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Can the former coach neutralize dangerous slugger in postseason?
By Ben Shpigel
New York Times
Published on Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008
MILWAUKEE: It would have been captivating television, if only someone had used a video camera to follow around the folksy West Virginia-born hitting coach and his flaky Dominican pupil through minor-league outposts and on to Cleveland, their profiles soaring together. They could have called the video ''Manny and Charlie Being Manny and Charlie.''
But even without such footage, the real-life narrative that links the unlikely pair of Manny Ramirez and Charlie Manuel continues to be a fascinating one. For all their differences, each man knows how it feels to be underestimated.
With his long hair and bandana, and his occasional on-field antics, Ramirez, the Los Angeles Dodgers' left fielder, can be subject to caricature. And indeed, he can be as unpredictable as Colorado weather until he steps into the batter's box, where his brilliance is unsurpassed.
Manuel, the respected manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, is a hitting savant, too, although it is questionable whether the average fan is aware of that.
Manuel's malapropisms, his drawl, his slow and slightly hunched-over gait have spawned hurtful nicknames like Elmer Befuddled and Grandpa Charlie, but they also conceal a wickedly smart baseball man. Manuel counts slugger Jim Thome among his proteges; he received much of the credit for the Indians' leading the American League in runs scored three times during his tenure as their hitting coach in the 1990s; and, at age 64, he has no problem connecting with players who are often less than half his age.
Perhaps some of the misunderstandings about Ramirez and Manuel helped create a bond between them; they remain friends more than 15 years after their paths first crossed. With the Dodgers and the Phillies set to meet in the National League Championship Series, in a reprise of playoff matchups from 1977, '78 and '83, there might be no subplot as intriguing or as strategically important as the one involving Manuel and Ramirez.
Ramirez is the most dangerous hitter on what might be the most dangerous team in the postseason, having hit .500 with two home runs in the Dodgers' three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs. He hits balls near his shoe tops and near the No. 99 on the front of his uniform. Ask the Cubs if he has any weaknesses.
Maybe they do not exist. But if they do, Manuel could be just the man to know what they might be. Their timelines first intersected in 1993, when Ramirez, a hotshot Cleveland prospect, arrived in Charlotte, N.C., where Manuel was managing the Indians' Triple-A affiliate. Manuel told the Philadelphia Inquirer a few months ago that Ramirez, then 21, arrived at the ballpark directly from the airport but did not have any money to pay the limousine driver.
After a clubhouse attendant was dispatched to settle the fare, Ramirez met with Manuel — but without his suitcase or equipment bag. He had left everything at the airport. That night, in his Triple-A debut, Ramirez went 2-for-4.
''Around the batting cage before that game, I was giving Manny a hard time,'' Manuel told the Inquirer. ''I said, 'Ah, it looks like Cleveland sent me another young kid to work with.' After that game, I told one of my coaches, 'I guess I won't be working with him too much.' ''
As Ramirez blossomed into one of baseball's most feared hitters, Manuel was often right there beside him, staying in his ear. He became the Indians' hitting coach in 1994, Ramirez's first full season with the team, and they remained together in those roles until 2000, when Manuel was promoted to manager.
The 2000 season was also Ramirez's final one with the Tribe; afterward, he left for Boston as a free agent. When the Red Sox were searching for a hitting coach after the 2002 season (Manuel had been fired by the Indians at the All-Star break), they zeroed in on Manuel, but failed to agree on compensation.
And when the Red Sox finally grew weary of Ramirez's behavior this season and resolved to trade him, Philadelphia was viewed as a possible destination, with the belief being that Ramirez would waive his no-trade clause for the chance to reunite with Manuel.
But can Manuel really neutralize the slugger that he coached for so long? The numbers suggest he could have some success. In 2008, including two interleague games in June between the Red Sox and the Phillies, Ramirez batted .212 in 33 at-bats, with one homer and five runs batted in. Overall, during Manuel's four seasons with the Phillies, Ramirez hit .269 against them in 19 games, with six homers.
None of those numbers, it should be noted, were compiled in the postseason. More is at stake now. Ramirez, a free agent after the season, is playing for a new contract; Manuel is trying to steer Philadelphia to its first World Series berth since 1993. The student and the teacher are ready to go at it.
MILWAUKEE: It would have been captivating television, if only someone had used a video camera to follow around the folksy West Virginia-born hitting coach and his flaky Dominican pupil through minor-league outposts and on to Cleveland, their profiles soaring together. They could have called the video ''Manny and Charlie Being Manny and Charlie.''
Get the full article here.
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