'I'M BACK': MANNY RETURNS TO DODGERS

After four months of negotiations, the deal that everyone has been talking about finally got done Wednesday as Manny Ramirez signed a 2-year $45 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A press conference was held Thursday at the Dodgers spring training facility in Glendale, AZ and the key members of the front office as well as Joe Torre were all smiles.

"I'm happy to be back," Ramirez said. "Like I told Joe, we got some unfinished business. I'm here to play the game like I did last year...That's what you guys are going to get from me."

Ramirez was aquired during the second half of last season and had an immediate impact on the club. He hit .396 with 17 HR and 53 RBI in just 53 games with the Dodgers and helped lead his team all the way to the NLCS. His separation from Boston was a popular story as well, because teammates were starting to get annoyed with him. It appeared at times he wasn't playing that hard and his numbers showed. However, once he got to Los Angeles, it was a totally different Manny. The fans loved him and almost became obssessed with his likeable character.

"That emotional bond (with fans) was tremendous and I think that's what you're always looking for in sports," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said. "Manny can bring joy and happiness to people in LA."

McCourt also pointed out that Ramirez's contributions are going beyond the baseball diamond. After signing this deal, Ramirez agreed to donate $1 million to a Los Angeles charity in which baseball fields are built for children. McCourt also said if Ramirez wants to, there's the chance to build a field in the Dominican Republic as well.

"I told Manny in our conversations that we are going to put a provision in every player contract, as long as I'm the [owner] of the franchise, called the Ramirez provision," McCourt said. "Every contract will have a Ramirez provision with a blank line and it will be up to the player to fill in how much he is going to give to the community in which he plays."

Manager Joe Torre spoke to the media as well, and he was very pleased to have Ramirez come back to the Dodgers. The former Red Sox star was somebody Torre always had to worry about when he was manager of the New York Yankees. Now, the 68 year-old-manager can continue to pencil him into his own lineup.

"To have a player that I tried to find a way to get out for eight years be on your ballclub for his first full year is pretty special," said Torre, who also jokingly added,"Of course the hair is another situation."

It was a very relaxing and laid-back atmosphere at the press conference, despite just having a grueling four-month negotiation. The first thing that Ramirez said standing up at the podium as he gazed out at the reporters was "I'm Baaack."

It was just Manny being Manny.

Shawn Marosek

MANNY HAS LOST HIS MIND

When Manny Ramirez was on the Boston Red Sox, I was definitely a fan. He can hit, he can catch (when he wanted), and he sure knew how to taunt the opposing team as he watched home runs or jogged around the bases. But now that he is no longer on the Red Sox, my appreciation for him has definitely faltered. First and foremost, Manny didn't play his best because he didn't want to be in Boston. So now he's not in Boston (which is a whole other story to rant about. Why wouldn't Manny want to be in Boston? His good friend Ortiz was there, he was a huge star, and he definitely saw many playoffs and two World Series).

Last year he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he seemed to single-handedly take the team from last place in their division, to the playoffs, even though they didn't make it very far. Now, he's a free agent and all Manny wants is money. And once you hear what he turned down, you will agree that he has officially lost his mind.

The Dodgers offered (a second offer now) Manny $25 million for one season. ONE SEASON. And he turns them down. I don't know how much he was getting paid in Boston or before on the Dodgers but that is a whole lot of money. You don't even play all year! You play what, 9 months? I'd take it. But Manny lost his mind. Manny isn't very young anymore, and eventually his star status will disappear, giving way for up and coming players to hit the spotlight. I know he's holding out for more money, but how much is going to be the right number? Is he expecting an amount similar to the one paid to A-Rod? Manny needs to take what he can get, because fewer and fewer teams are interested in his baseball abilities, and wary of his antics.

The latest buzz is that the San Francisco Giants are thinking about making Manny an offer. But thinking is not actually offering so right now, Manny doesn't play for anyone. Unless the Giants want a second Barry Bonds right away, they might decide to wait on Manny (that and might need to resupply with their steroids stock). I really think that if Manny holds out too long, he will not be seen playing professional baseball in the US anytime soon.

Jaclyn Kahn

FIND ME A JOB IN BASEBALL

Perusing the baseball articles this evening, as a way to change up all of the football news and opinion, much of the baseball news is about signing new people to the team. Every baseball team in the MLB is trying to fill its roster with the best of the best so that they can go all the way next October. Or November if they elongate the season any more.

Anyway, that's not new news. Teams for every sport try to get their hands on the best of the best so that they can be the best. But what strikes me is how much these players are getting paid. If money was the only way to get to the World Series (as Steinbrenner believes it does) than all of these teams will definitely make it this year.

Take for example the recent acquirement of Nick Markakis to the Baltimore Orioles. He is getting 66.1 MILLION dollars (I feel like Dr. Evil from Austin Powers) as a right fielder for six years. Let us divide 66.1 million dollars by six and see his upcoming annual salary. Hmmm... well if we rounded so the numbers were nice, Markakis would be making roughly 11 million dollars every year for playing right field. The MLB might as well have baseball year round, otherwise he is getting a steal from the Orioles' bank account.

Now I realize that there are other players in baseball that make much more than this measly 66.1 million dollars. Take for example, A-Rod who had a 275 million dollar contract for ten years. The man isn't finding a cure for cancer here, or even doing much besides hitting on Madonna and giving her private lessons. Give me ten percent of that and I would be happy. I also know that baseball isn't the only sport that is paying its players more money than some small countries have in their bank accounts. I just like to complain at the fact that baseball players bore the heck out of its fans and they are getting paid an exorbitant amount.

Compared to the 66.1 million buckaroos, it would then seem like the veteran catcher, Brad Ausmus, is being gypped. Ausmus just signed a mere one million dollar contract to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Come on LA! You cant fork over 11 million dollars per year? How veteran is he?

The one that takes the cake for a "poor" deal is the one year, 750,000 dollar contract for Henry Blanco. He will now be the catcher for the Padres, and boy he must be crying at how #@$$^!@ his paycheck is going to be for that year. Maybe he should start hanging out with Madonna, or move to Baltimore.

In a time and place where people are worried about losing money in this downward spiraling economy, how can journalists write these stories? How can players accept this much amount of money for playing a game, and sometimes not all that well? The worst of all is when players refuse to play for a team because the salary is just too "low." I'm sorry, would you like 200 million dollars to play semi decently while people lose their jobs everyday? Go rule a country, at least the dictators are doing more work every year than these baseball players, or basketball players. Again, if these people found cures to diseases and created an environment where global warming would cease (If you don't believe in it, you're a rich republican! just kidding, I think...) then maybe I could see why maybe people should be earning that much. Maybe. Earning 750,000 dollars in baseball seems like it's a good deal, at least to me. Maybe these teams should cut their salaries and invest into the economy. But what do I know.

So, baseball teams will still fork over the millions of dollars to make sure their team is good. Maybe the Orioles will actually get a break this year. But probably not. Anyway, what do I know? I guess we should all learn a lesson from George Steinbrenner. I mean, the more you pump money into the team and its players, the more chances they will win the World Series at the end of the season, right? Right?

-The Jaxster

DODGERS/PHILLIES NLCS BREAKDOWN

Starting Lineup - Phillies; Philadelphia matches up against the Dodgers pitching much better than the Cubs did in the NLDS. Unlike the Cubs, the Phillies big boppers are lefties. I expect Ryan Howard to have a big series with Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley setting the table. I like the depth of the Phillies lineup better as well. Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth were perhaps the two most influential hitters against Milwaukee. If Pat Burrell builds on the two homers he hit in the series clincher in the previous round, the Phillies offense will be very tough to handle. We all know Manny Ramirez is the single greatest threat in this series, but I think the most important hitter for the Dodgers is Rafael Furcal. If he can get on base regularly, it will mean that the Phillies will have to pitch to Manny more than they'd like. They will need Andre Either and Matt Kemp to pick it up otherwise the backend of the Dodgers lineup will be easy to tame. I give the Phillies the edge though based on their balanced and much deeper lineup.

Bench - Dodgers; Neither team has a particularly strong bench, but I'll give the slight edge to LA. They have Jeff Kent who is probably the best hitter off the bench for either team. Juan Pierre can come in and manufacture a run if they need it late in a game. The Phillies best bats off the bench are Matt Stairs and So Taguchi. Neither team will scare you with a hidden bat late in a game though.

Starting Pitching - Phillies; Cole Hamels is the best pitcher on either side, but this is a very close category. If Derek Lowe can continue his good run of pitching and somehow steal Game 1, the Dodgers might have the edge the rest of the way. Chad Billingsley is an exceptional pitcher and the Game 2 matchup with Brett Myers will be very compelling. I expect Hamels to deliver Game 1, so Billingsley would hold the future of the series in his hands. To me, Myers is a huge wildcard in this series. He is certainly capable of tossing eight, one-run innings, but on the flip side, he could be chased in the third inning. I expect he'll pitch well, but I don't say that with much confidence. Hiroki Kuroda gets the edge in my book over Jamie Moyer in Game 3, and Joe Blanton gets the edge at the moment over a probable Greg Maddux in Game 4.

Bullpen - Even; I want to give a very slight edge to Philadelphia because they have the perfect Brad Lidge, but after seeing him struggle mightily in Game 1 vs. Milwaukee, I don't share the same confidence in him as most probably do. However, this series sees two teams with very good bullpens. In what I thought was a smart move, the Dodgers left Takashi Saito off the roster and will rely on Jonathan Broxton to be the closer. Saito isn't 100%, so go with the guy who can throw 101. The Dodgers get lefty Hong-Chih Kuo back which is huge because I expect to see him against the heart of the Phillies order in several key, late-inning situations. As I said I'm slightly nervous about Lidge, but until he blows a save he is still someone you want out there. The Phillies have great setup men also, and if these games go to the bullpens, we should see some really good baseball.

Defense - Dodgers; Both teams are strong with the glove, but the Dodgers have some strong outfield arms and a good defensive catcher and first baseman. The Phillies do have the edge up the middle in Rollins and Utley. I give the edge to the Dodgers because I think they are closer at the positions they are behind Philly at than visa versa. If Furcal is truly healthy, he is a terrific shortstop. I don't see either team losing with the glove though unless the ball is hit to Manny or Howard.

Manager - Dodgers; There could not be more of a contrast here. Joe Torre will probably be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee when they vote, and Charlie Manuel, well is Charlie Manuel. The longer this series goes, Torre's leadership could prove to be a big difference over Manuel.

Pick - Philadelphia in 7; This was a very tough pick for me to make though, but the Phillies are a much different animal for LA to handle than the Cubs were. Their left-handed stars will be much tougher to deal with than the predominately right handed Cubs lineup. Hamels is a big advantage as well especially after his dominant performance against Milwaukee in the NLDS. However, I can definitely see this series turn the other way. The Dodgers have a lot of things going for them right now and it is sometimes hard to ignore good karma. A perfect example would be the Rockies from last year. This series is a true toss up, and if anything is a difference, the home team was 8-0 in their head-to-head matchups this year.

Pat Morgan

CUBS DEFENSE LETS THEM DOWN; OFFENSE NOT MUCH BETTER

A terrible second inning for the Cubs has put them in hole that will be tough to dig out of.

Two Chicago errors helped lead to five Dodger runs in the second inning alone and the offense barely showed any signs of life until it was too late in a tough 10-3 loss in Game 2 of the NLCS. Los Angeles now leads the series 2-0 heading back to the West Coast. Carlos Zambrano pitched well for the Cubs, despite seven runs allowed (three were earned). With a little bit of help by his defense, it would have been a different outing for him.

With runners at first and third and nobody out, Zambrano struck out Matt Kemp and it looked like he was going to get out the inning with a ground ball off the bat of Blake Dewitt. However, second baseman Mark Derosa booted the ball and a desperate flip to second base was unsuccessful. Andre Ethier scored on the play and the Dodgers led early 1-0. Casey Blake then hit a sharp ball that bounced off first basemen Derek Lee's glove, loading the bases with still only one out. After a strikeout by Chad Billingsley, Rafael Furcal reached on a nifty bunt single, and Russell Martin followed with a bases clearing double to put Los Angeles ahead 5-0.

Manny Ramirez would add a solo home run in the fifth inning. It was his second of the series and 26th in his postseason career.

The Dodgers plated another run on Kemp's RBI double in the seventh and scored two runs in the eighth on a pair of single by Furcal and Ramirez. They capped off the scoring in the ninth, when Casey blake singled home Juan Pierre with the tenth and final run of the night.

Billingsley was lights out on the mound for the Dodgers. Over 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, he struck out seven and gave up five hits. Billingsley was the ERA leader among Dodger starting pitchers this season, and he certainly showcased his talent tonight.

Alfonso Soriano, one of the streakiest players in the game today, has struggled so far just as he did last postseason. He is 1-8 in this series and 3-23 in the playoffs dating back to last October. Kosuke Fukodome is also struggling mightily and will not start Game 3 on Saturday, according to manager Lou Piniella. The whole lineup is not producing and it needs to turn around in a hurry. The Cubs offense has scored a total of 11 runs in their last five postseason games. The bats better wake up if they are going to come back and force a game five at Wrigley Field.

A couple of runs in the ninth by the Cubs gave the fans a little bit to cheer for, but the final result is the same. Chicago faces a 2-0 deficit heading to Dodger Stadium and not too many would have imagined this scenario.

Shawn Marosek

NLDS Breakdowns and Predictions

Milwaukee Brewers (NL Wildcard) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (NL East)

Starting Lineup - Phillies; Say what you want about Ryan Howard's .250 batting average, the man was the most clutch performer in the month of September. If you go strickly by the numbers, it will be hard to vote against Albert Pujols for the MVP, but Howard probably gets it based on his 11 HRs and 32 RBIs over the final month. Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins have had better years, but they are MVP type players who are very, very gutty. The Brewers have a good, young lineup as well. Ryan Braun bursted out of a late season funk with two GIANT homeruns over the final week. Prince Fielder had some real big hits as well, and you cannot ignore Corey Hart and J.J. Hardy. This should be a fun matchup, but I give a slight edge to Philly's lineup based on a little more depth and experience. They definitely could use the re-awakening of Pat Burrell's bat though. He hasn't been that good since his stellar first half.

Bench - Brewers; I'll take the likes of Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall to potentially come in the game late and spank one out of the yard over the Matt Stairs led Phillies. The Brewers also have a professional hitter in Gabe Kapler who can come off the bench.

Starting Pitching - Phillies; The Phillies have the deeper rotation and the Brewers have CC Sabathia. I almost declared a draw for this category based on Sabathia's historic second half, but I will go with the Phillies depth. I would have given this category to Milwaukee had Ben Sheets been healthy. The Brewers MUST win Sabathia's two outings and hope they can steal one of the other games. Yovani Gallardo will start Game 1 for the Brewers, and while he's a great young prospect, he hasn't pitched much all year due to injuries. Cole Hamels didn't have a strong season for his standards, and has been so-so for about a month. Brett Myers had been pitching his best ball this season until giving up 14 earned runs over his last two outings. Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer are advantages in the other games unless Jeff Suppan can rekindle old postseason magic.

Bullpen - Phillies; Without a doubt the largest advantage for either team in this series. Brad Lidge has been spectacular this season in converting all 41 of his save opportunities. Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero and Ryan Madson have all been outstanding as well. On the flip side, the Brewers have been holding their breath every time Salomon Torres takes the mound in the 9th. He's been good for his standards this year, but the cracks are starting to show. Then you have the lovable Eric Gagne in the 8th. Maybe compared to the Mets bullpen the Brewers aren't so bad, but they hardly stack up with Philadelphia. Brian Shouse is their best reliever and he's just a lefty specialist.

Defense - Phillies; Before looking at the stats, I thought I was going to see another big advantage for Philly, but the difference isn't as stark as you might think. I will go with my gut and give Philly a slight edge though. I've seen them make several great plays late in games. Lidge would not have been perfect without some key defense on occassion. I've seen the Brewers make bad plays at the wrong time too. I won't kill Milwaukee though because the key defensive stats are very close.

Manager - Neither; Charlie Manuel is a terrible manager and Dale Sveum is only in his third week on the job. No opinion here.

Pick - Philadelphia in 4; The Brewers rotation is in shambles right now without Sheets, and even Sabathia will have to throw on short rest in Game 2. The Phillies bullpen is a big factor, and I think they will have a bit of a chip on their shoulders from last year's quick exit to Colorado.

Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West) vs. Chicago Cubs (NL Central)

Starting Lineup - Cubs; Manny Ramirez can blow up this assessment, but the Cubs have a much deeper lineup. The Cubs have a great blend of stars like Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee and major role players like Mark DeRosa and Ryan Theriot. As stated in my last post, if the Cubs get a hot Alfonso Soriano they will be very tough to beat. You can almost flip a coin on how he will perform this postseason. The Dodgers do have a better lineup than the average fan would think though. Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and others are playing their best ball of the season. This isn't the same team the Cubs held to a combined 18 runs in 7 head-to-head matchups this season. And obviously they didn't have a player who has hit nearly .400 with 17 HRs and 53 RBI in 53 games since coming from Boston at the trade deadline. That team in May had doughnut connoisseur, Andruw Jones.

Bench - Cubs; No one can match the depth of the Cubs this postseason. Mike Fontenot, Reed Johnson/Jim Edmonds, Micah Hoffpauir, and even backup catcher Henry Blanco are all threats with the stick. The best Dodger off the pine is probably Juan Pierre, and he'll probably be used to steal a base late in a close game.

Starting Rotation - Cubs; This pick is contingent upon Carlos Zambrano or Rich Harden giving a quality effort in their start. Even if one struggles, I believe the Cubs still have enough to get by. It is a major concern that Zambrano has had an over 7 ERA since August 1st and that Rich Harden only threw 17 innings in September. That puts a lot of pressure on Ryan Dempster to win Game 1 and Ted Lilly later in the series to continue his dominance of late. The Dodgers will start Derek Lowe in Game 1 who had an excellent September. We know of his postseason record, so he was a good choice over Chad Billingsley for the first game. After Billingsley, the Dodgers have nothing, and you may see them start Lowe on short rest in Game 4. The Cubs have the edge here, but with their concerns with Zambrano and Harden lately it was a big break they didn't have to face Johan Santana and the Mets.

Bullpen - Cubs; This would have been a lot tougher for me to choose had Hong-Chih Kuo not been scratched from this series with a potential blood clot. He had been one of the best kept secrets in the National League in the second half. The Dodgers do have closer Takashi Saito back which will allow them more flexibility with Jonathan Broxton. Joe Beimel is a dominant lefty as well. However the Cubs hit lefties better than most teams do, so it sort of negates the Dodgers strength to matchup with the pen. While the Cubs don't have a lockdown bullpen, they do have a very solid pen for the first time in a very long time. Carlos Marmol is simply fantastic. Kerry Wood has done a fabulous job in the pen. Jeff Samardzija has nasty stuff as well. The reason this pen is not a lockdown one is that they all can get wild. Walks in big spots are a concern, and Wood is among the lead leaders in hit batsman. I give the edge to the Cubs because of their nasty stuff and the Dodgers lack of Kuo. However, these games will be very compelling if they go to the bullpen.

Defense - Dodgers; Cue the clown music as it should be fun to watch the epic left field matchup between Manny Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano. Two-thirds of the Dodgers outfield is very good though. Kemp and Ethier were among the league leaders in outfield assists. Russell Martin is very special behind the dish and James Loney is solid at first as well. If they have any weak areas it could be up the middle with Rafael Furcal who has just returned from back surgery and Jeff Kent who is breaking down due to old age. The Cubs defense is much improved from years' pasts, but the Dodgers have a special thing going.

Manager - Even; A great matchup between two of the best managers in baseball history. Should be fun to watch Lou and Joe square off. I really can't give an edge as their styles are so contrasting, but so very effective. We'll let the series decide who's better.

Pick - Chicago in 4; I am tempted to be bold and pick the Cubs in 3, but with the SP concerns, I'll give the Dodgers a game. The Dodgers have had a nice September, but I think the Cubs really outmatch them in every area of the game. This pick can certainly be blown up because Manny Ramirez can certainly put the Dodgers on his back and create a long series.

Pat Morgan