Manny drove me nuts even before he turned out to be a cheater.
I watched our young core of guys develop over the last few years, with Ethier joining them from the A's farm. It's the first time I've seen a homegrown team, at least partially, in my fledgeling fan career.
When Casey Blake came, he fit in smoothly and innocuously, while whacking out the HRs we needed. The way Hudson did. The way Pierre -- bless him and his noodle throwing arm -- did. They weren't superstars, but they added to the team in various ways.
Then Manny shows up, and suddenly the team I've followed as a team is getting touted as "Manny's Dodgers."
What about all the guys I'd been rooting for? Martin and Kemp, Loney and Ethier, Broxton and Billingsley, Kershaw and Kuo? I feel like the sports media only discovered the Dodgers exist because we got an ex Red Sox superstar, and none of them got ANY credit for what they did. Admittedly they weren't Manny, but they weren't chopped liver.
This irked me. Yet the wins Manny contributed to were enjoyable. I can't pretend they weren't.
But then it turns out he was cheating, as I should've guessed all along.
Juan Pierre did an incredible job during Manny's suspension. I know the Dodgers will do better with his return, yet what little enjoyment I had from Manny has turned, as it did for Sox fans, to surly resentment. I'd almost rather keep Manny as a PH and use Pierre every day. Which would be stupid, but I don't want my Dodgers, the ones I was rooting for before Manny arrived, saddled with an asterisk. But if they have any playoffs success, that's what will happen.
And the worst of it is, Manny's bust reminds me that I can't rule out the possibility that some of the young players I've been rooting for have followed his example.
So yeah, er, there's my Manny rant.
As for Sandoval -- I hadn't become aware of him until very recently, embarrassingly enough, but I will be watching for him now. I actually got into a bit of a fight with Phillies fans over Werth being picked above Sandoval. I like Werth -- ex Dodger, hard worker -- but it shoulda been Sandoval. Hopefully he'll get there next year.
If Sandoval keeps playing like this, here's one Dodger fan who will give him his due, just as I voted for Adrian Gonzales over Loney despite being very fond of Loney.
Stating the obvious: Lincecum -- wow. I can't wait for a Kershaw/Lincecum matchup, although Kershaw is still very green behind the ears, and would probably have his jock strap handed to him.
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I watched our young core of guys develop over the last few years, with Ethier joining them from the A's farm. It's the first time I've seen a homegrown team, at least partially, in my fledgeling fan career.
When Casey Blake came, he fit in smoothly and innocuously, while whacking out the HRs we needed. The way Hudson did. The way Pierre -- bless him and his noodle throwing arm -- did. They weren't superstars, but they added to the team in various ways.
Then Manny shows up, and suddenly the team I've followed as a team is getting touted as "Manny's Dodgers."
What about all the guys I'd been rooting for? Martin and Kemp, Loney and Ethier, Broxton and Billingsley, Kershaw and Kuo? I feel like the sports media only discovered the Dodgers exist because we got an ex Red Sox superstar, and none of them got ANY credit for what they did. Admittedly they weren't Manny, but they weren't chopped liver.
This irked me. Yet the wins Manny contributed to were enjoyable. I can't pretend they weren't.
But then it turns out he was cheating, as I should've guessed all along.
Juan Pierre did an incredible job during Manny's suspension. I know the Dodgers will do better with his return, yet what little enjoyment I had from Manny has turned, as it did for Sox fans, to surly resentment. I'd almost rather keep Manny as a PH and use Pierre every day. Which would be stupid, but I don't want my Dodgers, the ones I was rooting for before Manny arrived, saddled with an asterisk. But if they have any playoffs success, that's what will happen.
And the worst of it is, Manny's bust reminds me that I can't rule out the possibility that some of the young players I've been rooting for have followed his example.
So yeah, er, there's my Manny rant.
As for Sandoval -- I hadn't become aware of him until very recently, embarrassingly enough, but I will be watching for him now. I actually got into a bit of a fight with Phillies fans over Werth being picked above Sandoval. I like Werth -- ex Dodger, hard worker -- but it shoulda been Sandoval. Hopefully he'll get there next year.
If Sandoval keeps playing like this, here's one Dodger fan who will give him his due, just as I voted for Adrian Gonzales over Loney despite being very fond of Loney.
Stating the obvious:
Lincecum -- wow.
I can't wait for a Kershaw/Lincecum matchup, although Kershaw is still very green behind the ears, and would probably have his jock strap handed to him.