Manny Might Be In LA, But The Drama Continues
Manny Ramirez might be a Dodger now, but the drama surrounding the last two weeks, culminating with last Thursday’s 3-team blockbuster trade continues to grow as more time goes by. So far here’s what we know: Friday we learned the clubhouse basically voted Manny off the island, with everyone who was asked by Boston GM Theo Epstein that Manny had to go. Saturday brought news that Manny’s agent Scott Boras allegedly called the Boston front office offering Manny’s willingness to not be a clubhouse distraction the rest of the year if the team would guarantee they wouldn’t pick up his ‘09 or ‘10 club options, giving Manny what he’s wanted all along — a shot on the open market. Boras, for his part, denies this conversation took place, but the report cites that many in the front office took the phone call’s meaning as a confirmation of Manny’s act the last month as a calculated act to get the team to trade him.
In the wake of this trade (and Manny’s actions), a number of writers have weighed in as the dust has begun to settle. Hall of Fame and ESPN.com baseball writer Peter Gammons had this to say about Manny:
It is sad because most of us will always like Manny Ramirez, because the best people on the team—guys such as Cora, Ortiz and Mike Lowell—tried to make it work and cared. In the end, though, Ramirez listened to and cared about no one when it came to the next $100 million.
He “tased” the 2008 team because management wouldn’t pay him $100 million for four years. Now he has a chance to be happy, his back turned on the team with which he won two rings, a team that on Thursday turned the page and, in many ways, is morphing into a team far, far different from the Idiots of 2004, one built around Josh Beckett and Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia and Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester.
Yesterday ESPN.com writer Buster Olney wrote that not only does he think the possibility of Manny getting his desired 4 year, $100 million contract this off-season as highly unlikely, but also commented on his character throughout this whole process by writing:
He forced his way out of Boston by making those he worked for believe that he was intent on sabotaging its season—and keep in mind that his former employers are not some incompetent bumpkins with an onerous management style. The Red Sox have a chance to win their third World Series in five seasons, their front office is highly respected and they are managed by Terry Francona, someone whose own personal reputation in the game is pristine. Their tacit evaluation of Ramirez as a quitter will be regarded with deference.
In the end, Manny’s a Dodger and the Red Sox got a solid left-fielder in return when they landed Jason Bay. The Sox clubhouse appears to have gotten a big lift from the trade as they swept the Oakland Athletics this weekend and head out for a 7-game road trip against the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox. Given the situation Manny put the team in, getting Bay and winning their first series in the post-Rameriz era is the best outcome possible. Boston fans, for their part, welcomed Bay with open arms and he seems to love playing in Boston so far. If the positive energy that comes out of this trade is anything like the Nomar Garciaparra trade in 2004, October could be a sweet month once again in New England.
This entry was posted on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 9:33am. It has been filed under News, Sports, Thoughts, Writers, Joshua.
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