Good for Jayson Stark

Jayson Stark's front page story on ESPN.com is a good one. Those he interviewed have great points of how Manny is really getting away with this. Is it another episode of "Manny being Manny"?

The problem I have with Mr. Stark's article is who he works for right now. Mind you, no journalist should be tied to their employer. Jayson Stark is a very good writer and has always been up front with his opinion. But it is a shame that ESPN has fed into the Manny issue. They have celebrated his time in the minor leagues and really makes it easy for a fan to forget exactly why Manny hasn't been in the Dodgers lineup of late.

I root for the Yankees and hope Alex Rodriguez does well each time he puts on the uniform. Maybe it is hypocritical, but it is how I root. Root for the name on the front of the jersey. The thing is, I am VERY well aware of what Mr. Rodriguez did and what effect it had on the game. I hope all those who are shrugging over Manny's latest headline realize that ignoring how we got here, will just allow baseball to spirl further into a mockery of the great game it once was.

In the end, "chicks dig the long ball", so do the rest of baseball fans. Manny hits plenty of those. And if the Dodgers make a great run through October, don't be surprised when ESPN and the rest of the major sports new outlets forget all about his 50 game suspension.