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(Paat Kelly/MiLB.com) |
Manny Ramriez left the Cubs' AAA affiliate on Friday due to a knee injury—with three games left on the schedule. We can all speculate as to whether this was a convenient 'near-the-end-of-the-season' malady. But, as far as
Theo Epstein goes, that type of speculation is a thing of the past. According to Theo,
Manny was nothing but a positive influence on the organization's key young players (
Jorge Soler,
Kris Bryant,
Javier Baez). Said the former Red Sox GM,
"It opened my eyes about how people can change. If you had asked me a few years ago, I never would have believed that we would voluntarily put Manny in a position to impact our most important players – and that he would come through." Epstein was astounded when Ramirez gave him a highly-detailed breakdown of every player on the Iowa roster. Manny Being Meticulous! The two-time World Champ wants to return to the majors—at age 43 those odds are long. But, we wouldn't bet against him.