Manny Ramirez: Offensive force, stone-cold killer

Over the next few days, we're destined to read every type of Manny Ramirez article, from columns denouncing his drug use to listicles comprised solely of the top "Manny Being Manny" moments. We're also going to read plenty about his prodigious talents in the righthand batter's box. It's an approach that ESPN's David Schoenfield just started on his SweetSpot blog with a case for why Ramirez should ultimately be elected to Cooperstown. Writes Schoenfield: Manny being Manny became a joke, but Manny the hitter was no joke. He worked pitchers, finessed at-bats, remembered what got him out earlier in games and was ready to deliver some big-time damage if the pitcher tried the same approach again. He's one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time, one of baseball's supreme RBI guys, a terrific playoff performer and — yes — perhaps the most iconoclastic player of the past quarter-century. Indeed, the only hitter who was more consistently feared ...