Cast away after guiding the Red Sox to two World Series championships, the 2004 World Series MVP has the opportunity this postseason to stick it to his former team where it hurts the most.Since becoming a Dodger at the trade deadline this year, Ramirez has a .398 batting average with 17 home runs and 53 RBI in just 180 at bats. In that time the Dodgers pushed their way past the defending NL West Champion Arizona Diamondbacks and into the postseason for the first time since 2006. Not only that, but the new Ramirez led Dodger team swept the Chicago Cubs, who had the best record in the National League in the NLDS.
It is the first time since 1988, the year the Dodgers defeated the Oakland Athletics in the World Series, that the Dodgers had won a playoff series.
Meanwhile, in the American League, Ramirez's former team knocked off the Los Angeles Angels in four games to advance to the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays. Both the Dodgers and Red Sox are now only just one series away from complete chaos.
"Through all the fun and games, there is always an edge about him. He's about as confident in his ability as anyone I've ever seen, but it's more than that. Whatever it is that drives him, it drives him. It is there all the time, no matter how much fun he seems to be having....This guy wants to win more than anything else, and he wants to prove himself every time up."
-Dodgers Manager Joe Torre on Manny Ramirez
Ramirez had been asking to be traded out of Boston since the 2004 season, but never got his wish until now. In the years in between, it became commonplace for Ramirez trade rumors to heat up at the deadline, but most of the time the baseball community was left disappointed as no deal was reached. Red Sox management knew that Ramirez wanted out of Boston, but when they felt they couldn't get even value in return, they played Ramirez's constant trade request off as "Manny Being Manny." Initially, Manny Ramirez had no choice but to go along with it as fans would have reacted negatively had he not.
However, as the years went on, Manny realized that this new persona he was given gave him all the power in the world. Especially if the Red Sox kept winning ballgames. In essence, Boston giving Manny the power to be a dis