There’s an interesting story looming on the horizon. If it happens, it will be one of the biggest stories to hit Omaha since Michael Phelps hit the water.
Manny Ramirez is serving his 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy. He will be back in the Dodgers lineup on July 3rd. Under the league’s policy, a player is permitted to play in ten minor league games before the suspension ends.
Here is where it gets juicy.
As I first told you Wednesday night on KETV Newswatch 7 at Ten, the Albuquerque Isotopes are scheduled to come to Omaha for a four game series from June 27th through the 30th. Albuquerque is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
You see where I’m going with this.
There is a distinct possibility that Manny Ramirez could be playing with Albuquerque when the team plays in Omaha.
I asked Omaha’s general manager Martie Cordaro about this on Wednesday. “We’re very excited about any opportunity that we may even have to have a Manny Ramirez play left field at Rosenblatt, especially with Rosenblatt going away in a couple years. But right now it’s just pure speculation. Until we get closer to that date I can’t comment on it. It’s not that I don’t want to, I would love to comment on it, but I really can’t at this time because it’s just pure speculation.”
I jokingly asked him if ESPN had sent in its request for media credentials yet. “We haven’t got those requests yet,” he said. ” But I think that if they come in that’s gonna tip me off as to they may know something about him showing up in Omaha that I don’t.”
Last week, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt told the Los Angeles Times that he expects Ramirez to play in minor league games to prepare for his activation.
It’s all speculation at this point. But could you imagine the scene? Not a bad way to chase away those post-CWS sorrows.
Since they call it “Mannywood” in Los Angeles, would we call it “Mannyha?”
If I came to see Manny I would bring clippers so I could cut off his stupid looking dreds…..Maybe not though; the dreds might break my clippers because they are also chemically enhanced…..
I know that Alex Gordon was projected to be back mid-season. What are the odds that he would be in Omaha also as part of his return? Could be interesting!
Jerry — That was another part of the story that I did not mention. I could only throw out so much speculation in one sportscast. I asked Cordaro about Gordon, and he said he hasn’t heard anything about his rehab assignments, but we did joke that Manny and Gordon could conceivably be in Rosenblatt on the same night.
Will the stars align?
It’s about time.