Where is the Swagger??????.........Manny and the Dodgers have it.

It's been a really long time since I've jumped on here, so to my 3 loyal readers I apologize for leaving a void in your lives for all this time.

I have watched a ridiculous amount of baseball in the early part of this season largely in part because a) I got roped back into Fantasy Baseball this year and b) watching baseball on a 58" screen in Hi-Def is fantastic.

Aside from the Yankees of course, the team I fing myself watching the most is the Dodgers. I know they aren't exactly a "sleeper", but this team has the makings of one that can go the distance this year. They have good young pitchers, a deep lineup with a great combination of speed and steals, a horse of a closer who is unbelievably overpowering, and good coaching with "you know who" pulling the strings. However, the most important thing they have is the "glue guy" hitting 3rd. I swear it kills me every time I see Manny play for LA, because the guy is EVERYTHING for this team. Not only is he the toughest out in baseball (along with Pujols), but he is making every guy around him perform at a ridiculously high level. You can see that his teammates love him, and the have a "swagger" about them. They look like they're happy to be there, and exude a confidence that they can beat anyone. Of course being in a division with 3 awful teams doesn't hurt. I said it form the start of free agency, and it's even more true than ever now......The Yankees made a HUGE mistake but not signing this guy.

Can someone please remind me what exactly the downside was to the Yankees adding Manny????

Best right-handed hitter in Baseball......Short-term contract..........No worries about future negotions on a new deal (he'll be 40).........19 games of Manny versus the Red Sox......

So what was the issue? His defense? The money? His impact on the clubhouse? I'll never understand because none of them justify passing on him.

There wouldn't have been a better fit in the new ballpark than Manny. He would have been happy, beloved by the fans, and unlike the bulk of the Yankees previous "high priced" acquisitions.......impervious to the pressure of being a Yankee.