By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com
PHOENIX – Everyone is saying the right things, of course. Why wouldn’t they?
The right things from Many Ramirez, trying to escape what he did to himself, to baseball and to his wife.
The right things from the Oakland Athletics, who out of desperation are taking a chance on Manny.
© RealClearSports 2012
By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner
PHOENIX -- Green-collar baseball? When Manny Ramirez is in camp for the A’s, it’s green do-rag baseball. It’s “Guess who’s in the cage?” baseball. It’s “Can he still do it?” baseball.
It hasn’t been like this for a while at Papago Park, the A’s training complex, a ball player who has to be watched, if even to find out whether he still deserves to be watched.
Copyright 2012 SF Newspaper Company
By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner
The A’s? “Team Irrelevant”? Grabbing supposedly the best Cuban baseball playing defector available, Yoenis Cespedes, for $36 million? Then signing Manny Ramirez? The A’s?
Welcome to the New World of Moneyball. No longer when a journalist asks GM Billy Beane whether we’ll recognize any members of the A’s will he be able to respond, if tongue in cheek, “Do you ever?”
Copyright 2012 SF Newspaper Company
A's, Billy Beane, Manny Ramirez, Yoenis Cespedes articles, baseball, basketball, football