A.L. Central Heats Up: White Sox get Manny

Manny Ramirez was acquired off of waiver by the Chicago White Sox, and will join the team on Tuesday as they take on the pesky Cleveland Indians on the road. Ramirez has been out for several games this season due to injury, but is still batting .311 with a .405 on base percentage.

“Mannywood” is no longer, but his contributions to this Dodgers team have been substantial. Manny batted .396 for the Dodgers when they picked him up prior to the trade deadline in 2008. He single handed led Los Angeles to the playoffs with his 17 second half homeruns. The Dodgers have underachieved all season long, and are currently 10 games back in the National League West, and 6.5 games behind the RED HOT Phillies for the wildcard spot. Their season is not officially over, but their lack of hitting is beginning to see more like the standard than a farce.

This is the second time that Ramirez has left a team under bad circumstances. When Manny departed from the Boston Red Sox in 2008 it was due to a lack of effort that had created turmoil in the Boston organization. Ramirez had been requesting a trade for months prior to his leaving for L.A. His hitting was never a problem, but his work ethic and on field escapades became too much to handle for the new Boston management.

Now that the Dodgers have put themselves into such a big hole in the N.L. West, it was the right time to let the aging Ramirez go. Manny’s contract was expiring at the end of the season, and he has lost his desire to play for the “Boys in Blue”. It has been though by people close to Manny as well as baseball experts that he has had a desire to get back to the American League because of the designated hitter.

It is well know throughout baseball that Manny isn’t all that crazy about playing the field. He has been and still is one of the most devastating right handed hitters in baseball history. Ramirez has a lifetime batting average of .313 with 554 homeruns and 1828 runs batted in. These are clearly Hall of Fame numbers, and will inevitably get him in on his first ballot.

Going to the White Sox is the perfect situation for Ramirez. Chicago is still in the playoff hunt, and are in desperate need of another bat to get them on a level playing field with the Minnesota Twins. The White Sox are currently 4.5 game behind the Twins for the A.L. Central title. They will most likely need to win the division in order to make the playoffs as they are 10 games back in the wildcard. The Yankees and Rays are the best teams in baseball and they both happen to be in the same division. With identical 81-50 records, they are virtual locks for the A.L. East title and the wildcard spot.

Manny Ramirez is not washed up! He has plenty of “Pop” left in his bat and will be a major factor in the race for the Central division title. With 30+ games left to play, it’s still anyone’s division.

Related posts:

1. Indians and White Sox in A.L. Central Showdown
2. White Sox take on Yankees in Pivotal Series
3. White Sox vs. Athletics in Pitcher’s Duel Tuesday
4. White Sox and Twins fight for A.L. Cental Title
5. A.L. Central Title is on the Line as Chicago Battles Minnesota

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