Make it stop! Please, for all that is decent, make it stop!
For nearly the fifth year in a row, or tenth, or third, or whatever, as the major league baseball non-waiver trading deadline approaches we’re greeted with a blitz of Manny Ramirez trade rumors. For the billionth year in a row, the Boston Red Sox are fed up with the supposedly flaky Manny Ramirez. And we’re told, by Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman and the talking heads everywhere – it looks as though it may actually happen. Even the scoop-happy Buster Olney reports tonight, via ESPN’s bottom line, that a trade with the Marlins may be imminent.
(Weirdly, Olney cried foul this morning about the scoop rush on his blog, according to The Big Lead.Yet tonight, ESPN credited him with the Marlins scoop several hours after Heyman discussed it this afternoon. Not that Buster‘s a hypocrite, but, uh, well, I can’t finish that sentence. Does anyone else think Buster is unraveling before our very eyes? He’s shouting, he’s barely coherent, he’s stressed, he’s on the WWL nearly twenty hours per day, plaintively apologizing for a preseason Indians WS prediction no one on earth remembers or cares. ANYWAY…)
The annual Manny Ramirez circus is just that, a circus. The Sox won’t deal him. Nor should they. In fact, this entire blitz is entirely a media creation, as if all major baseball Web sites couldn’t fathom a trade deadline passing with only Mark Teixeira in the mix. The Boston Red Sox may well be the most statistically and financially savvy organization in Major League Baseball. It’s absolutely unconscionable to think they’d trade Manny, phony baggage or not.
Yet during a casual survey of the media and Red Sox fandom, one would think Ramirez is not only the root of all Red Sox failures, but all evil in general. Peter Gammons, in a venomous blog-column, absolutely eviscerates Manny Ramirez. You’d think the Sox’ success during the last seven years was in spite of Manny, not because of.
Since Ramirez joined the Red Sox in 2001, all he’s done is:
- Cement his Hall of Fame legacy.
- Gone to 8 All-Star Games.
- Won a batting title.
- Won an All-Star Game MVP.
- Led Boston to the playoffs four times.
- And more.
He’s been a virtual bargain – signed during MLB’s inexplicable spate of lengthy, superfluous contracts – Derek Jeter, Todd Helton, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, etc., etc. At $160 million for eight years when signed – Manny‘s been worth absolutely every penny. Heck, to me, picking up his 2009 option is a no-brainer.
Oh, by the way, he’s also led the Sox to two World Series titles. Ahem. Nearly ten years ago, they were supposedly cursed. But as long as viewers and clickers and readers will tune in, nearly everyone will tell you the Red Sox want to part ways. They’ll tell you Manny’s a malcontent. A flake. A showboat. And they’ll tell you, no doubt, he’s selfish and doesn’t care. And it’s all baloney. Manny certainly isn’t the grizzled fortysomething sportswriter’s prototypical favorite ballplayer – but what evidence exists that proves Manny‘s hurt the team? Taken an at-bat off? Taken a play off? Besides the insulting stereotypes – what evidence exists that proves Manny doesn’t care?
There is none.
He may be a bit divaesque, and he may be joyful, exuberant, and effervescent on the field – but since when is that a problem? He’s all about the money, Peter? For crying out loud, so are we all. And speaking of divas, we have plenty of sportswriters rushing to their aid elsewhere – why is Manny a sudden pariah while others ride a mythical wave of legend?
During Manny‘s career in Boston, the Red Sox hardly suffered. They thrived. Chemistry in sports isn’t non-existent, but it is overrated. Certainly players with a different set of rules aren’t necessarily ideal – but examples exist in all sports, at all levels. This isn’t the first. And the notion that the Red Sox’ relationship with their star player is now suddenly untenable is ridiculous.
It would be nice, occasionally, if sportswriters didn’t leap into groupthink or conclusions or half-truths or contrary fact. Especially simply to fuel a purely speculative rumor mill.
