Going . . . going . . .

How many times does he need to rip the organization to his personal media mouthpiece, Enrique Rojas? Twice isn't enough? How many times does he have to insult the men who pay his salary? How many more impossible situations must he put Terry Francona in? How many more times must he leave his exasperated teammates to face questions only he can answer?

If there's a blessing, it's that a trade does not necessarily mean a potential pennant has become a white flag, assuming the specifics of the most prevalent rumor are true. Jason Bay is not Manny, but at this point of their careers, he's closer than casual fans think. He has 22 homers this season, and his OPS+ of 137 is just five points lower than Manny's. He's a very good player, and he will help the Sox win, something that's been a foreign concept since the All-Star break.

The Sox have a day off today, and man, do they ever need one. They aren't dead men walking; they're dead men popping up, grounding to short, aimlessly heaving the ball around the infield, again and again and again. They're such a mess at the moment, I keep waiting for Joe Kerrigan to pop out of the dugout to remove Frank Castillo from the game.

The Manny situation might not be wearing on his teammates, but they're sure playing like it is. It would best for everyone employed at 4 Yawkey Way if this is resolved today.

I don't want Manny to go.

Too bad he's made sure that's the only option.