proplayer2

Manny to the Marlins is a perfect match. Nobody who lives in Miami gives two hoots about the Marlins, and Manny feels the same way about the fans. Perfect. He’ll be playing is a stadium that has 47,662 seats and only 15,686 bodies filling them.

Who will notice or care if Manny turns a single into a triple playing in legitimate left field? Who will care if he dogs it to first base on a grounder in the gap, during the 7th inning of a game when his team is being no hit at home? Nobody. Manny won’t care either, because as Peter Gammons explained on Sports Center last night, all Manny cares about is making $100M on his next contract. Manny has demonstrated, multiple times each season, he does not care about his teammates, or the fans. He cares about one thing, money. Ok, two things. Money, and being left alone.

When asked about the thought of going to the Marlins, here’s what Manny had to say,

“Oh, yeah!” Ramirez said as he walked through the clubhouse. “Tax free! Stay at home!”

That says it all about him doesn’t it? He went on to tell ESPN Desportes,

“Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy. I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don’t deserve me. I’m not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don’t have peace here.”

If this is how he shows his love for the fans, by quitting on the team, not hustling and phantom injuries, then how would he behave if he didn’t love them? Scary thought. I’m pretty confident in saying that the Red Sox goal is to win another World Series, and to have the highest paid player in team history show up for work every day, play hard and produce. It is Manny who has instigated this mess, and nobody else. Manny will have all the mental peace he can handle in Florida playing for the Marlins.

I’ve been called an irrational Manny basher here, here and here. Why? Because I told the mighty Hub Blog this,

I would gladly give back the 2007 WS win if the Sox dumped him at the time of my original post (three years ago). Gladly. I just find it appalling that I’m forced to root for this guy 160+ nights per year. How many times are we supposed to be offended and sit there and say “Thank you sir, may I have another.”

That’s right. A World Series is less important to me than being forced to cheer for someone like Manny, who has so little respect for the fans and his teammates. Irrational? Maybe, I certainly wouldn’t argue otherwise, it’s just where I am after a half dozen years of Manny’s attitude, insolence and arrogance.

Good riddance to a great ballplayer and a despicable human being. How anyone who can cheer for someone like that is beyond me. I love the Sox, love watching games and rooting for the team. His presence on the team, no mater his production, is a black mark for me a as fan. I’d rather lose without him than win with him. That being said, the Sox will survive life without Manny. They have the talent and the resources. Manny-free ballclubs will be far more enjoyable, for me anyway, to root for.

Now, get ‘er done Theo, get er done! Go Sox!

UPDATE: Exhale. Manny traded to Dodgers. In the end, I didn’t care where he ended up, so long as it wasn’t Fenway Park.

UPDATE II: This is a great deal for the Red Sox. The Sox gave up Craig Hansen (a disappointment) and Brandon Moss (4th outfielder) and get Jason Bay in return.

Meet your new left fielder, Jason Bay:
Avg. 282, 22 HR
11/17/05: Signed four-year, $18.25 million contract ($1 million signing bonus).
2008: $5.75 million, 2009: $7.5 million, 2010: Free Agent

Through the end of the 2009 season, the Sox would have had to pay Manny $27M. They will pay Jason Bay a little more than $8M ($15M if you include the $7M the Sox are paying the Dodgers this season). Their production is comparable, Bay is a better fielder and he won’t disgrace the uniform.

UPDATE III: Thanks for the laugh BostonsportZ.com