When Manny Ramirez came to the Dodgers in the summer of 2008, Los Angeles had only been to the playoffs twice in the past eleven seasons. As a matter of fact, the Dodgers only had one playoff win in that span. So to say that they were looking for a jolt to their lineup would be an understatement.
Enter Mannywood. After spending eight seasons in Boston playing for the Red Sox, Manny was flipped to the Dodgers in a three-way deal that also featured the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boston got Jason Bay and a minor leaguer, the Pirates got Andy LaRoche and prospects, and Los Angeles got their man.