Today is the day. Today is the day we have all been waiting for. Well, today is the day that people who only know what baseball is because of Manny Ramirez have been waiting for. I was mad at Manny, I didnt think they would do as well without Manny. I admit that in the beginning I wasn't sure what was going to happen without this slugger's bat. But as hindsight is 20/20 we can look back and say what a great thing it was that Manny was gone. But now, oh now, he's back. Tonight will be a time for baseball. People who don't follow the sport, will be following tonight. Well, at least for his first at bat. :) People said we couldnt win without Manny and his bat. Well, on a dark day in May of this year, Manny gave the ball club no other choice but to figure out HOW to win without him. With a 50 game suspension, there would be no way for the Dodgers to wait for Manny's return to kick their butt's into high gear. Last year when we acquired Manny, the dodgers NEEDED his bat. There is no mistaking that they probably would not have made it to the playoffs without Manny last year and that he really was a one man show. However, the dodgers have proved that this is no longer the case and that Manny is now just icing on an already delicious and powerful cake.
Last year Manny was the wild card that took us to the playoffs. This year, Manny is the hidden ace in our already revealed 5 card flush. Coming back in to the game at this point, Manny is a bonus. Our boys in blue already know they can do it without him, but are obviously anxiously awaiting his return. The Dodgers have not given up their top spot in the National League or in Baseball since Manny has gone. We haven't turned up as many runs without Manny, and he going to be an obivous breath of fresh air to our offense.
There has been a lot of talk about Ethier, Kemp, Pierre, and the rest of the ball club and the way they have come together as a team. We need to remember the most important part of the defense, the pitching. We have some of the best pitching in baseball and that's why we've been able to secure our spot on top of the division. Even with Wolf's no decisions and Billingsley having shaking moments, we can't dismiss the consistency of their stuff. No one individually is having the year of their career numbers wise, but they are doing it...together. A good bulk of the team are still newbies to the sport, and have yet to create themselves a name based on longevity. At this point, they're still creating themselves a name on potential. Manny brings the name, but looking back at this years from now, we're going to understand just why this particular ball club did so well.
Once again, I think L.A. fans have been waiting quite a while for a ball club like this. Not since the combination of Garvey, Cey, Lopes, and Russell have we seen chemistry this magical. The dodgers are just going to get better. It's almost as if we just participated in a fantasy trade where we didn't really (sorry Pierre) have to get rid of anyone, and we didnt have to shell out any money and we got someone that hey, wants to play again.
It will be interesting to see what happens tonight when Manny goes back out to command his left field spot. I'm also eager to see what Torre will do with the lineup as last year he really spread out the offense around Manny. Now, his boys know they don't really need to do that. Manny's presence is a force to be reckoned with both for the opponents and for his own team. Manny has been in the tough spots before, he walks up to the plate everytime like it's his first time. No matter if it's the bottom of the 9th or the top of the 1st. And even if Manny slumps at the beginning, each pitcher and ball club know that at ANY moment, he's going to kick it in again and they'll be in trouble.
Manny's return could not have come at a better time for baseball. Let's get the hoopla out of the way and see what Manny is going to do when he comes back. He'll be back for a tiny bit and then we'll hit the all star break. Once we come back from the all-star break the excitement of his return will hopefully have died down and we can focus on what's really important: the game and getting us to October baseball.
plus, I'm excited to sit in Mannywood for the first time :) Welcome back!
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