So we’re waiting…waiting for the inevitibable. Waiting for Manny Ramirez to sign with the Dodgers. It’s pretty much settled, isn’t it? Manny Ramirez loves warm weather, the Los Angeles lifestyle and all the glitterati. Even the paparazzi. And Fatburger.
There’s no way Manny would come up to San Francisco. The ballpark is too big (Wait, isn’t Dodger Stadium a little spacious as well?). The weather’s too cold (Wait, didn’t Manny play in Cleveland and Boston for his entire career before spending a few months in L.A.?). The Bay doesn’t boast the huge Latino population that you see in L.A. (Wait, when did San Francisco become Salt Lake City? And since when did Dominicans feel the need to hang around Mexicans just because they speak Spanish?).
This is fully about money. If the Giants came up with a 2-year, $50M offer with a $20M option for the third year, Scott Boras would have Manny on the first chartered jet to SFO. And with the NBA taking a $175M loan recently to cover a year full of half-empty arenas and massive operating losses for most franchises, MLB owners see the writing on the wall. It’s time to batten down the hatches, and adding $25M in operating costs sounds as tempting to baseball owners as ditching commercials between innings or halting beer sales after the first inning.
But stop it with all this Manny-likes-LA-better-than-SF nonsense. At this point, Boras would place Manny in Ottawa if they offered enough cash. I just wish the Giants would either make an offer to Boras or state publicly that the team’s interest in Manny is less than their interest in bringing back Bobby Estalella. What the Giants don’t realize is they aren’t just stringing the Dodgers, Manny/Boras or Fred Lewis along, but also a huge group of Giants fans who just wish this story would go away.
Tell the A’s Good-bye? Not yet, but…
–Are you ready for a full-fledged territorial rights war between the A’s and Giants for San Jose? Mark Purdy, start your laptop! (Deadspin)
–McCovey Chronicles is like, getting all mainstream and stuff. It’s going to be interesting when their comments section starts getting populated with the same sorts of deep thinkers that populate ESPN. (McCovey Chronicles)
–NFL free agency starts tonight at 9:01 pm PST. The Niners are looking to take things nice…and…slow. (Matt Maiocco)
–Albert Haynesworth’s on the board, but we all know he’ll go to the Redskins. Here’s why the 49ers shouldn’t be tempted. (Niners Nation)
–Matt Steinmetz says the Warriors need a point guard. Hmmm, why does this idea sound familiar??? (GSW Examiner)
–The Celtics lost to the Clippers and Gabe Pruitt celebrated with a DUI. Sounds like Stephon Marbury’s going to fit right in! Oh, and (shocker) Jerry Buss smokes menthols. (SPORTSbyBROOKS)
–Since they missed the first 15 minutes while showing “The Greatest Hitting Seasons of All Time,” I don’t feel so bad about missing the MLB Network’s broadcast of the Giants/Indians game yesterday. (Awful Announcing)
–Noah Lowry suffers another setback. (Extra Baggs)
–Skip Bayless the latest to say Troy Aikman’s gay. (With Leather)
Related posts:
