A lot's been said in Boston about how the enigmatic slugger quit on the Red Sox last July and altered the course of his career by prompting a trade out West. A lot's been said in Los Angeles about the "Mannywood" culture that's caught Southern California by storm over the past year with the arrival of the future Hall of Famer. And a lot's been said nationwide about the 50-game suspension that befell Ramirez in May after a drug test turned up his use of the banned substance human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG).
This is about none of those things.
It's now October, and that being the case, it's time to set aside all the off-the-field distractions and face the facts — Manny Ramirez, now 37 years of age, has a chance to play in the fifth World Series of his career.
In all of baseball history, how many players can you name that have reached the Fall Classic with three different teams, playing an integral role on all three? Such legends of the game are few and far between. But Manny, who first reached the game's biggest stage with Cleveland at age 23 and twice won it all with the Red Sox in this decade, has a shot at being one of them.
When the National League playoffs open on Wednesday afternoon, Manny and the L.A. Dodgers have as good a shot as anyone at coming out of the Senior Circuit and making a run at World Series glory. They're the lone 95-win team in the National League, and with the combination of Manny at the plate and Joe Torre in the dugout, they have the experience to win this thing.
For most of 2009, the story in L.A. hasn't been about Manny — on the field or off. Setting aside both his slugging and his extracurricular antics, the Dodgers are really here because of their pitching. Among baseball's eight playoff teams, the Dodgers finished seventh in total runs scored — but in runs allowed, they were the lowest in all of baseball.
The Dodgers are the best team in the National League because of guys like Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton — guys who were in junior high school 14 years ago when Manny first played in the World Series. Throughout 2009, it hasn't been the towering homers and clutch RBIs that have carried the Dodgers to the postseason — it's been pitching and defense.
But don't be surprised if that changes in October.
In Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers have a playoff legend. In 1995, he slugged the Indians into the World Series against Atlanta at 23. In '97, he was back again. In 2004, with the Red Sox, he was a World Series MVP.
With a career postseason batting line of .286/.399/.550, Manny has proven himself as one of the greats when it's mattered most. And if he can carry the Dodgers into the Series this time around, he'll be regarded as a uniquely dominant player in baseball history. Three franchises, five World Series.
Up first, L.A. has a battle of two historic franchises. When the Dodgers meet the Cardinals in the postseason, it's a clash of the National League titans. And when Manny's legend is countered by the superstardom of Albert Pujols, it doesn't get much better than this. One way or another, one of the great players of our generation wins.
Back here in Boston, it's hard to know what to make of this, exactly. The Red Sox and their fans will always remember what Manny Ramirez accomplished here — but now, he's the enemy.
These are the stories that make October so thrilling. One way or another, this story will be resolved. Either Manny and the Dodgers make history, or they fall short.
Which will it be? That's up to them. But this time of year, you should never bet against Manny. Everyone in Boston knows that.
