Shaughnessy on Manny

I agree that I don't believe that we will see Manny in Boston next year but I also believe that it is only partly his fault. First I don't believe that Theo ever gave many a chance as he felt Manny was not his type of ball player. Theo problem is if he ever attempted to have a relationship with Manny this whole fiasco probably doesn't happen. I also believe that 50% of the issue is on the sportswriters heads. They have a tendency to keep an issue no matter how large or small in the papers forever. They continually bring up every bad thing Manny has ever done. It is amazing as to how much space Manny gets and how everyone else on the team is considered angles. I will be very sorry to see such a great ball player leave due to inconsiderations by others. I also agree with you that they will not get enough in return for Manny which should tell you what type of player he is.

When will Boston no longer have to endure Dan Shaughnessy?

The guy wants a long term deal... why not stick it to him for all he has done to annoy Red Sox Nation and pick up each of his 1 year options. I know 20 mill is alot but he has proven he is worth it. After each of those 2 are complete who is going to sign him for 4 years $100 mill at age 39. NO ONE

Howard Baker,

Due to the inconsiderations of others??? Are you out of your mind? I'm sure Jack was being so inconsiderate that he deserved to be pushed to the ground, right? Great ballplayer or not, the Red Sox, team, and front office have been holding the eccentric hand of Manny for far too long and this year is one of the worst.

He agreed to the contract that carries two options and now he's crying like a baby because he wants a four year deal... Well tough @#$#! Maybe they would consider giving him a four year deal if they weren't tired of his crap! I was glad he got booed!

Please just cut bait with Manny. He's been great but it's time for him to move on. Why not getting SOMETHING for him with a trade then NOTHING for him at the end of the season. Manny is sick of Boston and we're sick of him too. Christ, so many players hit .300/25/100 now, go grab someone who wants to play here!

Production is down. For a lot less than $20M, they can get .301, and 20 home runs. Take a run at a free agent. Manny is in his own world and is dreaming if he thinks he will get a raise from the Sox, or anyone. He is 35-36, now with average power. This was a make-or-break year for him, and as far as I'm concerned, he broke. I can handle the antics, and the immaturity from this guy, but facts are facts, and his production is WAY down, and not worth $20M.

The Red Sox front office should taken care of this "problem" along time ago, even before spring training this year. Manny is a future Hall of Famer and he should be allowed to reach his 600th home run in a Red Sox uniform. All he wanted was for the team to pick up his options and I believe none of this crap this year would have happened. To Manny I say, play out the season and if the Sox don't want you anymore, become a free agent and come back and haunt them. But please DO NOT go over to the Yankees!!!!!!!!

I'm a Bostonian now overseas, so maybe I've missed the antics, but it seems Boston should ship Shaughnessy off for making a mountain out of molehill and playing right into opponent hands, as usual. Manny being Manny is a superstar who if you took out of the everday lineup would leave a very hard hole to fill. Why pretend this is the first time in history a bona fide sports star behaves differently and requests a little special treatment? Just try to enjoy him while you still have a chance at yet another championship...!

Can we deal Shaughnessy and keep Manny?

Management has doubled their investment in 5 years, Manny has been a big part of that result. Give him his out so he can begin the negotiations on a multi year deal. If he stays under the next two one year options it will be bad for him and the Red Sox.

If we wanted to trade him we would have to take up his options first, then agree to pay for half that salary to the team we traded him to. Then get Holliday or Tex. provided we can sign him for two more years first.

Keep Manny. Can Shaughnessy (you're going to quote an old fat political hack like Bob Crane to support your case?). Send Theo back to finish high school.

I sure wish thta Dan and all those other nasty sportswriters from around the country wouldn't have stomped on Manny's knee and injured so badly he couldn't play on Friday.or the game before.

Did you know there is actually a blog dedicated to reading Shaughnessey's columns so you don't have to subject yourself to the pain?

www.danshaughnessy.blogspot.com
("We Read Him So You Don't Have To" is their slogan)

Really, you should try it. My life is so much less complicated now.

Shank sucks. Who cares what he has to say? Honestly, he's the top ranking lowlife sportswriter in Boston without a clue or a fact. I guess he can claim that at least.

I agree, Jon.
Just pick up both options right now and the whole Manny saga is OVER
Once he realizes he's here for 2 more years, he's got no issues to push any more, and he can concentrate on his baseball. (Not that he doesn't anyway: everything runs right off his back like water!)

"Stick it to him" and pay him $20M. Wow, there's a loss of perspective....

Manny is worth every penny and should be rewarded with the club picking up his two one-year options. It truly doesn't seem to bother his teammates or his manager that Manny goes a little "kooky" every now and then, so leave his foibles out of the sports column and let him play ball. I can't imagine another 3-4 combination in the post-season that can "shake-up" opposing managers and pitchers the way that Big Papi and Manny can. That will "never" be replaced. Red Sox Nation will be left with a sick-feeling in their guts and ridiculous amounts of sports columnists "opinions" about how we let the "Great" Manny Ramirez get away. Remember, it took 86 years to correct the last big mistake.

Just another grito-bebe' destroying the all "American" sport.

adios amigo!

The only one at fault in all of this is Manny himself. He is the one who constantly chooses to put himself in the spotlight. He is the one who chooses to make ill-advised and, most of the time, stupid comments. He has made a lot of money and wears two rings because of the Henry group and Epstein. Of course there is no proper deal on the table. Manny is a Hall of Famer, one of the greatest right handed hitters of all time. What is fair? But this business has to stop. Manny should collect his checks and shut his mouth. No one made him act the way he has acted recently. The Red Sox have put up with a great deal of headaches thanks to this man's poorly timed decisions.

I still love the guy as a player and he will be hard to replace...however, I believe his skills have declined slightly and $40MM could be spent more wisely over the course of the next two years.....I am sure it will be nearly impossible for the Red Sox to trade him at this point.....

Theo Epstein quit his job a few years back leaving in a gorilla suit. Did any of the Boston beat writers lash out on him quitting on the job, much less not showing up for one day?
The point here lies in the Boston sports writers take verbatum as the final word what the owners and management say about a player. Millionaries or not the players are still pawns of owners and management. This is just like in our everyday jobs where workers whether high paid or not don't have democracy in their workplace and are powerless in front of management.
Add to this in my opinion the racist (underlying) rants and double standars of the Boston sports writers. For ex. Brett Farve has had public admission of drug addiction in the past. If Manny Ramirez without drug problems retired (and was paid during retirement 12 million as Farve is) than unretired and complained like Farve has what would be the reaction?
Do the math!

Daniel Singer

Never ceases to amaze me how foolish some people can be when discussing Manny Ramirez. One writer (Jon T) writes that the Sox should stick it to him for all he done to "annoy" Red Sox Nation. First, that Nation talk is moronic and tells me this guy just became a fan recently. Second, all Manny's done to "annoy" the "Nation" is to have been a huge reason the Sox have won TWO WORLD SERIES. For all the love Ortiz gets, even Shaughnessy (who wanted Manny out in 2003 which, if happended, no Championship in 2004) would have to admit that he doesn't come close to the numbers he's put up with Manny behind him.

Bottom line - you have to take the good with the bad with Manny. And as far as I'm concerned, the good has far out-weighed the bad

Manny's antics and mood swings are wearing thinner each month. To let him go would be easy. However, it could turn around and bite you later. The other option is to trade him and get someone, something in return that you wouldn't get if simply just walked. I'd make damn sure that the Yanks get him and he would have a miraculous recovery on both knees and kill us down the line. Put him in the national league and get Matt Holliday or a couple of prospects. I've said this ever since spring training - don't trade CoCo Crisp because when Manny is gone, CoCo can roam center while Jacoby patrols left. Between those two and JD in right, you'll have one of the fastest and best defensive outfields in all of baseball.
Manny - thank you for all you've done and given to Boston and the Nation. However, nothing is forever.

He goes.
He is a head case and you can bet he is a bit of a problem in the locker room. His act is way past getting old. Who needs this anymore?

I never liked Manny's carefree attitude. He would say i want to play for Boston or I don't have to play for them. I think it's selfish to close your season down as he did a few years ago and still got away with it. I think it's wrong not to talk to the media as he has done in the past except at the all star game. The players say he is a great guy but he has no problem shoving Youk around and attacking the travel secretary. I believe the Sox have enough depth with their lineup now that J.D. Drew is putting up big numbers. i think he should go or at the most keep him one more year until his longterm value diminishes.

So Manny says he'd accept a trade if it helped the Red Sox and the other team. And yet somehow HE is the villain? No ONE offers to waive a no trade clause on the condition it help the team he is leaving. NO ONE!

When Manny is gone, thanks in large part to the Front Office mouthpiece/spin cycle Boston Globe, the organization will be sorely lacking on the field and in entertainment value. Manny Ramirez is one of the top 5 players to put on a Red Sox uniform and he is being run out of town because the media (see Dan Shaughnessy) do not like that he doesn't take the game as seriously as these writers believe their heroes did. History will show how shortsighted this was.

I never liked Manny's carefree attitude. He would say I want to play for Boston or I don't have to play for them. I think it's selfish to close your season down as he did a few years ago and still got away with it. I think it's wrong not to talk to the media as he has done in the past except at the all star game. The players say he is a great guy but he has no problem shoving Youk around and attacking the travel secretary. I believe the Sox have enough depth with their lineup now that J.D. Drew is putting up big numbers.I think he should be traded most keep him one more year until his longterm value diminishes.

OK I agree Manny is just to much of a distraction to stay on this team. However if we do not trade him by the end of this season WE HAVE TO pick up his option for next year. We cannot CANNOT let Manny be a free agent, where he very easily can be picked up by the Yankees and we get no compensation for one of the greatest hitters in the game. That will just sign our death. Yes it's time for him to go, but we cant just let him go, he must be traded.

I'm happy to strap myself in for two more months of Manny being Manny. Aside from the inexcusable shove on the club's traveling secretary, what has he actually done that hasn't been totally blown out of proportion by the likes of Dan Shaughnessy?

I learned a long time ago to take a player's word for it if he says he's hurt. The knees are an athlete's family jewels. You don't gamble with them.

I know i would like Manny to stay. I think Theo's idea of a baseball team is a club made up of JD Drews. No offense to JD. I do think some of the venom by the press, not so much Sox FO, is racist whether they even realize it or not. I have been a fan for 40+ years and think the Red Sox are alienating their core fan base. Most true Red Sox fans I think love Manny and this whole saga has soured me on the team as an organization for the first time in my life. I really wish that Theo would understand that even though it is a business, his product ( the team) is made up of human beings. I have a real distaste for this whole thing that I am not sure as a fan I will fully get over. To Dan Shaughnessy, Please shut up...Thanks.

You know the Yankees are going to sign him if the Sox don't.

Trade Manny for Beltran. It is that Easy!!

Dave Angers

Let Manny be Manny, he a career 300 hitter, considered by many as a hitting machine, he has 500 homers and with probably be in the top 15 in homers when his career is done and more importantly, he's a Certified Hall of Famer.
The Sox have made some very dumb moves in the past...IE: Jose Offerman...
Yes I know, some of you are like Jose who?
But let's be serious now, Manny has help lead the Sox to 2 World Series Championships and now we are writing him off because of something he said that was probably taken out of context due to irresponsible journalism, which is not a rarity in present day sports writing.
Let's just let Manny be Manny, let's let him be the Hit Machine that he is and stop worrying about all that small stuff.
Manny being Manny is him chasing a a flyball in left and jumping up to catch it and giving someone in the stands a hifive and then turn around and throw someone out...That's Manny...

Manny Ramirez is the most successful disaster the Red Sox have ever had. I shudder at how close we came to getting Mike Mussina 8 years ago instead of Manny. To think that Manny might have landed in New York instead? The Yankees might have two or three more titles while we would still be looking for our first since 1918. Big Papi's success most likely NEVER happens without Manny hitting behind him!. Like Mike Lowell said, every relationship runs its course and has an ending. We are at that moment.
Manny has faked injuries, thrown at bats and left his teammates high and dry. Not everyone on this team has won a championship, and Manny does not seem interested in helping them earn one. I can not recall any incident where the Red Sox have disrespected him. I can not understand how Manny, a termendously hard worker in his youth has become an elitest and privledged to point he intentionally tanks it and leaves his teammates in such a no-win situation.
His behavior has made me take a closer look at Barry Bonds. Yes, I feel he did steroids, and broke laws to obtain them. At least, however, he was trying to win. Manny's behavior is like Pete Rose's he is efffecting the outcome of games, series and seasons by his actions. I teach middle school for a living, I steer my kids attention away from Manny Ramirez and aim it towards Big Papi, Tim Wakefield and Mike Lowell's. Manny is a selfish person, it is that simple, he is not a role model at all.

For those who don't understand, the Red Sox would not "get nothing" as some of you think if the option isn't picked up and Manny leaves via free agency. They would get two draft picks from the team that signs him.

I know i would like Manny to stay. I think Theo's idea of a baseball team is a club made up of JD Drews. No offense to JD. I do think some of the venom by the press, not so much Sox FO, is racist whether they even realize it or not. I have been a fan for 40+ years and think the Red Sox are alienating their core fan base. Most true Red Sox fans I think love Manny and this whole saga has soured me on the team as an organization for the first time in my life. I really wish that Theo would understand that even though it is a business, his product ( the team) is made up of human beings. I have a real distaste for this whole thing that I am not sure as a fan I will fully get over. To Dan Shaughnessy, Please shut up. Thanks

Fans were concerned when Nomar was traded and when Pedro left. Life goes on. The fact of the matter is that they probably can't trade him now but neither will they be picking up his option next year. Manny's production is declining. He's 36 years old and it's time to re-tool in left field.

Maybe signing Texiera in the offseason and moving Youk to left field is the answer. He'll certainly play better defense out there than Manny has.

Enjoy your last season in Boston Manny and here's hopin' that you go out with one more championship ring.

if manny did this crap at a real job he would've been gone along time ago
so kick his azz to the crub along with slugo this guy is one of the wrost player in mlb, he runs like he has sh-t in his azz he can't field to save his life and hitting please, i know 4th graders that hit better

Take Manny away and watch Ortiz go 28 HR, 100 RBI, and .268 next year. Manny's real impact does not come from his own regular season numbers, it's manifested mostly in the numbers of the guy in front of him (e.g. the 1 month MVP J.D. Drew) and behind him. And then, of course, in his hitting great pitchers in the post season. He's the foundation the lineup is built on. Take him out of it at your peril. You think the Sox brass doesn't know this and won't go to even greater lengths to keep him?

Get rid of him while we get something for him and prevent him from signing with the Stankies after this season. He does not want to be here is ready to shut down. There are lots of options. Maybe even an emerging gem in our farm system. We have enough bats (Ortiz, Lower, Youkolis and Drew) to survive without his .301 30 135. We have to get something for him.

Trade Manny to the Mets for a prospect, sign Barry Bonds to play left and hit a zillion home runs.

I can understand the pro-Manny contingent here. I've rooted for the guy for 8 years, but quoting numbers doesn't make your case. This is not a numbers issue. We all know Manny can hit. His bat has helped to bring 2 Titles to the Sox. But he is taking himself out of the lineup far too often this year, for poor or false reasons, and having too many "incidents" off the field. He isn't helping the team win if he isn't in the line-up when they need him most!

If the Sox trade him this year and replace him with less than a .300, 30 HR, 110 RBI guy, then the team probably falls short this year. If they go to the off-season and decline the options, finding a replacement for the money is quite possible. For that money they can find a player who actually wants to be here.

The media is once again blowing this up to something much bigger then it should be. Dan Shaughnessy, you got to start finding some positive things to report on. I'm sick of all the blood thirsty Boston reporters.

The Sox need Manny, simple as that. All the haters who think it will be easy to replace him in the line-up don't know baseball. No hitter has been as consistent over the last 10 years. Regressing stats? Do some research, Manny is on pace for yet another 30 home run, 100+ RBI, .300 average season. Boston will go another 86 years without a WS if the negative media and uninformed fan base run every player out of town. He's been the clean-up hitter for a team with 2 world series in 4 years! If his teamates want Manny around, then he should stay around as long as he is hitting.

Let's trade Buckley and Shaughnessy for sportswriters to be named later. It's time for a fresh perspective.

Manny goes to the Yankees and Dan Shaughnessy writes a new book called "The Curse is Back". When will Boston get some reporters that can report news and not try to create it?

MANNY DESERVES TO STAY AND BE RESPECTED... he might have an attitude different than others, but he is a great player.... the media is bringing out the worse in him. Stop it - show him some respect, and let him play. I have tickets for August and I will be very disappointed if #24 is not out in left field. Love the guy.

Manny says that he'd be willing to accept a trade... Well believe that if you want but you can bet when and if a trade was actually worked out he'll only do it if the team he goes to is willing to pick up the 2 options. That will never happen.

Also the problem with Manny right now is that he's quickly becoming pretty much only a DH. So it's highly doubtful he'd end up in the NL. There's no way he gets traded. He'll play out the year and then the Sox will not pick up the options and he'll become a FA and the sox will end up getting 2 draft picks.

Heres a crazy idea which actually could happen if the Red Sox truly wanted it to. I would trade Manny to any team in the NL that wants him for prospects. Then take those prospects and trade them to Cincy for slugger Adam Dunn. He is only 28 and has 29 HR's and is only 1 off the MLB lead. Since he's in the last year of his contract, if he were to leave next year, the Sox would get two first round pics in the upcoming draft to add to the system and then possibly try to get Vlad Guerrero or some else to put in LF. Then as i read earlier this month, i would trade Youkilis and Craig Hansen for Mark Teixeria and give him an extension. I know everyone around here loooooooves Youkilis but Tex is an absolute upgrade. Dont forget he's already won a gold glove at first, he's younger than youk, and can also slide right into the cleanup spot for the next 5-7 years. Without Manny, the Sox would need some consistant power in the lineup and those guys could deliever instantly. The Red Sox would easliy have the best 2-7 in baseball and the lineup would absolutly be crazy for opposing pitchers to have to deal with.

1)Ellsbury
2)Pedroia
3)Ortiz
4)Teixeira
5)Lowell
6)Dunn
7)Drew
8)Varitek
9)Lugo

i'd love to see how pitchers would go about pitching to these guys

Steinbrenner is waiting in the wings with baited wallet!! Think about Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon . There's your roadmap . Not exactly neurosurgery.
Let him go now and he's till a free-agent in the fall; keep him and ditto. Steinbrenner knows this and like the snake he is, patience & time will point the way to his strike.

Enough is enough... the media needs to get off this guy's back... this whole thing is media driven. SO WHAT if he misses a handful of games each season? Who is going to replace his bat in the lineup? Unless you go out and get Vlad Guerrero, Holiday, Pujols or someone of that stature, you are better off with Manny.

Just as a comparison, here are the number of games played this year by other top cleanup hitters:

Manny 97
V. Guerrero 96
M. Holliday 89
A. Pujols 93
M. Ordonez 89
J. Dye 97

So are the Red Sox are SO MUCH BETTER with one of these other hitters?

I think they should trade Manny to the Mets for Pedro, just because I so miss the little guy

What kind of relationship should/could theo develop with manny? Theo's failure here is his greatest strength. He indulges no player with more of a contract than he thinks the player is worth. Manny is still under contract to the sox and could be for 2 more years if the sox choose to exercise the contractual options the team holds. Manny has taken the absurd position that the red sox should forsake these options and re sign him to another $100 million plus contract. I am guessing that he thinks it's not enough that the sox have paid him 168 million for 8 years, and could pay him another 40 mil over the next 2 years. Oh yeah, and for the last 5 years they've surrounded him with enough talent to win 2 world series. If theo developed the better relationship with manny you suggest he would fail at his job .and isnt

It seems to me like sportswriters of today are giving Manny the same kind of medicine they gave Ted Williams many many years ago. They don't seem to have a story unless it is all bad and negative. Why can't they ever see the good in a mans ability and count their blessings for the championships that he has helped bring to Boston. I vote with some of the other fans on the fact we should bar Shaughnessy from the clubhouse and newspapers and let him find another business and leave the Red Sox alone.
I have been a Texas Red Sox fan for over 65 yrs.

manny is with out doubt a great player and a future hall of famer . he has undoubtedly helped to win a lot of games but on the other foot he has cost games to with his stupid manny being manny. he's not the only player that played in the world series and by saying they couldn't have done it without him sure doesn't say much for the rest of the team. i like manny as much as the next guy but there does come a time when enough is enough. if he could just play and go about his business like the rest of the players i'm sure he would get the deal or close to the deal he wanted with the red sox. i don't think any other teams want to put up with his antics especially when they had the chance to take him on wavers and no one did, so if he does go to another team next year i say good luck to him

George Steinbrenner is on live support! He's a steroid pin cushion with a failing brain. He looked like a corpse at the All Star Game..

I hate manny and danshaughnessy...can we get rid of them both

I guess the point a lot of you are missing is that Manny don't want them to pick up the options. He would be more upset if they did because he truley believes there is $100 mil out there and he is probably right.

I'm with Jim W. and the rest of you who have had enough of the Boston media. Guys like Shaughnessy aren't sports reporters -- they're sports writers. Creative, negative, loud and a controversial as they can get. It comes down to the $$$$ with them just as much as it does with the athletes they criticize. It's controversy that sells papers, raises ratings and brings in advertisers - the bottom line. At the beginning of the year Manny said he didn't want to talk about his contract and the media just would not let it go. There was controversy there and they were on a mission to bring it out. Well they did and now we'll lose Manny. I know he acts up now and then but that's for the Sox to deal with. I'm embarrassed by the Boston media. I've turned off my radio and I don't read the sports sections any more. I just watch or listen to the games and enjoy every one of them!

Manny is "down" this year? Give me a break! As always, he's the only player other than Ortiz and occaisonally Lowell who hits in the clutch. How soon fans and dan forget his playofff MVP, and how he destroys the Yankess while other players slump at crucial times. Even if he sits 1 out of every 3 games vs the Yanks from here on out, he'll still produce more than the other players put together! People harp on him quitting at the end of the year when they were already out of it....remember who was the only player who was red hot in that fateful yankee series? While others slept, manny tried to make it a season, then he is blamed for quitting after they were swept? Give me a break! Nobody knows if a knee hurts or not, not even an MRI... why does every other athelete get the benefit of the doubt, except Manny? He works out more than any other player on the team. He's often the first one at the park. Because he has a relaxed attitude, which incidently is why he is able to hit like a devil, people think he doesn't care. He does care, especially in a contract ending year! Think he'd fake an injury when he's lloking to sign a huge contract? Think about it Dan, I know thinking isn't your strong suit, but try it for once.

I beleive that Manny has NO problem being in Boston and that his main beef is with all the crap he gets from the reporters.....
Mr. Dan Shaughnessy, you have never had a good thing to say about Manny and NEVER will because I think that you are a racist, Barry Bonds and others have done worst things than manny has ever done but you refuse to pay very much attention to them...
Why don't you write an artical on the good things and bad things that Manny has done since he's been wit hthe RedSox ??? and you will find that he brought a ton of money to the owners pockets and also helped bring a francise to what they are now.
An also tell me this Dan Shaughnessy, when your kids have there moments???
Do you want to rid of them as well ???? no.... you punish them and move on.
so listen why don't you do the same ??? or even better go to another town somewhere in Alaska.

People are still making excuses for Manny just because he can hit a baseball.
Listen, this is not Manny being "kooky", or "acting different", this is not a "media creation" , this is a player who QUIT ON HIS TEAMATES for his own petty nonsense! (oh , and it's not the 1ts time)
The Sox will keep his bat in the line-up for the rest of the season, and after that he's GONE. I don't care if he's a HOF lock, I don't care if he hits .400 next year with 60 hr and 200 RBIs. Enough is enough. He is selfish. He is arrogant. HE KNOWS HOW VALUABLE HE IS TO HIS TEAM AND STILL QUITS. He isn't just giving the FO the finger when he pulls this crap but also HIS TEAMATES, AND THE FANS. How some of you can still give respect to this guy is beyond me.

First Teddy Ballgame, then Bill Russell, then Yaz, then Rice...now Manny. What does the Boston Media have against stardom? Where are the Ainge bashers now? Maybe, hidding behind a Manny full frontal assault. Tell me Dr. Dan, when did you last examine Manny's knee? Can you know for sure he's dogging it?

Not to pick on Jon T but I still can't believe anyone would say "I know 20 mill is alot but he has proven he is worth it.". NOBODY is worth 20 mil. Manny's a good bat, that's it. Dup him, retool around the young stud pitching.

Come on Sox fans. Real Sox fans are objective. Some of you guys sound like Yankee fans protecting your players. Manny is a bad guy. Thanks for the memories Manny, but we're tired of you. So are your teammates. Let's use this overpaid Drama Queen to get to a World Series in 08 then let him go, and we can spend the $20 million on another bat or 2. He's a cancer just like Barry Bonds and TO.

Manny has played in 98 out 106 games this year. It doesn't sound like he's missing "too many" games. He was a nitwit for pushing the Traveling secretary, no matter what the reason was. Other than that, I'm not too upset with him. I do think Boras is in his head and that doesn't help. Epsein fired the first salve last week when he said we have been trying to trade him for 5 and 1/2 years. True? For the most part yes. But, did that numskull Theo actually think that what he said was going to tick Manny off? It was only going to get worse after that staement...and it did! Revisionist history will say that Manny demanded a trade. (I can hear sh.t for brains Callahan now!). But Theo made this worse than what it was. Then every newspaper & news station goes off of the deep end comparable to a Brittany Spears meltdown. Jaywalking! How dare he! Pretty stupid crap. Outside of a couple of things, I like the guy. But it may be better to part company. There are lot of blame to go around..Manny, the media, Theo & poor Francona has to deal with it all. Now THAT is a guy who deserves a raise. But, they will stiff him when Farrel is ready to go elsewhere & don't think that it won't happen.

Can we trade the Curly Headed Boyfriend to Pittsburgh Post Gazzette, or Cleveland Plain Delaer for whatever they'll give us? Perhaps he can start a new "Curse" industry in one of those places.

The basic fact is this -- without Manny's bat in the line-up, putting up the kind of numbers that we all know he can put up in August, September and (hopefully) October, the Sox have little hope of repeating as champs. So Shaunghnessy should give it a rest, and Manny should do his job. This is not rocket science.

If Theo had dealt Manny in 2003, the 86 year drought would be at 90 and counting. And Theo would be out of a job.

I work with a guy who has 2 young sons and lives in town. He was playing T-ball with them and some other kids on the Common near Manny's condo. Manny stopped his car and came over to talk to them and sign some autographs. The younger son was too shy to approach Manny. After Manny left, the boy began crying because he missed his chance. As Manny drove away he noticed this, stopped his car again and came back to talk to him. That's Manny being Manny.

Perspective. Before the biggest game of the season to this point, Manny opts out of the Red Sox line-up claiming a dubious knee injury. Meanwhile, the Yankees have a catcher with a torn rotator cuff who wanted to put off surgery on the chance he could help the team win by DH-ing. 'nuff said.

I'm happy to strap myself in for two more months of Manny being Manny. Aside from the inexcusable shove on the club's traveling secretary, what has he actually done that hasn't been totally blown out of proportion by the likes of Dan Shaughnessy?

I learned a long time ago to take a player's word for it if he says he's hurt. The knees are an athlete's family jewels. You don't gamble with them.

It's the same old story you see in every organization. The control freaks don't like somone who gets a lot of attention but whose style is different from theirs. Manny didn't get mad at them for no reason. He's an open, natural character, not like some buttoned-down constipated New Englanders. He says what he thinks and he believes life is to be enjoyed, not spent in cowering to power.
The only thing Shaughnessy said that had any point was "in his adult life (and I use the term loosely)..." Yes, in some ways Manny is a gifted child. Doesn't always think before he speaks, can throw a tantrum, can get in a spat with a friend. But in the game you NEED his gifts. I think Francona is the one who really understands that, and I applaud his diplomacy. And I think his teammates understand, too.

As for the venomous stuff by Shaughnessy and Wilbur etc, what's up with these guys? Nasty, nasty. Go and work for a swift-boat organization, seens about your style.

Prediction: The Red Sox cut Manny loose after 2008 and sign Pat Burrell.

GP AB R H D HR TB BI BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS
J.D. 90 309 66 88 19 19 170 58 61 69 .285 .402 .550 .952
Manny 97 354 65 107 22 19 188 65 50 84 .302 .400 .531 .932
Youk 97 363 64 113 25 17 197 68 36 67 .311 .380 .543 .923

Which of these guys would you pay $20 million a year? The one on the downward slope of his career? The one whose .881 OPS last year was his lowest (by far) since his rookie season in 1994? The one whose legit leg problems this year would have kept him out of about 20 games if Ortiz hadn't been on the DL and we could use him a DH?

Nope, the Manny of 2008 (and more to the point, the Manny of 2009 and 2010) is not worth $20 million a year.

If I'm in the FO, I would tell Manny upfront "we're not going to pick up your options, but we'll be happy to renegotiate your contract." (Of course, that was before this weekend's s---storm, after which there really may be no mending the relationship.)

This FO has proved to be wise about not offering player-happy deals to fading stars -- they set a length and a dollar value they're comfortable with and are willing say goodbye beyond that. We've seen that strategy work with Pedro and Johnny. I trust it will work with Manny too. Let someone else pay him big $ 4 years for the possibility of 2 more productive seasons.

Manny is the Rube Waddell of our era, a living legend!

$20 Million is a lot, yes, but without Manny we have no rings. Picking up the options, a la Yanks and Sheff, then play em or trade em could backfire. Since Theo has totally dissed Manny's integrety, there are no choices left, but to let him go after the year. Sad but true, us fans still love you Manny, we'll miss you. You made baseball fun again, stay young, keep playing like a kid, go to the Yanks and stick it to Theo! Imagine, Theo telling Ortiz, "We don't believe you are hurt, play or else?" Who wouldn't want to quit after that treatment by your boss?

Look, Larry Luchinno convinced all but John Henry when they bought the team that the $20 Million per was an albatross around the team's neck. That is a fact - he (and Theo) hated that contract from Day 1. Henry (smarter than all of them by far - the smart guys usually are worth billions with a "b") knew that the fans adore him, his teammates (for the most part) love him, he works his rear end off (nobody denies this) and, most important, he is immune to pressure. Ryan wrote a great article last year when Manny said (down 3-1 to Cleveland) if they don't win it isn't the end of the world. Ryan's point was that Manny had the courage to express what virtually all the ballplayers think but can't say - namely, that the fans are nuts. It isn't life or death. SO Manny relaxes in big spots and comes up huge. The opposite of ARod. As for Max Mercy, he LOVES to feel important enough to run guys out of town. Manny Ramirez is one of the elite performers who have ever played this beautiful game. Shaugnessy is a sportswriter. If he died tomorrow nothing about baseball would change. Why does anyone care what he thinks?
The biggest problem - and everyone knows this, is that Boras gets nada if the Sox exercise the next two years. It was a brilliant contract - giving the club the option until Manny is 38. In terms of economics, it really doesn't make sense for the team to renogtiate and extend him for four years, which is all he wants. But they should exercise the options, one at a time in case he gets hurt, just to keep him out of the Bronx for the next two years, where he WILL absolutely TORTURE us. He'll continue to protect Ortiz, put up really nice - if not monster - numbers and give them a very good chance to win one or two more, capping the era as the next Big Red Machine. This guy cares about his legacy - individual stats for sure, but also titles. I would bet my life he would perform.
Finally, only one guy on the team has played more games this year. How is that not being admitted? Sportswriters...how could not just deck a guy who thought he had the right to call you a liar in a newspaper?

The only thing people in Red Sox nation are growing tired of is the inane drivel Shaughnessy calls journalism. Writing a bunch of hoo haw speculation about issues Dan is not a party to is muck raking at its finest. Shaughnessy must be having a few wobbly pops with Lobel during work these days. Hasn't Lobel been fired from EVERY jobs he's had? Talk about a loser... Vindictive sports writers are the reason most players cringe at the thought of playing in Boston. Can you blame them? For the sake of harmony in the pennant race, I suggest Shaughnessy and Co. shut their gin blossom infested fat traps and let things play out until the season is over. Boston fans are well aware of the "Manny" situation. Yes, he's a big white elephant in the corner. Guess what? Nobody needs the likes of Shaughnessy to spell it all out in the paper everyday. Shaughnessy is giving Manny exactly what he wants. Manny is an arrogant attention seeking whore who relishes in these stupid articles because he knows he got under their skin. Manny is rolling in his $20 million and laughing at all of the half wits who write about him.
Shaughnessy and Co. are the bad apples who make these issues out to be more than they are because they have no ability to write about anything else. Writing about Manny being Manny is like writing about the sky being blue everyday.

GO SOX!

The last two games Manny has had the best answer to all of this controversy and criticism with his bat. If he keeps hitting that way the rest of the season, I wonder how many people (outside of Dan Shaughnessy) will still want the Sox to get rid of him?

Question: What do Robert Kraft and Manny have in common?

Answer: They are both on Shaughnessy's sh___ list.

Look, Luchinno convinced everyone except the smartest guy in the room (Henry is the only one worth Billions with a "B") that the contract was an albatross around the team's neck and he and Theo manipulated guys like Shaugnessey from the beginning. Henry realized that the fans adore the guy, his teammates (alost everyone) love the guy, he works his butt off day in and day out (nobody denies this) and most importantly, he's just goofy enough to perform heroically in the clutch - the opposite of ARod. Ryan wrote a fantastic article last fall when they were down 3-1 to the Indians and Manny said it isn't the end of the world if they lose. It wasn't arrogant - it was the truth. He took huge pressure off his teammates by saying what they all think but can't say - the fans are nuts. Not stupid (like Foulk said a few years ago) - just nuts. Then he went out and crushed. As for Max Mercy, he just LOVES to feel important enough to run guys out of town. He is a writer. If he died tomorrow it would be sad for his family and friends, but it have zero effect on any game, anywhere. Manny is one of the elite performers in the history of the sport. The contract was actually brilliant, giving the club the option of extending until he is 38. The economics absolutely do not justify renegotiating and extending him for four years, which is all he really wants. The key is Boras, and everybody knows that too. Boras gets nada if the Sox extend. They should really do that, one year at a time (to guard against injury) just to keep him out of the Bronx, where he absolutely will TORTURE us for at least two years. This is not a sore-armed Pedro or a Johnny Damon story - this guy will absolutely have another few big years. I say keep him as protection for Ortiz and because he values his legacy - personal stats for sure, but also titles. AND, he'd be playing for another contract two years from now, so there's no way he tanks. Why would you let a sportswriter - who most fans would deck if he came into their workplace and then wrote in the paper that they were liars - determine the future of the franchise?

Finally, has the guy played in more games this year than all but one other guy on the team?

Dan,

Here are somethings to be really concerned with;

1. Your catcher/captain is old and can't hit his weight. He has become an automatic out.
2. You have no shortstop. The GM claims to have the answer every year. How many short stops can you go through.
3. Cocco Crisp (need I say more)
4. Bullpen

Also how about mentioning that Theo acted the same way when he couldn't get his way. At least, well not yet, Manny hasn't put on a gorilla suit! I still find it hard to believe that an educated businessman put on a gorilla suit and the media has let it go. I guess that's what happens when you play in the same band as Gammons

Manny has been productive for the Sox for a long time, and he is for sure a great right handed bat, but I personally do not want anyone on my team who fakes an injury when the Yankees come to town. Pure and simple, Manny has no heart. Get him out of here!!!

Manny, Manny, Manny. What a cry baby! I'm tired of hearing about his crap & giving him the time of day. The man makes $20M a year & season after season all we hear about is how he wants out. Shame on all Sox fans for saying it's Manny being Manny. Bollocks! It's just a spoiled brat throwing a temper tantrum vying for the spotlight, & guess what, you all give it to him, thus fueling his fire. Just stop it! The more attention you give him, the more he will continue with his antics. The best thing to do to a brat is to ignore him. I know he has a great bat, but let's face it nothing seems to make him happy, so I say cut your losses & get rid of him. I lost all respect for Manny a longtime ago & it's about time everyone else gets on board! Manny is right, enough is enough!

What Manny needs is a shrink & a script of Prozac, his is the picture of the Bi-Polar illness, he's up one minute & then off the charts the next. This isn't just a one time thing, it's every season!!! Lets evaluatue his numbers, you know, the ones that have been shrinking over the past 3 years, they are down, he is on pace too put up the same 20 something homers & 80 or so RBI's this year as last. He is NO longer an asset, he is becoming a club house liability. Follow the Patriots lead, send him packing, he has out lived his welcome. He's become a Bottle of Bud Light, his experation date has arrived! Yes, I have always been a Manny fan, BUT, as he said " enough is enough." Get something for him, it's not like we traded away the bank for him, he was a free agent, so trading him for a decent player is a win win situation. Then the Sox can use the money for a younger power hitting free agent outfielder next season. Manny had you seeked psychological help a few years ago and started taking Prozaz or Paxil you wouldn't be in this situation. Thanks for the memories & helping bring 2 World Series too Boston, God Bless & Good Luck with your next team.

All he wanted was for management to go ahead and assure him they would pick up his option for 2009. Manny felt like he had earned the right to get an early nod on 2009 and he is correct. He doesn't do well when he is feeling unappreciated and made to wait until last the minute to know if he is staying or going. He doesn't like the head games they play with him. He makes a boatload, yeah, but he has generated 10 boatloads. I'd take Manny over A-Rod any day of the week. Give him his due and let the man play baseball. Course I guess Theo could take those millions and go out and write another obscenely ludicrous check to another Japanese pitcher.

Why don't the reporters/writers make a big deal out of anyone else missing a game or two. I do think the media is driving a race issue here and they should be ashamed of themselves. Dan Shaughnessy has caused enough trouble for Boston. Dan, "Enough is Enough". If you are incapable of being a good respected reporter/writer, then get out of the business now. I guarantee, NO ONE WILL MISS YOU!!!!

Yes, let’s blame the Boston sports writers and the Red Sox front office. After all, it was Shaughnessy that pushed the 64 year old Jack McCormick down to the ground. It was Steve Buckley that faked injury in order to take himself out of a couple of baseball games so he could pout. It’s the Boston sports writers that are acting like spoiled brats because they want long term contracts. And that Theo Epstein! How dare he! After all, he forced Manny to work under that slave-like, 8 year, 180 mill plus contract and now that it's near the end, has the audacity not to extend it. Yes, it’s everybody’s fault EXCEPT our Moon Man Manny. This incredible insight – It’s not Manny, it’s the Boston sports writers and the Red Sox front office - MUST be the reason why we Boston baseball fans have been labeled “ the most knowledgeable baseball fans in the country”.

Reporters and the sports center please our eyes are blinded everytime you want to read the news about our best team Redsox and all that pops up on the headline is MANNY! MANNY1trdade tdade its too much.Why dont you write something about your selves though I DONT KNOW IF i want to read all about Boston and their poor perception of things.You are only atfer production not caring about the moral standard of your players.We will see how far you go with the rings after you kick off manny from town.I bet it will be another drought for sometime.If I were you I would be patient for the remaining season as much as he is producing and pull the team further.Please dont mess up with our tickets some of us are pro manny and we want to finalise the year happily watching manny being manny.

When you look at the whole package of Manny I don't know why anyone would pay him big money for the upcoming years. His fielding is awful . His baserunning is awful and his batting is on the decline. When you see him jog to first on a double play and then you see a guy like youk, almost breaking a blood vessel to get down the line you have to think his teammates are pissed. I think a few Manny being Manny moments are OK, but we are seeing way too many and it is time to say good bye. We are not going to sign him at the end of the year anyway so I don't care what they trade him for.
I like watching baseball played properly not the Manny way. would love to watch an outfield of JD Drew, Jacoby, And Brandon Moss for the next few years.
BYE BYE MANNY

I am a huge Red Sox fan and I am never going to get tired of Manny being Manny, he is a great player with a hot bat. The Red Sox need him. I dont think he should move on I think he should stay next season and seasons to come. The media needs to leave him alone and let the people involved do their part. The media is making assumptions on many things, brain washing the people, the fans to think Manny is a bad guy, no good for the Red Sox. Well I want Manny on the team. I cant imagine watching Red Sox baseball with out his comic relief. I can't imagine watching baseball without him flipping his bat and put his arms straight up in the air after smashing a ball out of the park. He is a part of the Red Sox team that I love. What about the dynamic duo David and Manny how is that going to work if he is on another team. In conclusion, Manny brings many things to the table, and I LOVE every bit of "MANNY BEING MANNY"

All you Manny bashers......do you all really know for sure Manny was faking it? It would be the first time in the history of "money ball", someone fakes an injury in a contract year. It just doesn't make any sense. Maybe he was faking, but we'll never know for sure. Why not give Manny the benefit of doubt? Put yourself in his shoes....how would you feel if your boss accused you of lying and slacking off after you have brought the company untold millions, not to mention the joy of an 86 year monkey taken off our backs. I think quitting would be everyones first choice. Theo quit when slighted, what's the big difference?

HELLO!!!!!! 2 World Series has clouded everbodies minds, I can't believe you're blaming Dan for Manny being an idiot? Manny has psychological issues and needs medications, this is why he lashes out like he does. These are the signs of Bi-Polar or some other illness. His numbers are down, he is not worth $20 million per! As I stated 2 World Series has clouded your minds, the reason it took 86 years was hanging on to players too long, being to sentimental. It's not Dans fault Manny knocked down a member of the AARP ( hello Pedro pushing Zim ), it's not Dans fault Manny can't hit 35 HR's & knock in 100 RBI's anymore, it's not Dans fault Manny can't keep his mouth shut and blurts out things that at times don't make any sense. It's Mannys' fault, he WAS a great player, but that's behind him, he has mental health issuses, he has become EXPENDABLE! Dan, it's not your fault that some of the readers forget that it took 86 years to win the Ring because the Sox were too sentimental in keeping players beyond their prime. Come on Sox fans, I want another World Series and it's not coming to Fenway with Manny in the lineup this year.

Manny at the age of 36-37 is NOT or EVER going to get that 25million a year, not even from the YANKEES. If he is lucky he may get another 75 more homers for the rest of his career. We have little to no chance of repeating WSC in 08. Let's get someone know that will help us in 09, baseball is about the about the future is it not. 3 reason why we won't
1. TEK, Ellisbury, crisp, Lugo and TEK -did i just say that twice
2. No 7/8 inning pitches and no sure thing for a save anymore
3. No really clutch hitter up and down.
4. EXTRA no great starting pitching- you might get an outing or 2 from Dice - k, Wakefield and forget about Blowholtz that guy got lucky one game and know he is just a lifetime minor leaguer. The only decent pitcher we have is a cancer survior.

I can see it both ways... the club has options on Manny... if Manny gets hurt, he's done... most ball players have a guaranteed contract for a certain number of years... they are not left hanging... Manny has no "safety net" and I use that term broadly given that he has earned $160 million with the Sox... If the Sox have an interest in keeping him, perhaps to give him some "security", offer him a contract for the remaining two years (guaranteed), rather than options... certainly in baseball terms, he is worth two years at 40 million (perhaps more as Manny sees it)... if not, let him go to free agency... he will DEFINITELY get at least 2 years and 40 million that way... and I am quite sure the Sox, if given the chance, would have picked him up, or an equal caliber player, for 2 years and 40 million... that's a bargain and it's only 2 years... what more could the Sox want? Yearly options, a la Tim Wakefield? Tim isn't going to get hurt!

How Manny treats Tito and how Francona lets himself get walked on by Ramirez is something alot of people are not talking about..........

In Sunday night' s broadcast, ESPN did a pretty good job showing how Manny has a complete lack of respect for a guy (Francona) who has made himself look like a fool over the years by covering up Manny's childish antics with hopelessly weak excuses.

Manny made Francona look like an idiot Friday by telling a bench coach he wasn't going to play after Francona announced the lineup. He certainly did his doting manager a big favor by not telling him face to face and reinforced the fact Francona is just Manny's puppet.

Manny runs right through the third base coach's "hold" sign and scores and who is the first one to meet him with a high fist bump at the dugout? Francona. Way to show up your coaching staff on national TV Tito.

Later in the ESPN Sunday broadcast, they even mentioned that Tito can't (won't really because he certainly "can") put Manny in the doghouse because it is not in the best interest of the club.

We've all resigned ourselves to the fact a long time ago that Tito is a ring leader/diplomat/fall guy and willingly does it for the good of the team. However, he makes himself look like a fool in the process. That's his business I guess. It reminds me of the movie "Goodfellas". Manny is Tommy (Joe Pesci) and Tito is the restuarant owner who got a bottle bashed over his head and humiliated when he asked Tommy to pay the bar bill he owed for the last few months. Good for you Terry! As long as you can live with it, we'll take the championships (I guess).

From Tony in message#86: "I do think the media is driving a race issue here and they should be ashamed of themselves."

Yup, there is always someone who will try to manufacture logic to say criticism of a person's actions is of course, due to racism. I mean, it’s pretty easy to do, carries a lot of weight (due to social issues) and makes people tiptoe around the issue at hand for fear of being labeled a racist often at the expense of objective truth.

Comments like these Tony, often contribute to the perpetuation of racial issues in this country more so than actual racist acts themselves because they provides a haven for people to justify their bad behavior while at the same time, unfairly labeling someone as a racist often with little evidence to support the allegation (commonly referred to as a witch hunt). Racism is a serious, real issue and wanton, unfounded comments like yours makes it worse.

At least Shaunnesy is one of the few sportswriters in Boston who doesn't kiss the butt of the Red Sox and although at times venomously, tells it like it is.

Being a great hitter is one thing but playing the game for the LOVE OF THE GAME is another. Manny has clearly lost his desire to play the game to the best of his ability. He has not shown any fire or effort this season except when the trade talks surfaced a few weeks ago. Even then he still jogs down the base paths and makes foolish plays in LF. I for one would love to see Manny traded for someone who is willing to put in the effort needed to win and not to just increase their own personal numbers. Manny is clearly playing for the money and for his place in history. I admit he deserves to be in the Hall but he does not deserve the money that he currently gets and he is definitely not a team player. I think that everyone is sick and tired of his antics and his lack of respect for the the rest of his team. He reminds me of a uninon represented employee with seniority who does not see the motivation anymore to work hard. He needs to wake up and see that he is hurting the team.

Love post #36...and I feel exactly the same way. Only difference is that if Manny goes, as a present fan of the Sox, I will then become a former one.

Boston fans need to grow up, along with Manny. He has been nothing but a distraction during most of his career with Boston. It's too bad, as he has the talent to be remembered as a great ball player. Unfortunately, most will remember him as a royal pain in the butt. As a long time Yankee fan, I would like to see him remain in Boston, as his antics will surely cause much trouble in the club house. Lucky Lindy

Sherri in post #98: "Love post #36...and I feel exactly the same way. Only difference is that if Manny goes, as a present fan of the Sox, I will then become a former one."

Then you're not a Sox Fan, you are a Manny fan. He's a jerk and it doesn't matter what race he is, he acted like an unprofessional jerk at the expense of the fans. Why? Because of the $$. (It's so easy to label people as racists to excuse bad behavior of others...actually, it's a pretty racist thing to do in itself and very divisive). Wake up will you?

I'm sure the hypnotized sheep of Sox Nation will not notice your gone. Trade in your Sox cap for the 4 pronged court jester fool hat that Manny Nation wears.

Sherri in post #98: "Love post #36...and I feel exactly the same way. Only difference is that if Manny goes, as a present fan of the Sox, I will then become a former one."

Then you're not a Sox Fan, you are a Manny fan. He's a jerk and it doesn't matter what race he is, he acted like an unprofessional jerk at the expense of the fans. Why? Because of the $$. (It's so easy to label people as racists to excuse bad behavior of others...actually, it's a pretty racist thing to do in itself and very divisive). Wake up will you?

I'm sure the hypnotized sheep of Sox Nation will not notice your gone. Trade in your Sox cap for the 4 pronged court jester fool hat that Manny Nation wears.