Economic Stimulus, Dodger Style

As we all know, on Tuesday President Obama signed into law the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was designed to stimulate the national economy and create jobs.

Meanwhile, the yet-to-be-blossoming rosebud of the baseball season has surfaced, and Spring Training has begun in Glendale (no, not that one) Arizona. Dodger players, old, new and old-but-new-again alike, have reported to camp. But...there's...something...missing...

Yes, the M-word. The 2008 season has ended, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, MLK Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day and even Presidents' Day have all come and gone...and still yet the Dodgers have not signed Manny Ramirez.

Apparently offers have been made, then turned down, then made again, then turned down again. And while other teams are rarin' to go, the Dodgers still lack some key pieces to their 2009 puzzle.

The Militant is not one to barge in on business deals but...

DUDE...FRANK...NED...SIGN HIM ALREADY!!!!!!!

Yes, the Dodgers have been burned with big multi-year deals, but look, think of this as economic stimulus. Seriously. You get Manny on the team, people buy tickets. People buy the Manny shirts. People buy the cheesy Manny dreadlock wigs. And most of all, people buy parking at the stadium (Well, okay, maybe not the Militant, lol).

It's been estimated that in the not-even half-of-a-season that Ramirez played in Blue last year, his presence in the squad raked in $24 million in merchandise alone. That's half a season, folks. This man pays for himself!

Seriously, Los Angeles is not immune from the economic slump as we all know. But Manny Ramirez creates an entire economy all be himself. Call it Mannynomics. Manny Being Money. Whatever. Think of all those ticket sales. Think of all those season ticket sales. Think of all the people they'll be hiring at sports bars when folks crowd in there this October to watch Manny in the '09 playoffs. Think of all the families being fed after making Manny wigs all day (okay, granted, it's probably children in China making that stuff, but still...). Sixy, eighty, a hundred million, whatever....it's still chump change compared to a $787 billion stimulus package...yet the Dodger organization can provide economic stimulus to all of Los Angeles.

Please...for the economy's sake...sign Manny now.