Three years later, my Manny Ramirez rant stands
Nobody, and I mean nobody, dislikes Manny Ramirez more than I do. I am a long standing Manny hater of the first order. It didn’t take Manny pushing a 65-year old Red Sox employee to get my head out of you know where. It didn’t take leaving his bat on his shoulder for three Mariano Rivera pitches in the Bronx. It didn’t take him sitting out games in Seattle and against the Yankees. I have been consistent about this for years.
Jul 28, 2005
Let’s Just Call It Like It Is
Manny Ramirez is a petulant, immature coward.
He is a disgrace, to himself, his family, the Red Sox and every major league player.
Here is a guy who was playing in Cleveland and chose to come to Boston as a free agent. He didn’t have to come here. He was getting his, somewhere. It’s not like Boston wasn’t a baseball crazy town already when he got here. Eight years and $160 million gets you a guy who refuses to play. Just plain says no. And gets paid $123,456.79 for doing it. When he gets in in the 10th inning, he dogs it? Uh, no, that is not acceptable. For a fan, a teammate or the organization.
As Sinatra would say, the Sox have F-U money this season. They will never experience a feeling of goodwill like they have right now.
Make an example of him. Punish him. Do whatever you can under the collective bargaining agreement. It’s probably not nearly enough to make some people happy (me), but do at least that much. Make a statement that enough is enough. It’s one thing to sulk, be a whiner, listen to MP3’s or hang out in the Green Monster during the game. It’s another entirely if you show such a reckles disregard for the team. Get rid of him today. For nothing if you have to.
Three years to the day, and one more World Series championship later, I wouldn’t change a word of that rant. Manny is an even bigger disgrace today than he was then. Far bigger. He sullies the experience of watching and rooting for the team we all love.
We have two World Series titles in four years. It is time for this ownership that talks endlessly about doing things the right way, to do the right thing, for the integrity of the team and to show respect for the fans. Get rid of Manny today, for a bag of balls if you have to. If you can’t find a trade, release him. Period. I don’t care about the season, or the playoffs. Sacrifice all of that in the name of what’s right. Manny has left them no choice. Years of enabling him has created this monster. The only thing that can fix it is bold action.
I really beleve that real Red Sox fans will welcome Manny’s long overdue departure. I would rather root for a scappy team of character guys down the stretch over a team with a superstar player in decline who has continually insulted the fans and his teammates time and again over the years. Do the right thing Red Sox and you will be rewarded, maybe not with a World Series title in 2008, but the goodwill of millions of fans who have finally seen the light when it comes to the disgrace that is Manny Ramirez.
One final thought, move Youk to left, Casey to first base and you still have a damn competitive team. Who knows, they could win it all without him. Stranger things have happened.
Update: Thanks to Ron for correcting me on my sloppy spelling mistake.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:54 am
If you’re going to trash him, how about spelling his name correctly?
July 28th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Ron,
A fine suggestion indeed. Thanks.
Kevin
July 28th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Kevin, you may pine for the old days of rooting for a “scrappy team of guys with character,” even if they fall short, but been-there-done-that for a long time and I’ll pass. Manny is an immature, selfish young man who pretty much hits the cover off the ball for 155 or so games out of 162. During the other games, you’re right, he tarnishes the game of baseball and fairly taunts ownership to do something about it. But the team wins more–many more–than they lose with him in the lineup, so I say hold your nose until they can get true value for him.
Bill
July 28th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Bill,
Equal value would be nice, but they’ll never get it. Most likely they were planning on letting him walk after the season. In that case, I believe, they get 2 draft picks. If they trade him, maybe they get a major league prospect. I’d be happy with that. He’s on the decline, and three years from now it will be more pronouned, imho. I can’t make the point that they are a better team without him. It would just feel better to root for them…and they’d still be pretty damn good.
Kevin
July 29th, 2008 at 5:49 am
Eight years and $160 million gets you *the best right-handed hitter of this generation*. Period. He holds the record for post-season HRs and is second on the all-time grand slam list with 20.
People pine for the “good old days” but forget that star players have always been difficult; Babe Ruth wasn’t exactly a “dirt dog”.
Manny has been one of the most enjoyable things to watch on the Sox the past 8 years. I love Manny! He’s the best Red Sox player in the last 25 years.
July 29th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Frank,
Of course, he’s a great ballplayer. But is it too much to ask of a $20M player to hustle, not quit on his team, to not have phantom injuries, to take the bat off his shoulder when forced to pinch hit on his “day off”. That’s hardly the stuff of a dirt dog. Just a ballplayer who gives a damn about someone other than themselves and their contract.
Not to mention phycically assaulting 65-year old men in the clubhouse when he doesn’t get his way, like a petulant little child with a behavior problem. You are sure willing to overlook a lot.
My enjoyment as a fan has something to do with the people I’m rooting for. I can’t just see the laundry, as Seinfeld would say.
The Red Sox will not become the dregs of the American League without Manny. They’ll still be a great team, with the resources to bring in a guy who respects his teamates, fans and the game, and still produces.
Kevin
August 4th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
you guys KEEP forgetting about his shuffle with youk in the dugout!!!!Goodbye and good luck in the future manny!after all youve given us im okay if you get $100 mil. and a 4 year deal it would probly have to come from new york and i believe they are way to smart to give you that kind of cash 4 the headaches you can cause.@36 and on the decline i promise you will not see the $ you put this fuss up about manny….i promise.the only fields you can play is philly and boston and we dont want you back and philly will not pay you the cash you are requesting.so i see you taking a paycut from the 20 mil. if you would have acted like a ball player and a stand up guy.but i believe thats way to much to ask!!!!JASON BAY his #’s will go up……..to be continued…..
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
[...] more bad news for the disgraced, aging, one-dimensional malcontent, Angels general manager Tony Reagins told the Los Angeles Times [...]