Dodger affiliate welcomes Manny on Dog Day (really)
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Sometimes this stuff is so good you couldn’t make it up if you tried.
Manny Ramirez will be heading to San Bernardino on Wednesday to start a minor league rehab assignment with the Dodgers’ single-A affiliate in the California League. And guess what? It’s Dog Day, with fans encouraged to bring their pooches to the stadium for the game with Lake Elsinore.
Certainly seems like an appropriate promotion for Ramirez’s return to San Bernardino. In the last season and a half with the Dodgers, Ramirez has been suspended on a performance-enhancing-drug violation, landed on the disabled list repeatedly and missed 116 games. ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that many teammates have grown with frustrated with what they perceive to be an intermittent effort and that there’s been whispers that the Dodgers would love to trade Ramirez -- if he stays healthy enough long enough to attract any suitors.
In fact, Ramirez has spent so much time going on and off the DL lately that Wednesday’s game will mark the start of his third rehab stint with the 66ers in the last two seasons. He’s one for 13 (.077) against single-A pitching this season.
-- Kevin Baxter