Can’t Believe I’m Saying It: Sign Manny For A Year

They say if you live long enough you become everything you hate.   I’m about to write something I never thought I’d write.
I’ve always been about winning with home grown players and good guys.   I like the Ty Wiggintons and the Dan Murphys and Jon Nieses and guys like Mike Jacobs.   I never liked the Pedros and the Vince Colemans and the Bonillas.
These last two seasons have been brutal.   I blame Willie Randolph for a lot of it.
Winning the division in 2009 will not be enough.   Winning the NL will not be enough.   There’s only one acceptable outcome for 2009 and it involves a brand new flag being raised at Corporate Bailout Taxpayer Field in April 2010.   The Mets must win the World Series.
This team has a few holes in it, and one of the big holes is in left field.   One of the greatest hitters of all time is sitting home looking for a job.   Yes he’s a jerk.  yes it will be a zoo.   Yes he’ll mail it in some days.  I have to believe that Manny Ramirez mailing it in is going to be better than Tatis/Murphy/whoever.    
It pains me to write this but I want the Mets to sign Manny Ramirez to a one year contract.   
Yes they will overpay.   Yes the offer will make Manny surly.   However, I can’t ignore how much better it would make the lineup.   Having some combination of Wright/Beltran/Ramirez in the middle would make for some great innings.
One thing that gets overlooked in free agent signings is the non-baseball benefit the teams get.   C.C. Sabathia and A-Rod are television programming.   People will tune it to see if Madonna is in the stands.   Drop the Manny Ramirez show on SNY six nights a week and your ratings will go up even if it’s a disaster.   They’ll sell a few t-shirts and jerseys.   There will be a buzz at the new park.   It will help heat this good-for-baseball new rivalry with the Phillies.   The Manny Ramirez Show will be must see TV.  Sign him for a year.
There, I said it.   I’m a horrible person.   I’ve lost my way.   I might as well go out and buy a black Ramirez jersey and move my bank accounts to Citibank.   

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