When you hear the names Manny Ramirez and Randy Moss, plenty of thoughts come to mind. However, when things are ll said and done at the end of the day, both of these guys will get their enshrinement into their respective Halls of Fame.
Manny Ramirez is talked about being the best right handed hitter in baseball history, and there is no denying that Randy Moss is an athletic freak of nature that was one of the NFL's most devastating weapons.
Both of them retired last year, mostly due to circumstances out of their control. Ramirez was caught cheating and would have to serve a 100 game penalty. Randy Moss after tearing through his latest teams was left with nobody calling his phone to invite him back to play.
They have more in common than just trying to resurrect their flailing careers here in the bay area, as they are basically the same type of player just performing their skills in different formats.
Moss is an enigmatic person, who when fully invested, who can make you think that God created him for the sole purpose of throwing his hand in the air while running unmolested down the field and catching long touchdown passes.
Manny is the same type of person. His whole Manny being Manny persona has almost overshadowed what he has accomplished in the game. He's a 12 time all-star, a 9 time Silver Slugger award winner (best hitter in the league, 2 time Hank Aaron award winner, and he also owns a World Series MVP. Did I mention he's smacked over 500 homers, and has won a batting title in the American League in 2002 by hitting .349?
We've all heard the same song and dance for both of these guys throughout their well-chronicled careers. No matter how well they play, or how good their team is, they always seemed to find a way to alienate everyone else by being selfish, and ended up leaving or being forced out due to their antics.
There is something this time that leads me to believe that things will be different for both men. Moss was only retired last season because nobody gave him a call to play. After not hearing from anyone during the season, he packed it up and decided to try again next year.
Ramirez on the other hand retired instead of facing the music from his one man band that produced his positive test and subsequent 100 game banning by MLB and Bud Selig. He now says that is not how he wanted to leave the game, and definitely not how he wants to show his young children how to handle life in general.
Let us not get carried away thinking that either of these guys is the same talent that they were just 3-5 years ago. Moss won't be pulling down 23 TD's anytime soon, and Manny won't be pushing for any hitting titles in the near future either. As odd as this may seem, both players should be decent enough on the field that their real purpose of being a mentor and leader to the younger guys on the team is realized.
The Niners have no wide receivers to speak of outside of Crabtree, and Moss can have a direct effect on him as a person and a player. Manny, being of Latin decent, can and will provide a good sounding board for Cuban newcomer Yoenis Cespedes as he learns the ins and outs of the major leagues. Who better to teach your young right handed power hitter the way to do things and craft a work ethic that is second to none.
Statistics are not going to show or prove that either one of these players made an impact on their team this year. The bump that they will give will come from the other players that they are around and influencing on a daily basis. Moss at 36, and Manny at 39 (he turns 40 in May, the day he is eligible to play) are in the twilight of their careers, and their legacy will be determined at how they play the mentor and leader roles this coming year.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment