Too Manny in Left

Memo to Jim Hendry:

Congratulations on your recent contract extension. Well earned. There is no question that from April to September you are the best GM in baseball. Now that your near future is secure, perhaps you could do something to secure the near future of the Cubs and their fans. Number one on that list would be to ignore the rumors of trying to bring Manny Ramirez to the Friendly Confines.

You’ve been successful for the past seven years and no doubt know all there is to know about the current state of the Cubs. But while you were cutting your baseball teeth at Creighton University and with the Florida Marlins, we need you to understand there is more to Cubs history than Ron Santo.

We have had our fair share of problems in leftfield – Dave Kingman, George Bell and Moises Alou. Offensive forces in their own right, but absolute dogs in the field and on the basepaths.

The last thing this club needs is another Ramirez preening in the batter’s box as his fly ball lands on the warning track for a “better-hurry-my-ass-to-make-this-a” double. Two Ramirez’s would be too many.

If you insist on putting someone with long hair out on the field, put Marla Collins back in blue pinstripes.

You know Boras isn’t going to let Manny go anywhere for less than four years and they’re pushing for six. With Manny being Manny for thirty-six years now, the last thing we need is to watch a 41 year old stumbling around left field. Haven’t we learned our lesson from Soriano? And he’s only 32.

There’s no doubt that Ramirez has been the premier right handed hitting stud since 1995. But unless he has a Bondsian streak in him, his skills should start to deteriorate and soon. Maybe you get a really great year and one or two decent (in Manny-terms) years after that. He alone will not get the Cubs to the World Series. You still need to find other players who know how to hit between the end of the regular season and Spring Training. Last time I looked, the Dodgers weren’t facing the Rays in the World Series.

One final point. It’s not about the money. You want to spend $130 million to put ballplayers on the field? Fine by me – it’s not my money. It’s the Tribune’s, or Cuban’s or whomever. As a fan I don’t care how much you’re paying these guys.

However, if we are to be teased over the course of six months, only to face a questionable fall, I would prefer we do it with talented, driven ballplayers. Not talented, me-first players.