Baseball’s strangest slugger learns a lesson in supply and demand
Think the economic crisis has been rough on you? How about poor Manny Ramirez. Back in November, the L.A. Dodger hit-machine was offering the sweetest swing in baseball to the highest bidder, musing about a four-year contract in the neighbourhood of US$100 million. “Gas is up and so am I,” he famously said. Fast-forward four months, and gas prices are plummeting‹and so are the slugger’s demands. The strangest man to ever set foot in a batter’s box says he’s now willing to “accept” a slightly smaller contract: two years and US$45 million. “The economy is making me adjust,” Manny says. “That’s just the way it is. I’ve looked at the big picture from every different angle and life is too short to be mad. I’ve already made a ton of money and now it’s just about negotiating a deal.” Hear that, Hamilton steelworkers? You’re not alone in your suffering.