Don't Doubt the Power of Manny Being Manny

There are few position players in baseball who can realistically carry a team for any significant length of time.

Sure, there are guys who can do it for a series, or even two. But rarely alone - when Jacoby Ellsbury seemingly carried the Red Sox in the 2007 post season, he wasn't even the MVP -  and more rarely still for any significant period of time.

It's possible for Albert Pujols to carry the Cards. It may be possible for Alex Rodriquez, although he's always had superstars around him who make him better, not the other way around.

But Manny Ramirez can do it.  By himself, he can keep a team winning for weeks at a time. He did it in Boston and he did it in Cleveland. He is potentially the most dangerous player in this post season.

There is a columnist in Los Angeles who disagrees with that assertion. Steve Lopez has decided that Manny is no longer playing hard enough. And if you agree with him, he might give you his World Series tickets. Of course, the World Series is still seven post-season wins away and it seems as if Steve Lopez is already thinking World Series. And if he is, he must believe that the Dodgers will get that far.  And the Dodgers are going no where without Manny.