The final inglorious days of Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers

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It’s the nature of the beast. Yeah, I know. Have seen it enough now over the years. OK, decades.

Still, the way the Dodgers handled the final days of Manny Ramirez has left me uneasy, unsettled more than it should.

Sometimes you hear the truth, sometimes the pieces of it that can be told, sometimes simply the fabrications.

Now I’m not saying the Dodgers flat out lied about Manny.

Well, except that part from Ned Colletti about how he wouldn’t trade off a key player while still feeling the team was alive for a playoff spot. Like he said Monday, what was he supposed to say while having potential trade talks about acquiring minor leaguers?

And maybe Joe Torre saying Monday that waiving Manny to the White Sox wasn’t a straight-out salary dump. When they got absolutely nothing in return.

‘It opened up a roster spot,’ Torre said.

Right, to activate a pitcher (Ramon Troncoso). On Sept. 1, Torre can call up all the pitchers he wants.

Then there was Torre insisting that he had not started Manny the last four days because he couldn’t physically play every day … and then because he liked the energy Scott Podsednik brought to the lineup … and then because dreadlocks are so passe.

Talking in circles is not fabricating. It’s talking in circles.

‘[Manny’s] choice was to play every day,’ Torre said. ‘And he wasn’t going to do that here, playing the outfield every day.

‘Physically he couldn’t do it.’

Clearly, Manny had continuing issues with his right leg. But how could Torre possibly know how much Manny could play if he chose not to play him?

‘That is a good question,’ Torre said. ‘I chose to do the other thing by playing Podsednik and working to manufacture runs instead of putting Manny in left field and having him not be the defensive player Podsednik is.’

Of course, when Manny returned from the disabled list Aug. 21 and didn’t get a single hit but the Dodgers won 8-5, Torre raved about the impact he had on the rest of the lineup and how he would play him as much as he could.

Which is a long way from sitting him four consecutive games.

‘I didn’t play him the day game after a night game,’ Torre said. ‘I didn’t play him against [Ubaldo] Jimenez, that’s two games. I chose not to play him after winning four in a row because I just liked the way the club was playing with the speed guys, Podsednik, at the top of the lineup. And then yesterday, he didn’t play either.

‘To answer your question, I changed my mind.’

A manager’s prerogative.

Though, Manny did play the first two games of that four-game winning streak. And did want to continue playing. He was so miffed at not playing and being told he was now curiously going to be a part-time player, he apparently opted out of Sunday’s start.

Now we’ll never know if Manny could have played six games a week in the outfield. Never know if he could have regained a semblance of his old form in a late contract push.

Because Torre thinks the Dodgers are a better team with Podsednik in the lineup than Manny? Really? The Dodgers were 31-21 with Manny in the lineup and 36-43 without him.

Manny was waived Wednesday and claimed on Friday by the White Sox. He last started a game Wednesday.

The suspicion remains that the Dodgers didn’t want to start him and risk injury, blowing the waiver. And the saving of $3.8 million.

Unless, of course, you truthfully believe Podsednik brings all that energy and gives the Dodgers a better chance to win.

-- Steve Dilbeck