Manny Pulls a Sosa

Remember back when Sammy Sosa went before Congress and all of a sudden couldn't speak English? Well, the newest member of the Chicago White Sox, Manny Ramirez, seems to have found that "ability".

In a moment that can only be termed as "Manny being Manny", Ramirez "refused" to speak English at his presser using bench coach Joey Cora to translate. If Ramirez couldn't speak English, it would be OK. But we all know he can and he's demonstrated that fact on quite possibly too many occasions. Here's three clips as proof.

Manny is translating for former Dodger teammate Angel Berroa after a game in this clip.





Seems fine to me.

And what about Manny's take on the famous Allen Iverson "we talkin' about practice" rant.



And can we ever forget this?



No words from Manny in this one. Only those by the individual holding the camera here. This is classic Manny.





You don't question anything Ramirez does. You go with the flow. And that is exactly what the White Sox must deal with now. The unexplained, if you will.

I'm not a Manny hater. I have learned to enjoy some of his antics in the past (high-fiving a fan in Baltimore, for one). No one can ever question his past ability to hit. Oh, the glove has always been the big question. Up until his suspension, the bat has never been questioned. Now, it is especially since Ramirez hasn't even come close to his usual numbers this season. Three stints on the DL may have derailed his 2010.

If the White Sox are to make a serious run at the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central title, Ramirez will have to revert to his old self. If he doesn't, White Sox GM Kenny Williams will most certainly take a thrashing for the waiver claim and the lost money.

Actually, Williams did the Dodgers a big favor. One less expensive asset on the books. With the McCourt's in court for the divorce, there's less "value" now.

If there is a manager that may be able to draw the old Manny out, it is Ozzie Guillen. I firmly believe that. Guillen has a different way with his players and this seemingly odd pairing might be exactly what Manny needs to resuscitate his career. They both march to a different beat.

Mannywood is no longer. Now in Chicago is Mannyweird.

Update: He speaks! After Manny's 1-3 debut in a White Sox uni, he does speak English!

First Month of MLB Season Recap

With the first month of the Major League Baseball season almost under our belts, let's view some teams and how they have fared during April.

Maddon's Rays are best in baseball.

Surprise Team - American League: Tampa Bay Rays
The fact that the Rays are in first is only a small shocker considering they have to duke it out with the Yankees and Red Sox. Boston hasn't been Boston, but the Yankees are playing .667 ball. Not an issue in Tampa. The Rays are 17-5 (.773), owners of baseball's best record. We know of Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton on the offensive side, but the Rays starting pitching has been spectacular. The highest ERA among the starters is Wade Davis at 3.68. That's 27th in the AL. You can't score on them and you can't hit them either. Four of the five starters hold opponents to a batting average under .235. Are you serious? If you can't hit, you can't score and the Rays staff does not yield a lot of hits.

Eckstein can still play.

Surprise Team - National League: San Diego Padres
So much has been made of the AL East leading New York Mets running off seven straight wins that people forget the Padres have a better record and lead the NL West. But how are they keeping up with that 14-8 record, 2nd best in the NL to the St. Louis Cardinals? It is truly a team effort. The pitching staff is 3rd in team ERA (3.05), tied for the NL lead in shutouts (4 with the Mets), allowed the second fewest hits (174 to divisional foe San Francisco at 172) and has struck out the second most batters (179 to the Mets 183). Kevin Correia's 4 wins ties him with the Phillies Roy Halladay for tops in the NL. There's a stat for you!

Konerko is the lone bright spot for the
White Sox.

Disappointing Team - American League: Chicago White Sox
Having a 9-13 record in AL Central may not seem so bad, but the Pale Hose have struggled with what some had presumed the best starting staff in the division. Jake Peavy has been a disappointment to say the least (0-2, 7.85 ERA, 4 HR allowed, 1.81 WHIP). The offense hasn't fared all that much better. No starter has a batting average over .300. One of the big acquisitions during the off-season was Juan Pierre. He has struggled with a .200 average and an on-base percentage of .261. Granted, Paul Konerko is knocking the cover off the ball, but that about covers the White Sox as a whole.

The Braves recent woes may have Cox
pondering why he returned for one last season.

Disappointing Team - National League: Atlanta Braves
So much preseason hype has spiraled downward due to a recent nine game losing streak. Can't have that in the NL East with the Mets playing so well and you know it's only a matter of time before the Philadelphia Phillies get moving. The Braves have the weakest hitting attack in the NL with a .228 team batting average. .228? Only the Houston Astros (68) and Pittsburgh Pirates (80) have scored less runs than the Braves (81). The Braves also rank next to last in the NL in HR (13), total bases (242) and stolen bases (8). The Braves pitching is almost as weak. Only three save opportunities and two of those translated to blown saves. Yes, the Atlanta Braves have one stinkin' save. One last thing. Atlanta is next to last in fielding percentage (.974, 21 errors). Can't win games giving your opponent free at-bats.

Player of the Month - American League: Robinson Cano, 2B, Yankees
I don't think there will be a dispute here. Cano is batting .407 with a slugging percentage of .790 (both tops in AL) with 8 HR (2nd in AL) and 17 RBI.

Pitcher of the Month - American League: Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays
Hard to argue with a 4-1 record and a 2.06 ERA.

Player of the Month - National League: Kelly Johnson, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Braves sure could use his bat. 9 HR and a .320 batting average

Pitcher of the Month - National League: Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies
Jimenez authored a no-hitter adding to his marks of a 5-0 record and a microscopic 0.79 ERA.