Steve Buckley's column in today's Herald is headlined: "All-Star Shame: Ramirez, Sox make mockery of 'Classic'"
Buckley writes that this isn't
a case of a player pulling up lame a few days before The Big Game ... No, this was something carefully orchestrated over a period of weeks ... Seems as though they started working the phones to keep Manny out of the All-Star Game during spring training, doesn't it?First of all, Steve, you are not sorry. What's the point of beginning your final sentence with an apology for everything that came before it? If you were actually sorry for what you were writing, you'd have hit the delete key and typed up something else for your readers.
The Red Sox kept talking about Manny's knee, Manny's knee, Manny's knee, Manny's knee, to the point that I expected Jerry Lewis to appear as the host of a telethon to raise funds for life-saving surgery for the ailing left fielder. ...
The Sox are going to get away with this because their millions of fans will believe the bit about getting poor Manny healthy for the stretch run. ...
Is he hurt a little? Sure. But it's July. Everybody has aches and pains.
Sorry, something's not right with this.
But really, what can you say? Is it not common knowledge that Manny Ramirez has had problems with his hamstrings and knees for many years? Or is it Buckley's contention that Ramirez has been scheming to duck out of the 2006 All-Star Game since 1998?
With interleague play and the Extra Innings cable package, fans all across the country (and world) can see every single team play on an almost nightly basis. This isn't 1957, when fans in some cities could never see the stars of the other league in action.
And imagine if Manny did grab his bat and head off to Pittsburgh, got hurt, and ended up missing six weeks? (Everyone -- even the members of Boston sporting press -- agrees that if not for Manny hitting behind David Ortiz, Papi would get far fewer hittable pitches than he now sees.) So what would Buckley's angle be in that case?
Manny clearly doesn't care about his team's chances in the pennant race. No, he had to go to Pittsburgh for a meaningless exhibition game ("this time it counts"? please), rather than think that his teammates just might welcome his potent bat against the Yankees in August and September. So when Big Papi racks up those BBIs instead of bashing walk-off home runs, just remember where the blame lies. At the feet of selfish Manny Ramirez.
If anyone still wonders why Manny doesn't waste his time chatting with most of the local media, just keep this column (and the approximately 23,856 previous potshots he's taken since coming to Boston) in mind.
It must be very difficult for a columnist to grind out copy day after day after day. I understand that. But in this case, turning in a blank sheet of paper would have been the wise choice for Buckley. The Herald could have run a list Ramirez's Hall of Fame stats in its place.
8 comments:
I really, REALLY don't get this latest Manny meme... don't know ONE Sox fan who thinks playing in the All-Star game should be a top priority for Manny. Honestly, even if his knees were fine, who gives a flying f*** if he plays in the ASG?
I for one would like to see the NL win the ASG, so when we sweep their contender in the WS we can win it at Fenway. ;)
What is Buckley's problem?
Is he bald and jealous of Manny's do?
Are his clothes too tight and he's jealous of Manny's baggies?
Is he really lonely and he's jealous of all of Manny's friends?
Or could it just be he's a friggin nobody hack and he's jealous of a talented, hard-working, well-paid, well-loved star???
Steve Buckley, here's a quarter, go buy yourself a life. (And it's a Canadian quarter!)
I agree with Jackie. I could care less about the ASG. In fact I wish all the Red Sox would stay home and have the days off instead of playing in a meaningless, pointless and BORING ritual. I'm glad that Manny is staying home.
Whether for his frequent lapses in hustle (Tropicana Field, circa 2003), judgement (i.e., impromptu visits to the scoreboard; blunders on the bases; Enrique Wilson), or his annual trade demands, Manny is and will always be a lightining rod for opinion and, with it, criticism.
This is, to put to bluntly, hogwash.
I cannot believe the non-baserunning from THREE (or FOUR?) years ago still gets brought up. A White Sox player did the same thing against Boston the other night on a ball he thought was foul (I heard it on the radio, did not see it). Easy out at first. Will we be hearing about that in 2010? Have we heard about it at all?
Trips to scoreboard? Yeah, during pitching changes. Wow. What about when all three outfielders get together in CF during a change? Does that qualify as an "impromptu visit to CF"?
Blunders on bases? Thankfully, no other Red Sox players ever goof up on the bases. (My eyes are rolling so much, I'm getting a headache.)
And does anyone really give a fuck about Wilson? Manny lived in the building. He went downstairs for a bit. Big fucking deal. I've been home sick from work and gone out to the corner store. Same thing. I should be glad my neighbors didn't yell at me about it every single day after that.
Despite all these alleged transgressions, Manny continues to be cheered wildly by fans at Fenway. That has been constant -- ever since he crushed the very first pitch he saw at Fenway as a Sock over the Monster for a 3-run HR.
Bah.
Despite all these alleged transgressions, Manny continues to be cheered wildly by fans at Fenway.
Only by the smart ones. :)
i'd like to think that if my intended audience / interview subjects / basis for conjecture were keeping a vast, vibrant system of online journals saying exactly what they think of the topic i am charged to write about and why, i'd maybe, you know, check that before i wrote a column about what said people were all thinking about. but maybe that's just me.
Another smart one. Funny how the Herald can't find these kinds of brains.
I seriously believe that if Manny's last name was "Smith" instead of "Ramirez," he'd get about 80 percent less shit in this town.
I seriously believe that if Manny's last name was "Smith" instead of "Ramirez," he'd get about 80 percent less shit in this town.
I concur.
The root of all the hate is jealousy of Manny's looks and baggy sty-lay, and you know it.
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