July 26, 2008

Manny And The MRIs

Something is going on with Manny Ramirez. But once we filter out media bias and sundry shitstirring and concentrate on confirmed facts, it's impossible -- right now -- to figure out what.

First of all, let's be clear about the situation between Terry Francona and Ramirez prior to last night's game. As Jeff Goldberg wrote in his Courant blog, "Francona told the media at 4 p.m. he reserved the right to change it if Ramirez indicated he couldn't go. Shortly before 4:30, the revised lineup was posted without Ramirez."

It seems odd that the Red Sox would have MRIs done on both knees. Both came back clean. Also, before he logged off for the night, Rob Bradford reported:
There are strong indications that if Manny Ramirez shows up at the park Saturday and pronounces himself unfit to play, the team will issue disciplinary actions which could include a suspension.
Bradford's writing is pretty much agenda-free, so perhaps there is some validity to the XM suspension rumours. But what in the world are "strong indications"? Is someone in management yakking to the beat reporters? Were there just whispers among players?

Sean McAdam thinks the Red Sox's relationship with Ramirez may have "reached the tipping point" and there may be
something of a showdown today ... Skepticism obviously exists within the organization about the severity of Ramirez's injury. Ramirez did not seek treatment for the knee on Thursday, an off-day ... Ramirez said Wednesday in Seattle that the knee had been bothering him for the last week, but he has not sought treatment from the training staff.
Would the team suspend Manny because they felt he was faking an injury? The union would have a field day with that one -- and not only because Ramirez, at age 36 with a history of knee problems and of playing when hurt, has not been at 100% for quite some time.

Gordon Edes says that
One player privately called it a disgrace and said he would not be surprised if the team tried to trade Ramirez.
But Edes follows that up with a snide remark that has no place beyond the lines of an opinion column:
He'd been sent to Massachusetts General Hospital during the game to have an MRI of both knees, the Sox evidently taking no chances that their slugger might have gotten confused about which one hurt.
I expect that type of sideways snicker from CHB (who, I'm told, also weighs in this morning), but not Edes.

The few hours between the opening of the clubhouse and the start of this afternoon's game should be interesting.

17 comments:

Rob said...

Reading CHB's column. Here's the first paragraph...

The Red Sox have had it with Manny Ramírez.

Manny has punched his ticket out of town. It's over. O-VA. Adios, amigo. Good night, Irene. Turn out the lights. Last night's 1-0 loss to the Yankees (think they could have used Manny?) was the proverbial last worthless evening.


Oh, CHB... When will you punch your ticket out of town?

Benjamin said...

Seems like having both knees MRIed is a serious indication of trade possibilities. There's no real reason to have them both examined unless it's to generate a (relatively) clean bill of health for another team.

andy said...

I am confused Allan. What is your opinion of what is going on?

x said...

Ish - I'm with you, man. CHB's little video clip struck exactly the right tone: calm, openly speculative with a simple "let's wait and see" attitude. He could have left it at that, perhaps with a few lines on Extra Bases. The column, on the other hand, is nothing but completely over-the-top rhetoric. What? Couldn't the column have continued to report/speculate but keep the passions under control? It's cartoonish in its lunacy.

andy said...

The trade angle is plausible. If it weren't for the both knees things then it would be believable as a general injury or soreness. Both knees is really kinda suspicious. However, if I paid a guy 20 mil a year and one knee hurt I would want to make sure the other one was not going that way as well and treat it early. Especially Everyone is being so hush hush about it so the tiniest of facts become huge pieces of evidence. They sure picked a good time to play this game though with all of the Nation watching intently during a yankees series.

laura k said...

Seems like having both knees MRIed is a serious indication of trade possibilities.

I agree it seems that way. But I am hoping hoping hoping there is another explanation.

Couldn't the column have continued to report/speculate but keep the passions under control? It's cartoonish in its lunacy.

He is a cartoon. A poorly-drawn one.

allan said...

What is your opinion of what is going on?

I'm taking a wait and see attitude. What I am clear on, however, is depising the media bullshit.

andy said...

On a lighter note
I loved the 2nd album by this band. I like your "Something Else" entries Allan. This is another example of good music posted by you. I would have liked to see a mention of the side project Manny was working on with the High Fives.

Beth said...

sometimes people in the press know more than they can necessarily report--the press has been so insistent with this manny stuff that i have to wonder what kinds of things they know that we don't.

plus, some of the stories coming out lately, like about him shoving the traveling secretary--might it be that the team has kept that kind of thing under wraps in the past but is no longer protecting him?

allan said...

I loved the 2nd album by this band.

Which band?

I like your "Something Else" entries

I wish I could find out how many people are downloading them.

allan said...

sometimes people in the press know more than they can necessarily report

i agree completely. i have emailed with two beat reporters and they have both told me the same thing (around sept 2006). no actual info, of course, but that there is a lot of stuff we have no idea about.

...

and now i have work to do. sigh.

allan said...

Which band?

Now I get it!

Yeesh.

laura k said...

sometimes people in the press know more than they can necessarily report

Almost always. I think that's a given.

Joe Grav said...

I've downloaded, although some of them aren't really my cup of tea, they've all been enjoyable.

Joe Grav said...

...Lou Reed and the White Stripes are favorites of mine, though.

But they can't touch Manny & the MRIs.

Jack Marshall said...

Please recall what I said in the final throes of serving as a punching bag here for suggesting what Loebel just did a week ago. The Sox will not pick up Manny's option because "they do not trust him." They do not trust him because of all the accumulated drama, bullshit, some real, some manufactured, that make him an unpredictable factor.

If Manny was any other player of his age, taking himself out of this or any game because his knees hurt wouldn't be an issue. I agree that way too much is being made of it, unless there are factors we don't know about. But the accumulation of Manny's diappearing acts in the past, plus other MBM moments that the team may not have appreciated, led directly to this; Manny brought much of this on himself.

I also said, when Manny's high-five sent everyone into paroxysms of joy, that it was a warning sign that he was spinning out of control. As usual, I was ridiculed. I may still be proven wrong, but I feel more comfortable about that analysis than I did whan I made it.

Manny will NOT be traded. That would be the end of the season, in my view. He will also not be picked up after this season. But I thought that in April. If this blows over, as other Manny crises have in the past, then the short-term impact will be exactly nothing. All he has to do is play a good game today.

Now go ahead and belittle my age, my arrogance and my intelligence. Always glad to serve.

allan said...

I'm now putting any news in the G105 post.