I don't think what our fans did today to Manny was fair at all. He didn't say nothing [about the booing], but it bothers you. Especially, this guy, man, he was here way before I got here and way before a lot of players got here. The guy leaves his heart and soul out there every day for our fans to be treating him bad like that. I don't care what kind of rumor we have out there. I don't care what people are saying. You've got to see everything from every single point, and the guy, he has done the job here. ...
We're here to represent this city, this ballclub, and if Manny's out of here, it's going to be hard on everybody. Simple as that. Manny's one of the best hitters in the game. How do you replace a guy like that? ... Let me tell you, he's a human being just like everyone else. You know what I mean? I'm telling you, he's got feelings, like everyone. I haven't seen the first player ever that in his hometown gets booed and it doesn't bother him at all. I haven't seen the first one. You tell me one.
July 30, 2005
David Ortiz Speaks
Hey Manny Booers: If David Ortiz decides to leave Boston when his contract is up after the 2007 season, remember that you helped shove him out the door.
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8 comments:
I'm with Big Papi ... let Manny be Manny. I listen to sports radio and read the sports page every day but, honestly, unless a guy is bad mouthing a teammate or the fans, I really don't give a crap what he says -- I just expect him to help the team win on the field. Discontent in the clubhouse is Terry's problem, not mine.
It would help fans if they would put themselves in a players shoes. We often taunt them for being rich men who do very little to earn it but any fan, if they were unhappy with their job situation, would try to find a way to go work somewhere else. These people are not staunch patriots for their fans, they are men with jobs who want to be happy at their jobs just like any of us.
I wonder how it'll affect Ortiz if Manny gets shipped out, and I'm not just talking in the lineup.
I have to agree with Papi here. I don't believe in booing players on your own team anyway. It's too much like what MFY fans do.
It's totally wrong to boo Manny. I think it's always wrong to boo a player on your own team, but when that player is your World Series MVP, a big reason why your team won its first championship in 86 years, it's truly disgusting.
However...
It's too much like what MFY fans do.
Having watched both teams for 30+ years, I have seen much more of this from Sox fans than from Yankees fans. Many Sox fans have told me Boston is notorious for booing its own players. It's not nearly as common in New York.
l-girl: I'd say in the last couple years at least, both groups of "fans" boo their own players about equally. In the last 2 years there have been boos of Giambi, Rivera, Jeter, A-Rod; Manny, Foulke, Bellhorn, and Renteria. In today's Yanks-Angeles game alone, both Embree and Gordon were booed heavily. I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of examples, but I'm really skeptical of your claim that "It's not nearly as common in New York."
l-girl: I'd say in the last couple years at least, both groups of "fans" boo their own players about equally.
That could certainly be true in recent years. I was thinking more long-term.
But really, I was mostly just taking exception to the idea that fans booing their own players is somehow un-Boston. That just ain't so.
I like your putting "fans" in quotes. Good call.
I have to say, I'm really glad to see people here defending Manny. Even if it's only a few voices, it's heartening.
I'll defend Manny to the death. I hope he's still with us at 4 p.m. tomorrow (though I'll accept his departure if that's the way it has to be). I really like him. He's my favorite player on the team.
The only way the possible trades I heard about made any sense for the Red Sox was if Baez came to Boston, and since that never seemed to be a possibility, all the options I've heard on trading Manny don't make any sense.
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