Given that the Dodgers left it up to their players to decide whether they wanted to go to Taiwan, if this Focus Taiwan report that Manny Ramirez accepted a $170,000 appearance fee from the promoters of the exhibition series in Taiwan is true, I don’t really see a problem. But I expect others will, just because they find a problem lately with everything Ramirez does. (Link via Dodger Thoughts commenter BHSportsguy).

Honestly, whether you wanted to go to Taiwan because you wanted to see the country, or you wanted to play in a foreign ballpark, or you wanted to see some friends back in your homeland, or you’re big on spreading goodwill, or you like long charter flights, or because $170,000 is a nice piece of change, it probably doesn’t matter.  Jet-lag is jet-lag, any way you look at it.

Ramirez is 38 — which is old for a ballplayer but young for your typical intercontinental flyer, I imagine. He’ll survive.