Of everything that can be said on the matter, the one thing you probably can't say about Manny Ramirez's somewhat clumsy come-uppance for actual or alleged performance-enhancing substances is that here at last is the proof that the two Boston Red Sox World Series wins to which he contributed equals tainted curse-busting.
While bagging the Series MVP for the 2004 set, Ramirez had only the second highest Series OPS among the Red Sox, 1.088. The highest? Bill Mueller (1.127), who out-hit Ramirez and nailed a higher on-base percentage while slugging 39 points higher.
Want to know who hit as many home runs (1) and drove in as many runs (4) as Manny during that Series? David Ortiz (what a surprise) and ... Mark Bellhorn.
Want to know who scored more runs than Manny (2) in that Series? How do Bellhorn, Mueller, and Orlando Cabrera (3 each), and Johnny Damon (4), strike you?
Do you remember how many extra-base hits that weren't home runs Manny had? Zero. Bellhorn (1), Cabrera (1), Damon (2), Kevin Millar (1), Mueller (2), Trot Nixon (3), and Big Papi (1) doubled; Damon and Jason Varitek each had one triple.
Advance the tape to 2007. The Red Sox practically didn't need Ramirez to beat the Colorado Rockies, not when they're outscoring the Rockies 29-10 and Manny drove in only two of the runs.
As a matter of fact, you could almost be excused for wondering where Manny really was. He hit .250, rolled a .333 on-base percentage, and slugged a mere .313, with one double among his four measly singles. Mike Lowell and Dustin Pedroia equaled his 2004 Series output of a bomb and 4 ribs each; Jacoby Ellsbury's 1.188 OPS included 7 hits, 4 doubles, and 3 ribs; Ortiz and Pedroia each drove in 4.
So Manny turned up a flunk on a drug test and gets a 50-game vacation, and the Los Angeles Dodgers turn up with a little omelette on their faces. This surprises you? But don't get the bright idea that he tainted the Red Sox's two World Series triumphs. They really did win them as a team, and until or unless there comes evidence to the contrary, I don't know who else if anyone on those teams was or wasn't "tainted."
And neither do you.
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