Kevin Gray's On Baseball: Manny era ends with a sigh of relief

YOUR COMMENTS

How much "Manny being Manny" would Ramirez have gotten away with had he played for Coach Belichick?
- Paul, Londonderry

Shawn-
It's obvious you live in Allenstown, you have no class.
Stick to commenting on the subject and stop picking on a woman. But then again, that's probably all you are man enough to do. What difference does it make where she lives? There are some pretty expensive victorian homes there.
Pauline- I agree with you about the sports people being paid way too much. Too bad it doesn't extend to all forms of sports.
These players are not entertainers- they are there to suck the lost money out of a team in the least time that they can.
Think of how many hours it takes a ball game to be played and then how many hours it takes to make a movie.
You can not compare TV personalities to sports.
- Kristine, Salisbury

To Kevin Gray: Another well-written piece. You do a fantastic job.

Pauline: LOL - Look who is talking about intelligent discussion. If you "read" my Name and Town correctly - you know, what the "Comma" means in English - you'd see that I referred to my town of residence as "beautiful", not myself. Cripes.

Sports are entertainment. Some of us like to look out the window, or hike outside, or bicycle around town, or read the Union Leader. I like to watch sports. That's my choice, and I don't need some flake from Franklin to tell me why I shouldn't watch it.

Players make money, as entertainers. However YOU spend YOUR money on entertainment is YOUR choice.
- Shawn, Allenstown

Bruce from Orford, That might be the most ridiculous baseball post of all-time. It has to be a joke because no one who thinks they know baseball would say some of those things. I will now count down every mistake because I feel that your garbage might make it into the minds of a young fan who is trying to learn about the game.

First: Shaun Marcum and Travis Snider for Jason Bay would be the most lopsided trade of all time. Marcum is a pitcher with an ERA under 4.00 with good K/9, and Travis Snider is a top 15 prospect. The Pirates would have taken 1 for Jason Bay, instead they got an underachieving Laroche from the Dodgers and a below average prospect in Moss.

Second: Russell Martin is a top 3 catcher in the NL and totally untouchable. Meaning it would take 3 Travis Sniders and 2 Brett Cecils to get him.

Lastly:It is Troy Glaus and Scott Rolen not Troy Claus, Scott Rolland.

Stick to your day job Bruce.
- Dan, Manchester

Kim in Manchester, Manny was doing what alot of people can do? 510 home runs? Yea when you said everybody you meant 22 people right? Because only 22 other people can hit the ball like Manny Ramirez, and of those 22 only 3 played for the Red Sox at one point or another in their careers. Manny is only surpassed as a Red Sox hitter by the names of Foxx,Williams, and Yastrzemski and probably one of the games best right-handed hitters of all-time. Baseball is a game and not a popularity contest, Manny should be given credit where it is due.
- Shaun, Manchester

To the man who thinks he's beautiful and mike in londonderry-
I have no use for TV, unless it is a news program.
Perhaps if you spent more time on things that are actually important, you may have something intelligent to say.
I also stopped watching it because it wasn't about the sport anymore, it was about who paid who to win. The fans support this behavior and soon you all will be priced right out of your seats just to see a game. Only then will you and the sports world realize that the fans do not have a bottomless pit of money.
- Pauline, Franklin

While I thought Manny was an awesome player I will not miss the constant trade me rumors. The fact that he said that the Red Sox don't deserve him means that he has no respect for the organization, teammates, or the fans. I hope he tries and pulls this crap with Joe Torre, I don't think he'll put up with it.

And please retire #24 as Dewey Evans!!
- Chrissy, Plaistow, NH

Bruce: Your first two paragraphs were quite funny and creative. Unfortunately, the rest of your diatribe reeks of ignorance.

I don't know what type of tree you're smoking up in Orford, but you must by higher than the sky if you think the Dodgers would give up Russ Martin (not Martin Russell) for a couple of schlubs like Brett Cecil. Its not like Dem Bums have catchers growing on trees out there, and one could make the argument that Martin is one of the best C's in the NL, if not the MLB. Laroche was a spare part that LA had specifically to trade - they've been trying to move him for the better part of two years.

Snider can easily be converted to 1B (where TOR will have a future need), and there are a number of capable catching 'spects in the Jays' system, without the need to overspend (in $ or talent) for a replacement for Zaun.

Pauline: Yet another post by someone who doesn't like the fact that ballplayers make money. Well, it's sad to hear that you don't watch the games anymore due to the "paid millions to play a game" theory. Last time I checked, the ballplayers are entertainers doing their jobs.

I can only hope that you think of that the next time you buy movie tickets or pay your digital cable / satellite bill - as those "entertainers" you are watching are being paid millions of dollars to play "make-pretend" in front of cameras.
- Shawn, "Beautiful" Allenstown, NH

I've never liked Manny...thought he was an overpaid primadonna who gets a lot of glory for doing what a lot of people can do: hit and catch a ball. I'm not going to miss "Manny being Manny" and look forward to what new players to the team can do for the team. See...Manny never saw the sport as a team one...he thought he should be the star and that was his problem.
- Kim, Manchester

Pauline, you're saying you're not a fan because the boys make too much money? Then you'd best stop watching all baseball, football, basketball and TV in general. If you see a face on TV that isn't on the show COPS, chances are they're making more money than they deserve.
- Mike, Londonderry

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was supposed to stand up straight. But if it had, would anyone bother to visit it today? I doubt it, and it's one heck of a shoddy tower (and has a number of "supports" to hold it in its current position)... while watching Manny over the last few years, it is easy to see he has had tremendous batting skills... but like the tower, his play in the field has always been leaning towards the ground and much less reaching for the sky! At some point, that tower is going to fall over and crash into the ground, and whether that occurs in Pisa, Boston, or L.A., one thing is for certain, it will happen. Kudos to the Sox for finally making a solid decision to trade MR. Now maybe all of the "supports" (a.k.a team members) can focus on what's really important -- beating the Yankees and winning a championship. Arrivederci! Manny Ramirez!!

Dr. Jason Vallee,
Lebanon NH
jcv@hitchcock.org
- Dr. Jason Vallee, Lebanon, Nh

I just replace a bad spark plug in my car and it runs a lot better.

Manny was the bad spark plug on the Res Sox team.
- Bill Howard, Exeter

I stopped being a fan when these spoiled little boys started making far more than their worth.
No one needs to be making millions of dollars to throw a little ball around.
Keep feeding their egos people.
- Pauline, Franklin

As much as I will miss Manny's production in the Red Sox lineup, I'm am VERY glad to see him go. Anytime you have a guy who isn't giving his best effort (or ANY in the case of that last game against Anaheim), and picking and choosing when he will play, something has got to give.

I'm also glad he won't be here anymore to show young baseball players how NOT to do things such as be professional, be a good teammate, and honor your word. He is essentially a full-grown, baseball-talented 2 year old who threw a tantrum, and his parents gave him what he wanted. What a great example! I hope that he and his agent (also known as the antichrist Scott Boras) are proud of themselves.
- Justin, Manchester

I appreciate what he did but am now fairly happy he is gone. I for one am glad I won't have to here "Manny being Manny" 50 times a day now.
- Tim, Manchester

Waiver Day “LOSER”!
…….Hello and thanks for calling JP Ricciardis‘ cell phone. I am sorry that I can’t take you call right now. Since my bosses have decided to fire me at the end of this season, I could not make a trade at this time anyway. So please leave a message outlining your trade and I will be sure to pass it on to the next general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. If this is a job offer, please text message me an emergency note and I will return your call as soon as I putt out on this hole. Thank you!

That’s probably what the Pirates heard when they called the Jays offering Jason Bay for Shaun Marcum and Travis Snider at the trade deadline. The thud you heard was either JP’s head hitting the table or some other part of his GM anatomy that the Jays chopped off a long time ago. So long JP and don’t let the door hit you on the back side on your way out.

What makes this story even more sickening is the Pirates were welcomed with open arms by the Dodgers and the Red Sox. And the Pirates were able to work a deal that netted them Andy LaRoche, Brandon Moss and others. The Pirate’s GM should be given the Executive of the Year Award.

Just think JP could have added two Canadian’s in one week to the team. Throw in Cecil and Campbell and I am sure the Dodgers would have let LaRoche and quite possibly Martin Russell head off to Toronto.

Many problems would have been solved: laRoche, a young hard hitting third basemen, who has hammered the ball for Triple A LasVagas would be coming to an organization that employs his pappa! I bet he could check so many balls into that hotel at the Rogers Center that Hilton would have to give him a preferred guest awards card! It could possibly make us forget the Troy Claus, Scott Rolland experiment! I don’t think Balbino Fuenmeyer is ever going to make it out of the instructional league! Do you?

Martin solves your catching problem, now that Zaun wants out. After all, the Dodgers do love their lefties and it just might have pried martin away from the Dodgers. Even those lefties who can’t throw curve ball! It may have been a bit of a challenge getting the Dodgers to take Cecil. After all, I do believe that the Dodgers do require their lefties to have a fast ball that is a bit over Pony League speed. And, he must lose some weight. Otherwise he is a Kerry Wood accident waiting to happen!

Bay is interesting though. It seems that the Jays took some time to think about this one. Could it be the harbinger that Lind may not be the answer in left that they were looking for? Certainly, Snider is not a fielder, unless he loses the piano on his back! Snider would be effective only if he plays in small outfields. That leaves The Rogers Center off the list. To bad Ricciardi didn’t make the deal. It quite possibly could have saved his job. And, if the whole thing turned out to be a real dumper, the Jays could have just chalked it up to the rest of Ricciardi’s poor decisions. I don’t see a down side for the Jays! At least the fans would have seen you do SOMETHING!
- Bruce Trivellini, orford, nh

Scott, "He threw a few barbs at the front office......"

You failed to mention,Scott,that he also threw a 60+yr. old Red Sox employee to the floor,because the man couldn't get the 20 million dollar prima donna enough free tickets.
I too WAS a big Manny fan.Some things are just not tolerable.
So long Manny.Your drama queen act should go over well,in LA LA Land.
- Mike P., Manchester

The problems with Manny started on day one---when he came here as a left fielder and then announced he wasn't going to play left field.

Even then, it was easy to see how this marriage was going to end.

I appreciate the fact that he helped us win two World Series championships, but his work ethic and his attitude have always been questionable. Thanks for what you did when you were here, but your services are no longer required.

Personally, I don't think he ever deserved to wear #24. To me, it was always an insult to Dwight Evans.

So long, Manny. Don't let the door hit you.
- William Smith, Manchester, NH

How do you spell cancer? M A N N Y.

I think this is the best and only move the Red Sox could do and Manny forced that move. I am sick and tired of people saying "Oh its only manny being Manny". People saying that DON"T know baseball. Baseball is a team game and Manny played on a team of himself. Every year he took time off (almost always after the all star break) when he wanted to while his team mates played hurt. This season we saw him and Youkilis have a pushing match in the dugout. How many of these issues have been in the clubhouse that were never knew about?

Lets move on, I think everyone will be quite surprised with Bay, he is a very good player.
- Al Lanseigne, Atkinson, NH

An earlier blog that is longer in print, had quite a few people hanging Manny.

Manny was always one of the hardest workers off the field, especially during the offseason where he worked out mostly with Youk.

He brought us two rings and tons of smiles, fun, hugs and high fives.

He was originally signed by Dan Duquette and never really saw eye to eye with the new ownership.

He was waived in 2003 and when no one wanted to pick up his tab, he was then traded for ARod until the Commish nixed the deal. He never felt welcomed by Theo and company. His antics(until the end) was is personallity.

He left with nothing but good things to say about Boston and it's fans. He threw a few barbs at the front office, but I believe he was justifying getting himself a trade.

He is one of the best hitters in history, and we all cheered until the typical Sox fan "grew" tired of him, which meant the Sox were in a slump and Manny wasn't hitting bombs every five at bats.

His situation with the front office was stale and that dirtbag Scott Boras was now in his ear.

I applaud Manny for his time in Boston. He has a champion's heart and Champion's rings, and most people will forget that now and that's a shame.

Good luck Manny and thank you, I appreciated, as a fan, what you did on and off the field.

Hope to see you in October.
- Scott, Manchester

It's about time the Red Sox stood up to this player who's always been interested in no one but himself for such a long time.
I cannot imagine anyone else in any other field not being a team player and badmouthing his employer like Manny had been recently doing not having been let go long before now. The Red Sox will miss his bat, but not the poisoned atmosphere he must certainly have crfeated in the clubhouse. Let's see how Joe Torre and the Dodgers deal with Manny being Manny.
- Guy P., Manchester NH