I like Manny. [Forum Archive]

Quote:

Manny Ramirez is a great hitter. He is not a great baseball player.
Great players run. Great players slide. Great players show opponents at least a modicum of respect, because they understand how difficult the game is to play.
One day, Ramirez is going to cost the Red Sox a game, a very big game, and the joke will be over.
It could have happened in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, but the Red Sox won, 7-1, so who cared?
Manny being Manny. Hardee-har-har.
Well, Ramirez failed to slide at the plate in the first inning when he had a chance to beat a high throw from Indians right fielder Franklin Gutierrez.

Then, he stopped at first base after hitting a ball that bounced off the top of the wall in right-center, arguing that he deserved a home run rather than hauling to second or even third.
Ramirez might have been out on the first play anyway, and he avoided further scrutiny with the second when the inning ended quietly.
If the game had remained tight — if, heaven forbid, the Red Sox had lost — both transgressions would have received far more attention.
But as usual, Manny walks, in more ways than one.
Ramirez isn't going to change, not at age 35. He is in many ways harmless, and without question entertaining. But the "Manny being Manny" catchphrase, once a lighthearted explanation for Ramirez's carefree nature, has expanded into an all-encompassing excuse for his inexcusable behavior.
Hardly anyone is even offended by Ramirez anymore.
Not the vast majority of Red Sox Nation, which supposedly is more in touch with the game's nuances than any other fan base.
Not certain sabermetricians, who claim that Ramirez's offensive production more than compensates for his on-field lapses.
Not even opponents, who either laugh at Ramirez, ignore him or both.

The Indians barely flinched when Ramirez threw both arms over his head and began walking to first following his solo home run in Game 4 — a misplaced act of celebration if there ever was one, considering that the Red Sox still trailed, 7-3.
It was a typical Ramirez stunt, half-clueless, half-selfish. Indians general manager Mark Shapiro was still seething over it after the game. But as one Indian said, "It spoke for itself."
Ramirez's teammate, Josh Beckett, might be the only pitcher who would exact retribution for such a blatant act of disrespect. Beckett was rightly ticked at Kenny Lofton in Game 5 for dropping his bat on a pitch that turned out to be strike one instead of ball four. But Ramirez does three things worse each game.
And the Red Sox know it.
I'd write Terry Francona's book for free if he were willing to come clean on Ramirez. And while Ramirez has his clubhouse acolytes, it's difficult to imagine that the serious professionals in the room — catcher Jason Varitek, third baseman Mike Lowell and others — delight in Manny being Manny.
Yes, Ramirez works at his hitting. Yes, he plays a decent left field, particularly at Fenway Park. And yes, he is as unreliable as any superstar in the game, milking injuries, shutting down, showing the attention span of a 9-year-old.
The Sox's front office has revealed its true thoughts about Ramirez on several occasions, placing him on waivers, trying to trade him. The next test will come this off-season, before Ramirez enters the final year of his contract. If Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez becomes a free agent, the Sox could be tempted to swap out Ramirez.
Sign Rodriguez, trade Ramirez — it all sounds so neat and clean. In reality, Rodriguez is looking for at least a 10-year deal at age 32. The Sox don't like tying up players beyond age 35. And Ramirez only can be traded if he grants his permission, which he would be unlikely to do unless he received a contract extension.
Even if the Sox did nothing with Ramirez this winter, they would face a crossroads after next season, when they would need to decide whether to exercise his $20 million option for 2009 (they also hold a $20 million option for '10).
The move would appear to be a no-brainer, seeing as how the Sox probably couldn't find a comparable right-handed slugger to hit behind David Ortiz. Ramirez, though, might throw a fit if the Sox declined to give him a new, long-term deal. And then what?
Ah, no problem. Manny being Manny.
Sorry, it is a problem, even if people are too accustomed to Ramirez being a goofball, too numb to even care.
One day the Red Sox will lose a game because of Ramirez's antics and baseball justice will be done.
Until then, the joke's on us.