Will Anyone Sign Manny Ramirez?

Free agent Manny Ramirez is coming off, arguably, one of the worst seasons of his career.  Granted, he hit .298 and knocked in 42 runs in just 90 games...but still.

Now entering his 19th Major League season, Ramirez is an old 38, been battling some nagging leg injuries (he hit the disabled list three separate times in 2010) and is probably relegated to DH-only duty.  Also, considering he's only surpassed 20 home runs ONCE (he hit 37 in 2008 and twice hit 20) in the last five seasons...you've gotta wonder if the dude is done.

ESPN's Keith Law says of Ramirez..."(he's) lost enough bat speed that when he squares a ball up it doesn't take off the way that it did for him before the 2009 season.  The explosiveness he had at the plate well into his 30s is all but gone."

Add all that together and it begs the question, if he's not done...will anyone sign him?

Super agent Scott Boras recently dropped this gem when talking about his Hall of Fame-caliber client.

It's just like Vlad Guerrero. His last Angels season, where he had an injury season and he had 50 RBIs, was not a customary Vlad Guerrero season. He went to Texas and reestablished himself. This is really the course for great veteran hitters. We've seen, following an injury season, a player goes out and performs at optimum levels, because these players are still uniquely skilled. They're still great hitters.

But, given what Law said about his batspeed, can Ramirez possibly replicate the .300 batting average, 29 home runs and 115 RBI that Guerrero put up for the Rangers in 152 games last season?  Probably not, seeing how Ramirez has only appeared in that many games (or more) a handful of times in his career...but I guess we'll find out.

But only if someone takes a chance.

So what do you think?  Will anyone take that chance and sign the 38 year-old slugger?  Go vote! 

***Also, a big thanks to Tim over at MLBTradeRumors.com for use of the Boras and Law quotes.***

Fernando Valenzuela...Mexico's Jackie Robinson?

Remember when Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson's number league-wide?

Of course you do.

Well, Fernando Valenzuela might soon be getting the Jackie Robinson treatment by the Mexican Pacific League. But first, he'll be getting his number retired by the last team he suited up for...the Mexicali Aguilas.

And it all goes down tonight!

This...according to Baseball Mexico:

The evening, which kicks off the second half of Mexican Pacific League play for the Aguilas and the visiting Culiacan Tomateros, will resemble a typical Inauguration Day event with an opening ceremony involving the Second Region Military unit honoring the Mexican flag, the national anthem played in two parts (once sung with English lyrics and once sung in Spanish), and finally a ceremony honoring the 50-year-old Valenzuela, who will be on hand for the festivities.

After the game there will be fireworks and music. Spectators are being encouraged to dress up in costumes emblematic of the 1910 Revolution and prizes will be awarded to those with the best costumes.

Valenzuela will be the sixth player to have his number retired by Mexicali and will be entering the Latin Baseball Hall of Fame next year.  And while he won't sniff Cooperstown anytime soon...would it be out of the question for the Los Angeles Dodgers to retire his number?

I don't think so.

Sure, Valenzuela made his debut in September 1980, but it was the following season when "Fernandomania" washed over the Majors. It was that year, if you recall, the pitcher became the only player in Major League history to win Rookie of the Year, the Cy Young Award, the Silver Slugger Award and a World Series championship in the same season.

So why not commemorate it with some special 30th anniversary celebration Dodgers?

In short, dude is an icon and warrants inclusion alongside the other ten Dodger greats that have had their number retired.  And, apparently, the team's clubhouse manager Mitch Poole agrees with me...he has unofficially kept Valenzuela's jersey number 34 out of circulation out of respect for the lefty.

Dontrelle Willis Finds Another New Team...Again

The Cincinnati Reds have a lot going for them these days.

They captured their first divisional title in 15 years. Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman is poised to become a household name. And on the heels of their stud first baseman Joey Votto bringing home the National League MVP, they bring in 2003 Rookie of the Year (and 2005 Cy Young runner up) Dontrelle Willis.

Dontrelle Willis...HELL YEAH!

If only this was 2005.

I mean, after going 46-27 with a 3.27 ERA and a World Series ring in his first three seasons, Willis has gone 25-36 with a 5.02 ERA in the five years since.  The former media darling went from being the face of the Florida Marlins franchise to a walking, talking question mark.  He went from winning the league's Warren Spahn Award in 2005 to the Florida Marlins' Charlie Hough "Good Guy" Award in 2006. 

Seriously, they're both real awards...but let's get back on track. 

As I was saying, the Reds are the fourth team to take a chance on the lefty since starting this past season with Detroit.

I'm pretty sure the 28 year-old Willis won't have much of an impact on the Reds' pitching staff given they don't stand to drop off much from their stellar 2010 campaign, but if he can get back to the form that made him just the 12th member of the "Black Aces"...this upcoming season will be an interesting one.

But I'm not holding my breath.

Twitter Tuesday: The All-New Jose Canseco!

This site has been as guilty as any when it comes to bashing (click HERE, HERE or HERE) former "Bash Brother" Jose Canseco.

And it's been warranted...are you following the dude on Twitter?

So, for fun, I thought I'd check and see what kind of messages the 1988 American League MVP after he tweeted the following Monday night:

When I open my indoor baseball training facility I will train under priviledge kids for free

A pretty nice gesture...right? Well, within an hour of his tweet, a mixed bag of messages emerged.

There were the nice.

@Rockkstarr11:  That's awesome Jose! I always knew you had a heart of gold

@CHEFHEC71:  thats a nice thing to do...you have a good heart....

@BigDaddyDieu:  u r a great man of baseball. Only those who truly respect the game understand how u saved it. Thank you.

The mean (and, frankly, unimaginative).

@shaneomac01:  you gonna show them how to shoot roids too?

@rhilltops:  did u just say your going to inject under privilaged kids with steroids?!

@LezzieBlowhan:  Haha,any parent or adult guardian that left their kids under your junkie supervision should be charged with child endangerment.

And the downright bizarre.

@MyMarieMia:  You should go on Dancing With the Stars, you would be great.

@ACEKWEST510:  Whattup jose. Is Ozzie around?

@colintdouglas:  can I have a hug I'm feeling low

How can the interwebs be so cruel to a guy who posted those adorable puppy pictures above (and plenty of "hugs" via Twitter) less than a month ago?!?

Coco Crisp...the Update

The other day, the internet exploded after Oakland Athletics outfielder Coco Crisp posted his desire for an assistant on Craigslist.

Hi. My name is Covelli Crisp (Coco Crisp), i am a professional baseball player. Looking for a live-in personal assistant (Female) that can help simplify my life.

And in case people were curious if it was legit, Crisp took to Twitter and posted the following:

FYI: The Craigs List post for the PA position is real

So here we are a little more than a day later and the job...gone. Was it something I said?

Perhaps the job has been filled. Perhaps Crisp's wife figured out that her husband was online looking to spend $40K for a slam piece.

I guess we'll never know.

"Flat Stan" Musial Gets the Call

Back in May, the St. Louis Cardinals began publicly lobbying to get Hall of Famer Stan Musial the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Wednesday night, Musial (who will turn 90 this Sunday) got the call from baseball comissioner Bud Selig...the "Flat Stan the Man" campaign had paid off. 

Early next year, President Obama will honor the Cardinals legend.

Since 1977, seven others (Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Joe DiMaggio, Buck O'Neil, Frank Robinson, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams) have received the highest honor in the land. And since 1992, there have been 185 overall Medals handed out. 

This year, Obama will hand out 15 more.

“These outstanding honorees come from a broad range of backgrounds and they’ve excelled in a broad range of fields," the nation's First Fan said, "but all of them have lived extraordinary lives that have inspired us, enriched our culture, and made our country and our world a better place. I look forward to awarding them this honor.”

So when you are asked around the water cooler "what do George Bush the elder, Maya Angelou, Yo-Yo Ma and Stan Musial have in common"...you can now answer with confidence. 

They're all being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Coco Crisp Needs Your Help!

Are you a female in the Redondo Beach/Rancho Mirage, California area looking for a job?

If you're reading this...probably not.  But stick with me.

According to a post on Craigslist, Oakland outfielder Coco Crisp looking to shell out $40,000 a year for a "personal assistant".

Here's the job posting:

Hi. My name is Covelli Crisp (Coco Crisp), i am a professional baseball player. Looking for a live-in personal assistant (Female) that can help simplify my life.

I'm not sure why Crisp is looking for someone to help him simplify his life given he's missed more games (close to 200) than he has played (124) over the last two seasons, but hey, if you can pull it off...go for it.

Anyway, if you're a female (and, yes, that is specifically what the married Crisp is looking for) and can help the 31 year-old speedster with scheduling his appointments and bill payment, personal shopping and dinner reservations...here's the job for you!

Twitter Tuesday: Collin Balester

By now, you've probably heard of Movember.

If not, here's the skinny...courtesy of Movember.com:

Each Movember we challenge men to change their appearance and the face of men's health by growing a moustache. The moustache is our ribbon, the means by which we raise awareness and funds for cancers that affect men. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, our commitment is to grow a moustache for 30 days. Funds raised benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG.

One Major Leaguer who has embraced the mustache is Washington Nationals reliever Collin Balester.  Throughout most of his big league career, the right-hander has worn a 'stache and this November is no different.

"I'm just trying to challenge Major League Baseball players," Balester said in an interview with MLB.com earlier this month. "If baseball players could all join together for a great cause, I think we could raise a lot, because there are no better fans than baseball fans. If we could get some guys to jump on board and see what they could do, we could do something great."

I found Balester on Twitter a while back and suffice it to say...he's equally as good at tweeting about mustaches as he his tweeting about baseball.

Just had to rewind like 7 times to get a good pic of this unreal soup strainer. http://plixi.com/p/55595532

One of the best lip sweaters I have seen on a human in my existence. http://plixi.com/p/55380921

beer stache. http://plixi.com/p/54839336

Get to know Collin Balester by following him on Twitter at @ballystar40 or take part in Tuesday's SportsNation chat over at ESPN.com at 3pm EST.  He'll be answering questions about this past season, this upcoming season and, of course, mustaches.

"You may look funny, gross, even weird but look yourself in the mirror and say this stache is for a good cause," Balester told The Hall this morning.  "After all staches make males look 36 percent better looking."

Feel free to contribute to Balester's Movember efforts by joining "Bally's 'Staches".