Eckersley sounds off on Manny
Whether it was about his comments on his contract or on his outfield blunder on Friday night, Manny Ramirez talk continued to dominate the headlines, airwaves, blogosphere and general conversation in Red Sox Nation over the weekend.
Before Friday's game in Anaheim, NESN analyst and Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley went off on Manny's recent public posturing about his contract situation.
"It's upsetting to me, and not as an ex-player and watching this from afar," Eckersley said on NESN's pregame show Friday night. "I've had guys that used to talk about their contracts all the time, Rickey Henderson, and it's just bothersome, even when I was there.
"And now I'm not there. I don't know the temperature of what's happening over there but I've watched what's been going down, and nobody at home ... and there's people scuffling, not making very much money and this guy's dropping a $20 million bomb like it's no big deal, I'm in the driver's seat, this, that ... that's bothersome to me, to watch this go on like that with Manny. I respect the guy.
"And I don't like the way Manny plays this game, not so much the way he plays it, but the way he's playing his act with his contract. I don't want to hear about it to be honest with you. He's making a lot of money. He's been making a lot of money a long, long time, eight years, all of a sudden he starts chirping about the last year, it's because all of a sudden it's money time again. That's about all I can say about that right now because I don't want to go too far."
Hours after Eck's comments, Manny went on to have an adventure in the field on a ball hit by the Angels' Maicer Izturis, which resulted in a rare left field triple, while Manny sat on the ball, smiled, and Sox GM Theo Epstein sat looking unamused at the play from behind home plate.
"Friday night it was Manny flopping on the outfield grass liked a beached seal, unable to locate the baseball until he discovered it was under his buttocks," the Globe's Dan Shaughnessy wrote today. "Maicer Izturis ended up with a 200-foot triple and Ramírez enjoyed a good laugh. Meanwhile, general manager Theo Epstein sat behind the backstop, arms folded, wearing his best Ralph Nadar face."
During last night's broadcast, ESPN analyst Peter Gammons chimed in on the recent Ramirez talk and added a new twist: that Manny agreed to some anger management training after his recent altercation with traveling secretary Jack McCormick. Gammons also dismissed the report that Manny may have intentionally sat on three pitches from Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera on July 6.
At the plate in Anaheim, Ramirez was one of the few Sox players providing any offense. The controversial slugger went 4-for-9 on the weekend series with a home run, two doubles, and two walks.
On Sunday, the Herald's Tony Massarotti wrote that Manny's numbers may not be as dominating as they once were:
"...coming out of this year's All-Star break, since the start of last season, Ramirez ranked 35th in the majors in RBI, trailing people like Jeff Francoeur, Adrian Gonzalez, Jose Guillen and Raul Ibanez. In home runs and slugging, Ramirez ranked a respective 44th and 35th."
"Here's the scary part for Manny," Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal wrote on Saturday. "Pedro Martinez, Johnny Damon and Derek Lowe were replaceable. Ramirez, who turns 37 next May, would be replaceable, too. The Sox could decline his option and trade for a right-handed hitting outfielder such as Holliday or the Pirates' Jason Bay. They even could sign first baseman Mark Teixeira as a free agent and move Kevin Youkilis to left field. Either way, Ramirez would find it difficult to get $20 million per season on the open market."
Red Socks Diaries checked in over the weekend with a "Manny Ramirez" press conference.
Lastly, LA-based Sox fan Pete Handelman roamed the grounds around Angel Stadium this weekend asking the burning question, who's better Manny or Vladi?
See more Manny being Manny moments here.
Its time to say goodbye to Manny and go for Bay or Halliday!!! Now is the time before there gone and were stuck with Manny
gee, any surprise that is it is good 'ol steve silva who is trying to keep the manny controversies alive and well? this is all old news and has been rehashed way too many times. i just want the red sox to win on the road. i am sick of the rest of this stuff.
It's frustrating, too, because I'm a fairly big Ramirez fan and have always brushed off criticism of him. The guy could hit (up until last year, better than most anybody), and had what I thought was an ideal attitude: play the game well without taking five years off your life worrying about it. But, he is replaceable, and like Nomar Garciaparra can be liked just as easily in another uniform.
I'd love to see Manny Ramirez retire here, but for 2009 money, and not twice what Matt Holliday would deserve.
On another note, about "trailing people like Adrian Gonzalez" in RBI since the '07 ASB: Yeah, Massarotti, trailing a blooming former number one pick and franchise cornerstone who's ten years younger than you is quite the red flag. Under the same rule, Albert Pujols is done, too. That the difference between Adrian and Manny is 16 -- the same amount Manny had during the '08 World Series run -- is pretty fitting.
Another year, another MEDIA FRENZY to get rid of Manny. Here's my prediction: Manny will finish with 30+ home runs, a .300 + average, and will win a number of crucial games down the stretch and into the playoffs for the sox.
Let's remember: the people who run the annual Manny Ramirez Witch Trials are the guys who need to come up with something to say every single day about the Red Sox other than "They won, they lost, they played well, they didn't play well" etc. Manny is the perfect foil: an oddball who doesn't act like a sunday-school teacher from middle america.
2-4-6-8 everybody Speculate! Did Manny intentionally strike out? Did Manny say something about his contract? Did Manny let the water run while he brushed his teeth this morning, intentionally wasting gallons of water? inquiring minds want to know!
And while we can't say for certain whether any of the above happened, we KNOW FOR A FACT that Mark Texeira will put up Manny Ramirez numbers for the next 10 years. It is written in stone.
Some 60 hours after the fact on the eck comments, you weight in. It must be nice to have weekends off. This site gets weaker all the time, just like Ma Globe.
Too bad, especially about Ma Globe.
GET A CLUE.
Red Sox Nation is worried about the Jekyll and Hyde relief pitching , about a lead off hitter with a .333 obp, about a black hole of production at the catcher spot, and about hitting with risp, and about the road losses mounting up.
But you people just want to keep drumming the same old lazy drum. Heaping abuse on Manny on the radio, speculatng about 'what was in his head' when he pinch hit NY, and building a specious case against THE BEST HITTER THAT HIT THIS TOWN IN 40 YEARS.
Watch Manny get yet another standing ovation when he lopes onto the field next Friday night in Fenway..and it will because the normal part of the fanbase, the silent majority of it, understands some BALANCE is needed when it comes to 24.
The more you bash him and build his foibles into a federal case, the more we understand that Manny is not the enemy - but you in the media ARE.
Discuss what we need to win out, instead of attacking a vital componet on this club.
SEE YA MANNY! don't let the door hit you on the way out. $20,000,000.00 lol
boring---Manny is still one of the most important players on the Sox---even John Henry said so despite the fact he was angry with Manny's shenanigans. I'd take him over Halliday or Bay any day...
With all the important things to discuss, the topic of the day on sports radio is 'is Manny Ramirez worth $20,000,000'?
Well, it is debatable if he is worth that much to the franchise next year.
What is certainly not debatable is that Manny is worth that much and MORE to you in the media.
What on earth would you do without good ol' 24 to kick around?
Maybe have to watch the games, report, and analyze?
Heaven forbid!
It's frustrating, too, because I'm a fairly big Ramirez fan and have always brushed off criticism of him. The guy could hit (up until last year, better than most anybody), and had what I thought was an ideal attitude: play the game well without taking five years off your life worrying about it. But, he is replaceable, and like Nomar Garciaparra can be liked just as easily in another uniform.
I'd love to see Manny Ramirez retire here, but for 2009 money, and not twice what Matt Holliday would deserve.
On another note, about "trailing people like Adrian Gonzalez" in RBI since the '07 ASB: Yeah, Massarotti, trailing a blooming former number one pick and franchise cornerstone who's ten years younger than you is quite the red flag. Under the same rule, Albert Pujols is done, too. That the difference between Adrian and Manny is 16 -- the same amount Manny had during the '08 World Series run -- is pretty fitting.
Alex, do you have a pink red sox hat by any chance? Maybe we should give Papelbon $20m/yr too because he dances a little jig after he wins. The fans love it!
Manny's contract has been in the way of the Sox payroll for years. Now it's up and he's throwing a tantrum. Enough already. Paying $20MM for the 35th rank slugger in the MLB is not a good use of funds.
We all have a sense of self-worth but seriously, to treat a team which gave him everything: two World Series rings; has Hall of Fame stats like MVP, 500 Home runs; keys to the city; duck boat parades and $120MM in an 8 (?) year contract and still it's not enough. What a DIVA! Does he have any sense of shame? In the meantime, it costs the average family of four $250 to see a game at Fenway just so they have the opportunity to see him tantrum and scramble for balls in the LF.
Frankly I'd like to see him try to hit off Papelbon, Beckett et al. next year and have his pride handed back to him. Now that's worth the price of admission!
Holy crap lets trade him for Holiday or texiera now, Manny would do so much better in a new environment, we need fresh blood, personally I 100% agree he tanked it purposely against Rivera ala Jay Payton wanting out of town let him go Ortiz will do fine behind another hitter, pull the trigger Theo the nation is ready.
boring---Manny is still one of the most important players on the Sox---even John Henry said so despite the fact he was angry with Manny's shenanigans. I'd take him over Halliday or Bay any day...
With all the important things to discuss, the topic of the day on sports radio is 'is Manny Ramirez worth $20,000,000'?
Well, it is debatable if he is worth that much to the franchise next year.
What is certainly not debatable is that Manny is worth that much and MORE to you in the media.
What on earth would you do without good ol' 24 to kick around?
Maybe have to watch the games, report, and analyze?
Heaven forbid!
Agree this happens every year, where the media is hurting for some stories and Manny provides it. Also mgmt may have some alternative motives in these stories as well. Manny is not the reason the Sox are not up 8 games on Tampa/Yankees. Year after year the guy puts up monstrous numbers and is fan favorite and helped win 2 world series. If he hits 35 HR, 120RBI's, the sox give him the option as he deserves it.
Please Red Sox ownership, for once do the right thing. (Morally) Get rid of this immature and selfish Jerk !
He is an embarassment to the game and to the city of Boston. He has never played the game the right way. (You know...hustle.......be a good teammate..etc)
Even though he is very gifted and might help the offense the next two years, I would rather see Matt Holliday and a dominant left handed reliever on the ball club and live with the results. I apoligize to the ownership. You did do the right thing once before. Thank You, for getting rid of Pedro when he became a distraction and not just a ballplayer for the Boston Red Sox
keep manny
I'm sick of all this Manny discussion! The bullpen stinks (even Papelbon is very hittable), our leadoff hitter stinks! and we have major holes in the lineup and all people want to talk about is Manny news from 2 weeks ago! Where was Eckersley's outrage when Manny knocked down the traveling secretary? He seems to be jealous that Manny is making more money than he did!
looks like everything lobel reported turned out to be false
how is he throwing a tantrum? he did one interview where he made one comment about wanting to know where he stands, and how if the red sox don't pick up his option he's a free agent. yeah, no kidding. i'm sorry eckersley doesn't like it, and john henry doesn't like it, but manny hasn't said anything else about it so who cares. he is not the first player to talk about his contract status, and he won't be the last. i can see both sides of it, and i don't think either side is necessarily wrong.
as for the comment that the red sox have "given him everything", including his 500 home runs and mvp stats - no, sorry, he did that himself. he's been one of the best hitters in baseball over his career and he has been paid accordingly. he's 36 years old and naturally will decline. i don't blame the red sox if they don't pick up his option, and if they don't, i'm sure boras will get him a 4 year deal someplace.
Yet another negative Manny article. It's getting boring. Boston needs Manny. I don't care what goes on behind closed doors because it's none of my business.
It's easy to post all the negative things about Manny. It would actually take work to compile a well thought out article. The front office better realize that Manny is a God in Boston. Fans spend tons on Manny gear and purchase tickets just to see Manny. If we lose Manny, they'll lose a huge amount of revenue.
Funny how how after your recap of Mazz's article you didn't choose to add that Manny's stats over that period are only for 5 months due to injury. Or is that another instance where your reporters with all the clubhouse access don't believe that Manny is telling the truth about an injury? If so, name your sources or shut-up. Otherwise, just report facts please, and we fans, who watch every game, will form our own opinions, thanks. And you'd rather give players up for another NL'er who may take a season to adjust? It's not even clear whether Papi's recovery will stand the rigours of the season. Yet your biased recap (especially the Eck bit almost 3 days later) SMELLS of "lets run Manny out of town." As many posters have said, the Sox have way more pressing issues to address. Rehashing this Manny stuff is not only pathetic, but cravenly slothful.
how is he throwing a tantrum? he did one interview where he made one comment about wanting to know where he stands, and how if the red sox don't pick up his option he's a free agent. yeah, no kidding. i'm sorry eckersley doesn't like it, and john henry doesn't like it, but manny hasn't said anything else about it so who cares. he is not the first player to talk about his contract status, and he won't be the last. i can see both sides of it, and i don't think either side is necessarily wrong.
as for the comment that the red sox have "given him everything", including his 500 home runs and mvp stats - no, sorry, he did that himself. he's been one of the best hitters in baseball over his career and he has been paid accordingly. he's 36 years old and naturally will decline. i don't blame the red sox if they don't pick up his option, and if they don't, i'm sure boras will get him a 4 year deal someplace.
In the last two months, we've seen plenty of Manny Being Ugly. Perhaps too late, we're realizing the REAL value Julian Tavarez had to this franchise.
Its amazing what people say when things aren't going that good!!! In the championship years everyone love manny. What the differents now!! know one is talking about how much lugo is making with no production! and the struggles w/ delcarman, timlin,okij and pap. Leave manny alone. Big pappi will be back this weekend and everything will be fine. Be a true fan and support your team!!! GO SOX!!!
Manny is a disgrace to baseball. The Sox should dump him and wee if any other team is crazy enough to sign him.
Manny is a disgrace to baseball. The Sox should dump him and see if any other team is crazy enough to sign him.
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