Manny being Manny

Guess who's headed back to the farm?

Manny will be starting a stint in minor league ball to be ready for his foray back into the big leagues on July 3rd. I wasn't sure if he was going to take the 10 game "get back in the saddle" preparation package but I'm glad he is. Hopefully the scheduling conflict with the California All-Star Break will still give him time to play a few games in the Inland Empire. I, for one, think its a great idea for him to get back in the swing of things. Excuse the pun. Does he need to put up the numbers? No. Would it be good for him to see a little bit of Triple A action and get acclimated? yes.

I have mixed emotions about Manny coming back. I think it was "good" for him to be gone and for this team to realize that they dont need his bat to win games. Pierre sure put on a good show. He is one of the top rated hitters in the national league. We'll forget about his lack of throwing power and remember his bat and his base running. I still surmise that they should let him run the ball in. Sometimes, I think it'd get there faster. He sure is a work horse and I think he did his part in putting himself in the spotlight for other teams to pick him up. Although he'd never play like it, I think he clearly wants to be traded to a team where he can play every day. No duh.

I think Manny is gonna hit some speed bumps once he starts playing again. It's not going to be about baseball for awhile. Not since he'll be returning to the game while the Dodgers are playing in San Diego and then turning around and heading to New York. Manny will be close to fans who are still reliving his Boston days. No, not until Manny gets back to the truest fans in baseball will it be about the game. I just hope he comes back swinging.