It shouldn't be surprising to anyone that Bonds would be on my list of the best 3-4 hitter combinations of the recent past twice since he is, even ignoring the steroids and assuming that he would have followed his natural career arc, the best player of his generation and, arguably, the best left-fielder of all time (remember I said arguably, as in, one could make a case that this is so regardless of whether I hold this opinion or not). However, I assume that some will be surprised by the fact that Manny is on the list twice.
This is totally understandable due to his public perception (as shaped by the media) and seeming immaturity. Understandable? Yes. Sad and disappointing? Yes. The fact is, based upon any and all statistical measures, Manny Ramirez is one of the great hitters of all time and, arguably, the best right-handed hitter of his generation.
Why doesn't he get his due respect and accolades? I think that you have to point your finger at the media. There is another famous player who played for the Red Sox who was one of the great hitters of his generation and, indeed, all time. This player was an average to poor defender, just like Manny. This player had a very difficult relationship with the press just like Manny. This player was a true student of hitting with a very cerebral approach that he brought to every at-bat, just like Manny. Who is the player in question? Ted Williams.
Now, I don't know how Teddy Ballgame was treated by the media in his time but, rest assured, unless I am totally off base, he wasn't ridiculed and turned into a buffoon in the eyes of the average fan. Hopefully, when all is said and done the brilliance of Manny's career will lead to the recognition he so obviously deserves. Maybe then the media and the public at large will be able to analyze and appreciate his approach to hitting. Maybe then the phrase "that's just Manny being Manny" can finally be the compliment that it should be.
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I want make clear that this post is about Manny as a player and really, primarily, as a hitter. I don't dispute that he can be and most likely is an idiot who dogs it down the first base line on pop-ups, is prone to make some of the most boneheaded plays you've ever seen in the field, and has been known to sit out games with fabricated injuries (although this trait has been exagerated and if you look at his stats in years where he hasn't had a legitimate injury(s) he has almost always player in at least 150 games).
Williams wasn't ridiculed in the same way, that is, they didn't really look down on him the same way. But make no mistake, the media despised him. They were ruthless about lack of effort in the field, and his personality. He was kind of a dick, especially to the media. So ya, he got it too.
Even if they were ruthless, to me there is a big difference between portraying someone as a jerk and portraying him as an idiot or a buffoon. The jerk is still taken seriously. Making someone out to be an idiot renders them irrelevant in such a meaningful way because then anything positive that they do is thought to be luck, savant-like ability, or pure talent. In addition, anything they do, whether positive or negative, is chalked up to their idiot or buffoonish status/perception; thus, "Manny being Manny."
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