The Dodgers -- along with his ex-teammate Phillie Pedro Martinez -- seem to be under the impression that Manny Ramirez' leadership skills can carry L.A. past its 3-1 deficit:
Three players from that resilient Boston squad are participating in this series: the Dodgers' Manny Ramirez and Doug Mientkiewicz, and Phils pitcher Pedro Martinez.
"The experience certainly gives me the understanding that [Abner] Doubleday had something in mind when he had 27 outs and put the bases at 90 feet and all that crap," Torre said.
"Manny is someone who has been through that, and so has Doug," Martinez said. "They can be very inspirational to those guys."
Here's how Manny insprired his teammates on Monday night:
Yes, Manny Ramirez, that inspirational leader of men, didn't really get a good look at the hit that put Los Angeles in a three-games-to-one hole in the National League Championship Series. He might not have seen it yet. Not that it mattered much to Manny. Nothing he could have done about it, after all.
"I was out of the game, and I went in and showered," Ramirez said. "When I came out, they were coming in and turning off the TVs."
I'm sure they were. The rest of the Dodgers might have thought it was a filthy way for the game to end, but Manny was squeaky clean and unperturbed.
"What can you do? It's baseball," he said.
Outside of substituting the nation's second-largest TV market for the nation's fourth-largest (and, per capita, much more sports crazed), it's hard to understand why Fox, MLB, and their lackeys were so hot for a Yankees-Dodgers series. Ramirez is the Dodgers' only marquee player, and it's hard not to notice that ever since they asked him to whiz into a cup more frequently, the home runs pretty much stopped raining down on Mannywood.
The Phillies don't only have a much more compelling line-up, but they have the best manager in baseball in Charlie Manuel. Thank God he wasn't fired in 2005 and 2006 when we only judged him on his in-game strategy (which has improved, by the way) and allowed him the time to foster his kind of clubhouse and let his people skills emerge. More on the misunderestimating of Manuel, in a different context, in a moment.
The flip side is, that if the Dodgers would have won, Manny wouldn't have even been out there to congratulate his teammates. It's sad that fans get themselves all tied up in knots about these games and a Hall of Fame bound player could care less about what happens.— jmc
Comment removed.
"it's hard to understand why Fox, MLB, and their lackeys were so hot for a Yankees-Dodgers series." Not really, will. The NY/national sports media has always been very comfortable with Joe Torre; he knows what they want in a story and gives it to them and they appreciate it. They also just like him personally. Joe G. and Uncle Charlie are entirely different and covering them in a WS is a more disconcerting prospect. It’s actually a potentially better narrative, the educated cerebral thinking manager versus the country boy who trusts his gut and goes with instinct. But fleshing out that narrative will take more work.— GreyHippie- "Actually, he was 'judged' in large measure on the way he spoke." Absolutely a spot-on observation bill....100% correct. I remember arguing with two of my siblings about Cholly somewhere in the '05-'06 time frame. (FWIW, they are both liberal city residents.) They were saying what an idiot he is, and that the Phils needed to let him go...I was arguing that he was the PERFECT manager for this team, especially after the authoritarian Bowa rule. When push came to shove, it became apparent that they thought that the "dumb hick" was in over his head.— legatus
- Charlies a way better tactician then given credit for. he doesnt always go by percentages and simply manages to win the game.— RG
- Chuckles deserved some criticism for his strategic decisions, and for saying some things that are just plumb hard to figure out. Andy Reid gets criticized for his interaction with the press and for his strategic decisions, plenty. It goes along with the job. That said, Chuckles deserves all the credit in the world for being the best manager in the history of the franchise.— Talking point sleuth
- Can't help yourself, can you batboy. Ignorance is bliss. So you've forgotten about the botched double switches, the fact that the players did whatever they wanted at the plate, the fact that the Phillies had to hire an extra coach to help him with decisions. If the Mets didn't pull off an all time choke job two years ago, the Phillies wouldn't have been swept by the "Coloradorockies". If Brad Lidge wasn't perfect last year, they may not even have made the playoffs. (They didn't clinch until the 161st game, remember?) Like you knew he was a great manager all along. Sure you did. So obviously he is a much better manager than he was a few years ago. Doesn't mean he didn't deserve the scorn he got back then.— SteveMG
- As it turns out, the LA market is terrible for baseball viewership, and even worse when compared to Philly than when compared to NY: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/sports/baseball/20sandomir.html?_r=1— Talking point sleuth
- The media is hot for NY/LA because of all the easy storylinesm, too -- Torre, prior WS history, Brooklyn connection. It's understandable. Let's make sure they don't get it tonight.— etotheb
What's more ridiculous believing Manny is a leader or that Bunch is an independent? I seem to recall a LF here in Philly that was often replaced in late innings but still seemed to be able to hang in the dugout - actually on the top step of it - until the game is over. Could you imagine hearing that Burrell didn't see Bruntlett score the game winning run in Game 5 because he was pulled from the game so he went to get a shower?? I hope Manny is the Dogers' leader because that means they have none. If they did somebody would have been punching Manny out after the game - I know I would have.— bird11- bill at - exactly! Cholly was seen as a Southern hick so obviously he was a dope - how many people know Cholly was recruited to go to U. of Penn?? Yeah, must be a real dope. Cholly is the same manager as he was in '05 and '06 he just has more bullets in his gun then he did back then.— bird11
- bill at - exactly! Cholly was seen as a Southern hick so obviously he was a dope - how many people know Cholly was recruited to go to U. of Penn?? Yeah, must be a real dope. Cholly is the same manager as he was in '05 and '06 he just has more bullets in his gun then he did back then.— bird11
- "the fact that the Phillies had to hire an extra coach to help him with decisions." What extra coach? Jimy Williams? Every manager in baseball has a bench coach these days. Bowa had Varsho. Torre has Schaefer. Even the legendary all knowing all powerful Tony LaRusso has a bench coach.— bird11
- Seriously, birdie. I can understand double-posting occassionally. But how is it possible for you to double-post SO FREAKIN OFTEN? You care certainly Attytood's leader of double-posting.— Talking point sleuth
- TPS depends on your definition of "double posting" - certainly I double click occassionally but if you consider "double posting" to be posting the same worn out BS day in and day out over and over and over again then you my friend are the friggin' Babe Ruth of double posting.— bird11
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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