More Manny
Are you guys pumped for the potential Aubrey Huff/Mike Cameron era? Can we get them replica Curtis Rowe and Sidney Wicks jerseys? Or at least Larry Andersen and Scott Sauerback?
Is there a reason why none of the independent thinkers in the Boston press have addressed the ridiculous inequities in what the Red Sox would get in return for Manny Ramirez in the proposed three-way cluster of a deal with the Mets and Tampa? The swap of players is bad enough -- now the Sox want to dole out top prospects to Tampa, as well? Anyone been paying attention to the Devil Rays? They are loaded with young talent. They're a couple years of experience and a change in upper management away from becoming something. They're in the A.L. East. And you want to hand them Kelly Shoppach and/or Hanley Ramirez?
Is there a reason why no one has questioned why all of a sudden Terry Francona publicly threw Manny under the bus, after being praised for sticking up for his guys at all costs? Or that he gave Mike Timlin the same game off in Tampa, even though the Sox chewed through 10 pitchers over the last two games of the Tampa series? Or that Larry Lucchino suddenly popped off about Manny on an off-day, giving the anti-Manny mob two days to work into a froth? Do you think that was an accident?
How long is it going to take the mouth breathers who booed Manny (who, we'll repeat since no one else wants to acknowledge it, has suited up for more games in a Red Sox uniform than any other player since the start of the 2003 season. That stubborn little fact gets in the way of too many rants) at Fenway Friday night to start calling talk radio when all of a sudden David Ortiz has Aubrey Huff in front of him or behind him and his batting average suddenly dips? A week? You hear all the stories about how Ortiz was left for the scrap heap by the Twins and came to Boston and started slugging. Do you think maybe being paired with Ramirez had something to do with this? Ortiz's comments after the game indicated that he sure understands it. I bet the Yankees are praying this deal is pulled off.
Oh and if Manny isn't in a Red Sox uniform come Monday, that will mean the team will have run off the three big Latino superstars who dominated the team's headlines for years -- Ramirez, Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra -- in the span of 12 months. And done so in a manner in which they deliberately whipped up public sentiment against each on the way out. Just sayin'.
Anyway, onto more feedback:
Tim writes: Thank you for your spot-on defense of Manny. The herd mentality is alive and well in Boston again as the established sports media (at the behest of the front office, perhaps?) turns the tide of public opinion as effectively as any propaganda machine anywhere. … I'm constantly amazed that people who loved the guy just days before will bray and howl about how horrible he is. Good on you for seeing through the nonsense.
Josh says: Thanks so much for your article. The Manny bashing has really started To make me angry (perhaps an indication that I've been paying too much
attention to Boston sports media), and the number of boos at Friday
night's game was just depressing.
The anti-Manny sentiment certainly seems to have spread this week, and
I doubt the reason for this had much to do with whether Manny ran hard
enough Tuesday night or whether he should have offered to play on
Wednesday. I do think it had everything to do with the SI article
About Manny wanting to be traded. Manny doesn't love us (I wonder why?) so
We have to get back at him.
There was also the injury to Clement. Although Nixon's injury was much
more relevant to whether Manny was needed on Wednesday, it was
Clement's injury that gave the whole matter such an emotional charge. It was
shocking and frightening, and later it provided a nice a little fantasy
that this was just the thing to bring the Sox together and go on a
thirty-game tear. If Clement hadn't been injured, but instead got pulled
after 3 innings because the D-Rays scored 8 runs, then Manny not playing the
next day probably wouldn't have made such a splash even though the team
would have been in pretty much the same position.
Of course, the usual Manny bashers needed no such reasons to fan the
flames. The self-proclaimed pundits would still shout that Manny's not
a team player. How nice it would be if they practiced what they
preached? If there is an issue with Manny, let the team handle it. Judge Manny
by his performance and leave the rest of the B.S. out of it.
Adrian says: Good article in support of Manny today. In my mind, Manny has done
Enough good for this town that we certainly can find other things to get in
a twist over. Granted, I wish he would leg out every infield chopper
with the hustle of some players (Jeter comes to mind)- -- but he gives you
exactly what you expect from him EVERY YEAR- 40+ hrs, 130+ rbis, and some
wonderful humor value. This is a team that won the WS and went to Game 7 of
the ALCS in the last 2 years. Think that would have happened without him?
I do feel compelled to point out that this is a representative sample of the email that's crossed my path -- I haven’t gotten much negative feedback. I'm not doing this to stroke my own ego, if you think I'm a moron, I'll publish that, too.
Feedback
<< Home