Manny's contract offer a disgrace to the game and country

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the L.A. Dodgers have offered Manny Ramirez the second-highest salary ever to be given to a major league baseball player. The offer is for somewhere between $25.2 million and $27.5 million a year - totalling over $50 million for two years and possibly a three-year deal worth $75 million.

This is an absolute disgrace to the game. Ramirez played the game hard for two months in 2008 and he is rewarded with this! I think that this says a lot about the state of the game and the future direction of our country - hard work has been devalued. I guess Manny is already seeing the benefits of this "new system"... why work when someone is going to give you something for just goofing off. Meanwhile the people who really make this country run (coal miners, the military, small business people, etc.) get the shaft.

Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun lends an interesting perspective. Maybe Manny is just preparing for future tax increases.

NL Gold Glove Winners 2008

Fielding is one of the most overlooked aspects of the game. Although I admit the Fielding Bible is probably a better representation of true defense, it's nice to see players get recognized for their leather with the Rawlings Gold Glove awards. Here are the National League winners for 2008:

P: Greg Maddux - His 18th Gold Glove award in a 19-year span. This guy is nothing but class and a surgeon with the baseball.

C: Yadier Molina - Very deserving. The best defensive backstop in the NL.

1B: Adrian Gonzalez - Definitely an underrated player, but what about Albert Pujols?

2B: Brandon Phillips - He makes some spectacular plays in the field. Now if he could only learn to stop swinging for the fences.

3B: David Wright - A popular pick I guess, but a classy guy. Definitely shows that offense comes into play with this defensive award.

SS: Jimmy Rollins - He's good but there are certainly better defensive shortstops in the league than him.

OF: Nate McLouth - Great pick! In my opinion, Nate outperformed all NL outfielders in the field this season. I wrote back in September that McLouth deserved this award.

OF: Carlos Beltran - He's good. Just have to wonder how playing for a NY team affected this pick.

OF: Shane Victorino - This guy really impressed me during the playoffs but I don't think he's a Gold Glover. Like Rollins, it seems like another trendy pick.

Suffering from the off season blues?

Are you like me and already suffering from a case of the off season (or post election) blues? If so, then here's a small pill for your pain - the return of the Reds Hot Stove League on WLW and Reds.com (WLW is also available on XM radio). I was pleasantly surprised to hear Marty's voice on the radio while driving home from work yesterday evening.

Reds Fest is just around the corner, then the winter caravan (which I had a great time at last year, topped off by the fact that I won tickets to Opening Day), then spring training... I think I can make it through this thing.