Major League Baseball: Dodgers abandon all hope

MLB / Nick Shiambouros / 01 September 2010 / Leave a Comment

Manny Ramirez has turned his back on the Dodgers

"Ramirez is one of the few elite hitters in the game and will be sorely missed."

Nick Shiambouros explains why the sale of Manny Ramirez means that the LA Dodgers are raising the white flag. Meanwhile, the future looks bright for the White Sox...

The Los Angeles Dodgers traded slugger Manny Ramirez to the Chicago White Sox on Monday, a decision which effectively means they have given up on making the playoffs.

At the beginning of the season the Dodgers were trading at [18.5] to win the World Series. I thought the price was generous at the time but I was sorely mistaken. With less than 30 games left in the regular season, Los Angeles are nine games behind San Diego in the NL West. They have drifted to [150.00] which is way under-priced in my opinion.

Since joining Los Angeles from Boston two years ago, Ramirez had a turbulent relationship with the Dodgers management. Money has been the main topic of disagreement, and this is what led to his departure. He ended his spell in Los Angeles with an impressive .322 batting average and 44 home runs.

It has also been rumoured that manager Joe Torre could be leaving at the end of the season due to managerial differences with the front office. Torre has earned the players' respect, but he will have a tough time keeping the team focused until the end of the season.

The Dodgers have struggled to put runs on the board all year. As a team they are only averaging .260 which is eighth in the National League. This lack of runs has cost them dearly this season, while the pitching statistics show a modest 4.01 ERA, not low enough for a team that is struggling to score runs.

Los Angeles start a long road trip next week, facing divisional leaders San Diego and second placed San Francisco. They play both teams in a three game series over an 11 day period, a very tough assignment for a team that appears to have raised the white flag for the season. The Giants and Padres are in position to make the playoffs and will be difficult to beat. Los Angeles could lose at least four out of the six games.

The departure of Manny Ramirez at this stage of the season was surprising to say the least. He is one of the few elite hitters in the game and will be sorely missed. The Dodgers have saved $3.8m by releasing him but, in the grand scheme of things, this is a drop in the ocean for one of the biggest teams in baseball.

Manny Ramirez has an excellent chance of making the playoffs with his new team. The White Sox are just four games behind Minnesota in the AL Central. Manager Ozzie Guillen has welcomed Ramirez with open arms and is thrilled to have him in the line-up. I wish them both well.
　
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