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Sports SpotBy Terry BettertonIt’s a terrific summer to be a Los Angeles Dodgers fan. But... The Boys in Blue have the best record among the 30 Major League Baseball teams and are running away in the National League West Division standings. Midway through the season, it appeared that Los Angeles had a lock on the playoffs. Of course, anything can happen in baseball and often does. But... With a handful of young, talented players who seem to have come of age, there is an element of excitement that has been missing at Dodger Stadium for a long time, including winning more one-run games than any other team. But... That excitement is obvious everytime 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw takes the mound, reviving 45-year-old memories of Sandy Koufax, another hard-throwing left-handed pitcher whose curve would buckle the knees of batters. The buzz is audible when relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton brings his 99-mile-per-hour fastball out of the bullpen in the ninth inning with the game on the line, recalling the thrills Eric Gagne provided just a few years ago. But... Multi-talented Matt Kemp is cutting down the number of youthful mistakes and becoming an All-Star worthy player. Pitcher Chad Billingsley, outfielder Andre Ethier, first baseman James Loney and catcher Russell Martin, all in their 20s, have become established Big League players. But... There is not a shortstop in the majors with a better arm than Rafael Furcal. Batting clean-up or in the No. 8 spot, third baseman Casey Blake has been steady and productive. Second baseman Orlando Hudson, acquired shortly before the start of training camp, has provided the missing piece of the puzzle. Juan Pierre has to be the best fourth outfielder in either league. But... Then, there is Manny Ramirez, and this is where the “But...” comes in. (Doesn’t there always seem to be a “but,” regardless of the topic, but that is a subject for another time. There we go again with another "but," which just proves the point.) One of the most talented hitters of this era, Ramirez has the rare ability to hit for average and power. He recently passed the storied Mickey Mantle on the career home run list. The addition of Ramirez late last season provided the push that vaulted the Dodgers to the NL West title. With a career batting average of .315, at least 17 home runs in each of his previous 15 Major League seasons and at least 100 RBI in all but three seasons, Ramirez should be at the top of the list why Dodger fans are excited. We hate to repeat this, But... Instead of being placed on a pedestal, Ramirez is the reason for doubt and just plain embarrassment to those who claim to bleed blue. In mid July, Ramirez returned to the Dodgers after serving a 50-game suspension after a preseason blood test revealed a banned substances. “I think he’s bad for the Dodgers and bad for baseball,” said Jon Medina while fishing off the pier in Cayucos. A self described “Big” Dodger fan, Medina wasn’t having any more luck fishing than he was figuring out a way to move to the Central Coast from Delano, where the sweat shirt he was wearing would be packed deep in his closet. “I was kind of hoping (the Dodgers) would get rid of him.” Fans without emotional ties to the Dodgers are even more direct, like Louie of Morro Bay, who preferred not to give his last name, while getting a hair cut and beard trim at Mike’s on Morro Bay Blvd. “Manny Ramirez is an overpaid idiot. Professional sports doesn’t need clowns and he’s a clown.” Ramirez did not get paid while he was on suspension, nor should he. He did lose roughly $7 million, leaving him “only” $18 million on which to get by. But, this is about more than the obviously wide income gap between the fans and the players. That it is easier for Ramirez to lose $7 million in income than it is for the average fan to pay the $15 parking fee at Dodger Stadium is irrelevant . (Which makes me wonder, do the players have to pay to park at the stadium? The average pay for players is more than $1 million. The average income for fans is, well, considerably less. But – there is that word again – that is another topic. Let’s get back to Man Ram, the nickname given by teammates and, ironically, a reason for a chuckle since the substance found in Ramirez’s blood was a female hormone commonly used to mask steroids.) Since his return, Ramirez has been greeted luke warmly on the road and, as can be excepted, more warmly at home. “It’s to a point that people don’t care about what a player does,” said Louie, the unnamed source in this expose of people’s opinion on drug use in sports. “All they care about is if their team wins.” In his defense, Ramirez has served his time, at least the time judged to be sufficient by Major League Baseball through negotiations with the players union. And, to put it into context, it is more time than served by other players generally regarded as cheaters in the area of performance enhancing drugs. Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, etc., all played in a time when there was no penalty. But – never has so much importance been given to a three-letter word – is 50 days enough? Should there be more? Does the penalty meet the seriousness of the crime? “In cycling, there is a no-tolerance situation,” Torcaso said. “The penalty can be up to two years, which can be career ending and that is a little strict. Baseball’s 50-game suspension is ridiculous. If you’re going to penalize somebody, give a penalty that hurts.” While a baseball player with extremely gifted physical ability, Ramirez is not a sympathetic character. More than one national commentator, on television and in print, has described him as a “knucklehead.” Once revered by Boston Red Sox fans, he had worn out his welcome before being traded to the Dodgers. The rub for many is that fact that since returning to the Dodgers, Ramirez has refused to discuss the events that led up to and the reasons for his suspension. He has apologized to his teammates, but not, at least in person, to the fans. He has not explained why he was taking a female hormone. (Maybe he was trying to get pregnant?) The penalties were put in place to protect the integrity of the game. With that in mind, part of the penalty needs to be full, public disclosure before any suspended player is allowed to return. Ramirez needs to face the public – in the form of a press conference – and explain his actions, tell why he did what he did. “He is an example of an arrogant player who thinks he’s above everybody else, that he doesn’t have to follow the rules,” said Medina, the Dodger fan from Delano who was doing more fishing than catching on the Cayucos Pier. “He needs to express some regret, show some remorse for what he’s done.” Really, it gets down to one simple rule. The game is bigger than the athletes who play it. Torcaso, the non-fan, said it simply and said it best in a way that is not about Manny Ramirez, not about baseball, but about all players in all sports. “If you’re going to play the game, you play by the rules.” |
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