Signing Manny Ramirez would be right up Brian Cashman's alley

The other day, I made a cynical, joking reference to Brian Cashman's obsession with the 2004 Boston Red Sox, and now there is a chance that my reference -- about Manny Ramirez -- could come true. Oh, great. Can't I make a winning the lottery reference and have *that* come true instead?

Here's what I am talking about: Kevin Youkilis was the eighth member of the 2004 Red Sox to become a Yankee -- not a coincidence. And Cashman said recently regarding Youk's signing that he did "so much for Boston over the years." Anyhow, I wrote Wednesday: "Did Cash understand that Boston traded him because he wasn't really any good anymore? Manny Ramirez did a lot for Boston over the years, too, but I don't want him as a Yankee in 2013 either." That was a joke, of course, because as of June 19, Manny was a washed-up has-been playing in Taiwan. But as of June 20, Ramirez is leaving Taiwan, and says he wants to play Major League Baseball again.

And you know what that could mean -- Manny as a Yankee. MLB.com's Richard Justice's, perhaps the biggest Cashman suckup in sports media -- and that is saying something -- wrote a column talking about Ramirez being a Yankee that starts with this:

If you don't like the idea of Manny Ramirez playing for the New York Yankees, you have absolutely no sense of adventure.

Sure, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has steered the franchise far from players with the kind of baggage that accompanies Manny.

Well, other than signing Youkilis --  a Red Sox who wasn't exactly a BFF of the Yanks, and who threw temper tantrums all the time. Or bringing back Home Run Javy Vazquez. Or trying to bring back Carl Pavano, arguably the most despised Yankee of all time. Or getting Raul Mondesi. Or bringing back Roger Clemens, me-first "family days" and all.

Justice goes on to talk about what a low-risk, high reward move signing Manny would be, blah blah blah, and does his usual Cashman suckup stuff. Then he writes this jaw-dropper:

Here's where Cashman can lean on the franchise he has built. In going for Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Travis Hafner and others, Cashman went for guys with a team-first attitude who would understand that playing for the Yankees is a privilege. Manny is a lot of things, but dumb isn't one of them. He knows what the Yanks represent. Ramirez surely would know that they could provide him with the opportunity to put a better finishing touch on his career. He would also know they wouldn't put up with him misbehaving.

1. Actually, the people cited there were just happy that any team wanted them. That's more to the point than the team-first hooey Again, Cashman tried to re-sign Carl Pavano, the antithesis of team-first.
2. Actually, Manny is pretty dumb. I think this is a well-known fact (although I did joke for years that he secretly was a genius who was doing complicated math equations in the Green Monster!)
3. Whether or not Manny misbehaves isn't an issue (although it is fascinating to see Justice write such a puff piece on Manny, given how much he has described A-Rod as history's greatest monster.) The real issue is that Ramirez is 41 years old, hasn't been a good major league hitter for years, and has failed three PED tests.

Think about that for a second, if the Yanks do try to get Ramirez. If they go after him at the very same time they are acting like the victims when it comes to A-Rod's links to BioGenesis, they would be the biggest hypocrites ever. Not that Justice or any of the other suckups in the New York media would ever point out such a thing.

Anyhow, over the next few days, expect Cashman's minions in the media, and on other Yankee blogs, to talk about what a great, savvy move it would be to sign Manny Ramirez, paving the way for the inevitable. After all, Manny would be a quintessential Cashman signing -- he's old, past his prime, a steroid user, an ex-Red Sox, and he killed the Yankees time and time again. Why not overpay for him to supposedly stick it to the Red Sox, Cash will think. Good grief.

Scott Boras gets new jobs -- but less money -- for Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon and Andruw Jones

A day after the news broke that the Yankees were signing Scott Boras client Andruw Jones, Sports Illustrated columnist Jon Heyman revealed that Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, two of Boras' other clients are headed to Tampa together. And the next time Derek Jeter reportedly gripes about having to take a pay cut, somebody ought to tell him to take a look at what these one-time stars will be making next season (stats from Baseball-Reference.com):

* Manny Ramirez: The enigmatic superstar has made over $205 million in his career, and just finished up a two-year, $45 million deal. Now, he'll be making just $2 million in 2011, with no reported incentive clauses. Yikes!

* Johnny Damon: Rays will pay him $5.25 million with an additional $750K in "attendance bonuses," Big League Stew reports, saying "Don't laugh. There are a lot of Red Sox fans in Florida." Damon has made $105 million in his career, with his top salary being the $13 million a year the Yankees paid him. He made $8 million with the Tigers last season.

* Andruw Jones: The outfielder is getting $2 million from the Yanks in 2011, plus a potential $1.2 million in incentives. He's made $103 million in his career, with a top salary of $14.725 million in 2008. Then Jones made just $500K for the following two seasons. (Come to think of it, I guess his new contract with the Yankees is a raise of sorts for him!) It's interesting to me that Jones could actually make more money than Manny. How the mighty have fallen!

Derek Jeter's $15 million 2011 salary looks awfully good in comparison, even if it was a $4 million drop from the average annual value of the $190 million, 10-year contract he just finished up with the Yankees. Not to mention that Jeter has two more years at that salary, plus an option year, so he won't be in the position of these big names in having to take such a drastic pay cut.

BTW, have you seen the pictures of Jeter's 30,000 square foot new house, aka St. Jetersburg? I wonder if astronauts can see it from space!

Anyhow, I was wondering on Facebook last night whether the Rays would reunite even more of the 2004 Red Sox. Could Pedro Martinez be pitching for the team? What about hauling Kevin Millar out of retirement?  Or Keith Foulke?

There are a ton of Red Sox fans in Florida (and a few of them are regular Squawkers readers!), so in theory, this could get some of them out to Rays games. However, isn't it also possible that Boston fans might hold grudges against Manny and Damon because of their respective exits from Boston?

Damon and Ramirez facing the Yankees -- and the Red Sox -- 19 times a year should add a little more drama to the games. Damon was one of my very favorite Yankees ever, so I'm looking forward to seeing him again. And Manny is one of the top five most entertaining hitters I've seen play, even though way too many of those hits were against the Yankees! At the very least, he'll add some entertainment value to the games -- as long as he stays healthy, that is.

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Merry Christmas, but I don't want to see Manny Ramirez under the Yankee tree

Squawker Jon and I would like wish all our Subway Squawkers readers a very merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you're celebrating this year.

This is our fifth season of writing this blog, and we're happy that we've had this opportunity to squawk about our teams -- and about each other. We also really appreciate that we've gotten to know our readers a little better, via Facebook, Twitter, and real-life meetings. Thanks for reading us!

Anyhow, I went to church for Christmas Eve, and they had a Las Posadas ceremony as part of the service. But there was no mention of Jorge!

Now, I did get the Bruce Springsteen box set The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story under my Christmas tree. But I don't want to see Manny Ramirez under the Yankee tree!

There have been rumors flying about that the Yankees are targeting him and Johnny Damon. I wanted Manny as a Yankee after the phenomenal end to his 2008 season, and I of course wanted Damon back last season. This year, not so much.

Sure, Ramirez might be the all-time Yankee killer with the bat, and Damon is one of my favorite Yankee players, but neither of them really fit on this team right now, in no small part due to Jorge Posada being paid $13 million for 2011 to be the DH.

I can't see Damon being happy to be a part-time player. And Manny hasn't been the same hitter ever since The Man took away his right to take fertility drugs! Besides, I think the Yanks have enough superstars on the decline right now. They don't need another one.
Anyhow, I told Jon that Posada ought to send a big Christmas card to Omar Minaya -- their meal at the Four Seasons when the catcher was a free agent got Posada a fourth year!

Anyhow, thanks again for reading us. If you got any cool Yankees- or Mets-related loot under the tree, let us know!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Message to Joe Girardi: Just say no to Chan Ho Park

Squawker Jon may be relieved that the Mets won, but I'm, of course, angry that the Yankees lost. And I'm also irate that Joe Girardi chose to use Chan Ho Park in a 1-0 game. Javier Vazquez - who pitched very well last night - may be the person with the L next to his name, but Park is the one who really deserves it.

From ESPN.com:

Friday night's awful outing was just another in a season full of them for the South Korean righty. Park has allowed a run in eight of his 15 appearances this season and given up a glaring 25 hits in just 19 innings.

"He's just not making pitches," manager Joe Girardi said. "He just didn't locate well enough to get people out. When you get behind the leadoff hitter and walk him, you're asking for trouble."

You're also asking for trouble pitching him at all, Joe. And where was Joba, anyway? Off hiding with the Yankee bats these days?

Seeing Chan Ho Park in Friday's game was as inexplicable as seeing Roger Clemens at Fenway Park last night. At least Roger's appearance was funny, in a twisted way - he's trying to clear his name on using steroids, and he shows up to see...Manny Ramirez? Heh!


What do you think? Tell us about it!

Should Manny Ramirez be cheered - or booed - at Fenway?

I wrote a piece for The Faster Times about Manny Ramirez's return to Fenway Park tonight, saying that I thought most fans would cheer him in his first at-bat.

So I'm wondering what our Red Sox fan readers think. What say you, Boston fans?

As for myself, I do kind of miss seeing Manny 19 games a year - at least the personality part. I found "Manny being Manny" pretty darn entertaining over the years. Don't miss him killing the Yankees at every turn, though!

What do you think? Tell us about it!

Will Jimmy Rollins' prediction of a Yankees-Phillies World Series come true?

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies for beating the Los Angeles Dodgers. So much for the media acting as if a Dodgers/Yankees World Series was inevitable. Looks like the Philadelphia Phillies were the real team to beat, as shortstop Jimmy Rollins would say. The Curse of Donnie Baseball strikes again!

It's amazing how little respect the defending World Champions got from the media. Heck, TBS couldn't even give them decent camera angles when they won - instead, they went right to a stadium shot from the Goodyear Blimp. No wonder TBS got booed in the awards ceremony.

I like Rollins an awful lot - he talks a lot of trash, but he backs it up, like with his "team to beat" comment. And he's got a real personality, and lots of charisma. You know me - I like players with unique personalities; it's why I'm one of the few Yankee fans who digs Pedro Martinez and thinks Manny Ramirez is a hoot. (On the other hand, Shane Victorino is just annoying! After watching this series, I now understand why Met fans despise him so!)

Anyhow, back in May, when the Phillies met the Yankees at the new Yankee Stadium, Rollins had this to say:

"How great would that be? A World Series here, us against the Yankees?" Rollins said with a grin. "We've proved we can put on a pretty good show."

Let's hope Rollins is right.

I wrote this on Facebook last night:

Congrats to the Phillies. On the other hand, Joe Torre has his ninth failed postseason in a row. Guess he's got time to work on "The Dodger Years" now. Chapter 1 - Manny Used Up All the Hot Water in the Shower.

I was officially neutral with the NLCS, but I'm not exactly shedding any tears over the Dodgers losing. Winning a World Series is hard enough, without any added drama. Phillies fans are already all "bring on the Yankees!, even though the Yanks haven't won yet.

Anyhow, the Yankees still have work to do. They need to keep the wolves (and the rally monkey) at bay and beat the Angels tonight. 

In other news, Red Sox Nation isn't exactly pleased about the Yankees continuing their playoff run. I interviewed some Sox bloggers for The Faster Times. Thanks to all of them for participating. Even though I hate the Sox,  I appreciate their passion for their team - as I do the Mets bloggers I interviewed for a similar piece. 

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

It's steroid schadenfreude in Yankeeland

The news that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez failed the 2003 steroids test makes this the most exciting day in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry for me since the Yanks swooped in and signed Mark Teixeira. And I make no apologies for feeling that way.

Sorry, I'm not going to pretend I think this is a sad day for baseball. I have written for a piece for The Faster Times called "Steroids: The Real Juice Behind Reversing the Curse of the Bambino" - with some of my thoughts on the issue.

As I've said a zillion times over the years, Sox fans should have thought about the very real possibility that the steroids scandal would hit their team. Especially when it came to David Ortiz. But instead, too many Boston fans - not all, but a good bunch - acted like their team's hands were clean on the issue. Too bad, so sad.

Oh, and so much for FoxSports' Ken Rosenthal's self-righteousness on the issue, criticizing anybody who wondered if Ortiz was chemically enhanced.

The thing that gets me the most on this test failure - and that goes for A-Rod too - is that these players knew the test was coming, and they still failed. What hubris.

Wondering if Curt Schilling still wants the entire list of 103 names to come out?

One other note - Jon and I will still be squawking, but we're going to be writing in other outlets as well. I have another piece coming up soon on BaseballReflections.com. Go here to read my article for them about the first half of the Yankees' season.


What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Hey Ya! David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez Test Positive for Steroids!

Time to do the Snoopy Dance! I will have more to say shortly about the big news that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez reportedly tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. I'm writing a piece up right now. But in the meantime, let me just do the Snoopy Dance and enjoy the news!

Thankfully, the Yankees are no longer in the Red Hat Society

You know what I liked about last night's game, besides the Yankees pummeling the Twins into submission? The fact that the Yanks were back to wearing their regular blue caps, as opposed to the red ones.

Yes, the red hats the Yanks wore on the Fourth of July and Memorial Day weekends are meant to honor the nation's veterans - proceeds from selling the caps go to a great cause, the Welcome Back Veterans organization. But the red is just way too jarring to see with the Yankees uniform.

The hats look great with red-based uniforms - the Red Sox, Cardinals, etc. With the Yankee pinstripes? Not so much.

My suggestion? That the red-based teams get to wear the red caps for this promotion, and the blue-based teams, like the Yankees, wear the Stars and Stripes blue cap that they did last season. The red is too much like - shudder - the Red Sox!

* * *

As for the Yankee game itself, our long national nightmare is over - Robinson Cano finally got a hit with runners in scoring position. CC Sabathia looked like CC again, and the Yanks drove in 10 runs without a homer.

However, I must admit to flipping to the Mets game to see Manny Ramirez, and to see him flip his equipment off and get ejected from the game. A Met fan on Facebook has already accused me of jinxing his Mets by saying I was rooting for them to beat Joe Torre's Dodgers!

The other big news of the night was the new Subway commerical, featuring CC Sabathia and Johan Santana. Too touchy-feely for my tastes!

You know, Subway missed a great opportunity for a commerical. Why not have Brian Bruney and Francisco Rodriguez together, talking over a meal?

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Joe Torre needs to knock off the Mr. Magoo act about steroids

How long is Joe Torre going to pretend he knew nothing - nothing - about performance-enhancing drug usage on his own teams? The Mr. Magoo act is wearing awfully thin, especially given that Torre's own book, "The Yankee Years," has a chapter about steroids.

But Joe was still trotting out the "I was naive" act yesterday when he spoke with reporters in Westchester during his annual golf tournament. That is when, he wasn't throwing Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez to the wolves to defend Manny Ramirez. You stay classy, Joe!

Here's what he said when asked about whether Manny's use of performance-enhancing drugs would taint a possible Dodgers championship:

"What do you think about Andy Pettitte and Alex [Rodriguez]?" Torre said when asked if a Dodger championship with Ramirez would be tainted.

Ouch! I expected the A-Rod slam from Torre - birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, Torre's gotta insult A-Rod - but the Andy Pettitte dig is surprising. Especially given that Joe got his four rings thanks in no small part to Pettitte.

What would have been an obvious followup question to ask Joe (Four Rings) Torre is if he thinks those rings are tainted due to steroids. After all, 11 members of the 2000 Yankees were in the Mitchell Report. And Roger Clemens, as well as Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch, were big stars for the 1999 Yankees. But it doesn't appear he was asked that.

Come to think of it, why is it that Tony LaRussa was perceived as being tainted for managing Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, while Torre escapes unscathed from the steroids scandal, even though he has managed more juicers than any other manager in history, from Clemens/Pettitte to Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Kevin Brown, and A-Rod? At what point is Torre going to bear some share of responsibility for this?

I won't hold my breath expecting that to ever happen. Just like I don't expect to see Torre criticized for his ridiculous remarks about Ramirez:

"He's admitting he did wrong, not crying 'foul' in any way."

When did Manny do that, exactly? Let's review some of what the player actually said:

Asked Friday to detail his steroid use, Ramirez replied, "First I want to say that God is good and good is God. I don't want to get into my records. I want to talk about the game."

...He also acknowledged that the controversy embarrassed him "a lot." But, he added, "we're humans. We learn from our mistakes. There was only one man that was perfect, and they killed him, so that's how I look at life."

Look, I think Manny has been one of the most entertaining, talented and charismatic hitters of his generation. But he hasn't exactly been gushing with candor or remorse about getting caught using performance-enhancing drugs. And the only thing he apologized for was being away from the team, not for what he did to get suspended for 50 games.

I guess Manny admitted he wasn't Jesus. But I think we already knew that.

And the most memorable remark Ramirez has said regarding his suspension was this:

"I didn't kill nobody, I didn't rape nobody."

What do you want, Manny, a cookie?

It's funny. Alex Rodriguez may have sounded inept and ham-handed in his Peter Gammons interview and his spring-training press conference about steroids, but he has shown the most candor on any player about PED use. How sad is that?

At any rate, I will root for the Mets to beat the Dodgers this series, just so I don't have to read any more stories about how wonderful St. Joe is. Good grief.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Late night, late loss, for Joba Chamberlain and the Yankees

What a day. The Yankees have a lousy loss that kept fans up way past their bedtime, thanks to that endless rain delay. Joba Chamberlain looked terrible, and only lasted four innings. The Yankee bullpen was ineffective, to say the least. Melky Cabrera got banged up in the game, and needs an MRI. And Brian Bruney is off to see the Wizard, err, I mean Dr. James Andrews. Not exactly a red letter day for the Yankees.

So now, after winning nine in a row, the Bombers have lost three of five. Is this cause for concern? It depends if you're a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty type of person, I guess. I'm most worried about Melky Cabrera. If there's anybody who's been a sparkplug for Yankee rallies, it's him.

Let's hope A.J. Burnett can get his first victory in over a month today. It would be a shame to lose this series to the Rangers.

* * *

Jason of the great baseball blog It Is About the Money, Stupid has another website - and a rather devious plan. He's asking fans to Vote for Manny Ramirez for the All-Star Game.

Why does he want Manny as a starter? Jason writes:

To highlight the silliness that are the MLB rules towards PED users as well as their "head in the sand" approach to this situation. Rather than confront it head-on, MLB is choosing to do nothing and simply hope there are three higher vote getters in the NL OF.

Manny Ramirez is currently ranked fourth in the All-Star outfield balloting. And you know who's leading for NL catchers? Yadier Molina! I vote for him every time I fill out an All-Star ballot, just so I can tick off Squawker Jon about the 2006 NLCS!

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Oh Manny! Some songs which sum up Manny Ramirez

In response to Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension, mobile music site mSpot.com sent Subway Squawkers a list of five ringtones that sum up the the Manny mess. Their site lets you edit your own ringtones to the part of the song you want, so mSpot picked the most applicable lyrics for each ringtone choice.

Anyhow, I can't resist posting this list, and adding a few of my own:

1. Stars Are Blind (Paris Hilton): “…some people never get beyond their stupid pride…”

2. Before you Accuse Me (Eric Clapton): “Before you accuse me take a look at yourself…”

3. Rehab (Amy Winehouse): “When I come back you’ll know, know, know…”

4. Blame It (Jamie Foxx feat. T Pain): “I ain’t sayin what you won’t do but you know what we’re probably gonna do…”

5. Wasn't Me - Shaggy: “Never admit to a word…”

I have a few other suggestions of my own for Manny's ringtone, focused on the fact that he took the female fertility drug human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG):

• "Man, I Feel Like a Woman": Shania Twain
• "Mother's Little Helper": The Rolling Stones
• "Having My Baby": Paul Anka

What songs fit Manny Ramirez - or any other baseball player, for that matter. Leave us a comment!

PR guru Ronn Torossian's thoughts on A-Rod, Manny, Clemens, and the Yankee front office

Can the Yankees get their new stadium filled? Did Alex Rodriguez kill his image for good by kissing himself in the mirror, dating Madonna, and using steroids? And what about how the steroid scandal has affected the reputations of Manny Ramirez and Roger Clemens? I asked a public relations expert about these issues and more.

Ronn Torossian is President & CEO of 5W Public Relations. His client list, which includes Coca-Cola, McDonald's, P.Diddy's Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group, the Christian Trinity Broadcasting Network to the President of Serbia, is as diverse as his native Bronx, he quips.

Torossian, 34, grew up five minutes from Yankee Stadium and said he used to cut school to go watch Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield play. He calls the Yankees the "icon of American sports," but says that "the entire world has taken a fall," and the team isn't immune.

"The world has changed drastically financially," Torossian notes, "and the Yankees need to change with it." He says the Yankees front office has to "be receptive to what the fans have to say" regarding their criticisms of the new Stadium.

As for the team's dealings in the press, Torossian said "I didn't love" Randy Levine's response to Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, where the Yankee president told Garber to "worry about Beckham, not the Yankees."

How can the Yankees stand out in this challenging economic climate? By being a positive story. "Many out there would like to see sports become fun again, Torossian says, "especially in these times."

The use of performance-enhancing drugs, of course, is one of the more negative issues facing Major League Baseball. I asked Torossian his thoughts on the players caught up in the scandal - Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Roger Clemens.

Alex Rodriguez is "not likeable.", the PR maven says, noting "his brand has really evolved in a bad way," Besides the steroids, there was the reported relationship with Madonna and that "absurd photo" of A-Rod kissing himself in the mirror. Rodriguez "doesn't do things to help himself," Torossian says.

So what can Alex do to fix his image? Torossian has a simple solution - "shut up and play ball."

These days, Torossian says that people think ballplayers make a lot of money from endorsements, but "the reality is very few athletes make money off the field."

Manny Ramirez, the PR expert notes, is one of the players whose star power has never translated to big commercials. As for Manny's marketability, "my perception is he really doesn't care that much" about that, Torossian says.

The 5WPR CEO says "the fall of Roger Clemens" coincides with "the rise of steroids" as a hot issue.

But the biggest issue facing baseball these days is the recession. So will the Yanks weather the current stormy economic climate? Torossian says yes. While the team is affected by what's going on in the world, the Yankees "won't fail," Torossian says. "They can't fail."


What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Why was Manny Ramirez taking a female fertility drug?

Squawker Jon and I were trying to come up with an excuse - other than steroids - for Manny Ramirez to explain why he was taking human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a female fertility drug. And we figured only Manny could - or is that Mannywood? - get away with this excuse: that he was trying to get pregnant!

We thought he could have a tearful press conference, saying about how he admired Octomom so much that he decided to get pregnant just like her. "All I wanted was to have more Manny Juniors," he could sob. "Is that so wrong?"

Hey, it could work!

* * *

On a more serious note, can we please stop talking about how baseball's anti-steroids program is working? Because it's not. Two major league players failed the test in 2008, and four this year. Does anybody really believe those are the only players using performance-enhancing drugs? Come on now.

We already know that thanks to the players union, stars like Alex Rodriguez were getting tipped off in 2004 about upcoming steroid tests. Who's to say that isn't happening now? Or that players have just moved on to undetectable drugs like HGH?

Also, so much for the observation that Manny wasn't juicing because he didn't have a steroids-esque body.

And this faux naivete on the part of Joe Torre is a bit much. Didn't he read his own book, "The Yankee Years"? Chapter 3, "Getting an Edge," is all about steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. It was one thing for Joe to pretend to be naive about juicing 10 years ago. But given that he literally has coached more known steroid users than any other manager in history, including three of the biggest names, it's a bit much to hear him pretend to be so shocked about Manny.

Oh, and don't tell me Torre just heard about the test failure yesterday morning - Manny reportedly was told last month he failed. The reason it was announced Thursday is that he dropped his appeal.

One thing I was kind of surprised over was Bill Simmons' column about the 2004 Red Sox. He speculated about which players were juicing on that team. Harsh!

Anyhow, what baseball's anti-PED program does is provide a cover for players and owners to pretend to us rubes that they're doing something to clean up the game. That's all. It's very successful at doing that. As for actually cleaning up the game, not so much.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

From Million Manny March to 50-game suspension

What a sad day for baseball. Here's a list of the ten players who have reached 500 home runs in the last few years:

Barry Bonds
Ken Griffey Jr.
Sammy Sosa
Mark McGwire
Rafael Palmeiro
Alex Rodriguez
Jim Thome
Manny Ramirez
Frank Thomas
Gary Sheffield

After today's news about Manny Ramirez, seven of the ten have now been linked to performance-enhancing drugs.

Maybe I'm naive, but I still want to believe that, just because a player is performing at a historically high level, that does not mean that he is juicing. I was shocked to hear about A-Rod and I'm shocked to hear about Manny.

But why should anybody be shocked these days when a player, especially an older player, suddenly starts putting up crazy stats?

In an odd way, the stories about Manny tanking in Boston probably helped deflect any suspicion about steroids. Once Manny went to Los Angeles, his dramatic boost in productivity could be explained by him simply making an effort again and playing for a new contract. Never mind that, even at his peak, Manny was not batting .396 as he did in his two months in L.A. last year.

At least Manny is not the Mets' problem right now. Being on the hook for that $45M contract (minus about $8M since Manny won't get paid during his suspension) would be bad enough. But imagine if Manny had come to the Mets and hit as well in the first month of the season as he did for the Dodgers. Manny led the Dodgers to the best record in baseball, and he might well have galvanized the Mets to the same perch. And then he is suddenly off the team in disgrace.

Even with the suspension and disgrace, the Mets might well have been better off owing $37M to Manny over the next two years than $36M to Oliver Perez over the next three years. But the Mets are already starting to adjust to life with Ollie as an unreliable starter. (Of course, they've had some experience in this situation.)

Once Manny was the centerpiece of the Mets' lineup, he would be irreplaceable, just as he is with the Dodgers. Losing him would have been a disaster for the lineup and for team chemistry. For 50 games, we'd be reading about how desperately the Mets need Manny back, but also how unpredictable his results will be once his suspension ends.

The Manny situation both takes away the spotlight from Alex Rodriguez and adds to it, since A-Rod is about to become the first superstar still in his prime to take the field after being tainted.

While I'm glad that Manny is not a Met, most people seem to be eagerly awaiting A-Rod's return, which figures to help the Yankees a great deal.

Who knows - maybe the Dodgers will decide to cut bait with Manny and take a big financial hit. It's really unlikely, but the Dodgers did part ways this year with Andruw Jones halfway through a two-year, $36M deal. The Tigers ate $14M of Gary Sheffield's salary. And it was only last year that the Red Sox were so eager to get Manny off the team that they ate $7M.

My nightmare Met scenario is that the Manny is no longer productive when he returns from his suspension, is disruptive to the team, and gets released after the season. And once Manny is in the bargain bin, Omar Minaya comes calling.

Tell us what you think about Manny Ramirez being suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs.

On Manny being a juicer

I'm really shocked that Manny Ramirez has reportedly tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but not for the reasons you might think I'm stunned by the news.

What surprises me is that this is the biggest high-profile name to fail the test since the mandatory steroids policy went into effect. (Remember, A-Rod's failure was on the so-called anonymous test.)

Call me cynical, but I have figured there were two big reasons we haven't seen any big fish (unless you consider Rafael Palmiero a big fish) fail the test:

* They had better drugs - HGH or some new designer steroids - which wouldn't show up on the test

* They got tipped off about the test (remember, one of the forgotten things about the Mitchell Report was the allegation that the players' union told the big names in 2004 when the test was coming)

Hmmmm. Allow me to put on my tin-foil hat here - Palmiero failed his test after making a spectacle of himself in Congress. Ramirez failed his test the season after quitting on the Red Sox. Coincidence?

Maybe it is really just a coincidence, but I feel increasingly cynical about the whole steroids issue.

I posted this on the comments section of Subway Squawkers a little while ago:

"First thought on the Manny news was that Jose Canseco was right again! Second was that Squawker Jon and myself have noticed (and so has reader acapelad) that every time there's talk about some player being such a workout warrior and hard worker (A-Rod, Bonds, Clemens, Manny), they end up testing positive for steroids."

And I'm still peeved that we haven't yet heard the names of the other 103 people who failed the 2003 test. Also, where is the media investigation on A-Rod trainer Angel Presinal's other clients, like David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, Pedro Martinez, to name a few?

Too many reporters have selective outrage on the issue, with wall-to-wall coverage on players they don't like, such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez, and little or no investigation of media-friendly stars, like Mike Piazza. Former MVP Miguel Tejada was convicted of lying to Congress about PED use, and the story was almost completely ignored. Why?

I guess this Manny news will stop Red Sox fans from crowing about how their team was so clean. 2004 doesn't look like such a miracle anymore, eh? (Yes, I know that nine of the 2000 World Champion Yankees were in the Mitchell Report.) I guess the difference is that the Yankees who were juicing in 2004, like Kevin Brown, stunk in the playoffs!

The Manny news is sad to me, though. Manny was and is one my favorite players to watch. I really wanted him as a Yankee this season, despite it all. Looks like it's just as well that it didn't happen.

I do have schadenfreude about this for Joe Torre, though. Let's see how well he manages without Manny!

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

A-Rod's A-Hip problem means A--Mess for Yankees

I have a busy day ahead of me, after a busy day yesterday, so I don't have time for a full-fledged Squawk. But the A-Rod hip news, combined with the Yanks missing out on Manny Ramirez, has me down.

Alex Rodriguez is the oxygen thief of all oxygen thieves, to be sure. Squawker Jon wrote yesterday about it. And I do agree with Jon that there is a reality show idea in there. In addition to Squawker Jon's choices of A-Rod, T.O, and Manny, you could have Michael Jackson, Octomom, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan trapped in a room, trying to see which one can get the most attention. Sheesh.

On a more serious note, this really messes up the Yanks' season, obviously. If A-Rod needs to have the surgery eventually, though, I would prefer he do it sooner rather than later. I do wonder why he didn't get this checked out last year, when the hip was first bothering him.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Are the Yankees working on a dream for 2009?

It's that time of year again. The fans were so excited. The teams played their hearts out. The halftime show was a must-watch. Even the commercials were fun. Yes, Puppy Bowl V was something else!

Aside from wondering if Bruce Springsteen has like, 50 sets of black shirts, vests, and jeans in his closet, I'm also wondering who fans would like to see stay on the team -Xavier Nady or Nick Swisher? And if they think the Yanks should wade into the still-big free agent pool and pick up anybody else?

I just want to see the Yankees sign Manny Ramirez, after he decides he couldn't trust his current manager. And give ManRam No. 6 to wear. It would make my year.

What changes do you want to see? Leave us a comment.

Positive signs for Manny Ramirez?

After watching tonight's "Mets Hot Stove Report" on SNY, I'm beginning to think the Mets might have a shot at Manny Ramirez. Granted, the commentary on the show from Ken Rosenthal and Adam Rubin continued to stress that it was not likely to happen, particularly if the Mets first signed Oliver Perez, which appears to be their primary goal at this point. But the way SNY covered what was happening outside the studio told a different story.

As planned, a group of pro-Manny Met fans held a rally outside the SNY studio while the live Hot Stove show aired. The rally was clearly visible through the studio window, and host Kevin Burkhart had no choice but to acknowledge it.

But the SNY show did more than that. Burkhart mentioned the rally several times. SNY went outside to film the fans and air their chants.

At this point, SNY had done what might be expected of them - acknowledge what Burkhart called the "800-pound gorilla" - the desire of many fans for the Mets to get Manny. The last segment of the show was an interview with Mike Pelfrey in Kansas, and it would not have been surprising to see the show end there, or to have them return to the studio and quickly sign off with the fans barely visible through the studio window.

Instead, as Burkhart was signing off in the soundproof studio, the audio of the chanting fans was turned up. Then SNY again showed shots of the fans from outside, and from multiple angles, as the chanting got louder.

Now SNY seemed to be doing more than acknowledging the fans. They seemed to be encouraging them.

Just when I was wondering if I was reading too much into the camerawork of the Mets-owned station, the next SNY show came on. The show was Mets Classics and the game was Mike Piazza's first as a Met. Here's how it began:

Yesterday afternoon, Mets' GM Steve Phillips gave Mets fans what they had been longing for - a marquee player.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But I'm someone who is actually more concerned with bolstering the pitching with Ollie than with signing Manny, yet by the end of this telecast, I was practically ready to join the next Manny rally.

Squawker Lisa warns me that she might stage her own Manny Rally outside the YES studio, completely with a mockup of a Manny Yankee jersey - with number 6.

Do the Mets have a better chance of signing Manny Ramirez than they are letting on? Tell us what you think.

Are Mets just being Mets when it comes to Manny Ramirez?

Squawker Lisa, I would love to see the Mets go for it this year and sign Manny Ramirez. Just as I loved seeing the Mets go for it with Roberto Alomar in 2002 and Pedro Martinez in 2005. And my most exciting moment as a Jet fan in recent years came when the Jets traded for Brett Favre.

The fact is that there is no guarantee with an older player, especially one with baggage. If the choice is going for Manny or doing nothing, then of course the Mets should go for Manny. But pairing Manny with Carlos Delgado in the heart of the lineup means that the Mets' top two power hitters will be turning 37 this year, making the Mets a win-now team.

And even with a healthy, happy and productive Manny (and there is no guarantee of any of those), there is also no guarantee that the Mets will win the World Series in 2009.

And the Mets with Manny had better win in 2009, because there is a much greater chance that in 2010, Manny's contract will become an albatross for one reason or another. And with Carlos Delgado probably gone by then, the Mets will desperately need a slugger in the middle of their lineup and won't have the money to get one.

A-Rod was 24 when the Mets passed on him. Vladimir Guerrero was 28. The Mets really blew it by passing on those young superstars. Fortunately, they learned their lesson when Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana, both under 30, were available.

The Mets were sitting on the $12 million they saved by letting Tom Glavine go until February of last year, when they signed Santana to a far bigger contract. Maybe this February will bring another pleasant surprise.

If someone is really willing to give Boras and Ollie $60 million for five years, suddenly $45 million for Manny is a cheaper contract, even if it is only for two years. Imagine, signing Manny to save money!

The Mets were willing to spend $12 million next year on Derek Lowe, so as long as they take that money and upgrade the team in another way, I can't complain.

Should the Mets offer Manny Ramirez a contract? Tell us what you think.