Is Manny a Prima Donna?

The Bottom line is that Manny Ramirez wanted to be traded to any other team as long as he was out of Boston. The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Manny, he is happy to be a Dodger, but in reality he would be happy anywhere.
He told ESPNdeportes.com that he would even play in Iraq if needed because his job is to play baseball. He is not in love with the Dodgers he has gratitude for taking him away from Boston.It's okay to lose a game when the team tries their best. It's another to walk away and quit, which is unfair to the teammates and loyal fans, and that's exactly what Manny Ramirez did to the Boston Red Sox.
Ramirez forced the Red Sox to trade him by using some controversial antics. Fake injuries and not running to first base on ground balls, many teams were not sure if he was a good investment, but Dodgers recognized his .314 career hitting and they acquired Ramirez in a three-team trade.

Before Manny, the Dodgers were in contention with the Arizona Diamondback for a playoff spot but it seemed bleak that they would be able to hold them off and their attendance was dropping. After Manny arrived the Dodgers won the 2008 NL West Title and a playoff series, which they have not done in 20 years. Plus the Dodgers made a profit of the boost in attendance.

I am aware that Ramirez was helpful in the Dodger's line-up, but I'm afraid that he is going to get bored of playing with the Dodgers and start faking injuries, not to mention that he is known to apologize for his behavior. If Manny doesn't pull a stunt of having freak injuries or running slow and blaming it on his age (he turns 37 in May), I wouldn't worried about it, but nobody can guarantee that's not going to happen. The season hasn't started and he was cut off from the Dodgers game against South Korea's WBC team because of tightness in his left hamstring and Joe Torre gave me the day off.

According to the nydailynews.com in an article by Roger Rubin, last year on June 5, Ramirez got into the dugout and pushed first baseman Kevin Youkilis that start a shoving match and on June 28, Manny threw to the ground the 64-year-old Jack McCormick, who is the team's traveling secretary for not fulfilling a large ticket request in Houston.

In fact, Hartfordcourant.com has described Ramirez as a prima donna. All these actions are known as "Manny being Manny," said by Indian's Manager Mike Hargrove in a 1995 Newsday article.

It seems that it's not going take long for Manny to start being Manny. In his press conference he stated that he already made his money and he is in a happy place. For my understanding, it seems that if he is not happy he could leave at anytime and nothing would stop him because he already made his money. He knows how much he helped the Dodgers, so he thinks he is worth all that money he is asking for.

There is no "I" in the word team. The Dodgers have a strong line-up, which includes Andre Either, Matt Kemp just to name a few. "I'm gonna go and give my best" said Ramirez promising a great offense, but a strong offense by itself doesn't mean anything if you have weak pitchers. The Dodgers had the lowest earned run average in the National League.

There are many teams that come with great lineups and don't prove anything. The Detroit Tigers, had a powerful line up, and finish in last place in the American League Central all because their pitchers were giving up runs they were not doing there job. It was the first time in five years that the Detroit Tigers fell behind in the central division.

One guy can't shoulder all the work. Sure, I'm aware that the dodgers numbers were good after Manny was acquired, but I still believe watching him play is like watching a time bomb just waiting to explode.