The Tampa Bay Rays have signed Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. If we were to list the most important members of the Rivalry of the last 15 years, these guys would rank right up there. Here is a hastily put together top 10:
- Derek Jeter
- Pedro Martinez
- Manny Ramirez
- Alex Rodriguez
- Mariano Rivera
- David Ortiz
- Roger Clemens
- Johnny Damon
- Nomar Garciaparra
- Don Zimmer
No complaints there, right? These are/were the guys who gave the rivalry the most heat.
And now two of them are in Tampa. Man, I feel old.
16 replies on “Johnny and Manny to Tampa”
I was just coming to post “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA”….the Rays are garbage.
I like the Manny signing for them. The problem for them is that they’re asking Johnny to play in the field. Seems a scary proposition.
Offensively they put themselves back in the running for the wildcard. Their pitching (SP) is very very good. This means Jennings can be eased in and Manny replaces Pena’s bat. Bad news for the east as now every team has made moves to be competitive.
Um…no. And no. Last place for the Rays…where they belong.
No way…the Orioles will still man that position not enough pitching. The great equalizer is pitching and the Rays have that in spades! Plus Brignac should step right in for Bartlett. They aren’t nearly as good offensively but they’ll compete for the wild card even without a closer!
can this be the second coming of wade boggs?…apeaking of mustard, the rays will probably need to order another truckload for each home game to make sure that they have enough now that they’ve signed these 2 guys…seems like pretty low risk though considering what they’re spending…it’s like 1 year for each of them with damon getting $5m or so, and manny getting $2m…boy has manny’s stock dropped…it’s a topsy-turvy world…never thought i’d see manny get more than damon…
If it wasn’t before the AL East has to now be be the most complete division from top to bottom in all of baseball. I am not trying to exaggerate the signings/trades the Orioles, Rays and Jays have made but they have all found a way to either remain in(Rays)or get back into the race in the AL East.
The Rays have a heck of a rotation, with a front-line stud in Price. They have a serviceable lineup, they just lack a closer. Jaso, Zobrist, Rodriguez, Longoria, Brignac, Damon, Jennings/Joyce, Upton, Manny…
The Orioles have (for at least one year) a really, really good offense. Mark Reynolds should hit 40+ HR’s in that park (and strike out 200 times, lol). They have a closer, but lack the front end SP like every other member of the east has. Tillman, Arrieta, etc…they have a ton of young guys, but still very raw. If Wieters ever starts to play like the #1 prospect he was supposed to be that offense could go from very, very good to dangerous. Unlike the Rays, they have a closer.
The Jays have so much young pitching it’s ridiculous. I am not so sure Bautista will repeat his 2010, but they still have enough offense elsewhere to stay in the hunt and they dumped Vernon Wells salary which means they can re-sign Bautista AND add a piece if needed at the deadline.
I am very excited about the AL East this year. Should be a very enjoyable race.
These are two moves that make me depressed. I hate seeing guys like that go to rivals, no matter how their tenure ended in Boston.
Also, for what it’s worth, I’d add Schilling to the list instead of Zimmer. But that’s me.
That Vernon Wells trade is coo coo bananas. Coo coo bananas, I say!
I think the Angels may have just completed the worst offseason since the Red Sox’ 1919-20
it’s weird that all the sox are your list are gone from the sox except ortiz?
honorable mention: varitek, grady, boone, torre
+ Schilling
Mark my words Manny does not play the whole season playing for only 2 million dollars.
Oh wow, just noticed that Manny is only making 2mil. I know he’ll be lucky to play more than half the season, but that’s a cheap price for someone who OPS+’ed 138 last season.
Wait a minute are we supposed to give a standing “O” to both of them when they play in Fenway or boo one and cheer for the other. And what happens when they play in NYY??? I’m so confused now. Maybe the Globe or Boston Dirt Dogs will let me know how I’m supposed to react when they make their first PA?
I laughed, BillsBurg.
Ath, apparently the two were a package deal (Manny and Damon). I think lack of a true fit anywhere else, plus his inability to play the field $2M is right about where he should be. I think Damon was overpaid if anything.