[Bread]

I don’t see what the big deal is here. It’s just Manny being Manny once again. Seemingly oblivious to reality at times, baseball’s favorite part time goofball is at it again. This time though, he’s not cutting off relay throws from the center fielder, or disappearing into the scoreboard between pitches. No, this latest chapter of Manny being Manny has him testing positive for a women's fertility drug. I don’t believe he’s trying to become pregnant, although nothing would surprise me anymore when it comes to the dread-locked enigma. This drug is typically used by steroid users to restart their body's natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle. Oh oh.

What now?

So this time around, Manny being Manny has cost him 50 games and about 8 million bucks. Super, but where does that leave the rest of us non-gazillionaires trying to make a buck on Dodger’s games?

Before acquiring Ramirez for the final 53 games last year, the Dodgers were basically a .500 club who struggled mightily to score any runs. The difference that he made was immediate and undeniable. The team rode his acquisition all the way to the NLCS. After an offseason filled with question marks, Manny rejoined L.A. and things were working out great for both parties.

At the time of his suspension, the Dodgers sported a 21-8 record. They were unbeatable at home. With Manny you’ve always got that x-factor that anything can happen. He’s a proven winner and L.A. was doing just that – winning.

Man-Ram was putting up some amazing numbers himself along the way. He was leading the league in walks with 26. He was also among the league leaders in several offensive categories including BA (.348), SLG (.641), OBP (.492), runs (22) and HR (6). Manny was certainly being Manny at the plate. But now he’s gone for awhile. Can the Dodgers maintain the league’s best record in his absence?

L.A. is 1-3 since the suspension, although that’s not really much to go on. His replacement in left field has been veteran Juan Pierre. Even with Pierre batting .426 early on, nobody will be saying “Manny who?” anytime soon. Where the Dodger’s do improve is on defense. Pierre is a speedy guy who can track down fly balls that Ramirez could only dream of reaching. Along with 2B Orlando Hudson and CF Matt Kemp, opposing batters will have some trouble finding gaps. This will help a pitching staff that was already thriving.

With a team ERA (3.77) second to only the upstart Royals, the Dodgers should be in any game no matter who they send to the plate. They are second in strikeouts (247) and the best at shutting down opposing batters (.313). Closer Jonathan Broxton is off to a nice start, going 3-0 with an ERA of 0.56 and successful in eight of nine save attempts. He could see action in a lot more close games in the near future.

So L.A. has impressive pitching, superb defense (.989) and several other capable hitters in Hudson, Kemp and Andre Ethier. Does this mean that I’m going to continue to bet them blindly in Manny’s absence? Not exactly.

The team’s early record is a bit skewed in my opinion because of who they’ve played – division opponents. They’ve played a ton of games against what is probably the weakest division in baseball. San Francisco, San Diego, Arizona and Colorado do not strike fear into anybody. The Dodgers are already 20-8 when facing those four teams, which is by far the best divisional mark thus far. Looking ahead, Ramirez is out until July 3rd. They only have 14 divisional games during that stretch. Until baseball’s latest disgraced superstar returns they have to face a slew of tough opponents. The Phillies (twice), Marlins, Mets, Angels (twice), Cubs, Rangers, White Sox and Mariners will all present some tough series to the boys in blue. With or without Ramirez, I could see that best record taking more than a few dings.

Plenty of time to BBQ

So what am I left with here? Of course each individual game will vary, but as far as the big picture goes, I don’t think the Dodger’s offensive stats will take as big of a hit as many might think. They have some talented guys in their lineup. I also think the pitching will continue to do well. The defense will improve. The team will rally behind the fact that several will write them off without their big money superstar. But the upcoming schedule is going to be brutal. Who wouldn’t love to play against the Padres and Rockies every other weekend?



The fact of the matter is that up to this point, their opponents have consisted of their weak division rivals, Houston and Washington. Those clubs have won only 42% of their games. While they are sans Manny, their opponents have a combined 48% mark, until you take out the 14 divisional games. Then it jumps up to 51%.



So once again, where does this leave me? Well I still believe that they will be a tough team. Personally, I’ll probably play against them more times than not. Tougher opponents plus the loss of their superstar could be bad news. But if you find yourself still backing L.A., there is an added bonus. With no Manny, their spreads could begin to shrink faster than Ramirez’s testicles. And everyone can enjoy that. Can the Dodgers continue to win without Manny? That’s the 8 million dollar question.

[Ralphie1412]

too much time on your hands.

[BobHarvey]

I don’t see what the big deal is here. It’s just Manny being Manny once again. Seemingly oblivious to reality at times, baseball’s favorite part time goofball is at it again. This time though, he’s not cutting off relay throws from the center fielder, or disappearing into the scoreboard between pitches. No, this latest chapter of Manny being Manny has him testing positive for a women's fertility drug. I don’t believe he’s trying to become pregnant, although nothing would surprise me anymore when it comes to the dread-locked enigma. This drug is typically used by steroid users to restart their body's natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle. Oh oh.

What now?

So this time around, Manny being Manny has cost him 50 games and about 8 million bucks. Super, but where does that leave the rest of us non-gazillionaires trying to make a buck on Dodger’s games?

Before acquiring Ramirez for the final 53 games last year, the Dodgers were basically a .500 club who struggled mightily to score any runs. The difference that he made was immediate and undeniable. The team rode his acquisition all the way to the NLCS. After an offseason filled with question marks, Manny rejoined L.A. and things were working out great for both parties.

At the time of his suspension, the Dodgers sported a 21-8 record. They were unbeatable at home. With Manny you’ve always got that x-factor that anything can happen. He’s a proven winner and L.A. was doing just that – winning.

Man-Ram was putting up some amazing numbers himself along the way. He was leading the league in walks with 26. He was also among the league leaders in several offensive categories including BA (.348), SLG (.641), OBP (.492), runs (22) and HR (6). Manny was certainly being Manny at the plate. But now he’s gone for awhile. Can the Dodgers maintain the league’s best record in his absence?

L.A. is 1-3 since the suspension, although that’s not really much to go on. His replacement in left field has been veteran Juan Pierre. Even with Pierre batting .426 early on, nobody will be saying “Manny who?” anytime soon. Where the Dodger’s do improve is on defense. Pierre is a speedy guy who can track down fly balls that Ramirez could only dream of reaching. Along with 2B Orlando Hudson and CF Matt Kemp, opposing batters will have some trouble finding gaps. This will help a pitching staff that was already thriving.

With a team ERA (3.77) second to only the upstart Royals, the Dodgers should be in any game no matter who they send to the plate. They are second in strikeouts (247) and the best at shutting down opposing batters (.313). Closer Jonathan Broxton is off to a nice start, going 3-0 with an ERA of 0.56 and successful in eight of nine save attempts. He could see action in a lot more close games in the near future.

So L.A. has impressive pitching, superb defense (.989) and several other capable hitters in Hudson, Kemp and Andre Ethier. Does this mean that I’m going to continue to bet them blindly in Manny’s absence? Not exactly.

The team’s early record is a bit skewed in my opinion because of who they’ve played – division opponents. They’ve played a ton of games against what is probably the weakest division in baseball. San Francisco, San Diego, Arizona and Colorado do not strike fear into anybody. The Dodgers are already 20-8 when facing those four teams, which is by far the best divisional mark thus far. Looking ahead, Ramirez is out until July 3rd. They only have 14 divisional games during that stretch. Until baseball’s latest disgraced superstar returns they have to face a slew of tough opponents. The Phillies (twice), Marlins, Mets, Angels (twice), Cubs, Rangers, White Sox and Mariners will all present some tough series to the boys in blue. With or without Ramirez, I could see that best record taking more than a few dings.

Plenty of time to BBQ

So what am I left with here? Of course each individual game will vary, but as far as the big picture goes, I don’t think the Dodger’s offensive stats will take as big of a hit as many might think. They have some talented guys in their lineup. I also think the pitching will continue to do well. The defense will improve. The team will rally behind the fact that several will write them off without their big money superstar. But the upcoming schedule is going to be brutal. Who wouldn’t love to play against the Padres and Rockies every other weekend?

The fact of the matter is that up to this point, their opponents have consisted of their weak division rivals, Houston and Washington. Those clubs have won only 42% of their games. While they are sans Manny, their opponents have a combined 48% mark, until you take out the 14 divisional games. Then it jumps up to 51%.

So once again, where does this leave me? Well I still believe that they will be a tough team. Personally, I’ll probably play against them more times than not. Tougher opponents plus the loss of their superstar could be bad news. But if you find yourself still backing L.A., there is an added bonus. With no Manny, their spreads could begin to shrink faster than Ramirez’s testicles. And everyone can enjoy that. Can the Dodgers continue to win without Manny? That’s the 8 million dollar question.

Great stuff!

[Bread]

Thanks Bob.

Ralphie I needs a hobby! Hook me up!