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Monday, March 7, 2011

‘Good Manny’ offers a Ray of hope for Tampa Bay Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2011-03-07/good-manny-offers-a-ray-of-hope-for-tampa


The way he looks this spring—healthy and happy—he should reach 600 homers in 2012. Three thousand hits remain a stretch, but with Manny, who will turn 39 in May, pretty much anything is possible for better or worse. If Manny ever gets to 600-3,000, he will join a club that includes only Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

So far, Ramirez has shown the Rays nothing but his good side, which had given way to his other side—on and off the field—for much of the past two years.

He is 7-for-17 in spring training after a 1-for-3 showing against the Pirates on Monday, the hit coming on a line single up the middle. He has displayed a tireless devotion to his craft, showing up by 8 a.m. for Sunday batting practice even though he had been told he didn't need to come to the park at all.

"It's hard to find him without a bat in his hands," catcher John Jaso said. "It's kind of weird."

But in a good way. Jaso, 27, says "It's cool playing on a team with a guy I watched as a kid. I expect him to bring some fans to the field."

Last week, Ramirez asked his way into the lineup on another scheduled off day (with all the off days, the Rays clearly aren't worried about him finding his swing). "He came up to me during the game the day before and said I want to play tomorrow," manager Joe Maddon said. "Of course, you're in. This is what we're getting right now."

Maddon said Manny also has been working diligently on his defense, even though he does not figure to play in the field.

"We're not concerned with his inability to play the outfield," Maddon insisted. "We're concerned with keeping him healthy. Our turf is hard. Why risk getting him hurt because he's here for his bat?"

The Rays reaped one of baseball's biggest bargains last year when they signed Joaquin Benoit to a $750,000 minor league deal, called him up in late April and watched him emerge as the game's best eighth-inning reliever. For $2 million, Manny could turn into an even bigger bargain.

"I see no reason to think he's not going to hit. I really think he's going to have a big year," said a scout who has watched the Rays four times this spring. "I was looking at his numbers the other day. This guy has had an amazing career."

At the winter meetings, agent Scott Boras said that Manny had undergone an offseason "hernia-type" surgery for an ailment that Ramirez apparently did not know about last season. "It had a pretty big impact on his performance," Boras said.

In the visitors' clubhouse at McKechnie Field, Manny was approachable sitting in front of his locker before Rays batting practice. He shook hands and obliged with the "I'm just happy to be playing" line. He said asking his way into the lineup on a scheduled off day was no big deal. "I've always done that," he said.

He would not, however, talk about the surgery or anything regarding 2010.

"That was last year," he said. "I don't want to talk about last year. That's the past."

Then he turned toward two teammates, laughed and said, "I feel good now. I feel good."

The Rays can only hope he feels good in the coming months. If the Rays get 150 games from Manny, count on them to have a very good year. Because if Manny plays that much, it means he'll be hitting. If Manny is hitting, the Rays will be scoring. He is penciled into the cleanup spot behind Evan Longoria.

Has Manny done much to surprise you so far?

"He may have surprised others, but not me," Maddon said. "Conversations with him have been great. His work has been spectacular. He's swinging the bat really well. The biggest thing from our perspective is to keep him rested and healthy. If we do that, he's going to have a good year."

After the past couple, he could use one.

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