The L.A. Times really wants you to hate Manny Ramirez - MLB

You may not have noticed this given how little coverage it has gotten, but Manny Ramirez is coming back tonight. If you think that means that the media’s hand-wringing and sanctimony about all of this is about to end, well, you’re just not familiar with the media’s work:

I’ve never asked Dodger fans for a favor before, but I have one
request now: When that first home game comes on July 16, for one night,
one at-bat or at least one swing, boo Manny. I’m not asking you to burn
your coveted Man-wig, hide the name on the back of your No. 99 T-shirt
under duct tape or torture yourself by watching Angels games. All I ask
is that if you attend Manny’s first home game, you boo. Once, at least
. . . Dodgers fans should boo Manny for one at-bat to make sure he
knows his actions were unacceptable . . . They need to say to Manny,
“We’re the ones who pay to watch you, and we demand better.”

There are a lot of reasons why newspapers like the Los Angles Times are
dying. Most of them are financial. Let us not discount the notion,
however, that their insistence of treating both their readers and the
subjects they cover like children who are incapable of forming opinions
on their own has a little to do with it too.

Has it not yet, at this late date, after all that has happened,
occurred to the L.A. Times that people like Manny Ramirez and are
willing, no, eager, to overlook his steroid suspension to watch him
play baseball?

UPDATE: It’s important to note that not everyone at
the L.A. Times feels this way. Jon Weisman of the wonderful Dodger
Thoughts blog has consistently delivered the win when it comes to Manny
Ramirez coverage, and his latest entry is no exception.
Note to whoever runs the Times’ sports section: Lead with Weisman and
relegate everyone else to sidebar links with six-point fonts.

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”