Sorry Manny, but this isn't good enough, and frankly it's only going to prolong this whole situation. Come clean, come correct. Deal with the issue so you, and we, can move on.
The whole "I'm not going to get into my medical record" thing seems like you are trying to hide something even bigger.
You know, the last thing I wanted to see was Manny try to wink his way through this thing, thinking his charm and sense of humor could deflect attention away from the real, core issue. That being the fact that he cheated. What I want to know is, for how long?
Honestly, that's all I care about.
But he completely closed the door on that, and that looks really bad.
]]>Anyway, Manny Ramirez makes his return to the Dodgers tonight against the San Diego Padres, and everyone has an opinion. Some more explosive than others.
Lee Jenkins at si.com wonders how the Dodgers will handle the circus.
Ken Rosenthal at foxsports.com predicts a love fest between Manny and Dodger fans.
USA Today explains why some fantasy owners will be rewarded for their patience.
Finally, Jayson Stark at espn.com can't understand why so many people are celebrating Manny's return.
Obviously the Dodgers are in for a strange experience today when they arrive at Petco Park in San Diego, and it will be interesting to see how they handle it.
Having observed the club the last two weeks, I honestly get the feeling the players are prepared for Manny's return and the circus atmosphere it will create.
The roster is a nice mix of young players and seasoned veterans, and it seems like the young guys are just anxious to get their teammate back, regardless of the scrutiny it might create, and the older guys are just focused on what's happening on the field, not the distractions off it.
It also helps that the experienced, battle-tested Joe Torre is at the helm, steering the club away from any potential land mines.
As for Manny himself, that is what's so intriguing to me. The other day Torre described Manny as being somewhat shy behind the scenes.
"When he first got here he told me all he wants to do is play ball and go home," Torre said.
That isn't an option today, or in the near future. The media is on a quest for answers and explanations, and Manny needs to be upfront and contrite about what happened.
It will be interesting to see how he handles things, because his initial meeting with reporters today will likely set the stage for how long the controversy sticks to him.
The quicker he meets things head on, the faster he can get back to focusing on just playing the game.
If he tries to sidestep things, the scrutiny will only linger.
In fact, some are already chiming in.
In San Francisio, Scott Olster explains why Manny has made him see the light.
Meanwhile, USA Today says fans canforgive but not forget Manny's actions.
This is just the start, and that's not a bad thing. Steroids is a complicated matter for baseball, and it's not going away anytime soon. We need to have a feeling about it, an opinion. and we need to figure out how to deal with the issue. For right now and in the future.
LIke the game "You're It," it's Manny's turn in the hot seat. He put himself in this position, and now he has to deal with the consequences. First came the suspension, now comes the constant questions and opinions and columns.
It will settle down at some point, but expect a circus for the next few weeks, at least.
]]>THE BARE ESSENTIALS
• Rafael Furcal lined a single to right field to drive in pinch-runner Russell Martin from second base for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. The inning was text book late inning execution as Brad Ausmus singled, Juan Castro bunted him over, then Furcal singled in the winning run.
• Clayton Kershaw allowed just one hit over 5.0 scoreless innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth. Kershaw has given up just two runs over his last 23.2 IP (four starts), for a 0.76 ERA over that time. Kershaw has lowered his ERA from a season-high 5.46 on May 1 to 3.49.
• Ausmus went 2 for 3, including the single that led to the Dodgers' winning rally in the eighth inning. Ausmus is now hitting .292 (14-for-48) in his 13 starts.
• Jonathan Broxton fired a perfect ninth inning and struck out two Rockies. Broxton now has 19 saves in 21 opportunities and leads all Major League relievers with 62 strikeouts.
• Ronald Belisario worked 2.0 scoreless innings in relief of Kershaw and has now posted 13.2 consecutive scoreless innings over his last 12 games. Beginning May 12, Belisario has a 0.95 ERA (3 ER/28.1 IP) in his last 25 appearances. The right-hander leads the Dodgers with 41 appearances.
ETC...ETC
• The Dodgers are now 17-8 in one-run games, which is the most wins and the best winning percentage in the Major Leagues in one-run contests. At Dodger Stadium, they are 14-2 in one-run contests.
• The Dodgers played their final game of the first half at home and became the first team in Major League Baseball to win 50 games, which includes a big-league best 28-13 home record. The club is on pace to win more than 100 games for the first time since winning 102 in 1974.
• Now for the bad news. Since scoring eight runs on Friday night, Los Angeles has plated just eight runs and collected just 27 hits over their last five games, averages of 1.6 runs and 5.4 hits.
GAME BALL GOES TO
• Rafael Furcal
ON DECK
• The Dodgers welcome back Manny Ramirez in San Diego Friday after he completed a 50-game suspension. RHP Hiroki Kuroda (2-4, 3.77) takes the mound against RHP Chad Gaudin (4-6, 4.97) to begin the three-game series.
Wow, Manny can't get back soon enough, as the Dodgers' bats have suddenly fallen silent. Furcal's game-winning RBI snapped a 17-inning scoreless streak, and going back to Monday the Dodgers had scored just one run over their previous 24 innings. The good news is, thanks to the pitching, defense, and late-game execution they won two of the three games against the Rockies. Nevertheless, Manny's bat will be a welcome sight come Friday, and for the rest of the season.
]]>The topic, as to be expected, was Manny rejoining the team in San Diego Friday.
Nothing groundbreaking was covered, with Torre fielding questions he's already answered multiple times this week.
What do you expect from Manny?
Do you plan to talk to Manny?
Will his return be a distraction?
Are you surprised Dodger fans are so willing to embrace a player suspended for cheating the game?
Do you understand how some fans will never completely embrace him again?
Torre answered each question thoughtfully, honestly and earnestly.
He never got frustrated, even though he answered many of the same exact questions last night, and the night before that and the day before that.
He never got flustered or angry, even though some of the queries were uncomfortable, and potentially controversial.
He simply provided thoughtful answers, as honestly as he could.
I stood there thinking the Dodgers couldn't possibly have a better manager in place to handle the circus that's about to hit San Diego this weekend, the one that will follow them to stops in New York and Milwaukee just before the All-Star break.
Torre's seen all this before during his 12 hectic years with the New York Yankees. Maybe not the same precise controversy - although Jason Giambi's brush with steroids unfolded under Torre's watch - but when you've spent so much time dealing with the overbearing George Steinbrenner and soap opera that is Alex Rodriguez and the daily grind of managing in New York, everything else palls in comparison.
Even the return of Manny Ramirez from a 50-game suspension.
Bottom line for Joe, what's going to happen is going to happen. There is no sense worrying about it or dwelling on it.
It would be a mistake not acknowledge what's about to take place, but an even bigger error to bring more attention to it than will naturally happen.
Manny will come back, it will take some time for him to whip into baseball shape. But he'll eventually get back into the swing of things and the team will be better off for it.
Manny will get an earful from opposing fans "He always has," Torre said. "Only now they'll have even more ammunition, so to speak."
He'll be wildly embraced by Dodger fans that will quickly, if not immediately, shove aside whatever wrong he did as if it never happened - just as hometown fans always do when their local heroes go astray.
Yes, a fraction of fans and media will never completely accept Manny again because they feel he cheated the game.
"I respect their feelings, I understand them," said Torre, who agrees that steroids literally make players stronger, and therefore give the users an unfair advantage over the non users.
In other words, they cheated.
But he's quick to point out he's yet to meet the person who hasn't done something they've regretted in life, and he wonders if one mistake should ruin a life, or career.
You don't have to agree with everything Torre says about Manny, but you get the sense when listening to him he'd say the same exact thing if an opposing player got caught up in the same controversy.
He's honest, practical.
That's to be respected, and it makes him the best manager to handle what's about to unfold over the next few weeks, if not remainder of the season.
]]>ROCKIES
Dexter Fowler CF
Clint Barmes 2B
Brad Hawpe RF
Garrett Atkins 1B
Troy Tulowitzki SS
Ryan Spilborghs LF
Ian Stewart 3B
Paul Phillips C
Jason Hammel P
DODGERS
Juan Pierre LF
Matt Kemp CF
Orlando Hudson 2B
Andre Ethier RF
Mark Loretta 3B
James Loney 1B
Brad Ausmus C
Juan Castro SS
Clayton Kershaw P
THE BARE ESSENTIALS:
• With Orlando Hudson and Russell Martin both getting a much needed day off, the Dodgers went meekly into the night, managing a season-low two hits against Jason Marquis.
• Marquis needed just 86 pitches to finish off a complete-game shutout. He threw 66 strikes.
• James Loney and Juan Castro had the only hits for the Dodgers on a pair of singles.
• On any other night, Chad Billingsley would have been in line for a win after giving up just three runs on five hits while notching a season-high 11 strikeouts over a season-high 7.2 innings. But with Marquis dealing a gem, Billingsley was the hard-luck loser.
• Continuing with the Marquis theme, he added a two-run single with two outs in the seventh to effectively put the game away. Brad Hawpe hit a solo home run in the fourth inning.
ETC...ETC:
• The Dodgers were shutout for the fourth time this season and have lost three of their last four games and five of their last seven.
• At 14-12, the Dodgers posted their first winning record in June since 2003, when they went 14-11.
• On the flip side, they scored 93 runs in 26 games in June, an average of 3.6 per game, after scoring 56 runs in 29 games in May, an average of 5.4 per game. In other words, you can come back anytime now, Manny.
• Marquis became the National League's first 10-game winner and joins Zach Greinke, Roy Halladay, Kevin Slowey, and Tim Wakefield for the Major League lead.
ON DECK:
• The Dodgers host the Rockies in the series finale at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday, sending LHP Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 3.70) vs. RHP Jason Hammel (5-3, 4.21).
Without hesitation, Torre said it was the bullpen, explaining it was the one area he was unsettled about coming out of spring training, yet it's been a consistent asset all year long.
Coming on the heels of Monday night's bullpen masterpiece - seven different relievers threw shutout innings to enable the Dodgers to pull out a dramatic 13th inning win on Andre Ethier's two-run home run - Torre's comments made sense.
But it's more than just Monday's performance. After getting 7.0 scoreless innings from their bullpen last night, the Dodgers lead the National League with a bullpen ERA of 3.31 and trails just Boston (2.89), Seattle (3.16), and Tampa Bay (3.22) for the Major-League lead. The bullpen has a big league best 21 wins with workhorses Ronald Belisario (40 games) and Ramon Troncoso (35) combining to go 2-2 with a 1.98 ERA (21 ER/95.2 IP), with 73 strikeouts and just 36 walks. Opponents are hitting just .219 against the duo.
If you're looking for reasons why the Dodgers are so good in close games, the bullpen is a great place to start.
But we put the vote to you:
Rockies
Smith LF
Barmes 2B
Helton 1B
Hawpe RF
Tulowitzki SS
Stewart 3B
Gonzalez CF
Iannetta C
Marquis RHP
Dodgers
Pierre LF
Furcal SS
Ethier RF
Blake 3B
Loney 1B
Kemp CF
Castro 2B
Ellis C
Billingsley RHP
Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he's been thinking about giving Orlando Hudson a day off for more than a week - and he's now finally getting around to it. Russell Martin will get tonight and tomorrow off in front of Thursday's off day, more of a mental break than anything else. "He's been fighting himself (at the plate)" Torre said.
]]>It was Ethier's fourth walk-off hit of the season, and he now has the last three of the Dodgers nine walk-off hits this year. Dating back to the beginning of last year, Ethier has seven walk-off hits.
Ethier leads the Dodgers with 15 home runs - three of which came against Seattle last Friday - and 52 RBIs.
After the game, Ethier talked about his success in late-game situations.
"It's just about having fun and enjoying the moment," Ethier said. "In a situation like that, it's just about emotion and excitement. You can see the energy going into the situation and one swing can end the game. I've just been trying to learn to balance that energy."
It's weird, but I was in the clubhouse before Monday's game and it just seems like Ethier is oozing confidence right now. The way he carries himself, the way he interacts with teammates, reporters and club employees, he just looks like a player ready to take his game to another level.
Granted, his batting average and OBP are down from last year, but he's well on his way to exceeding his career highs in home runs and RBIs. At this point he seems a lock to make the National League All-Star team.
Considering all the turmoil going on with Milton Bradley in Chicago, it's pretty obvious now the Dodgers stole Ethier from Oakland for Bradley and Antonio Perez prior to the 2006 season. As I recall, Dodgers' G.M. Ned Colletti was basically ordered to trade Bradley soon after taking over as G.M., but with all of Bradley's baggage finding a trade partner was difficult. In fact, only one serious offer emerged - and that was Billy Beane offering Ethier, who was coming off a breakout season in Double-A after entering the season as the A's 16th best prospect.
Colletti, pressed to make a deal, agreed. The rest is history.
It isn't often another G.M. gets the best of Beane, but in this case Colletti was the clear-cut winner.
]]>THE BARE ESSENTIALS:
• On and on they played, deep into the night, until finally, thankfully, Andre Ethier ended things with a two-run home run in the bottom of the 13th inning to win it for the Dodgers.
• Tip of the cap to the Dodgers' bullpen, which delivered seven innings of shutout ball by seven different relievers. A special shout out to Jeff Weaver, who struck out the side in the top of the 10th after the Rockies put runners on third and first with none out.
• Dodger starter Randy Wolf pitched decently, but he made a mistake pitch to Ryan Spilborghs in the fifth inning that Spilborghs smacked into the left field pavilion for a two-run home run.
• The Dodgers answered right back in the bottom of the fifth, getting a two-run single from Wolf to tie the game.
ETC...ETC:
• The Dodgers notched their ninth walk-off win and their 14th win in their final at bat.
• Ethier now has four walk-off hits this year - including the last three - and has seven total since the start of the 2008 season. It was his second walk-off home run of the season.
• Ethier leads the Dodgers with 15 home runs, 14 of which have come at Dodger Stadium He is tied with Albert Pujols for the Major League lead for the most home runs at home.
• The Dodgers are 7-2 in extra inning games this year, including 6-1 at Dodger Stadium.
• In an oddity, Juan Pierre got on base four times on three hits and a walk...and didn't score a run. Pierre stole three bases in a game for the first time since the 2007 season.
• The Dodgers have yet to lose three straight games this season.
• The Dodgers bullpen has allowed only two runs in 23.1 innings in its last five games, an 0.77 ERA in that span.
GAME BALL:
Goes to Ethier and the Dodgers' bullpen.
ON DECK:
The Dodgers send RHP Chad Billingsley (9-3, 3.10) to the mound against RHP Jason Marquis (9-5, 4.22) in Game 2 of the three-game series at 7:10 p.m.
That's understandable considering Manny's return to the Dodgers is a mere four days away.
As much as the team would like to downplay his arrival, there is no getting around the fact the Dodgers are about to add one of the game's top three right-handed bats.
And just in the nick of time.
The Dodgers limped into Monday's game losing four of their last six games for the first time this season, and after dropping two straight series for the first time this season.
In fact, the recent play prompted Torre to talk to his players before Monday's game about not falling into the trap of relaxing until Manny gets back.
Torre isn't sure the Dodgers have throttled down a notch the last two series in anticipation of Manny, but just to be on the safe side he addressed it with the team.
"I don't know, but I'll certainly mention it (to the Dodgers) today." Torre said. "With all the conversations about it...maybe. For me, I don't think any of that would have anything to do with the pitching. Pitchers get their one opportunity every five or six days whether he's here or not. They're a different breed. So I don't think so."
Of more immediate concern is Manny's physical status when he reports back Friday against San Diego. Bottom line, his first week or so back will be glorified spring training, only the games count and Manny will be getting in baseball shape on the fly.
"You can do all the stuff in the weight room you want to do but you still have to go out there and use muscles you're not used to using," Torre said.
That being said, there is no downside to adding Manny.
"Hopefully he can give us more consistent offense," Torre said. "We've been very fortunate. We've won a lot of close games and we've made the most out of the runs we've scored, especially here at home. I think Manny's presence in the lineup, besides the ability he brings; it's sort of a security blanket. The difference as opposed to last year, when we sort of waited around for him to do something, is that this year we're a more formidable group. But I think he still adds a little more credibility."
ROCKIES
Fowler. CF
Barmes. 2B
Helton. 1B
Atkins. 3B
Hawpe. RF
Tulowitzki. SS
Spilborghs. LF
Iannetta. C
Jimenez. RHP
DODGERS
Pierre LF
Furcal SS
Hudson 2B
Blake 3B
Ethier RF
Kemp CF
Loney 1B
Martin C
Wolf LHP
Estes said, in part, ``When I attempted to get my release, it was denied. He was not going to let me walk; he wanted something in return for me. If I signed somewhere else and pitched well for another team, it might make him look bad.''
]]>Predictably, the Dodgers' get high marks for Orlando Hudson and Randy Wolf, although Heyman does list Manny Ramirez among the worst signings.
Hey, I get it, Manny put himself in this position by getting suspended 50 games for violating MLB's drug policy, but it will be interesting to see where Heyman lists Manny by the end of the season.
In other words, beginning July 3 the ball is in Manny's court.