mutiny
see you fucking later manny
So the Boston Herald has finally said what some of us Red Sox fans have been secretly thinking for the last 3 years or so…Manny Ramirez can go–and we won’t give a shit….? Yes.
Buckly Nonethless
Let’s see if today is the day the Red Sox [team stats] will reclaim their dignity and toss Manny Ramirez [stats] out on his arse.
For years now, the team has been suffering in silence as Manny more or less spits in their collective faces. He has been a master of the phantom injury. He often has patrolled left field with a embarrassing casualness. He has been, in general, a clown, and Fenway Park [map] has been Bozo’s Big Top.
And, always, the Red Sox have looked the other way. This was because they didn’t want to “lose” their Hall of Fame-bound slugger. And in terms of end results, this outrageous enabling by the Red Sox has worked: You can’t argue with two World Series championships in four years.
The Red Sox also recognized they were fighting a losing cause. The fans - that is, those who are card-carrying Manny apologists - love the guy. You so much as raise the slightest bit of ire about the Clown Prince of Baseball, and you are dismissed as a Manny Basher.
But now it’s time for the Red Sox to be big boys about all this and either continue with the enabling . . . or, and let’s say it again, toss Manny out.
Literally. Throw him out. No, wait, that would be violent. And we don’t want to be advocating violence here. That’s Manny’s job - you know, tossing 64-year-old men to the ground and all that.
So escort Manny out to the pavement, right out there on Yawkey Way, and tell him to take his whiny agents and sycophants with him.
It doesn’t get any worse than this, Sox fans. The New York Yankees pulled into town last night to begin a three-game series against the Red Sox, whereupon Manny pulled up lame. He was in the lineup, and then he was not in the lineup. Ramirez already pulled himself out of the lineup the other day in Seattle, now he did it again yesterday.
This time, the Red Sox sent him out for MRIs - on both knees. In other words, the Sox called Manny’s bluff.
Surprise, surprise: The MRIs showed nothing. But common sense tells us Ramirez is playing the Red Sox, and all their fans for suckers. The guy has an 11-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting .487. And he says he’s been playing with a sore knee. Yet after taking himself out of the lineup, he stepped into the batting cage under the first base grandstand and proceeded to rake the ball. Until Manny pulled the curtain on me, I was standing there watching the Clown Prince.
Francona, who met with Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner before the game, later tried to explain that it’s more or less a routine to clue in the owners about MRIs and the like.
Nonsense.
Managers don’t meet with owners every time a player needs an MRI. But you do meet with the owners when there is concern that your star left fielder is tanking it.
But Francona, to his credit, didn’t try very hard to defend Ramirez. Asked if the club feels Ramirez’ contract situation is playing a role in these absences, he said, “I’m not going to tell you what happened in the meeting. We’d have invited you.”
Three weeks ago, three days ago, Francona would have been outraged by that question. He’d have been angered by the mere suggestion that Ramirez would put money ahead of baseball.
Maybe Francona was just tired. Maybe he was ticked off that Yankees starter Joba Chamberlain has decided that his fastball is a dart and that Kevin Youkilis [stats]’ head is the dartboard. Maybe the skipper was upset that last night’s umpire, Marty Foster, submitted the worst officiated game in the history of organized sports. (On that subject: Major League Baseball has a moral obligation to watch a replay of Foster’s effort last night.)
Or maybe Tito’s just sick and tired of this Manny-being-Manny nonsense.
We know Sox general manager Theo Epstein is tired of it all. Asked about Ramirez late last night, he said, “I have no comment - for now.”
Let’s hope that the loose translation here is that Manny is going to be fined if he is not in the lineup today.
Better yet, let’s hope that the Red Sox simply throw Manny out.
Manny has a choice today: Stand in front of the Wall, or behind it.
Still awake? Yes…I know Buckley sucks. I probably read 25% of that article. But honestly only the title needed to tell me what I’ve known for the last 3 years. See you later Manny. J.D. Drew will happily bat behind Pappy–better yet stick Pappy behind Drew.
Send you’re “I’m on Manny’s nuts” hate e-mails to the address above. I personally ( a nobody ) can’t wait to see this guy run out of town. Just like he said in his interview with Gene Lavanchy (is that how you spell it?…Channel 7?) “I’ll make 20 million dollars anywhere…so I’m not worried” — yes…those are Manny’s words.
Fuck Him. See you later buddy.
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