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| Courtesy: US PRESSWIRE |
Is it 2008 again? Because the déjà vu factor is through the
roof for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Four years ago, LA was fighting for a playoff spot, but
struggling on offense. They decided to make a move for an extremely talented
offensive player, who was known to be a headache off the diamond. Fast forward,
and the Dodgers have done the exact same thing.
In 2008 it was Manny Ramirez; in 2012 it’s Hanley Ramirez.
In 2008, the move paid off. Manny had a prolific run,
putting the Dodgers on his back and leading them to the playoffs. While Hanley
may not do it all himself like Manny did (and he doesn’t have to with Matt Kemp
around), he should add some offensive prowess to the lineup, with a chance to
significantly shift the power in the National League.
I’m a big believer in the change-of-scenery factor. Just
look at Kevin Youkilis with the White Sox as proof. And Hanley has a chance to
be an even better addition than Youk has been. After all, Hanley is just a
couple years removed from being the NL batting champ. And then there are his
career stats at Dodger Stadium: a ridiculous .388 batting average, and .597
slugging percentage. He’s just 28 years old as well, so there’s no reason to
think that Hanley’s best days are completely behind him.
Entering Wednesday, the Dodgers are 2 ½ games back in the NL
West, and just a ½ game back in the Wild Card race. The team has made this type
of game-changing move before. And just like 2008, it could take them right into
the playoffs.
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