Sox Waive Manny
Published October 30, 2003
Manny Ramirez is such a dumbass the Red Sox have waived him. Incredible. Anyone can have him if they pay his $20 million per year. Is Manny stupid, negligent, a con man, brain damaged, easily distracted, an idiot savant, a liar, or all of the above? Will the Indians claim him and jump-start the rebuild? Will the pope marry Madonna?
- The Red Sox placed All-Star slugger Manny Ramirez on irrevocable waivers, The New York Times and the Boston Herald reported Thursday.
....Ramirez is one of baseball's best hitters, but he often struggles in the outfield and on the bases.
He was benched by Little late this season after he missed a crucial series against the Yankees with a sore throat and fever, yet managed to pull himself out of bed to reminisce with New York infielder Enrique Wilson about their days in Cleveland.
Then Ramirez didn't show up for an appointment with the team doctor, and when he joined the club the next day he sat on the bench but said he was "too weak" to pinch-hit.
And in a game at Yankee Stadium in September, the absent-minded Ramirez tossed the ball into the stands after making a nice catch, thinking there were three outs when there were only two.
If no team claims Ramirez by the 2 p.m. EST deadline Friday, he will remain with the Red Sox. [AP]
- Sox Waive Manny
- Published: October 30, 2003
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- Section: Sports
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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Gosh Johno, that made me cry. They'd need a veteran starter in there too, maybe just bring back Anderson, who did a great job last year.
Glad I could help. I might be a Sox fan now, but I'm an Ohio transplant and grew up with the Tribe. If the two teams are not playing each other, I split my fandom.
What makes you think the Indians will have good pitching? Please. Two disastrous starts and a bullpen meltdown are going to be what force that 7th game, despite a 190-RBI season from Manny, a Thome homer explosion, and a late career batting surge from Omar Vizquel, who comes off the bench with a bad knee in the 10th inning of Game 7 and pulls out a game-ending Kurt Gibson-style home run to win the thing.
God, now I'm getting choked up too...
The Mariners could sure use a bat like Manny's in the lineup, but his ego might be too much for the club chemistry.
If he goes anywhere, It's probably going to be to Texas, who overpay for stars yet fail miserably, or New York (A) who will do anything to further grind their heel into the face of Boston's civic pride.
i hate to say this but i don't think ego is the problem...i think he' just not that smart.
Whatever it is, Mark, it says something when the majority of his own teammates don't even like him and that they are willing to give him up with Steinbrenner's wallet a risk.
eh, I'm just as happy seeing Thome in Philly.
I sure hope the Mariners will pull the trigger next year on whatever talent we need to go all the way. The last 10 years have been filled with too many almost theres. Sort of like the Braves.
Along with the Manny and Thome acquisitions, they should coax Dennis 'el presidente' Martinez out of the retirement home. I think he could still go out there and pitch with depends on.
manny is a space case, not stupid, but this is an amicable thing between him and the team, and both sides realize it is unlikely to lead to anything. gammons reports on it at espn.com and there is a good discussion at www.bostonsportsblog.com
you know they'd love to suit up Bob Feller for one more season
Ultimately the bright lights have proven to be pretty devastating to Manny. He really should have stayed in Cleveland for slightly less money. This city's fans would have continued their blind support for him, despite his idiosyncracies. Sometimes getting the best deal and listening to your agent is a bad thing. Jeff Moorad helped to ruin Manny's life despite getting him $20 million a year. Manny would have been a rich man regardless. He should have concentrated on being happy as well as rich.
And THAT'S where the ego comes in, because by all reports he isn't particularly arrogant
Who's ego though? I don't know Manny, and I have never met him, but wasn't the perspective that the major decision making was being made by Jeff Moorad to just get top dollar? Does Manny seem like the kind of guy that would make that decision? Or am I just being naive as Manny is dumb like a fox?
I would like to blame Jeff Moorad and his special programming on ESPN as he ran two teams through the ringer.
The A-Rod/Manny deals will go down as an insane a bubble as the dotcom, and the burst has been nearly as drastic
you're right about the bright lights thing.
boston area fans are brutal in their following, commenting on, and complaining about...the everyday behavior of their sports stars.
some players can hack it, others can't.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/9637)
Eric,
It's an interesting question. There's no doubt that the Sox under Theo Epstien and Bill Jameson are going to get rid of Manny's huge contract somehow. Manny's great, but he's no Sabermetric optimum.
But what the hell are they doing putting him on waivers? They're just going to have to pick him back up again when the time expires. Are they giving notice that they'll deal? Are they giving MANNY notice that he doesn't matter to them? Guh? Buh?
Here's my dream scenario: Cleveland trades three walk-and-homer minor leaguers to Boston in exchange for Manny. They deal two outfielders to Philly in exchange for Thome, and somehow persuade Kenny Lofton to come back home too. The newly-reunited Indians go on to win the the ALCS over the Yankees, and win the World Series in the 11th inning of a game 7 stunner over the returning Marlins, thus exacting revenge for 1997.
That would be totally sweet.