A decision LA can't dodge
Hand may be forced on re-signing Ramirez
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The new Prince of Bel-Air took his exploding bottle of Moet and poured it directly over the head of Frank McCourt. The Dodgers owner, a Boston native, turned to identify the prankster in the midst of the division-clinching celebration in the clubhouse, and there stood Manny Ramírez, with a mischievous schoolboy grin.
Ramírez, already one of the most beloved players in modern Dodgers history, seemed to be in every postgame scene: pouring champagne on everyone and anyone, hugging teammates and fans, kissing babies in the stands. Cameras followed him. Teammates followed him.
Because of the off-the-charts public adulation and the off-the-charts performance, there will be no bigger decision for McCourt in his Dodger stewardship than whether to re-sign Ramírez.
If he doesn't re-sign him, McCourt will be accused of being cheap and not caring about the fans. If he does sign him to some extraordinary deal, he must live with the knowledge that, at any time, The Bad Manny could rear his head.
"We don't talk about it," said McCourt about Ramírez's future. "What I don't want to do is get anybody distracted here. What we're really doing is focusing on winning a championship.
"I'm not going to allow anyone to get off-track here. We have nothing to focus on but winning baseball games. We have a division series coming up. We have that one and then another one and another one.
"When the season's over, we'll sit back, we'll talk, and we'll see. As we all know, it's not just up to us, it's up to him, too. We have to sort it out and discuss what's best for the club moving forward. First, he has to make a judgment what's best for him. But there'll be time for that."
Ramirez has undergone a complete Scott Boras makeover. His play has been MVP-caliber, he is giving to charities, making appearances, signing autographs - some or all of the things he didn't do in Boston. In between Moet baths, he spoke about the present, the past, and the future, all in Good Manny mode.
"I knew it was going to be better here," Ramirez said. "[The Red Sox] made the right choice. I'm over here, I'm going on with my life, and I've moved on. I wish everybody good out there."
He said he occasionally text messages David Ortiz and "we play around a little bit." He said to say hello to Alex Cora. But beyond that, Ramirez said, "I haven't really talked to anyone back there.
"When I got traded, I was very happy. Very happy to go to LA. It's been perfect here. I'm very happy with the people here, the players, Joe Torre, everybody. It's been fun. We have great young hitters. People are nice."
Concerning his great second half, Ramirez said, "It's amazing what you can do when you're happy someplace."
Yet when asked about returning to LA, he offered, "I'll go home after the season and see what's out there. That's all I can do. I'm just worried about right now and going deep in the playoffs."
Victimized by bad contracts with Jason Schmidt and Andruw Jones, McCourt will think hard about this one. If Boras is looking for a four-year deal at $25 million per year, McCourt may just say no.
There's no question how most Dodger players and coaches would vote.
"I've told people, he's the best righthanded hitter I've ever seen," said hitting coach Don Mattingly. "I haven't seen much of [Albert] Pujols, but I've obviously worked with A-Rod. No disrespect to A-Rod because he works his butt off and he's a great player, but Manny's brought energy here. Manny works. He hits every day. He works simple, but it's precise.
"I told him the other day, 'Manny, I love the way you work.' He said, 'Donnie, I've been doing this my whole career and everybody thinks I'm a [expletive].' That, to me, was sad."
Ramirez shrugged off all things Boston. Asked about Curt Schilling's recent rant about him, he raised his shoulders and looked as if to say, "Just Curt being Curt." One consistency is that he still says his legs are killing him, which was his complaint in Boston, when he wanted to go on the disabled list.
About dogging it in Boston, he said, "I always played as hard as I could. I played as hard as my body would let me."
About possibly winning the MVP, he said, "I don't deserve it. I won one in high school, that's all I need. Pujols should win it."
But what if he wins it?
"I'll take it."
If he's the MVP, or a postseason MVP, McCourt will likely have no choice but to cross his fingers, hold his nose, and hope the Bad Manny never surfaces.
Straight from the top
A few questions for commissioner Bud Selig:
Suffice to say, the 2008 season was fairly tame, considering the Mitchell Report implosion of last December and the absence of the two biggest villains - Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds - whom nobody seemed to miss. Did it seem that way to you?
BS: "I almost hate to say it because I fear I'll jinx us, but it was a very peaceful season. In many ways because of what had happened last season with the Mitchell Report, this was our greatest year. We're going to finish second to our all-time attendance mark, but I believe that was more weather-related than anything else. I learned a long time ago - going back 30 or 40 years and heard this from people like Tom Yawkey - that the game will always be bigger than any of us, any one player or any of us involved in baseball. That's been the way it is ever since I can remember."
While there were certainly reports of minor leaguers testing positive for banned substances requiring penalties, no major league player tested positive during the 2008 season. Affirmation the program works?
BS: "I understand there were minor leaguers caught, but I think that means our system is working and we're correcting it. I speak to trainers around baseball all of the time and the biggest response I get back is, 'Boy, have we come a long way.' That to me says our system is working."
The scouts and baseball officials involved in the laundering of money on signing bonuses of young Latin players have left the sport with a bad taste. Do you feel this hastens the advent of the international draft?
BS: "We have our investigative unit working on this and we'll get to the bottom of it. I'm saddened by it and it will be cleaned up. For a while now, teams have been in favor of an international draft and I think we're moving much closer to it."
Looking forward to the postseason?
BS: "I think it's going to be a great postseason. There are some exciting teams involved and a lot of exciting baseball is ahead. We had races in the NL East go down to the wire. The NL wild card was also up for grabs. The AL Central race came down to the wire. So we had some exciting baseball."
Sinkerballer on the rise as postseason approaches
Derek Lowe heads into the postseason for the Dodgers as not only a hot pitcher, but an exceptional postseason pitcher. He pitched some big playoff games for the Red Sox, and his performance was better than the 4-4 record and 3.34 ERA he compiled.
Will this be his last fling with the Dodgers, as he is scheduled to become a free agent?
"I'm concentrating on what's ahead right now," he said. "We had a good thing going here the second half of this year and we hope to carry that through the playoffs.
"The team is playing great. We have a new enthusiasm here with Manny [Ramírez] and Casey [ Blake] and Greg [ Maddux] and it's fun. It really is."
If you read between the lines, you could swear Lowe doesn't believe he will be back with the Dodgers. In fact, when asked about a possible return to the Red Sox, he answered, "I loved playing for the Red Sox. Any player would love to play for an organization like that. I always wanted to stay there."
Lowe will be in demand. The Tigers could be a possibility (he is from Dearborn, Mich.), though they weren't interested when he was a free agent before. They are looking to retool, however, and the rubber-armed Lowe could be a good fit.
Both New York teams are likely to be in the market for him, especially if CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett don't wind up there.
Lowe said he has no preference between the American and National Leagues.
If he returned to Boston, he could mentor Justin Masterson, a pitcher often compared to him.
"I like the way he throws the ball," said Lowe. "I've watched him. It looks like they're trying to take the same path with him they did with me. Looks like he's versatile and can do a little bit of everything. It's going to be fun watching his development."
Etc.
Touching the bases
Apropos of nothing: 1. Are the Twins sure they want to move out of the Metrodome?; 2. Wow, did the Diamondbacks blow it; 3. Bargain of the year: Florida's Jorge Cantu (formerly Julio Lugo's double play partner in Tampa Bay), who signed a $500,000 contract and produced 29 homers, 95 RBIs, and a .278 average as the primary third baseman and part-time first baseman; one more homer by him and the Marlins will have four infielders with 30 homers; 4. It's not the 84 straight saves like Eric Gagné or the 54 straight by Tom Gordon, but 41 for 41 by Brad Lidge is so impressive; 5. The next Red Sox number to be retired should be Wade Boggs's No. 26.
A Bronx cheer from Mattingly
Count Don Mattingly among those who weren't pleased that Joe Torre wasn't acknowledged at the pregame ceremony for the closing of Yankee Stadium. "I wasn't there and I don't know how it happened," said Mattingly, "but not to acknowledge Joe . . . I know they said it was an oversight. I heard somebody tell me that they only did it for the guys who played there, but you know what, he's a big part of the history of that franchise and the fans know it. Joe's a class act. I'm sure he's not going to talk about it and he's going to say, 'Oh, I understand,' or whatever. An oversight? Pretty big oversight."
It all checks out
It seems like an eternity ago, but remember the flap in spring training when players threatened to boycott the Japan trip if coaches weren't paid for it? Well, Sox coaches received their paychecks ($30,000 each) back on Sept. 1. The players were paid $40,000 at about the same time, while other support staff received $28,000 apiece. The A's received similar payments last week.
No blues for this Dodger
One of the happiest people I've seen the last few days on the West Coast is Dodgers GM Ned Colletti. Acquiring Manny Ramírez, Casey Blake (both for nothing, as the Sox and Indians are paying their contracts), and Greg Maddux essentially saved his job. Colletti might not be getting a deal like Theo Epstein's (Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman indicates it's worth $7 million over three years) or a four-year deal like Omar Minaya's, but Colletti will get an extension. There's still the possibility that owner Frank McCourt brings in a president to run the show.
Pitching change in Texas
We've written a lot in this space about the Rangers perhaps being the most active team in the offseason because of their horrible pitching. While Ron Washington appears to be safe as manager, he may have to change some coaches. A new pitching coach is a likely change. Don't rule out former Sox pitching coach Dave Wallace, who has a close relationship with Nolan Ryan.
Which way for the Jays?
Let's see what happens in Toronto, where Cito Gaston is back for two more years and where J.P. Ricciardi has been given a vote of confidence. Here's the fly in the ointment: What if upper management changes and Paul Godfrey is out and Paul Beeston suddenly reemerges as president and opts for a new GM? Word out of Toronto is that Beeston doesn't want it because he's 63 and doesn't want to work on a set schedule, but there may be a new president, because it doesn't appear Godfrey will be back. The Jays could opt to bring in a
Padres running in place
Expect some changes in San Diego, where manager Bud Black isn't exactly on great footing. But if Black is back, look for coaching changes. Hitting coach Wally Joyner has already resigned, and there could be more changes. The Padres need to redo their roster. They are in desperate need of a speedy center fielder who can steal bases, which is why Coco Crisp makes so much sense for them. The Padres had attempted only 34 steals through Thursday. They do very little hit-and-running and very rarely make anything happen offensively. That has to change.
Nothing lacking
Angels manager Mike Scioscia is convinced if John Lackey had not been hurt earlier this year he would have contended for the Cy Young Award. "He's a No. 1, that's for sure," said Scioscia. "He has some of the best stuff in baseball." Scioscia feels better about his rotation heading into the playoffs against the Sox than he did a year ago. "I think we have our pitchers in order," he said. "Our guys have pitched very well."
Short hops
From the Bill Chuck files: "In 1968, Denny McLain went 31-6 and threw 336 innings in 41 starts. In Jon Lester's career, he's made 59 starts, thrown 354 2/3 innings and has gone 27-8. Ryan Braun has hit 70 homers in his career, the fifth-most after two major league seasons. Joe DiMaggio is the leader in that category with 75. The Indians have been hit by pitches 101 times, which breaks the major league record set by the 1997 Astros, and yet Jason Giambi leads the AL, being hit 21 times." . . . Former Sox pitcher Craig Breslow's Strike 3 Foundation, to benefit pediatric cancer research, will hold its First Pitch Gala Nov. 8 at the Woodbridge Country Club in Woodbridge, Conn. . . . Happy 80th birthday, Dick Gernert, and happy 46th, Rob Woodward.
Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com
