Manny Ramirez Rumors: Wednesday

I don't know why Dodger fans keep saying Manny "wants" to be a Dodger...

Manny "Wants" to be with whoever pays the most $$$ plain and simple.

The first thing he said after the season was "I'm going home and waiting for the offers to come in! Gas is up and so am I"

Doesn't exactly scream "I want to be a dodger"

Personally, I'd rather see the Giants try to trade for Chris Davis.

Giants, let Manny be Manny somewhere else.

I think Manny would be a perfect addition to the Giants. they have

Lincicum (how ever you spell it)
Cain
Sanchez (who is my SP sleeper this year)
Zito (couldn't be worse than last year)

that is a high power SP rotation and you also have Rowand how i think will be alot better this year, Rent who is a NL player. IMO the Giants will contend this year and if they add Manny would be the NL West favorites

Mannywood.
I think Manny playing in SF is as likely as CHILI Davis going back to SF.

"Who was the last team from the West to play in the World Series? Oh Yeah!

Dodgers were hardly a winning team before he got there last season.

How quickly we forget."

If you're going to go to the dance, don't just hang around the punch bowl.

http://robsterlobster.com/GiantsTrophyCase.jpg

And as for the Giants not being a "winning team"...we'll see who is on top of the division at the end of the year.

Posted by: wildabeast4 | January 07, 2009 at 01:45 PM

Here we go again, if you can't score runs I don't care how good your pitching is..

"ca!i

Who was the last team from the West to play in the World Series? Oh Yeah!

Dodgers were hardly a winning team before he got there last season.

How quickly we forget.

Posted by: 55saveslives | January 07, 2009 at 01:47 PM"

Not the Giants, so what's your point? Get at me when you have a championship banner somewhere in the park.

Does anybody else think the entire Manny/Giants charade is a ploy by Boras to hike Manny's asking price? C'mon, Manny doesn't want the Giants, the Giants don't want Manny (age, work ethic, defense, baggage, etc.). But Boras can use his classic "I have an offer for 4/$100" and it sounds more legit when everybody under the sun knows he's talking with the Giants. Nobody's really falling for this. Right?

Jason F

I remember Barry Bonds and Rob Nen being there.

Ooooh Dodger fans...Your team is quietly crumbling before you and you guys are so ignorant that you can't see it. Your owner is dragging the organization down and Colletti, in his short tenure thusfar, has already signed STUDS like Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt and, my favorite, Andruw Jones. Your pitching staff is absolutely GARBAGE. Pitching and defense wins championships. Otherwise... the Yankees would've won about 7-8 titles over the last 10 years.

I don't know when the Dodgers fans became so high and mighty; maybe it's the fact that you guys won your FIRST playoff game since 1988 this past season. 20 years without a playoff victory, if that doesn't SCREAM dynasty then I don't know what does...

As for our offense that can't score runs...

Last year, Fred Lewis, in his first full season, played with a bunion that bothered him all year and still put up .282/.351 in 468 AB's. He'll be ready for spring training completely healthy and a full year under his belt. Expect a big year from him. Also, Edgar Renteria showed up to spring training for the Detroit Tigers, last year, out of shape. His numbers showed it. In the 1st half of last year Renteria put up .254/.301 as compared to his second half stats, when he was back in shape, .296/.343. His last year in the NL, with ATL in 2007, he put up a line of .332/.390. I don't think he'll get to that line again but I imagine something close to last years second half line is about right. Let's also not forget, we have a full year of Pablo Sandoval.

You Dodger fans are right, you can't win if you can't score runs. However, if your pitching staff dominates opposing teams lineups you don't have to score a whole lot of runs. You just have to score ENOUGH runs. We have an offense that will do that... and we WILL dominate you pathetic Dodgers all year long...

"You Dodger fans are right, you can't win if you can't score runs. However, if your pitching staff dominates opposing teams lineups you don't have to score a whole lot of runs. You just have to score ENOUGH runs. We have an offense that will do that... and we WILL dominate you pathetic Dodgers all year long..."

You realize the Dodgers have had a Top 3 pitching staff almost every year since at least 2000, right? In fact, I believe it was 2003 when the Dodgers went to Detroit to face a team that lost 119 games that year. They scored a combined 4 more runs than that lousy Tigers team in the 3 game series. What's the point? It doesn't matter HOW good your pitching is, if your offense sucks, you don't make the playoffs. It fit again this past year: Dodgers were a .500 team with the best pitching staff in the NL. When they finally got someone who could hit they started to win.

And to claim Fred Lewis is going to have a big year... ummm, really? The guy who has been league average the past two years? The guy that has no power? The guy who is a better version of Dave Roberts? A big year? At least you could have said Sandoval.

Ooooh Dodger fans...Your team is quietly crumbling before you and you guys are so ignorant that you can't see it. Your owner is dragging the organization down and Colletti, in his short tenure thusfar, has already signed STUDS like Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt and, my favorite, Andruw Jones. Your pitching staff is absolutely GARBAGE. Pitching and defense wins championships. Otherwise... the Yankees would've won about 7-8 titles over the last 10 years.

I don't know when the Dodgers fans became so high and mighty; maybe it's the fact that you guys won your FIRST playoff game since 1988 this past season. 20 years without a playoff victory, if that doesn't SCREAM dynasty then I don't know what does...

As for our offense that can't score runs...

Last year, Fred Lewis, in his first full season, played with a bunion that bothered him all year and still put up .282/.351 in 468 AB's. He'll be ready for spring training completely healthy and a full year under his belt. Expect a big year from him. Also, Edgar Renteria showed up to spring training for the Detroit Tigers, last year, out of shape. His numbers showed it. In the 1st half of last year Renteria put up .254/.301 as compared to his second half stats, when he was back in shape, .296/.343. His last year in the NL, with ATL in 2007, he put up a line of .332/.390. I don't think he'll get to that line again but I imagine something close to last years second half line is about right. Let's also not forget, we have a full year of Pablo Sandoval.

You Dodger fans are right, you can't win if you can't score runs. However, if your pitching staff dominates opposing teams lineups you don't have to score a whole lot of runs. You just have to score ENOUGH runs. We have an offense that will do that... and we WILL dominate you pathetic Dodgers all year long...

That took a lot of effort to type that, I'll give you that. But you'll have to try harder. Bottom line>>>your starting rotation may possibly be marginally better than last year. Doesn't sound very catapulting, dont you think?

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=24443

From today's ESPN Chat with Baseball America's Jim Callis:

Derrick (Tulsa, OK): Can you rank the 5 NL West farm systems?

 Jim Callis : (2:59 PM ET ) Sure. From best to worst: Giants, Rockies, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Padres. The Giants have an elite system, while all the rest are in the 20-30 range for me.

"im Callis : (2:59 PM ET ) Sure. From best to worst: Giants, Rockies, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Padres. The Giants have an elite system, while all the rest are in the 20-30 range for me."

Makes perfect sense that the D-Backs and Dodgers have graduated most of their talent to the bigs already. What this speaks (loud) volumes for is the bleak outlook for the Padres.

Hopefully the Giants clean up hitter will have more than 16 HRs this year... LOL

LBC,
You're guys weren't exactly killing the long ball either...

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/lad/stats/bycategory?cat=Batting&type=0&year=season_2008&qualified=0&sort=6

If Manny says screw it and signs with someone out side of Cali, then the Dodgers have a better hitting team and the Giants have a better starting pitching staff.. barely.
The dodgers did lead the NL in ERA however.. and the Giants? a distant 9th..

"and who says the cali rivalry isn't as strong as the other prominent ones in the sport? i love the chatter on this board, i can't wait until april.

Posted by: WeToddDid | January 07, 2009 at 05:36 PM "

Hell yeah it is..

Red Sox/Yankees
Cubs/The Goat
Dodgers/Giants

its hilarious how all the dodger fans try to talk about our low homerun total when nobody even hit 20 hr except Ethier who had exactly 20 (Manny if you count his Boston HRs)

we had no power production outside of Molina but you guy werent much better

second paragraph was supposed to read "are NOT impact players. . ."

"remember the last team to the world series from the nl west was the giants in 02. are pitching was okay and we had like 3 actual good pitchers. they lost the division and won the wild card by like a game. anything is possible watch."

Have you been under a rock or something for the last 2 years or are you just dense?
The Rockies went the the WS last year!

Try again!

ok whatever but it was two years ago not last year

"ok whatever but it was two years ago not last year"

Yeah I guess I'm still in an 08 frame of mind.

Wow, I had no idea that a guy classy enough to call himself "giants mofo" would have the redline to the Giants front office. Sorry, but I'm calling BS!

Also, Bills is not supposed to miss any of spring training let alone the regular season! Berroa was a loss but we still have Hu (who's glove is great but has no stick in the majors) so he would be a great backup for furcal.

As far as Manny goes, I not sure where $20+M per year is only "a little costly." The point is that the Giants will only get Manny if he really wants to be a Giant because they don't have enough money this year to put Manny on the books and keep their salary under $100M (which I'm sure was brought up during your conversation with the "President", you insider you!) And by the way the Giants only have about $10M left before they reach that $100M threshold, while the Dodgers have over $60M left to spend to even come close to their payroll last year.

You make all Giant fans look bad and should stop posting immediately! I feel that my IQ lowered just for responding to you.

F YOU

F OFF

how r u anyway?

8th u just pissed me off and the account it for fun

"how r u anyway?"

"8th u just pissed me off and the account it for fun"

Your not making any sense. Not sure what you are trying to say. Maybe if you stop sputtering sentence fragments and post something sensible it would make much more sense.

i am not the best speller and i ment who not how.

Cut -

You pretty much take last years Giants and try to make them this years Giants everytime you post...

Our pen is a work in progress but is HELLA better than last year.

Chulk - GONE
Walker - GONE
Hennessey - GONE
Kline - GONE

Romo - IN
Hinshaw - IN
Affeldt - IN
Howry - IN (remains to be seen how he does)
Wilson - another offseason working with Robb Nen

We got a little taste of what Romo / Hinshaw could do last season and they performed great.

Offense - again a work in progress but HELLA better.

Omar - GONE
Aurilia - GONE
Durham - GONE

Sandoval - IN
Renteria - IN

Sandoval another one we got a little taste of but performed INCREDIBLY.

Our starting pitching - Randy Johnson as a #4? How many better #4's are there?? Our one weakness is Zito.

And I still don't know where you see Giants fans saying we will run away with the West...

I've stated from the start that we will compete but that's not saying much in the West.

I've also stated whoever gets Manny between Giants / Dodgers will win the West. YES Manny is that much of a difference maker. For some reason most of you Dodger fans don't look at how bad your team was pre-Manny. Manny was the difference.
Plus the Giants had a better W/L record against you Post-Manny.
When Bochy finally benched the old guys and let the kids play, it was a different team.

We still are not going to be a great team, but better than you unfortunately will ever give us credit...

Oh well....a homer is a homer is a homer.

about all of this attendance chatter...

Chavez Ravine has a capacity of approx 56,000, where as ATT Park has approx 42,000

"The point is that the Giants have a good amount of "prospects" with bright futures while the Dodgers young guns are already on the big league roster and contributing to the team. The vast majority of our roster is homegrown. You can bag on the Dodgers all you want but the point is that it is completely illogical to assume that the additions that the Giants have made will really allow them to make a huge splash in the west. Just reaching .500 would be a huge improvement from the past few years for the black and orange. All I'm asking is that you all be realistic."

I see your point, but I just dont see the dodger youngsters as great contributers, I chalk up their success to a hired bat who will be out of la soon imo. I was really impressed at the end of the year when the Giants went 6 and 3 against the d's when they fielded the youth. I thought of it as "things are getting better". The Giants last two months of the year was similar to what were going to see from them in 09 which was .500 ball and we improved slightly from last year. So far I dont feel like colletti has improved the dodgers YET. This is why I'm really interested to see what moves he makes. If you guys get manny and a stud starter you'll win the west again, but if colletti falls short, on either it may be closer then people think. I also agree that the Giants will be around a .500 team, but so were the dodgers last year.

And the giants do have a lot of prospects that are catching a lot of attention, I don't think the dodgers really match up in that category. Still the Giants wont be seeing most of them for at least two more years. The giants are building in the right direction and I can wait for the bright future. And I think that IS realistic.

The Dodgers lost Lowe, Penny, Saito and Biemel. Resigned an injury plagued Furcal and are scrapping together their change to sign Manny Ramirez. Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre have been a total disaster and Jason Schmidt will never be the same. I honestly think the Dodgers are going to finish dead last in the NL west. They have no starting staff whatsoever. Ned Colleti is a moron.

I think the Giants are taking steps in the right direction but are still a long ways off from winning a title. They need at least 2 big bats in that line up. Orlando Hudson and Manny would be nice, but Manny's price are not worth it. The starting staff is the best in the NL and the bull pen has gotten stronger, but only adding Renteria is not going to cut it.

Barry Bonds is Available.....for peanuts...He never quit on his team.

standtallurgiants,

As I mentioned above the sheer fact that the Dodgers will be healthier this year will add more games in the win column for sure. Yes we need a bat in LF, but if we don't sign Manny Dunn and Abreu are both available and will provide the power we need. As far as a starter, yes we need someone, but not an ace. We need a 4th or 5th starter type to eat some innings and keep the ball out of the pen. We did not have a legit 5th starter all year long last year either and still posted the best ERA in the NL.

As far as our farm system, its rebuilding again because of the glut of prospects that are not contributing to the major league team. How could you expect a minor league system to recover immediately from the loss of its 10 best players? Logan White is one of the best scouts in the game (I'm not being biased--look him up, hes very well regarded and respected by everyone in baseball) and we have some players to watch out for in the lower levels of our system right now.

I never said that things aren't looking better for the Giants, I was arguing that they are a few years off of being where the Dodgers were last year, while the Dodgers kids are only continuing to improve and are currently at a higher level then the "prospects" that the Giants have in their farm system right now.

Colletti is a moron, I am a lifelong Dodgers fan but even I can admit that. He doesn't have to do that much to improve the team though. One more starter, a bat in LF and a reliever with over $40+M to spend, that doesn't sound like too tough for even him.

One last point, the Giants did improve against the Dodgers in the final games of the season. But, what you have to keep in mind is that the Dodgers clinched the division a week or two before that series and Torre was letting 2nd, 3rd, and 4th string guys play. The Dodgers had to rest some of the guys who had been playing all year long so they could get the best performance out of them in the playoffs.

Cutmeibleedblue-

You may have a decent bullpen but without a starting rotation those arms are going to tired all year long. The Giants have the Dodgers on pitching and defense but not on Offense....yet. I would like to see Manny in a Giants uniform but not a ridiculous price tag. The Giants have gotten stronger while all the NL West teams have gotten weaker.

We will just have to see what happens when they play the games.

"As far as calling me a "homer" come on man I thought you were more mature than that. I guess I was wrong you are a child (or at least have the maturity level of one). You don't know a thing about me and to make an assumption like that signifies plain old ignorance. But go figure. . . "

HAHA...a bit sensitive are we?? I didn't call you an Ahole or make remarks about your mom! Calling you a homer is harder immature...It stands from you not giving the Giants credit. Calm Down.

I get called MUCH worse than that everytime I enter Dodger stadium...

standtallurgiants,

McDonald is looking like a stud, he tore up the minors last year and looked as good as anyone out of the pen in the bigs. As far as Elbert, he had an injury in the minors in 07 and was still trying to get back into form last year. He was almost as touted as Kershaw at one time and I would not be surprised to see him break out this year like McDonald did last year either could be a legit 5th starter this year (I would rather see them in the pen for an entire season though to get used to major league hitting). As far as a starter goes the Dodgers could be in on anyone that is left, they have the money. Realistically, I think they will end up with one or two of Wolf/Pettitte/Garland, but I would much rather see them get Sheets or Lowe and one of the previous three. Sheets would be ideal but we would have to sign a second vet in case he gets hurt. McDonald, Elbert, and Kershaw are all going to have an inning limit next year. We also have Stults who has done great in spot starts but I don't think he can hang all year long.

Also, I never tried to say that our starting rotation is better than SF's, obviously your starting pitching is your best attribute. But your pen is better but still questionable. And I feel that the Dodgers had great defense last year and will have even better defense this year with DeWitt at second rather then Kent. We are a very defensively sound team now (especially the infield). The only questionmark is Blake who is solid but by no means gold glove. I'm pretty sure that Kemp and Ethier led the NL in outfield assists, so the only weakness (in terms of defense) would be Manny (if we get him) or Pierre. I'm giving your team credit where credit is due (your rotation) so I would expect the same (our defense, offense, and bullpen).

In regard to the pen I would have liked to see us get either Smoltz or Hoffman as a closer because I don't feel that Broxton is where he needs to be yet, but he is lights out as a set up man. We'll see what happens, but even you have to admit that if the Dodgers get Manny, a solid starter (Pettitte/Wolf/Garland), and another bullpen piece they will win the West hands down and probably even do better than they did last year. I don't feel that this is unreasonable at all considering the amount of FAs still available and the amount of money the Dodgers still have to spend.