The Side Line

Manny Ramirez just might be the greatest hitter in baseball. That being said, the rest of his game and his personality prevent him from being included in the discussion of the best all-around player in baseball. But that’s just Manny being Manny.

Ramirez’s numbers speak for themselves. He has 527 home runs and a lifetime .314 average. He is a feared hitter to be sure, perhaps the most feared currently. He gets on hot streaks similar to Barry Bonds, where walking him seems to be the only way to keep him from producing runs.

But what Manny does in the batter’s box is weighed down, at least a little, by his seemingly slack approach to defensive baseball, and his goofy antics on the field. This is where he loses many potential fans, and to many, comes off as apathetic about the game.

Looking at the other players of Ramirez’s caliber, names like Pujols and Jeter, you won’t find the same attitude. These elite players carry themselves with much more professionalism on and off the field, and generally take themselves and their games very seriously.

Ironically, this is exactly the reason I really enjoy watching Manny play. Sure, he makes some errors and boneheaded plays on defense, but he doesn’t lose his cool, ever. He just laughs it off and keeps on playing, and at least to me, seems like he really enjoys himself. He lets his talent speak for itself.

Also, watching Ramirez hit is like watching Michelangelo paint or Spielberg direct. It is an artist, at the peak of his career, doing what he does best. Manny has several good years left, and these next couple could be his best ever.

So really, is it any surprise that the Dodgers wound up resigning him to a two-year deal, and gave him almost every dollar he asked for? Not at all, considering the alternative: Manny in another uniform, crushing Dodger pitching into the L.A. night.

There will never be another player like Manny Ramirez, with all his talent and all his quirks. Let’s just watch, and appreciate, the phenomenon that is Manny. And please, just let him be himself.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 6 2009. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry