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.