Mannywood needs to end

As a lifelong Dodgers fan, part of me will always feel indebted (unwillingly) to Manny Ramirez. It's tough to say that any one player can ever put a baseball team on his back, but Ramirez's presence with the Dodgers was the most important reason why they broke free of a season-long .500 record and climbed the National League mountain to the NLCS.

After getting traded to the Dodgers on Aug. 1, Ramirez ended the regular season with a bang, hitting .396 with 17 home runs, 53 RBIs and an astounding 1.232 OPS (including a ridiculous .489 on-base percentage) in 53 games. And his numbers might not have been his most valuable contribution to the team. His light-hearted personality and willingness to take media attention and pressure away from his teammates enabled the entire team to loosen up, have fun and play confidently. And the hot hitting didn't stop once the Dodgers reached the postseason. Manny went 13-for-25 in the playoffs with four home runs and 10 RBIs.

But even in a game of numbers such as baseball, there are other factors -- aside from statistics -- that one should consider before signing a player to a long-term contract. The crux of the Dodgers' decision to meet Ramirez's contract demands is affordability -- and not just in economic terms.

Sure, Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, has set the market price at a minimum of 5 years/$20 million per. Boras has even stated that 6 years/close to $25 million per is a more realistic plan for Ramirez, something that might be out of the ballpark for nearly every team. Ex-Dodgers general manager Fred Claire stated in the Los Angeles Times recently that the Dodgers should consider a deal for 3 years at $20 million per year, despite Andruw Jones earning $18 million next season in the back-end of his two-year deal and Juan Pierre heading into Year 3 of his 5 year/$45 million contract. And that obviously excludes Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, two young and ultra-productive players who should (actually, who need) to play every day.

So even if the Dodgers can fiscally afford to sign Ramirez (no given, considering their willingness to take on Ramirez and third baseman Casey Blake only if their former teams picked up their contracts), then they will be creating a situation where someone else needs to be moved. Of course, Jones does just have that one year left and it's unknown whether he will ever return to his All-Star form after an extremely disappointing 2008. In fact, Ramirez never would have been on the Dodgers' radar had Andruw Jones produced as was expected.

Anyway, there are no sure signs that the Dodgers can afford Ramirez monetarily. Can they even afford him in the sense of having his presence on the team? The Red Sox may have won two World Series with Ramirez in the lineup, but they ultimately ridded themselves of him because his teammates demanded it. Do the Dodgers want to reward a player who has such a controversial -- and quite unnerving -- past with his old ball club?

The beautiful thing about acquiring Ramirez this season was that the Dodgers basically didn't owe Ramirez a thing. They used him for his hitting ability and drawing power, with the Dodgers reaping tens of millions in extra merchandise and attendance (they were already the top drawing team in the NL without Ramirez) because of Ramirez's "charm."

Now, the Dodgers have to decide if that "charm" will have an extended shelf life. The fear is Ramirez was on his best behavior because he wants a new contract, and no matter how much Ramirez and Boras might refute his inspired play had something to do with his quest for a new deal, how many athletes have we seen over the years play better and shut up when they want to improve their bank account? And while there may be no doubt that Ramirez, even at 36, can continue to rake the ball with the best in the game, what about his porous fielding? How many runs, and games, might the lazy left fielder cost the Dodgers? He won't exactly become more spry as he nears 40.

While Angelinos might love Ramirez because he's the first true Dodger superstar since Mike Piazza, and they might love Ramirez for helping lead the Dodgers to the NLCS, the truth is the Dodgers are a team filled with exciting, young players who need to grow on their own. They don't need to play under the cloud that Ramirez might cast if he were to sign a long-term deal with the squad. With Manny, there is always risk for controversy, so why would a team with youngsters like Russell Martin and Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw take an unnecessary risk on a player who can fracture a clubhouse? Why not just let the younger players learn from the playoff experience they received this year, and let them take control of the squad beginning next season? The Dodgers don't need Manny to move on and improve as a team, so there's no reason to sacrifice their long-term balance sheet and their overall team pysche with a player like Manny Ramirez.