Here in Boston, we've seen this movie before.
Manny Ramirez decides he's unhappy where he is, despite the fact that he gets paid $20 million to play a game. Unhappy Manny Ramirez decides to act out and misbehave like a child until he gets what he wants. Childish Manny Ramirez gets what he wants, moves on to a different city and then, ultimately, wreaks havoc there.
Ramirez will join the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday after wearing out his welcome with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chances are, he'll be a model citizen with the White Sox down the stretch, knowing that he's playing for a contract and knowing that all he has to do is prove that he can still hit and someone will pay up, no matter how outlandish his behavior continues to be.
The final straw for Ramirez in Los Angeles came Sunday afternoon. He wasn't in the starting lineup to begin the game, but with the bases loaded in the sixth, manager Joe Torre called on Ramirez to pinch hit.
Oh, what a spectacle.
Like only he can, Ramirez took the first pitch for a called strike. Home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom called the borderline pitch a strike, something to which Ramirez took exception. Then, placing his beef before the team's fortunes, Ramirez turned and argued with Cederstrom until he was ejected.
He was wearing a Dodgers uniform, but he might as well been wearing a Red Sox jersey. Remember July 6, 2008? The Red Sox, trailing late, turned to Ramirez as a pinch hitter. Just days after he had been fined by the team for shoving traveling secretary Jack McCormick, there were whispers that Ramirez wasn't happy at all that the team had come down so hard on him.
So what did he do in the at-bat? Ramirez never took the bat off of his shoulder, taking three strikes from Mariano Rivera before being sent back to the dugout after being called out on strikes. Three weeks later, he was traded to the Dodgers.
Some saw it as Manny's way of getting back at the Red Sox and proving to them that he was the one who ultimately held the cards. On Sunday, he revealed his hand to the Dodgers for the last time.
At least White Sox fans can take solace in another sour exit for Manny. There's a good chance they'll get the same rededicated Manny Ramirez that the Dodgers got in 2008. He hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games. In 100 games with Boston, he only hit .299 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs.
If they're smart, they'll learn from the Dodgers' mistake. They'll get everything they can out of Ramirez down the stretch run while paying him roughly $100,000 a game. But if they're smart, they'll avoid signing Ramirez to any kind of extension.
That doesn't mean someone else won't.
Peter Gammons said it best on Monday. He said on his Twitter page regarding Ramirez, "If one can hit, quitting on teams in pennant races is forgiven."
"I want him to feel comfortable here," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said on Monday. "I want him to like it here. I want him to have fun and I want him to be Manny."
Ah, Manny being Manny. Be careful what you wish for, Ozzie. We've seen this movie before, and trust us, as good as the previews are, you won't like the ending.
