Manny Ramirez

The National League West lacked a clear-cut favorite to win the division for most of its recent history.  That changed though in 2009 when the Dodgers were expected by almost everyone to win the division.  The addition of Manny Ramirez really put them up and above their competition.  The Dodgers did go on to win the NL West, but it was a lot closer than anyone had expected.  Teams such as the Giants and Rockies proved that they were capable of contending with the Dodgers last year.  The Dodgers had to use every ounce of their ability to come away with the NL West, and I feel that the race w

Johnny Damon blew it.

And not by signing with the Detroit Tigers a few days ago. That was just more fallout.

No, Damon blew it in December 2005, when he agreed to sign a free agent contract with the New York Yankees.

Let me start by saying this: I’m a Boston Red Sox fan, but this isn't a fan’s rant about how Damon turned his back on Red Sox Nation to join its most hated rival. The thought never really crossed my mind.

This is simply a practical look at a short-sighted decision made by Damon and his camp four years ago—one that will haunt him for years.

The wire services are crackling with what is deemed to be news today—Manny Ramirez is saying he will not return to the Dodgers in 2011!

This revelation ranks right up there with water being wet and the sky being blue.

Any Dodger fan who is paying attention knows this will be Manny's last season in Dodger blue. They also are aware if fate sends the season sideways, the team would look to deal Manny to an American League team.

On Tuesday the Dodgers dealt Juan Pierre to the White Sox for two pitching prospects to be named later.  While the transaction will cost the Dodgers their fourth outfielder (who had a successful 2009 season), they will save about $8 million.  The deal, yet again, exemplifies this off-season's plan for the Dodgers: the No Improvement Plan.

Prior to the winter meetings next week in the Indianapolis Convention Center, the Los Angeles Dodgers need to decide what moves the team needs to make that will lead towards their next winning season. 

Ned Colletti continues business as usual and makes it a priority to put the Dodgers back in the playoffs for the 2010 season.

Is it just me, or is Bon Jovi getting annoying?

Once the kings of pop metal, the band that serenades us during postseason commercial breaks has become a watered-down country-rock group with none of the edge they used to have.

With that in mind, here are 10 songs that could have been the anthems of the 2009 baseball season.

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Ernest Lawrence Thayer's classic poem "Casey at the Bat" is perhaps the greatest baseball story of all time. Period.

The only possible criticism one could make of the story is the lack of personality exhibited by the titular titan, Casey.

The story is much improved when Casey is replaced with a more colorful character, like Milton Bradley (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/248205).

Therefore, I humbly submit a story of one of the greatest characters in Major League Baseball: Manny Ramirez.

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The 1999 Cleveland Indians had one of the best lineups in the history of Major League Baseball.

They had incredible individual accomplishments. Three sluggers combined for 108 homers. Four hitters had RBIs in the triple-digits. Five players scored 100 or more runs.

They became the first team in nearly 50 years to score 1,000 runs in a season.

In a move that should come as a surprise to nobody, SI.com’s Jon Heyman is reporting that Manny Ramirez will exercise his $20 million player option for 2010.

Nobody in the Los Angeles Dodger organization should be surprised by this. This was a no-brainer decision for Ramirez. At the end of the day, Ramirez didn’t have any other options.

What was he going to do? Back out of his contract and test the free agent market?

Much has been made of Manny Ramirez' location during the National League Championship Series Game Four rally that essentially killed the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2009 season. The Bums' year didn't officially end until Brad Lidge pulled the curtain on Game Five, but—if any baseball game were ever a formality—the clincher qualified in the wake of the devastation wrought on Monday night.

Given all that rode on Jonathan Broxton preserving the win that evaporated with Jimmy Rollins' scalding line drive, one would think Man-Ram could've troubled himself to stick around in the dugout.