Pitchers Only Throw Strikes to Manny Ramirez

Does anybody ever wonder how Tim McCarver's brain works? What must go on in that never-ending pool of knowledge from which he draws first rate analysis each and every broadcast? Last night during the Dodgers/Phillies game he gave us an example of why he is one of two men that have the privilege of commentating the World Series year in and year out. He had this tidbit to say about Manny Ramirez, whom he apparently just can't talk about enough lately.

"Manny (Ramirez) chases pitches outside of the strike zone. And by that I mean, pitchers won’t throw pitches out of the stirke zone. It’s a different approach."

Wow.. You lost me, Timmy.

Since 1999, Manny Ramirez has finished in the top ten in walks seven times, including leading all of baseball with 124 free passes this past season. He has a career .411 On-Base Percentage. Now, do either of these facts lead you to believe that pitchers WON'T THROW PITCHES OUT OF THE STRIKE ZONE TO MANNY RAMIREZ???

And since when does Manny chase pitches out of the zone? Last I checked, he was a pretty damn disciplined hitter, hardly ever chasing anything off the plate. You'll find this quality in players who walk a lot, Tim. They tend to not chase pitches out of the strike zone.

I'm gonna stop pretending that even you comprehend what you are saying.