I know many of us including myself were pulling for a Red Sox-Dodgers World Series just for the great storylines with Manny facing his former teammates and Joe Torre getting back to the Series after how the Yankees treated him but there’s something cool about a potential Rays-Phillies Series.

Sure. It might not have quite the appeal of Boston vs Los Angeles. But think about it. It would feature two teams which aren’t associated with winning. You have the Phillies who haven’t been to the WS in 15 years when Joe Carter was last seen circling the bases celebrating the only walkoff home run in Series history for the Jays’ repeat. It’s also a city associated with losing with nobody winning since the 1983 76ers. The Flyers lost three Stanley Cups and the Eagles lost in the Super Bowl. Plus the exasperation of Mitch Williams’ implosion during that 1993 Series which led to a six-game defeat with Carter winning it.

Then you got the Rays who before this year were always associated with losing becoming baseball’s laughingstock franchise. They won only 66 games last season giving no indication they could go from worst to first similarly to how the 1991 Twins did when they edged the Braves in another improbably yet riveting Series which went seven and had its own dramatics. Those two teams were last place clubs the year before who turned it around and gave us a memorable conclusion.

Now with both teams up 3-1 in winning positions, the reality could be here of a surprising Tampa Bay-Philadelphia series which probably would be excellent due to each ballclubs’ grit and perseverance. It wouldn’t be the ratings bonanza a Boston-LA series could bring.  But just maybe these are the best two teams and either way we’d see something we hadn’t in a while. A fresh champion.

Ain’t that better than watching the Red Sox win another Series? But their potential downfall ain’t got nothing to do without Manny Ramirez. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone that including a few choice local columnists who keep advising the Mets and Yanks not to go after the best righty slugging hitter in the game. I don’t care about all his baggage and don’t approve of how he got his way out of Massachusetts. However, even at 36 going on 37, he’s still a constant threat at the plate. Nobody’s figured out how to get him out since he became a Dodger. And this postseason, the guy’s been money.

For all the talk that teams shouldn’t commit three or four years to a player who doesn’t always give his best, were they saying that a few years ago when the Mets overcommitted for Pedro? Ramirez has a lot more left and while he might not be as great in say the final year, he can put a team that’s close over the top. Don’t you think Manny would look awfully nice batting cleanup behind David Wright with Carlos Delgado fifth and Carlos Beltran either second or sixth?

Correct me if I’m wrong here. But isn’t it about winning with the Amazin’s cause I’m not sure that’s the case anymore with the Yankee management team? Manny can win you a championship. Just look at the impact he had with a weak hitting Dodger club immediately making young emerging players like James Loney, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp better players. Before he arrived, they were under .500 despite a nice roster and were looking at missing October.

Then the slugger came and carried them with a huge September making up over six games on Arizona to win the NL West going away. With him such a factor, the Cubs never had a prayer despite owning the NL’s best record.

Understand this. For all the risks with an aging player of Manny’s caliber, there’s still no other hitter in baseball you’d want up in a key situation at this time of year. He certainly has done his part for the Dodgers who find themselves a game from elimination due to some mismanaging from Torre and a pen implosion.

Manny’s loose personality has been seen as uncaring and unmotivated. But if that were really the case, he wouldn’t have such a well disciplined approach at the plate taking his hacks. You know he’s either going to walk or hit the ball hard somewhere. It’s that same cool persona which allows him to swing free and easy because the guy doesn’t feel any pressure. He doesn’t care what’s written and is just going to let it hang all out there.

That approach works a lot better than a couple of third base sluggers’ recent track records in this area.