Manny gives Dodgers a boost

With one swing, Manny Ramirez ended his drought and started a rout. Ramirez hit the first of Los Angeles' four homers, and the Dodgers blew a four-run lead Saturday before powering their way to an 11-4 victory that ended the Cincinnati Reds' longest winning streak of the season at five games.

[surf_morongo]

Where are those guys who are always razzing Manny now. All Manny haters need to crawl back under their rocks until January

I hope Rick Honeycutt was watching Haeger feet. That is where the problem was. He was never starting from the same place on the mound and he couldn't get a rythmn. He needs to be shown how to be consistent.

Ethier just keeps coming through.

[Juicer]

That must mean he's back on his professional baseball chemical diet. Nothing like some enhancement instead of raw talent. Too bad the good old days of baseball are long gone.

[Dave from Panama City]

surf_morongo wrote:

Where are those guys who are always razzing Manny now. All Manny haters need to crawl back under their rocks until January
I hope Rick Honeycutt was watching Haeger feet. That is where the problem was. He was never starting from the same place on the mound and he couldn't get a rythmn. He needs to be shown how to be consistent.
Ethier just keeps coming through.

I'm right here Surf. As i have posted before, I haven't liked the process Manny used after last season to hold the Dodgers over a barrel until spring training, then getting caught taking a steriod masking agent, lackluster defense, and since his return, a low average and more poor defense. What is sitting on the bench? A guy in Pierre who stepped in and produced at the plate, on the base paths, and in the field. Oh yeah and what happened to that best record in baseball? There's a difference between having character and being a character. I prefer the former.

[surf _morongo]

Dave from Panama City wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm right here Surf. As i have posted before, I haven't liked the process Manny used after last season to hold the Dodgers over a barrel until spring training, then getting caught taking a steriod masking agent, lackluster defense, and since his return, a low average and more poor defense. What is sitting on the bench? A guy in Pierre who stepped in and produced at the plate, on the base paths, and in the field. Oh yeah and what happened to that best record in baseball? There's a difference between having character and being a character. I prefer the former.

Well Dave I used to be a purist myself, but I have accepted several things over the last few years because I have no ability to change the world.

1. The ice cap is gonna melt and what is left of mankind is going to die along with everything but cockroaches.
2. Politicians will just keep arguing between themselves and the people will never benefit, only the oliticians and there friends.
3. Cancer will never be cured entirely.
4. Rush Limbaugh wil remain a moron; and sports teams will always cheat.

Don't be so quick to only blame Manny for the woes of baseball, he is only one man. It took a commisioner and many more people to screw things up. As far as Manny and his contract, despite being a loyal dodger fan since 58' I can't blame players for getting all they can. Their time to work and make money playing the game is limited. And it is not like McCourt was putting all his cards on the table with the public, since most of the money is defferred compensation.

I suppose if you could see the list of all 104 players that used PEDs you would see that nearly all times were represented. The commissioner knew way back when that he had a problem, but he sold out for higher TV ratings and ticket sales. Are you going to take George Brett out of the Hall of Fame for corking a bat? That was cheating also.

When it all calms down fans will just remeber the Steroid Era as exactly what it was, some pumped up numbers from PEDs and a juiced ball. The single season HR records are as much a monument to the commisioner's greed as to the player.

Since Manny is the only real major leaguer to have been suspended and served a 50 game suspension that does not make him more guilty than anyone else.

I am not sure what it was exactly, but he came to LA with an open mind and an open heart and has played well enough except for some isolated incidents to earn my cheers. As far as Juan Pierre gores, I have always liked him since his early days; but tell me is he really that much more valuable than Ramirez in the outfield, I understand the hustle part and that is important; but his method of production is different than Mannys and it is like comparing apples to oranges (and don't call Manny a rotten apple.) The stats back this up, the Dodgers are better with Manny in there, Ethier becomes Superman with Manny batting after him. Ethier batted behind Pierre today and look what happened, not too much production for Ethier today.

The Dodgers are 7-3 since all of you people started getting on their backs for that slump. I don't see you barking at the Angels, what are they 3-7 over the same period.

Nobody has to like Manny, you only have to like the Dodgers and the game they bring. I drive 147 miles one way and attend at least 20 games a year, I can say that I have never regretted it. If there is anyone on the Dodgers who has a right to complain about not getting some innings it is Juan Castro, his glove is as good as anyone elses out there and his bat is hot. If you speak to anybody close to the team, or watch him taking batting practice you will see that Mattingly has made him a force to be reckoned with at the plate.

It might be nice if all of the HATERS get off Manny's back, let Joe coach the team and see what happens.

[Dave from Panama City]

Good post Surf. September will be a hard month for the Dodgers. Momentum is everything in sports. If they go .500 and make the playoffs, I don't see them getting past the first round. I sure hope i'm wrong. And moron is to lite a word for "Oxy" Rush. Thanks.