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ESPN and the Times are reporting, based on an unnamed baseball source, that the Dodgers will send Manny Ramirez to the Chicago White Sox on a waiver claim Monday. If so, his final act as a Dodger was pretty lame. He came up as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning Sunday in Colorado with the bases loaded, looked at a called strike, then mouthed off to the umpire and was kicked out of the game. The Dodgers and Sox are still haggling over whether the Dodgers will get anything other than salary relief in the deal, with Chicago wanting L.A. to throw in some cash to take Ramirez off their hands. In any case, it's over folks. The best hitter the Dodgers have employed in a good while is moving on after just about two seasons, with something like 100 or so games missed due to suspension or injury. Despite the nomenclature of waiver claims being "awarded," this is a completely voluntary move on the Dodgers' part. They recoup a few million of what they will have to pay Manny in deferred compensation over the ensuing years.
In 222 games for the Dodgers, he hit 44 home runs and for a time there made Dodger Stadium a much more fun place. From the good old days: our video of Manny reporting to spring training, late of course, in 2009:
Photo: Judy Graeme / LA Observed