It's Just Manny Being Manny

What does 25 million dollars get you?  Apparently, if you're the Los Angeles Dodgers, it does NOT get you an aging, eccentric, yet still productive outfielder in Manny Ramierez.  Last week, Manny turned down a 1 year- $25 Million dollar contract proposed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.  This off-season has shown that no amount of money is too much. Hell, the Yanks threw nearly half a billion bucks to three players, and all anyone can talk about is who's been juicing and who hasn't been.  It is obscene to think that in the current state that our economy is in, anyone should be making $25 million, let alone be earning it by playing a game.  However, it just isn't enough for Manny.  He has had a reputation of being a controversial premadonna, but his statistics will depict that if you don't mind a gigantic ego and some on and off the field distractions, Manny will put fans in the seats and help your team win some games.  I'm sick of it though...I'm sick of the athletes making millions of dollars to play a game and provide us with entertainment when people who make differences in people's lives (i.e. teachers, social workers, and all of the "little people" that make this country great) get the proverbial shaft financially.  It does not make any sense to me.  I realize the dedication and large amounts of hard work that go into becoming a professional athlete, but they are not the only people who make sacrafices to achieve a goal.  It utterly disturbs me that we create this barrier between athletes and non-athletes.  Athletics and entertainment are two of the only industries where such a distinct barrier exists.  Because Manny Ramirez was blessed with the ability to grow dreadlocks, hit a flying piece of rawhide a great distance and wear baggy pants in the outfields of Dodger Stadium does not make him any better of a human being than I, a 21 year old college student, who played third base for a very mediocre high school program.  The only difference is the number of zeros included in his salary.  I am not a socialist, and I do not believe in universal pay standards. I believe that some professions deserve larger salaries because of the need for special training, skills, and/or degrees in order to perform their job effectively.  However, I would not lump professional baseball players, or any other professional athletes into a group worthy of the pay that they receive.  Some may make the argument that athletes give away a large amount of their earnings in the form of charitable contributions.  While this is commendable, I almost expect it to be a no-brainer.  If i had seemingly endless income, starting a charity would be at the top of my list of things to spend money on.  In closing, I do not think that Manny Ramirez is a bad guy.  I simply think that he should re-evaluate himself, those around him, and realize just how blessed he is to be playing the sport he loves in a country of fans who adore him.  Hopefully he will realize this fact sooner rather than later so as to avoid destroying his reputation even further.

Be Well.