAST word comes from Norm Pangracs:
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"After the fifth inning I called the number the Dodgers said
to call if anyone is causing trouble during the game. I was
surprised to get a recorded voice. I thought for sure a live
person would answer. I left a message: 'There's a group from
Philadelphia making me very uncomfortable. They're the
Philadelphia Phillies.' "

Amen
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