Manny Ramirez’s arrival at spring training looked a little like a Hollywood premiere. As television cameras zoomed in, everyone from reporters to team employees clamored for time with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dreadlocked slugger.
With a captive audience, Ramirez couldn’t resist.
“I’m baaaaack!” he said.
So are the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, the ever-hopeful Chicago Cubs and several other contenders looking for a big year in a wide-open National League. Only 12 1/2 games separated the division winners from the runners-up in the NL last year, and the Milwaukee Brewers nailed down the wild card on the final day of the season.
Just like when Ramirez is on the field, it’s hard to predict what comes next.
“You don’t take things for granted,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “There are teams in our division that have the same aspirations we do. No cockiness. No false bravados, go out and play and earn it on the field and that’s how you do it.”
Chicago has won consecutive Central titles under the fiery Piniella and flamed out in the first round of the postseason each year. The Cubbies were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007 and Manny’s Dodgers in 2008.
It’s 101 years and counting since the Cubs’ last World Series winner in 1908.
“You keep going to the postseason, sooner or later you break the door down,” Piniella said, “and hopefully this is the year.”
Philadelphia broke through last year, winning its first championship since 1980 and second in the franchise’s 126-year history. The core of that team is back for another run and the Phillies seem even more confident than they were in 2008.
“If we keep the same attitude and play the same way we have in the last couple years, if we keep that same philosophy and don’t get away from that, we’re going to be good,” manager Charlie Manuel said, “we’re going to be very good.”
Manuel got All-Star second baseman Chase Utley back from offseason right hip surgery sooner than expected, but his health could be key to Philly’s repeat hopes. Ace left-hander Cole Hamels also was bothered by elbow tightness during spring training, another situation worth watching for Phillies fans.
“We kinda have to put last year behind us, learn from it and I feel like we have a lot of room for improvement,” Utley said. “Obviously, we were the best team in baseball but I still feel like we can play better.”
The Phillies made one major addition after beating Tampa Bay in five games to win the World Series. Raul Ibanez agreed to a $31.5 million, three-year contract in December and will replace Pat Burrell in left field, making Philadelphia’s already dangerous lineup even deeper.
Ibanez, a former Seattle Mariner, is one of five major league outfielders to drive in at least 100 runs in each of the past three seasons, joining Bobby Abreu, Carlos Beltran, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee.
The Phillies have chased down the New York Mets in September in each of the past two seasons to win the East. The frustrated Mets addressed their most pressing need in the offseason, signing closer Francisco Rodriguez to a $37 million, three-year contract and acquiring J.J. Putz from Seattle to shore up their leaky bullpen.
“To go through that for two years in a row is very difficult. There’s no team in baseball that has done what we have done,” Mets’ center fielder Beltran said. “It’s hard to let it go, but you have to. You have to do the best you can to let it go and be able to learn, of course. Learn to maybe not take anything for granted.”
Expect more chants of “Manny! Manny!” at Chavez Ravine this summer after Ramirez ended his stalemate with Los Angeles by agreeing to a $45 million, two-year contract on March 4. The gifted slugger made all the Dodgers better when he joined the team last summer, and his return should mean better numbers for Rafael Furcal, Matt Kemp and the rest of the lineup.
The Dodgers signed Randy Wolf, and Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw and Hiroki Kuroda are all solid starters. Jonathan Broxton has the stuff to make a smooth transition to full-time closer with Takashi Saito gone.
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