The New 'Next 50' Project

Dodger fans got a sucker punch of the cruelest kind today, with the news that Manny Ramirez has tested positive for a banned substance and will be forced to sit out for the next 50 games. While one person doesn't make up a team, a team can certainly be defined by a single individual. That's what Manny Ramirez was to this club. The confidence, the bravado, the calmness that came with failure, and the undeniable clutch factor the team has carried itself with can all be dated back to Ramirez's arrival last summer. The intangibles he brings to the plate (no pun intended) simply don't exist in the, or any, player replacing him.

The Porsche has been towed away, and in it's place now resides a Pinto.

We've lost the Dreadlocks of Doom, and have been left with the Naughtiness of Noodle Arm.

So, what's next? As Doc pointed out in an earlier post, "time to see if the young core can seize the moment and play up to their abilities." Ethier and Kemp already hold their own; however, if the Dodgers hope to even remotely continue their 2009 success then Russell J. Martin and James Loney need to step up RIGHT NOW. Timely pitching would be in order as well, but for the moment the issue is replacing the offensive output that will subsequently decline now that the lineup has lost its golden boy. After all, how do you replace someone who's been getting on base at an astounding .492 clip?

It would be nice to see what Xavier Paul can do, although I'd be surprised if we saw him start in more than a handful of the 50 games. I've yet to read anyone that doubts him; however, I don't think Torre has the courage to write him in enough times to truly gauge his value.

The bottom line is Manny F 'ed this one up pretty bad, and it's up to the team to pick him up. Might an unsung hero fill the void? Only time will tell.