Manny being Manny,
So is this the way things will be? Is this the legacy he will be left behind? Does he ruin the chances of the Dodgers making the play offs? Does he make the Hall-of-Fame? will he able to hit 700+ home runs? Will he be chased from the game to live in exile like Palmario, Mcgwire, Bonds, Sosa, or Canseco? These questions and more will be answered on the next episode of MANNY BEING MANNY
Seriously, though who are we kidding. Manny has proved through the years that he is far and beyond the most flakley players of all time. From leaving million dollar checks in his locker for months on end to demanding that he wouldn't sign with boston unless they hired the former cleveland indians clubhouse attended who happened to set up the pitching machines for him.
Bill Simmons wrote a great piece him
It brings the thought to your mind that could manny really cheat? Someone that is just so light hearted and loves to play the game?
Look at his numbers over the years....
Top BA Yrs
2000 - .351
2001 - .349
2009 - .348
1999 - .333
2008 - .332
Top Hr Yrs
2005 - 45
1998 - 45
1999 - 44
2004 - 43
2001 - 41
Top RBI Yrs
1999 - 165
1998 - 145
2005 - 144
2004 - 130
2001 - 125
Top Hit Yrs
2003 - 185
1997 - 184
2008 - 183
2004 - 175
1999 - 174
What to me is amazing is he has years that he jumps statistically but then he levels out and then jumps again. back to where he was.
Take last year for instance, 37 Hrs 104 Rbi's he hits .332
The year prior (2007) he hit 20 Hrs 88 RBIs and hit .296 but still lead his club to a world series win.
then from 96-98 he took another little dip..
33 Hrs 112 RBIs and hit .309 1996
26 Hrs 88 RBIs and hit .328 1997
45 Hrs 145 RBIs and hit .294 1998
In 1997 and 2006 did he take steroids to get his stats back up to what he was the year prior?If that was the case how come he didn't hit 40 or 50 or even 60 home runs the following year. You might say that he didn't try that hard through the first half of the season. If he was serious he really could have hit 50+, okay if thats the case then he suddenly decided that he was going to start taking steroids to make him play better but then didn't want to play quiet as good? yeah he's manny and yeah he's flakey. but..... really??? that makes NO sense. Is this what he has become someone who is desperate to stay ahead? he never has been that person, he's manny. He revolutionized "being yourself"
No one could possibly get away with doing what he does at their job and then have their boss say. "Well that's just Harrison, being, Harrison." ... NO WAY. the bottom line is that he has solidified himself as the best player in baseball. he is a game changer and despite his suspension the NL West is not a race. Manny has already put the Dodgers 6 games ahead of anyone else and while that maybe only a week's worth of games and manny is gone for approx 2 months. Upon Manny's return he will continue on his torrid streak and push the Dodgers to the NLCS and possibly the World Series. While it's only a month into the season, the only team in the National League at this point shows the possibility of contention with them is the St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols. I'm sure this will make my boss(Nick) especially happy but, in all seriousness thats what i think with the way the league is shaping up this season.
Going back to Manny, he has compiled perhapes the greatest stats for a hitter of our generation with the exception of Ken Griffey Jr and Pujols. However, griffey has never lead any of his teams to the play-offs or even to a world series championship. Pujols has however it's been far from dominating like the teams Manny has been apart of. His statistics compare him to the likes of Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Willie Mays and Jimmie Foxx. Not a bad bunch of people to compared too.
The bottom line is that there is no creditable evidence statistically that he did infact take steroids. With all the other players there has been some type of tip off statistically. in some form or way. home runs or speed, and in what was said by a couple of the guys at my class during the discussion today. Steroids dosn't give you hand-to-eye coordination...
He's a ligitmate hall-of-famer and one bad decision (one influenced by a credable doctor)
Bottom-line...the Dodgers will go on to be fine and so will Manny. He's a first ballot HOFer and he makes every team he's apart of that much better.
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