Throwing you a bender because I just thought you should know...
With two months of the baseball season gone, some teams are already starting to consider if they will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Other teams are analyzing their own systems to find replacements for injuries and see if there are any untapped sluggers or arms hiding in the minor leagues.
The Oakland Athletics are dead last in the American League in runs scored, in hits, in RBIs, in batting average, in on-base percentage, in slugging, and in OPS. The A's "offense" is in the market and anxiously looking for any of these hidden talents.
They could definitely use a jolt of offense, a kick in the power department to awaken the lineup and maybe even draw some additional fans. So the services of a slugger, a potential Hall of Fame hitter, and a personality would seem to be a good fit in Oakland. Yet the A's don't even need to go shopping or look beyond their own state for such a player.
Possibly the greatest right handed hitter of this generation, Manny Ramirez sits on a minor league bench, in a Sacramento River Cats uniform, a AAA team in the A's system, and is not able to contribute anything to the big league club.
Based on the creativeness and insight of General Manager Billy Beane along with his willingness to make unusual moves, no action regarding calling up Ramirez may indicate that this is truly the end of the slugger's career.
It was a no risk, very low cost gamble to sign Manny and bring him to spring training. By signing Ramirez, who had not played in a year and a half based on his retirement after five games last April, and having the suspension for 50 games this season create a "built in" extended spring training, it seemed a perfect opportunity to recall him to the A's after his suspension ended May 30, when he also turned 40 years old.
I suspect Beane and manager Bob Melvin are not even considering promoting Ramirez to the big club at this time. It has been reported he has a hamstring injury which has prevented him from even playing a full game in the past week. But at last check, he was hitting .243 for the River Cats and did not have any extra base hits. Hardly numbers and production that an American League designated hitter or left fielder would need to possess.
Manny is clearly not Manny or capable of being Manny anymore. There is no pressure on the situation as the A's do not have a chance to compete at this point in the American League West. But for all of Manny's quirks and eccentricities, I can't imagine he will languish very long in the minor leagues without realizing the skills are gone.
It would have been nice to see Ramirez catch lightning in a bottle one more time, thrill us for a spell and attempt to erase a little bit of the way he exited last time. Manny stated his goal was to return to the major leagues and grab a bit of redemption along with reshaping the end to his career.
Having followed him closely since the Indians drafted him in 1991, he was pure power and bat speed right from the start. He was a force in his first full year, hitting .308 with 31 HR's and 107 RBI's, long before any rumors or visible signs of PED's. He was a talent and a joy to watch as he would provide displays of hitting not seen in years along with enough moments of "Manny being Manny" to keep us entertained.
Baseball is brutal, hard and humbling. The skills and talent required escape most of us our entire life, so reality and age definitely have an advantage over those attempting to resurrect those talents at such an advanced age.
Ramirez has obviously seen a decrease in his talents and age is a number he cannot change so if he cannot find a spot on the Oakland A's, then his career must really be over.
I will always remember watching Ramirez and will miss Manny just being a happy, dangerous and feared hitter.
All this because I know more about nothing...
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