And then he celebrates with his teammate in center field -- who is making his major league debut!
Gowanus Baseball has screenshots of the play in a post entitled "The Five Stages of Being Awesome, by Manny Ramirez".
The catch itself was stunning -- what happened afterwards is the stuff of legend.
Looking for video ...
47 comments:
When it happened, I swore I saw Manny high-five or whack the arm of a fan, but after the catch, I had to calm one of our dogs down -- as L and I were whooping and clapping. She got scared.
But I was thinking -- did what I think just happen actually happen? ... Yep.
Great comments from SoSH:
tailwind
Holy shit, Manny.
Blessyouboys84
How did he catch that?
SoxScout
i have never seen manny more happy in his entire sox career. my god.
TFisNEXT
I have no idea how Manny caught that.
OilCanShotTupac
describe Manny's catch plz - radio guys are losing their shit
TheBenzingerGame
Am I crazy, or did he kind of reach over the wall to slap hands with that Sox fan before he landed?
SoxScout
OMG he gave a high-5 to the fan... OH MY GOD
TFisNEXT
Ball was ripped by Millar...not a ton of hang time. Manny running basically with his back to home and catches it with his glove out-stretched at the front of the warning track....then he climbs the wall with his momentum, gives a high five to a fan and then throws it back in for the DP.
dbn
The high-5.... Manny just out-Manny-ed himself being Manny.
***
There is a clip at mlb.com, but I need a youtube video I can save and embed.
It's up on MLB.COM (see if this link works ...
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805142699480
YOUTUBE: LINK
ish, i saw it there, but it looks like it has been removed.
Fuck you MLB. I had uploaded it too. NESN's coverage.
L-O-V-E-D it!!!!
MLB is going nuts taking the various videos down.
I saw one posted by "cakeypower" but it was also axed.
The MLB version only shows the stupid Thorne version. NESN has the Manny post-game interview but not the play itself. Yet. If they post it, they better show everything, including the guys in the dugout watching and laughing.
In other news, I'm watching basketball and apparently I now refer to dunks as "basketball dongs."
i leaked a little in my undies.
I have the full video plus the dugout reaction over on my blog.
http://soxanddawgs.com/?p=4240
Can someone email me the video? THAT WAS ME!!! I'm the fan he highfived! I came all the way from Oklahoma to see this game with my parents who now live in MD. My mom and dad are on my left. Manny has always been my favorite Sox player and what happend today left me speechless. When he caught it, I did the Manny pose and pointed at him with both hands, then he came right at me, I thought he was gonna do a lambeau leap, then he highfived my hand and dropped down.
I leave for military training in a couple weeks and going to this game was one of my last things I wanted to do before leaving. Please send the video. I've been trying to save one all night.
gottajibboo4@gmail.com
that, was the awesomest evuh. #1 web-gem of all time;)
thx ian for posting the (full) vid!
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805142699480
http://www.thirty3.com/files/MannyBeManny.avi
And of course, ESPN doesn't pick it for their #1 webgem of the NIGHT, even. It was #3 behind a barehanded play by David Wright at third base for the Mets, and a catch made at the center field wall by Rick Ankiel to take a home run away.
Same with on Sportscenter, too. #3 behind a Cincinnati Reds player hitting a walkoff single for his first MLB hit, and Ankiel's catch. On both shows, there was at two of the hosts who said "Why isn't Manny's number one?"
As was the case with Fisk's famous gestures as the ball sailed to the foul pole in the '75 Game Six, those of us sitting on the third-base side saw Manny's great catch but missed the high-five, as we (as Manny should have)immediately swung our attention to the runners on the bases. I didn't even know about the high-five with Randy until I read JOS last night.
It's a great moment, but as with many Manny moments, not without its annoying aspects. The high-five didn't cost the Sox anything THIS time, but Manny's weird sense of priorities (which I am finally convinced is just hot-wired into him and unfixable) during games has and will. It's great having a player who displays the innocent exuberance of the sandlot and all, but personally, with a game to win, I'll take the player with the cold professional approach of a Carl Yastrzemski any day,any time.
It's a great moment, but as with many Manny moments, not without its annoying aspects.
Similar to some comments.
L-Girl: How true!
Surviving Grady has video.
So does Jere.
I'll take the player with the cold professional approach of a Carl Yastrzemski any day,any time.
Yaz is my favorite player of all time but I loved the play. 9 versions of yaz on the field would be boring as hell, 9 mannys would be too much. A mixture is good.
You could always watch arod.
Shorter Jack:
"Hey you kids, get off my lawn!!!"
Further proof how stupid MLB is. Staggeringly stupid.
MLB could let this video circulate and get people interested in Manny, the Red Sox and baseball. But no. They'd rather have them removed from the web so no one knows it happened.
The only logical reason MLB could possibly have for using its clout to get clips pulled is if MLB is selling the video clips.
But it is not doing that.
MLB would rather lock up all its baseball footage in a vault and not let anyone ever see it.
Redsock: Below the belt.
Also just wrong. You've brought me a long way toward tolerance of Manny, and this bit was more amusing and memorable than all the doubles that have turned into singles because Manny went into a home run trot prematurely, but it seems to me any fan whose #1 goal is to win has to look at these things like Lugo's tendency to make key errors, Varitek's lousy hitting with the bases juiced, and Drew's fragility: its a weakness, and it makes the team less likely to win than if it wasn't there.
Also: I encourage kids to stand on my lawn to hide all the bare spots.
I haven't been able to see the video. Cakey's link gave me sound only -- but I'm at work, and that makes technical things unpredictable.
Mind-blowing. My Manny Love is a' growin' stronger.
Jack: Your comment makes you sound like a cranky old man complaining about these crazy kids these days. Sorry, it just does.
Why not loosen up and enjoy the play for what it was?
Also, please note that in high-fiving the fan, Manny lost no time in getting the ball back to the infield. In fact, it happened so fast, almost no one really knew what had happened. It's not like he caught the ball shy of the track, then ambled over to the stands and chatted with a fan while the runner got back to the bag safely.
That's part of what makes it so amazing. He did it all in one fairly fluid motion!!!
... it seems to me any fan whose #1 goal is to win has to look at these things like Lugo's tendency to make key errors, Varitek's lousy hitting with the bases juiced, and Drew's fragility: its a weakness, and it makes the team less likely to win than if it wasn't there.
Huge difference: I do not laugh my ass off at Lugo's errors or Tek's noodle bat. This, however, is something you couldn't even dream up -- and we'll likely never see anything like it again.
Think about it:
Go to a game and see something you'll never see again, right?
No-hitter? Nah, 200+ times.
Perfect game? Already been a couple dozen or so.
Unassisted triple play? 14 times?
Player get 7 hits? Done.
Team get 30 runs? Done.
Player high-five a fan while in the middle of turning a DP? Now there is something that's unique!!!
Redsock: we don't disagree on that part at all. I love that about baseball. I'm glad I "saw" the play (sort of); it will be fun when I'm 85 (next year) to tell my grandchildren that I was in the park with their father when Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez did his famous "high five" double play. Hell (or perhaps I should say, "By Crackey!") I was at the game in '67 when catcher Bob Tillman beaned pitcher John Wyatt with a throw to second intended to catch a base-stealer. Everybody laughed their ass off. And Dick Williams barely played Tillman again. (I think we can agree that D.Williams and Manny would not have gotten along.)
When and if, as I have long believed would happen, one of Manny's moments of whimsy loses a crucial play-off or World Series game, or causes the Sox to lose a game with immediate importance to making the post-season, I hope you will explain to me why widespead fan encouragement of stunts like yesterday's didn't set the stage.
And if Manny's Muff never happens, I'll agree that the laughs were worth it.
but it seems to me any fan whose #1 goal is to win has to look at these things like Lugo's tendency to make key errors, Varitek's lousy hitting with the bases juiced
Both of those hurt the team and have no positive outcome. Whereas what Manny did helped the team and had only positive outcome.
Drew's fragility
A judgement, not a fact, thus irrelevant.
its a weakness, and it makes the team less likely to win than if it wasn't there.
Are you seriously saying that Manny exhibiting joy and exuberance as he plays makes the team less likely to win? You seriously believe that a dour, all-business demeanour actually helps a team win, all else being equal?
You may have a preference for players who are not demonstrative or outwardly emotional. That's a personal thing. We all have "types" of players we prefer.
But to pretend that those external appearances actually translate into production is ridiculous. I'm sure we could all name dozens of all-business players whose performance was utterly forgettable. (Or we could if they weren't so forgettable.)
With an attitude like that, you really should write for the Globe. Your original comment is just the sort of thing I'd expect to see from CHB.
Are you seriously saying that Manny exhibiting joy and exuberance as he plays makes the team less likely to win?
Not to answer for Jack, but if that joy and exuberance prevent him from getting around the bases properly, it certainly could! As much as my love for Manny is swelling, it still pisses me off when he doesn't get out of the batter's box.
But all told, I'll take him, very gladly.
Jack talks about a fan having a goal of their team winning. For me, there's a difference between a hope and a goal in this case. (It ever so slightly irks and confounds me when my wife says "Congratulations!" when the Sox win.) It's my goal in watching baseball to enjoy it. I didn't see yesterday's game, but hearing about this Manny thing made the loss sting a lot less and brought a bit of joy back into things for me.
The other thing I can get behind with Manny is that his weird behavior is so spontaneous, as Jack said. You couldn't beat it out of him with a Louisville Slugger. I read the Kurkjian article on ESPN (prompted by the Joba flak) yesterday about how excessive the celebrations are getting out of hand -- the whole team bouncing around the plate every walkoff and such -- and how that behavior's been feeding on itself ever since SportsCenter started replaying it back in the 80's. Gossage says something exaggerated like he didn't say a single word for his first two years in the dugout; I'm sure he and some of the old guard think of Manny as an overindividualist punk. But copycat he is not.
He is his own thing, and I love him.
L-Girl: I fear you are not understanding or acknowledging what is pretty clear in my post. I said nothing against exuberance. I love players who show their emotions. Youk, Pedroia, Papi, Bill Lee, Oil Can, George Scott (a truly joyous player), Millar, Damon, are among my all time favorites. It's Manny's judgement, professionalism and priorities that are wrong...letting exuberance get in the way of his duties to the team and the game. I DON'T like business-like players as a rule---it took me a long time to warm up to Yaz. But my point is that he would never let expressing his enjoyment of the game interrupt his duties on the field. I don't get the "he made the play, so it's all right" argument---it's exactly like the "Babe Ruth may have been drunk, but he hit a homer so it doesn't matter" argument. It DOES matter, just as it mattered that Manny nearly (he sure deserved to) got himself thrown out of the game yesterday when the Sox had no outfielders---a guy named "Van Every" was playing next to him, for God's sakes. That was exuberant and stupid. But you would say, I guess, that it's OK since he got away with it, just like he got away with fooling around with fans mid-play.
This is so obvious to me. You DONN'T FOOL AROUND WITH THR FANS DURING A PLAY! How can anyone disagree with that? And if that's a valid principle, how can you celebrate someone who breaks it?
By the way, the Manny clip is currently playing on the Red Sox official site...
holy awesomeness. seriously. that is just heart warming.
Jack , I am amazed at you total attidude on this whole thing. Manny made a great play greater. He threw an absolute strike to pedroia who then threw a strike to yook.
The man has personality and you rather he didn't , he should change and be mundane and boring (Yaz was great but but personality he lacked).
Just enjoy it ...it was fun .
I spoke to many Yankee fans today and they loved it.
But my point is that he would never let expressing his enjoyment of the game interrupt his duties on the field.
Watch the replay -- Manny's duties were not interrupted in any way. As I said above, that is part of the genius of the play!
a guy named "Van Every" was playing next to him, for God's sakes.
What does his last name have to do with anything? It certainly offers no insight into his playing ability.
Our next CF might be called Onbase McRunscreated -- and he could end up being the next Cesar Crespo.
Shit, we had a outfielder who called himself "Trot" for God's sake.
...
Jack, your complaints about Manny's play are like a foreign language to me. I simply do not understand them. But there's no harm in that, though. It just is.
Zenslinger said...
Slugger. I read the Kurkjian article on ESPN
Timmeh K was on Mike and Mike this morning and mentioned he loved the Manny Play amd Greenberg said he he doesn't know why but he is falling in love with Manny...
Any Red Sox fan who finds fault in Manny after this long, just doesn't get it.
I just got back from the Cabella's grand opening near Portland, Maine. Got a mini Red Sox license plate signed by Timlin and Joe Castiglione. Although he still is an adventure on the slab, I've got a new respect for him in just how warm and genuine he was. Very nice guy, very down to earth, and looking at him, it made you feel like there was nowhere else in the world he wanted to be right then. Very cool guy.
Definitely worth standing in line behind a bunch of little kids with those toy guns that make loud popping noises, and a guy who smells of pot.
Timmeh K was on Mike and Mike this morning and mentioned he loved the Manny Play amd Greenberg said he he doesn't know why but he is falling in love with Manny...
I saw that too. That made me laugh quite a bit.
A foreign language? Wow. You can't understsand why someone would object to a player farting around with fans in the stands mid-play. Amazing. And if Manny had set himself wrong for the throw because of the high-five and missed the easy DP, would it have been just as charming then? I suppose so.
My point about Van Every was NOT that there was anything wrong with his name (I recognize this site often has a hair trigger on political correctness matters, but Christ---give me a break!) but that the fact that a total stranger (indicated by an unfamiliar name, which Van Every certainly was) was playing center should have clued in Manny that the outfielding ranks were, uh, THIN, and it was no time to get thrown out of the game. THAT was my point, and re-reading the post, I think it was clear the first time.
9Casey: "Any Red Sox fan who finds fault in Manny after this long, just doesn't get it." That makes no sense at all, my friend. The duration of a flaw doesn't eliminate it or change its character. Manny's pluses outweigh his minuses, and many of his minuses are amusing, but the fact that they are tolerated by most fans doesn't change a weakness into a virtue.
9Casey:"I spoke to many Yankee fans today and they loved it."
Well, by all means, if YANKEE fans liked it, it must be aces...
Jack later:
L-Girl: I fear you are not understanding or acknowledging what is pretty clear in my post. I said nothing against exuberance.
....
I DON'T like business-like players as a rule---it took me a long time to warm up to Yaz.
Jack earlier:
but personally, with a game to win, I'll take the player with the cold professional approach of a Carl Yastrzemski any day,any time.
Just to let you know, this is where I got it from.
Since we are talking about on-field behaviour, which means there is always "a game to win", I take "any day, any time" to be a general preference. Seems pretty clear to me.
I just got back from the Cabella's grand opening near Portland, Maine. Got a mini Red Sox license plate signed by Timlin and Joe Castiglione. Although he still is an adventure on the slab, I've got a new respect for him in just how warm and genuine he was. Very nice guy, very down to earth, and looking at him, it made you feel like there was nowhere else in the world he wanted to be right then. Very cool guy.
I'm glad you had fun at the opening, but hopefully you know what you experienced has zippo to do with baseball. You sound like people who voted for Bush because he has a solid handshake.
I mean no offense, honestly I don't. But you actually don't know if Timlin is a very cool guy or not. (He may very well be one, I have no idea.) You just know he was gracious at a public appearance.
You can't understsand why someone would object to a player farting around with fans in the stands mid-play.
Farting around.
You've watched the clip and you think he was farting around.
Therefore, we not only speak in different languages, we each watch the same video, yet see completely different things.
As Allan said, that's not a bad thing, frustrating thought it may be at times. It just is.
And as 9Casey said, anyone who doesn't appreciate this, just doesn't get it and never will.
My point about Van Every was NOT that there was anything wrong with his name (I recognize this site often has a hair trigger on political correctness matters, but Christ---give me a break!)
It was not political correctness. I also had no idea why you brought up his name. It seemed quite odd. Once you explain it, I realize what you meant, but I never would have understood it otherwise.
On a side note, unrelated to Jack, I HATE!! when people mock consideration and courtesy as "political correctness". For centuries whole segments of the population were disparaged and referred to in less than human terms. Now some of us insist that is wrong and shouldn't be the case. Refer to people as people, the way you would wish to be referred to. This is not "political correctness". It's just decency.
I fucking hate it.
But this was not directed at Jack. Just venting.
I'm glad you had fun at the opening, but hopefully you know what you experienced has zippo to do with baseball. You sound like people who voted for Bush because he has a solid handshake.
I'm not that naïve.
I'm not that naïve.
Of course you're not. Not naive and not stupid. :)
There are things that players do in a game that are genius if it works and stupid if it doesn't. That might fall under that category. How many of you were thinking about the double play in real time as the play was occuring and as the catch was happening?
I wonder what would have happened if someone else was playing LF, caught the ball, and didn't throw in for a DP. Or the throw was inaccurate. No theatrics. No high fives. Catch the ball, throw back in.
Jack Marshall said...
9Casey:"I spoke to many Yankee fans today and they loved it."
Well, by all means, if YANKEE fans liked it, it must be aces...
I think you are smart enough to understand that statement , just being a Red Sox fan...
Jack , I just feel as though you think people can not be succesful and aloof at the same time...You are old school in your thinking , that everything to be done right must be serious, and I am sure it trickles into your life.
You most likely don't find things funny that are low brow, such as The Family Guy, Will Farrel movies, and people like Sacha Cohen.
Thats fine, my father was the same , just how he was raised , we just appreciate someone Like Manny who performs, wins and some how amuses us without saying a word, that my friend is a gift......
9Casey, nicely said.
... I HATE!! when people mock consideration and courtesy as "political correctness". For centuries whole segments of the population were disparaged and referred to in less than human terms. Now some of us insist that is wrong and shouldn't be the case. Refer to people as people, the way you would wish to be referred to. This is not "political correctness". It's just decency.
What she said.
There are few things that piss me off more than this.
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