Manny being Monolingual by Jared Carrabis
Manny Ramirez greets White Sox fans...through an interpreter


For those at home who don't know how to speak Spanish, and I suspect more than a few of you put your hand up, that blurb on the headlining picture translates to, "Since when did you stop speaking English, Manny?"

If you haven't already heard, the trade is complete, and Manny Ramirez is a member of the Chicago White Sox. That being said, it was only a matter of seconds before Manny was up to his old tricks with his new club.

For some reason, Ramirez felt that he needed an interpreter (Joey Cora) to speak to the Chicago media before Tuesday night's game in Cleveland. See video HERE.

If I had to guess, because I remember watching Manny's press conference when he was first traded to the Dodgers, Manny did this because there are both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking reporters who follow him around to document his every move. With the help of Cora, Manny killed two birds with one stone, answering the questions in Spanish, then having Cora relay his response in English.

This reminds me of my elementary school days when I used to pack an Ace bandage in my backpack and wrap my writing hand with a bandage and claim that I couldn't write. I'd ask the teacher if I could have a student write for me, and I'd always pick the smart kid. That's called killing two birds with one stone.

It will be interesting to see what kind of month Ramirez puts together in Chicago, as I'm sure he knows he's auditioning to be an American League team's designated hitter for next season, and perhaps beyond.

With money always on his mind, Ramirez was asked if he thought the Mannywood sign being taken down was a precursor to his being dealt away.

"I didn't give too much thought to that, because the checks were going to keep coming," Ramirez said, in typical Manny fashion.

The Dodgers gave Manny to the White Sox outright, which means they got nothing in return. Chicago is now on the hook for $3.8 million just to rent Manny for a month.

After some searching on YouTube, it appears that Manny isn't a stranger to the "Pretend you don't speak English" joke.



-Jared Carrabis

Published on September 01, 2010

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