3 thoughts on “That Troubled Red Sox Outfielder”

  1. Manny is Manny. That has been a hard thing to accept but the big question that you have to answer is “Well, what do you do about him?” You cannot trade him as he has a $20 million/year contract that only 1 or 2 teams that could possibly absorb that. One is the Yankees and they really don’t trade with the Yankees. They tried releasing him (not a true release) and no one would take him. Even if you did find some team willing to take the salary what are you going to get in return for a .300/45/145 guy? What possible somewhat comparable value would teams part with? Hard discipline and you run the risk of him going into an insufferable pout associated with worse/stranger behavior than you already have. Cut him? Send him to Triple-A? This is the BIG problem with BIG contracts. The player has all the leverage. I have gone from hating Manny to being OK with it-even entertained by it. I think most of the players on the Sox get it and while they may not be 100% enthused by it they get it. Also as long as Big Papi has Manny’s back a lot more leeway will be given to Manny by the other guys in the clubhouse since that is Ortiz’s team (along with Varitek). The day Manny stops driving in 145 runs then it changes.

  2. Looks like the deal w/ the Mets won’t happen precisely because of these things. Hopefully this stays to form. Mike Cameron and a prospect? I don’t care how crazy Manny is that’s not even close.

  3. Lyford’s comments I think were to lull people into thinking that Mr. R was really meant to be Mr. Ted, not Mr. Manny or Mr. Babe, but it does show an institutional memory that all companies seem to have.
    With the large gap of excellence in left that went from teh early 1960’s to the late 1970’s, when Yaz was a pretty complete package, the Sox seemed destined to have very one dimensional players in the side fields, mainly left with Ted and Rice, and left and sometimes right (Babe was moved around, and really wanted to play short). Greewell too, and now Manny. The funny thing is how those players all seem to have some kind of deficit disorder. Many kids today who are diagnosed with ADHD and similar syndromes become catchers. It keeps them involved in the game on a pitch by pitch bases.
    Manny may not suffer from such syndromes, but is just an absolute flake. A borderline retarded man who can simply flat out hit as a Hall of Famer. The next thing you know, he will start chasing fire engines like Waddell.
    Yet they seem to get very complete players to play center: DiMaggio, Lynn, Damon.

Comments are closed.