The Manny to the Mets pipe dream is finally over. It had nightmare written all over it. GM Omar MInaya officially declared this last Tuesday. Let him go back to the Dodgers, hat in hand (for 25 mill, who wouldn’t grovel at that?).
Whether Omar was parroting what the Wilpons have decreed is irrelevant. Ramirez never stopped being a handful even as his stock plummeted lower than CitiGroup’s this off-season.
He was never a good fit for the Mets. Before Mets fans start tipping over dead, let me expound.
Manny was never available (initially) for less than three-to-four years and maybe Minaya had visions of waiting out the market, ala Johan Santana. Then he could sell the idea to the Wilpons. It never got that far.
The fact the Dodgers trimmed their offer to one year speaks volumes about the dwindling market. Manny’s greedy agent Scott Boras kept waiting for someone to raise the bar, but the ubiquitous “mystery” team never materialized.
Where he plays next season is still a mystery. He could end sit out the year or end up in
(If he accepted a one-year deal from the Mets, his next contract would have been discussed and dissected ad nauseam from Day 1-a distraction of epic proportions).
Much like the signing of Pedro Martinez, it would have had juice in the beginning, but reduced to pulp in the end. Do Mets fans really believe they got their money’s worth from
He’s a soon to be 37-year old outfielder (May 30th) in a DH’s body. He could hit .300 in his sleep, but in the field he’s asleep. When starts butchering fly balls and missing the cutoff man (all add up to runs and loses) how favorable will his approval rating be then?
By the way, he’s also a liability on the base paths.
Moreover, he would not enhance team harmony one iota. The first time he refuses to exit the air-conditioned clubhouse to stretch on a hot and humid day would cause a stir. He would have to answer to Carlos Delgado, who would not be pleased.
How about not answering the bell at game time-pick a knee, any knee.
He’s exactly what the Mets don’t need: Another player who shuns the media and dances to his own beat.
One of the reasons David Wright wears down is the burden of being the team’s spokesman. Adding another star that hides in the training room would not improve team dynamics (Delgado and Santana, and several other players rarely speak to reporters already).
The point is humans play the game and it’s not always about numbers. On paper Manny would have been wonderful, 30 100, at least. Imagine the outcry when (not if) Manny acts like a fanny and becomes disenchanted with his expiring contract and stages another wildcat strike?
What are the odds that might happen? It says even money here.
The radio waves will burn up, the newspapers run out of ink. Mets fans would certainly change their tune and pine for the pre and post-Manny days.
Manny is capable of leading the Mets to the Promised Land or dragging them into the abyss. Either way he doesn’t care. He proved this with his selfish stance that led to his hasty
(A recent article in a NYC tabloid contained quotes from Ramirez’s former coach at George Washington HS in
But you can keep him. He would be a disaster in
Mets fans that drool over Manny’s prodigious home runs should keep the number 29 in mind. That is the amount of saves the bullpen blew last year. Reduce that number by 11 and the Mets are a 100-win club. Do you think that adding two formable closers could accomplish that?
Minaya cleaned out the rancid pen and it has the potential to be lights out. The re-signing of Oliver Perez gives the Mets four starters in their prime. Tim Redding and Freddy Garcia add depth. According to Minaya, you can’t have enough pitching.
Waiting in the wings is Jon Niese and Bobby Parnell. The bullpen should be topped off with Pedro Feliciano (lefties hit .210 against the southpaw) who led the league with 86 appearances and a healthier Duaner Sanchez.
Put Feliciano back into the comfortable role of situational reliever and he should revert to the asset he was in previous years. Sanchez could become the seventh inning bridge to JJ Putz and Frankie Rodriquez.
Then sprinkle in some power arms (Minaya loves them) for the back end of the pen, such as, Brian Stokes, Sean Green (acquired in the Aaron Heilman deal), and Brandon Knight, and the frog becomes a prince.
The number one priority in the off-season was re-wire the bullpen and bolster the pitching staff. Minaya has accomplished both with aplomb.
However, signing a thumper is always sexy for the fans. Who doesn’t love an all-star at every position but this is not Rotisserie Baseball. How has that worked out for the Yankees in recent years? Watching Daniel Murphy develop before our eyes is an enticing argument for passing over Ramirez. What true fan doesn’t cherish home grown talent?
Maybe Fernando Martinez, who hit a game winning pinch-hit home run for the
For the fans who believe the Mets are parsimonious, I say this: “You folks are delusional.” The Mets payroll will be around $143 million this year. There is ample offense (the Cubs led the NL in runs scored with 855 and the Mets and Phillies tied for second with 799) to carry them to the post-season. Your team spends money; don’t feel entitled like the faithful in the
Being a Mets fan has always meant relishing the role of the underdog. It makes the bubbly takes so much better. This is not your 1993 Mets we are talking a about here.
Pitching wins championships. As hitting coach Howard Johnson said to me recently, “if we get our pitching straightened out, we’ll be fine.”
*Mets Merized Online Needs Your Help*
Great insight on the pitfalls of getting Manny! I’m sold on the need for clubhouse chemistry and Manny is just a horse’s arse.
With Castillo also a potential problem, by both his on-field play and his attitude, do we need another dugout dilemma? My vote is ‘NO.’
I never say it happening so I never made up potential Lineups which included Manny in my head. so no let down for me.I’m more worried about the combination of Wilpon getting scammed out of millions and the Citi Bank Stadium backlash resulting in loss of revenue. I have no idea how that affects our Mets or even if it does.just leaves me with an uneasy feeling… Someone reassure me.. no hugs please I’m homophobic.
How about
“Metsmerized Field” If Citi does back out if we all pool our lose change we’re good for it!!
Doug,
Before I read this article, I was one of those Mets’ fans that wanted to see Manny in a Mets uniform this year but you sold me on your view of the whole thing. Your article was very well written and I like how much evidence you used to support your argument not to mention the fact that you brought up that the Mets have strengthened their biggest weakness from last year: the bullpen.
I think it’s going to be two things that will stand out as to why the Mets will succeed this year: staying healthy and hitters stepping up. I still cant believe that the Mets were second in the NL in runs but so horrible with runners in scoring position. It’ll be interesting to see what can be provided by Church, Murphy, Tatis, and Castillo. Can they provide the same (if not more) as last year? My vote is ‘YES.’
With the way fans and others have bought into the “Manny Hysteria” created mainly by the media, one would think Manny Ramirez went on a killing spree in Boston or something. While Manny is certainly not a perfect human being…last time I checked no one was, people have jumped on this Manny bashing parade like no other. Peolpe act as if they know Manny on a personal level or they have to eat dinner with him every day. Get over yourselves and stop acting like you were Manny’s bestfriend and he just ended the relationship. It is BASEBALL, nothing else. Watch it, cover it, follow it, enjoy it, love it, and let Manny hit in the middle of someone’s lineup and continue his Hall of Fame career as arguably one of the top hitters of all-time. Manny can play for the team I bleed for anytime as the chances of a championship season greatly increase with the slugger.
http://the1constant.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/02/mets_news_manny_ramirez_rally_1.html
Thank you Doug for writing an article on this subject. Beautifully written with many, many good points. I completely agree with everything you said. We’re going to be fine on offense this year I’m sure of it. Manny would be nothing but a clubhouse cancer. We don’t need a primadonna like him in the clubhouse. The team already gets along fantastically and with that chemistry it encourages the teammates to help each other out more. So again thank you Doug for bringing some light onto this subject.
Great article Doug!! I was on the fence about Manny. I could take him (for a year, maybe two) or leave him.
Your line, though, about how much scrutiny and attention his upcoming contract would get and how much of a distraction that would be, solidified my stance. Totally true. Day in, day out, in the locker room and on the broadcasts, it would be everpresent. Willie-gate, all over again.
Moving on…
One Word that we will say come September: Regret
This is probably the most well-written work I’ve seen on this website. Hopefully, your argument convinced a few of our brothers and sisters who want this headcase on our team. Ramirez is one of the most selfish players in the game, and I never wanted him.
As you stated, the bullpen was the main concern after last season, and it is MUCH better now. The addition of Frankie and Putz, along with the subtraction of Heilman, addressed this issue appropriately. And the starting rotation should be one of the best in the league. As for the offense, I agree with you that it will be good. If it struggles, though, look for Omar to make a move before the deadline — a move that makes more sense than signing a 37 year old outfielder for three years!
Bravo – A convincing argument indeed.
A true piece of art Doug you totally sold me on this entire article and pretty much showed all of us how Manny would not fit on the Mets.
I remember when Wagner flipped out when all the reporters were asking him about the game when he didn’t even play. And the fact that everyone who played dashed out of the locker rooms and outside to their cars before reporters could get a word with them. I’m pretty sure that if Manny was on the time, somebody would get pissed off about him not answering questions or visa versa.
But great Article non the less, I think Joe D. should give you a raise… haha
“Where he plays next season is still a mystery. He could end sit out the year or end up in Japan.”
If it is Japan, Manny can chase after Sadaharu Oh. The Babe Ruth of Japan.
Oh,like Ruth, initially was a lefthanded pitcher. He wound up playing first base for the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants and in 22 seasons hit 868 home runs, 113 more than Hank Aaron hit for the Braves and Brewers.
If the Dodgers don’t sign Manny, I wish him bon voyage!
And I can even recall when the Mets used to be that team with almost no All-Stars to be found, it was mostly a team made up of no name free agents or people brought up from the Minor Leagues. At least thats what I heard from an ESPN reporter about 6 years ago.
It’s weird to have this desire for All-Stars when way back we barely had any. I guess that sense we have some now were just getting a little greedy in the notion that maybe we can get more. But, money is money and this isn’t Monopoly. “You have just bought Manny Ramirez, collect $2 Millioin Dollars.
Beautiful piece, I say… from a guy who still wishes Manny were a Met!
I will admit that my one niggling bit of skepticism concerns the decline of eyesight at Manny’s age. Guess we’ll learn abou this before too long.
But, seriously, what do you really think about Manny on the Mets?
…”When starts butchering fly balls and missing the cutoff man (all add up to runs and loses) how favorable will his approval rating be then?”…
Outside of a few well publicized blooper moments Manny is not nearly as bad an outfielder as you or everyone says he is. He gets to balls quickly and gets the ball in quickly and many would tell you he played the Green Monster as well as anyone.
…”By the way, he’s also a liability on the base paths.”…
If anything I would call Manny an average baserunner while Castillo, Castro, Delgado, and Schneider are below average baserunners and if you really want to get into quality baserunners then look at Reyes and all the blunders he has had on the bases like trying to steal 3rd with 2 outs down by a run with the middle of the lineup up in the later part of the game or the absolute lack there of stolen bases in a big spot.
…”(A recent article in a NYC tabloid contained quotes from Ramirez’s former coach at George Washington HS in Upper Manhattan, saying he never has received one nickel of support for the baseball program from him-the same program that allowed Manny to hone his skills and gave him a chance to play ball. Talk about an ingrate).”…
Are you questioning how Manny spends or doesn’t spend his money? Would you like it for people to be in you business? We are still talking about baseball, right? Oh, I didn’t think so…now we are on to more important things like attempting to bring someone down at any cost. Now I get it.
…”Mets fans that drool over Manny’s prodigious home runs should keep the number 29 in mind. That is the amount of saves the bullpen blew last year. Reduce that number by 11 and the Mets are a 100-win club. Do you think that adding two formable closers could accomplish that?”…
So we can expect for the 2009 baseball season to turn out exactly like the 2008 season except the Mets will definitely win 100 games because of the improved bullpen. There are so many variables that goes into a season and so much that can happen such as injuries, career years, down years, and many other things. Look back after the 2007 season, the Mets were said to only need a frontline starting pitcher to win it in 2008 and they acquired Santana…how did that work out. No two season are exactly alike, baseball does not and never will work like that.
The Mets can win without Manny Ramirez but their chances with him greatly increase.
BRAVO!!! TAKE A BOW DOUG!!!!
You can serve Manny ‘haterade and blame the Mets 08 demise on the the bullpen all you want. This team lost because of choking due to lack of heart. Bullpen be damned. All that was needed was one, ONE clutch hit down the stretch and it could have been the Mets instead of the effin Phillies who are the defending champs. One thing I know for sure is this: Manny has the heart of a lion. There would be no choke job with him. In today’s game, when you HAVE to get a hit, this guy is near or at the top of the list of who you would like to have at bat. Joe Torre loves the guy and that says volumes. I could care less about all of the ancillary off the field stuff. I just want the Mets to win the WS. With Manny on the team, you could have dusted off the mantle for the trophy right now. Just make sure that in the very likely event that this team gags it again, you revisit your Manny rant and what could have been.
Some good points you raised, Amazin86er.
Baseball is a business, first and foremost. The Wilpons likely concluded that Manny being Manny just presents too many problems — financial, contractual, “fitting in”, and how he deals with the decisions of the coaching staff and managers. These factors go into the decision of who is offered a contract to become a Mets player and later who stays a Mets player. Several players have been excised from the team over the past 25 years — some quite recently — because of social problems which Mets owners have found unacceptable. The Wilpon family is very aware of social and community issues. I don’t think this factor should be discounted.
Beautifully written and I couldn’t agree more.
Des,
Like I said Manny Ramirez is not a perfect human being but almost everything that is written or spoken about him is purely speculation with no fact. When it comes to Manny it seems everyone likes to and would rather pay attention and believe the speculation rather than taking a glimpse at tha actual facts of the matter and those facts are right here…
http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/ramirma02.shtml
He has contributed in a big way for every team he has played for in every season. In the end that is what I care about. The media has created a monster and they enjoy doing such things. The media did their best to create the “KRod Hysteria” which many fans also bought into. Instead of looking at the positives all the media wants to do is bring out the negatives but who could blame when the society we live in feeds off of negativity. Lets just look at the incidents in his divorce from Boston, who have a history of bad mouthing and poorly treating players that are about to leave the organization or have recently left, and believe all the speculation and ignore the fact that this is a miniscule part of one of the greatest careers any baseball person or fan has ever witnessed.
Manny wasn’t any trouble for Torre. His teamates love him. Manny isn’t a Wilpon type of guy. renting him was a no brainer last year instead he almost put the Dodgers in the series
Amen, Amazin86er, you’ve made clear and made well your view.
Along the line of unnecessary negativity, I have been appalled by the brouhaha about the naming of CitiField. Fortunately, many of us rail against newspaper voyeurism and speculation.
For those who want to see my position on the naming of CitiField, and why I think it’s just a tempest in a teapot, go to:
http://theropolitans.com/2009/02/comment-citis-advertising-budget.html