"Here I Come To Save The Daaaaaay..."

Many of you young readers might not get the Mighty Mouse reference in the title. Frankly I feel like Chris "You're With Me Leather" Berman for making a reference to a TV show that aired nearly 60 years ago. Be that as it may, the deal is now done and done under the best of terms. Manny Ramirez is officially a member of the White Sox roster. No players were given up for him. No contract extension was issued. No extra money was exchanged. Just a straight waiver claim was all it took to get him, and that's really the only way it should be.

The reaction so far has been pretty mixed. David Haugh is one of many that are already tsk-tsking the White Sox for acquiring a known steroid user. I honestly can't blame people of his line of thinking for objecting to it. I would just caution them to realize that Manny is hardly the first White Sox player that was a steroid user, and he certainly won't be the last. Anyone remember who Jose Canseco played for in 2001?

I'm not going to pretend that I've reconciled any feelings of guilt about this, because I haven't. I still feel pretty conflicted about this. There are two things I keep reminding myself over and over again that help me get through this. The first thing is that The Steroid Era is bigger than Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, or Manny Ramirez. The true price we are paying from the Era itself, is that level of trust and benefit of the doubt from the fans is forever gone for any player who has success in the big leagues now. The second thing that helps is reminding myself that this is strictly an Alliance Situation. We don't like Manny, and Manny doesn't like anyone not named "Manny Ramirez", but that's OK. In order for both the White Sox (playoff baseball in 2010) and Manny (one last big contract) to get what they want, they both know and understand that they will have to work together for it to happen.

One thing I also would like people to understand is that Manny Ramirez is still a really damn good hitter. This point is clearly and concisely articulated here. I understand that there is a tremendous amount of theater with this Alliance, but for right now The Beard is just going to enjoy the ride and hope the movie has a happy ending. With that said, after seeing my Uncle Joe this past weekend, here are some "fun facts" you may not know about Manny Ramirez :

• In 1991 Manny Ramirez was take 13th in the MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians. Do you remember who picked 12th? That would be your Chicago Cubs. You know who they picked instead of Ramirez? Doug Glanville. My oh my how that pick could have changed Cub history...
• Manny Ramirez has made nearly $205 million dollars in his career. Not bad for a 19 year old high school dropout...
• Why does Manny wear #99? According to wikipedia : Ramirez has always worn uniform number 24, but the Dodgers have retired that number in honor of Hall-of-Fame manager Walter Alston. Ramirez countered the Dodgers' suggestion of 28 by suggesting 34, but no Dodger has worn that number since Fernando Valenzuela. Ramirez finally accepted number 99, but the next day asked for 28, the Dodgers' original suggestion. However, the Dodgers' marketing department had already begun producing merchandise with number 99, so Ramirez stuck with that number.

So there you have it. One of the most unlikeliest moves the White Sox could have made is now reality. Where they go from here, will be the answer to the $3.75 million dollar question of "Which Manny will the White Sox be getting?"

Deal With The Devil

The White Sox - to their credit - have continued to fight their way through the schedule. Last night's needless nail-biter was a microcosm of what has plagued this team for the better part of the past two weeks, and that would be their suddenly quite touchable bullpen. Now with the health of both Thornton and Putz in serious jeopardy, the Sox will now have to rely on the very green yet impressive rookie Chris Sale, the even greener Sergio Santos, and the closest thing to Octavio Dotel in a White Sox uniform - Scott Linebrink, until Putz and Thornton recover. I don't know about you, but I am REALLY uncomfortable with those three at the back end of our bullpen...

Which now begs this question : would picking up Manny Ramirez be worth it? Obviously there has been multiple reports that the White Sox will make a waiver claim once Ramirez is inevitably put on waivers by the Dodgers. There's some debate as to what exactly the White Sox would have to give up, but the general consensus (Incidentally I served under General Consensus in Viet Nam) is that the Sox wouldn't be giving up a player for him. Also, at 38 years old even though his power numbers are way down, Manny can still hit. So it's quite a debate.

To be perfectly honest with you, I am really conflicted about this. I've never liked Manny Ramirez nor his Me-First-Manny-Being-Manny B.S., which has caused him to have the baseball reputation of a leper. He's quit on several teams over his career, and now because he's quit on the Dodgers is the only reason the White Sox are in a position to get him in the first place. Not to mention he's a known steroid user as well.

That being said, the White Sox are in a bind. Their bullpen is on life-support, as is their season. They aren't going to be able to pick up any pitching help, so that means the White Sox are just going to have to out-slug teams the rest of the way. Manny Ramirez would definitely help with that effort.

Bottom Line : The Beard officially hopes Kenny rolls the dice (when he's not bringing some random chick that's definitely NOT his wife to comedy clubs in Schaumburg) and signs him thus completing the White Sox most Faustian acquisition since Albert Belle. Look at it this way, if it doesn't work the White Sox only have this idiot for 5 weeks, the first two of which would involve him going to his old stomping grounds in Cleveland and Boston. If it WERE to work however, and Manny helps the Sox score enough runs to get into the postseason, they look like geniuses.

Either way, it'll be a helluva show to watch.