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August 4, 2008
Manny's Gone
Manny Ramirez was traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers last week. Tim Abbott has some thoughts on how to tell the kids.
Emily gave her heart unconditionally to Manny Ramirez.Mine was Carlton Fisk. And Freddie Lynn. But then I learned my lesson and came to acknowledge the Seinfeldian truth that we really just cheer for laundry. At least that's what we like to tell ourselves.I haven't yet had the heart to tell her he's gone....
Emily fell for Manny at first sight. How could she not? He was not the silent leader, brilliant behind the plate but woeful beside it. He was not the fleet-footed infielder, that springbok in a herd of wildebeest. No, she loved the class clown, charismatic and cute in his baggy uniform and oh so free and easy. I knew with certainty what every father of a tender-hearted daughter learns; this love would end in heartbreak, and there was nothing I could do to spare her. Perhaps postpone it for a day, but no more....
Will her love turn to loathing, her tender heart tenderized with a 33 oz bat? Will she carry a torch even as he wears the Dodger Blue? Or will she, with the wellsprings of an 8-year-old's empathy, somehow see through the casual clown to the tears within...?
I can tell her that this will pass, and share my own stories of Red Sox hope and heartbreak. I can hope that she falls for that nice kid Pedroia, or wingfooted Ellsbury. None of that will matter. Her heart is her own. It will find its way.
Play ball.
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Bay is a proven hitter and doesn't bring a drama with him.He is also a competent fielder.Manny would've been right at home on the 1930's St.Louis Cardinals aka"The Gashouse Gang"
Posted by: joe bernstein at August 4, 2008 2:25 PMThe problem is, as soon as the Boston sports media finishes icing down its collective arm after all the pats on the back it's given itself for running Manny out of town, who will it inevitably turn on next?
Posted by: rhody at August 4, 2008 4:22 PMI could picture those guys turning on Papelbon just as viciously if he ever loses a big game.
Ted Williams would've been just as vilified as Manny if sports talk radio or the Internet was around in his day.
"Ted Williams would've been just as vilified as Manny if sports talk radio or the Internet was around in his day."
Would've been? The "Splendid Splinter's" relationship with the Boston press corp was horrible. It wasn't much better with the fans. Ted just didn't much like people, one reason why his 1999 All-Star game Fenway appearance was so moving to anyone old enough to remember when. Thank God he preceded talk radio/internet.
Posted by: observer at August 4, 2008 6:54 PMIt was revealed after his death that Ted was illegitimate, his mother was a young Mexican girl. He was raised by the Williams' in San Diego. Some confusion as to whether Mr. Williams was his natural father or just adoptive. Anyway, although I realize this is amateur psychoanalysis, it might explain his distance and coldness, he had quite a secret to keep.
Marc,
Your mentioning of Fisk & Lynn wrt the Manny situation reminds me of the 1981 All-Star game. I had to look at Baseball Reference to get the exact inning -- bottom of the 6th -- but I do remember watching it live: American league batting, with the bases loaded...
- Dwight Evans, of the Boston Red Sox on 3rd
- Carlton Fisk, of the CHICAGO WHITE SOX on 2nd
- Fred Lynn, of the CALIFORNIA ANGELS on 1st
I remember, even as a small child, thinking at this point that the Red Sox management of that time didn't seem very smart. Posted by: Andrew at August 4, 2008 10:24 PMI’m from Cleveland. In Cleveland, there is a law on the books that any Boston Red Sox fan can be incarcerated for complaining about their MLB team.
They have the best team money can buy – from Manny, Dice-K, Beckett, Ortiz, Lowell and Schilling. Admittedly to keep up with New York, it needs to be done.
While the Red Sox management may not be the smartest, it has the resources to be able to outspend their inevitable mistakes. One of many examples is the Coco Crisp deal with Cle. Crisp has been a disappointment for Boston and they still won the World Series last season. While the fact that Andy Marte has been a bust may set back Cle for years and that even takes into consideration that the trade was still good for Cle as Kelly Shoppach has just about outperformed Crisp. Do I sound like a guy eating sour grapes? Welcome to life as a Cleveland Indians fan.
Posted by: msteven at August 5, 2008 12:19 PM