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July 29, 2008
Manny being Manny has run its course in Boston
Manny being Manny.
The mega-million-dollar circus sideshow has entertained Red Sox Nation for the better part of eight seasons, but has it finally reached the end?
It sure looks that way – and the reason is Manny being Manny.
Manny Ramirez has turned into that fun-loving relative who overstays their welcome in your home. Sure it’s great to have them come for a visit and stay a while, but linger to long and the act starts to wear thin and you just wish they would leave.
Only kicking Manny out the door is not something the Sox can afford to do until after the season. Not when they are in the thick of a pennant race and have a shot at another World Series championship.
Some of the brightest highlights during Manny’s stay in Boston have included the two World Series titles, pairing with Big Papi to form one of the most dangerous 1-2 offensive punches in the game and the multiple comic relief moments.
If you are a Sox fan, who could forget Manny’s diving cutoff catch on a Johnny Damon throw from center field – NESN only replayed it a couple thousand times - or Ramirez’s disappearance into the Green Monster during a game for a little “relief.”
How about the high five with the fan after making a catch in Baltimore this year? Or, Manny trying to help hawk a grill on Ebay last spring for a neighbor?
But there’s also a dark side to Manny being Manny, which is why it seems inevitable this time around that Red Sox Nation and Manny will be parting ways - and soon.
Maybe even as soon as today or tomorrow, though it seems futile at this point in the season for the Sox to deal him – especially with Mark Teixeira off the market.
Among the lowlights of the Manny Era are the annually trade demands, the infamous evening out with former Yankee Enrique Wilson - after Manny had skipped a few games for being “too sick to play” in 2003 - and refusing to pinch hit for Grady Little in a makeup game against the Phillies in September of that same year.
You also have Manny shoving a Sox staffer in Houston over ticket demands back in June and then his latest outburst last week when he ripped Sox owner John Henry and the front office over a lack of contract talks.
Hmmm, lets see I’m guessing if I wanted a raise here at the Post trashing MediaNews CEO Dean Singleton would not be the way to go about it.
But, that didn’t stop Manny from being Manny.
Ramirez’s eight-year deal with the Sox is up after this season and the ball club holds two one-year options - for the tune of $20 million apiece - that they can invoke at their leisure.
Basically, the Sox have “hand” when it comes to Manny’s future and he doesn’t like it.
It has turned the fun-loving Manny being Manny business into an ugly one.
Instead of being content in Boston with friends like Big Papi, Julio Lugo and Bartolo Colon around, Manny seems to be seeing only green these days -and I’m not talking about the Green Monster either.
Instead of collecting another $40 million over the next two years while having the chance to play for a World Series title on one of the best teams in baseball and in a city that has come to love him, Manny is just thinking about himself now.
He wants one more big payday before riding off into the sunset – not a surprise considering he hired agent Scott Boras to represent him – and knows staying in Boston two more years would likely prevent him from getting another mega deal.
After all, who is going to dish out a multi-year contract worth millions to a 38-year-old slugger? (OK, Omar Minaya would if he still has a job somewhere but anyone else?)
So now Manny being Manny appears to be coming to an end in Boston.
If I were the Sox I’d just let Manny finish out the year with them and then turn the tables on the slugger – pick up his option for next year. Even though Manny has worn out his welcome in Boston, the Sox could dictate his terms on the way out the door.
Manny being Manny – it’s been fun, but now it’s time for it to be done.
Posted by Bill on 9:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 25, 2008
The locals
The Mets got to enjoy a Thursday night all alone in first place – the first time they could say that since early April – after beating the Phillies for the second straight day.
New York fans can thank much-maligned first baseman Carlos Delgado for the surge into first. Delgado, who everyone wanted out of town the first three months of the season, snapped a 1-1 tie with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning.
(An assist can go to the Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins, who showed up to Shea Stadium late Thursday and was bumped from the starting lineup because of it. Rollins and the Mets’ Jose Reyes might be two of the more talented shortstops in the game, but they are also big-time head cases.)
Before the All-Star break, Delgado was hitting .248 with 17 homers and 52 RBIs. In July, Delgado is hitting .397 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 20 games. He’s been even better since the All-Star break with a .458, two hrs and 9 RBIs in seven games.
Now the key for the Mets will be to stay in first place – the first test comes this weekend with three against the surprising St. Louis Cardinals.
ON TO FENWAY – The Red Sox and Yankees series might have lacked a little punch when the teams last met July 4th weekend, but this weekend’s three-game series has plenty of juice.
Boston (60-43) is tied for first place in the American League East with Tampa Bay (59-42) and New York (56-45) is just three games back.
Tonight, Joba-mania makes its starting debut at Fenway Park with Joba Chamberlain (2-3, 2.52 ERA) going up against Sox ace Josh Beckett (9-6, 3.98). Interesting side plot – Joba vs. Kevin Youkilis. There’s already bad blood lingering from the last time the two met in New York.
Saturday’s game features Andy Pettitte (11-7, 3.86) against Tim Wakefield (6-7, 3.69) on FOX (Ch. 5, 61) at 3:55 p.m.
The Sunday night starters might be the biggest mismatch of the series with Sidney Ponson (6-1, 4.02) squaring off against Jon Lester (8-3, 3.20), who tossed a shutout against the Yankees at the Stadium on July 3. Ponson might give up his share of hits, but he’s an innings eater and that saves wear and tear on the bullpen.
The Sox will get a huge lift tonight with the return of David Ortiz to the line up. With Big Papi back, look for the Sox to shuffle their lineup and hit J.D. Drew fifth and Mike Lowell sixth. Also, Youkilis could jump to the top of the order – either leading off or hitting behind Dustin Pedroia, while the slumping Jacob Ellsberry could move to the bottom third of the order to try and straighten his offensive game out.
TRADE TALKS:
A look at the local teams’ biggest needs going into Thursday’s deadline:
Mets
What they need: Corner outfielder
Who’s out there? OF – Indians’ Casey Blake, Royals’ Jose Guillen, Pirates’ Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, Mariners’ Raul Ibanez, Rangers’ Marlon Byrd, Reds’ Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr. and maybe Rockies’ Matt Holliday and Braves’ Mark Kotsay.
Who they’ll get: Blake or Ibanez.
Who they should get: Holliday – Mets are built to win now.
Yankees
What they need: A starter, a left fielder, bench/backup catcher
Who’s out there? Starters – Mariners’ Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista, Indians’ Paul Byrd, Blue Jays’ A.J. Burnett, Twins’ Livan Hernandez, Reds’ Bronson Arroyo; OF – Blake, Guillen, Bay, Nady, Ibanez, Holliday. Kotsay; Catchers: Rangers’ Gerald Laird, Blue Jays’ Greg Zaun and Rob Barajas and Nationals’ Paul Lo Duca.
Who they’ll get: Washburn and maybe a catcher ... a healthy Carl Pavano perhaps (no joke) and maybe Ian Kennedy or Phil Hughes could join the mix in August.
Who they should get: Burnett and Kotsay or Bay – but Yankees don’t want to gamble on Burnett’s contract or deal key prospects to land big names.
Red Sox
What they need: A healthy Big Papi, bullpen, shortstop
Who’s out there? Bullpen – Orioles’ George Sherrill and Jamie Walker, Pirates’ Damaso Marte, A’s Huston Street, Rockies’ Brian Fuentes. SS – Giants’ Omar Vizquel, White Sox’s Juan Uribe, Blue Jays’ David Eckstein, Astros’ Mark Loretta.
Who they’ll get: Papi returns to the lineup tonight and Sox might have already found bullpen help with rookie Justin Masterson moving out there. Marte would be a nice addition to the pen, plus the Sox hope to add Bartolo Colon back to the mix at some point which could knock Clay Buchholz to the bullpen, too.
Who they should get: Sherrill or Fuentes to give them a consistent lefty option in the pen, but Eric Gagne deal from last year might make them trigger shy.
Wild trade that will never happen but should:
Mets get Manny Ramirez and Brian Fuentes.
Red Sox get Matt Holliday and Aaron Heilmann
Rockies get Fernando Martinez, Nick Evans, Craig Hansen and Coco Crisp
Posted by Bill on 2:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 16, 2008
It's all over now
At 1:38 a.m. Justin Morneau raced home and slid cross home plate - on a Michael Young fly ball to right field - scoring the game-winning run for the American League in a 4-3 victory in the 15th inning of the 79th All-Star game at Yankee Stadium.
Four hours and 50 minutes after the first pitch was thrown for a strike by Indians starter Cliff Lee, the longest game in All-Star history was in the books.
"It seemed like the Stadium didn't want it to end," said Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who was joined on the AL squad by teammates Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez. "That's what we were talking about. It just wanted baseball to continue. I thought it was fitting. I wish, honestly, it would have ended earlier, but we won and it was a great game to watch and be a part of."
On a night designed to honor The Boss, George Steinbrenner, a Red Sox ended up as the MVP with J.D. Drew - who tied the game 2-2 in the seventh with a two-run homer - earning the honor. He almost ended up pitching too as AL manager Terrry Francona was down to his final pitcher - the Devil Rays' Scott Kazmir - in the 15th and looking for other options if the game went another inning, or two ..... or more.
"It was like a Mets game without the rain delay," joked Mets closer Billy Wagner, who blew a 3-2 National League lead in the eighth inning when he allowed a run.
Posted by Bill on 3:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 14, 2008
Random tidbits from the day before the All-Star game
NO WRITERS ALLOWED - It's not easy to crash the American League's hospitality room at the Grand Hyatt down here - even by accident. After being yelled at for crossing under a velvet rope to look for a bathroom and ripping my pants in the process, I got another earful when I stepped foot into the AL's special room by mistake looking for something to drink. Despite an abundance of beverages in the room, I was told to go look somewhere else. I found a $3.50 bottle of water in the lobby and an apple for $1.50.
A STAR AMONG US - Most of the fans outside the Hyatt were looking for baseball players, but one fan from Stratford was delighted to see Post columnist Chris Elsberry. The man, wearing a Yankees' cap, said to Els "you write for Connecticut?" Els asked him if he meant the "Connecticut Post" and the guy nodded and said he was from Stratford.
(P.S. The fan did not ask Els for his autograph)
RANDOM INTERVIEW NOTES - The most popular All-Stars during the media sessions at the Hyatt were New York guys of course. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez seem to draw the most attention, while the Red Sox David Ortiz attracted a decent collection of media members, too. Manny Ramirez and Tigers' manager Jim Leyland were not at the media session for the AL. ... By the way, despite having a bad reputation the Texas Rangers' Milton Bradley is a nice guy. He was very cordial with the media and looking forward to tonight's game. (More about Milton in Wednesday's Post)
RANDOM TIDBITS – Big trade rumor buzz here Monday, compliments of the Boston Globe, was the Red Sox talking to the Braves about sending Kevin Youkilis and Craig Hansen to Atlanta for first baseman Mark Teixeira. … The Boss, George Steinbrenner, is expected to be at the All-Star game. … The buzz among the players about the star they were most looking forward to seeing – the Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton, who went into the Home Run Derby as the favorite. Chipper Jones was backing the Marling’s Dan Uggla, though.
-Paxton
Posted by Bill on 7:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 11, 2008
New and improved Mets?
The big buzz in the Mets clubhouse after they won their sixth straight Thursday was if manager Jerry Manuel was the reason why the team has suddenly started to be successful.
While players expressed happiness with playing for Manuel, nobody was handing him all the credit.
"I think we are such a good, talented team it was inevitable this would happen," closer Billy Wagner said.
"We are playing complete games now," added David Wright. "We are focused and it shows in the win column."
Perhaps the biggest benefit of having Manuel in charge is the team no longer has to deal with the day-to-day status of Willie Randolph as manager. Willie was not the lone problem with the team the first half of the season, but firing him seem to relax the team and take away one more distraction for the team.
Wright, who should be the team's All-Star representative Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, not Wagner, said the team's recent surge has him thinking about the 2006 team.
The bench players from that squad were a big key to the success, according to Wright. So far, Fernando Tatis, Damion Easley and Marlon Anderson have come up big on the six-game win streak, while Argenis Reyes might have found a home at second base.
"We are taking care of business at home and that's what championship teams do," he said. "We need these guys to continue to step it up."
NOT ALL WRIGHT – In a tight race, Wright fell a few votes short to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Corey Hart for the final spot in the National League’s All-Star roster on Thursday.
Hart edged Wright in the fan voting, which was conducted on MLB.com, and left the Mets with only one All-Star, Wagner, in Tuesday’s game at Yankee Stadium.
“Naturally I’m disappointed,” Wright said. “It’s definitely a thrill to go to the All-Star game no matter how you get there. I want to thanks all the fans for voting for me.”
Hart and Wright were the top two vote getters for the final NL spot, with outfielders Pat Burrell of the Phillies, the Giants’ Aaron Rowand and the Astros’ Carlos Lee in the race.
Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria won the voting on the American League side, beating out the White Sox’s Jermaine Dye and the Yankees’ Jason Giambi among the five candidates in the race.
END OF THE ROAD? – GM Omar Minaya announced after the game that outfielder Moises Alou tore his left hamstring in Wednesday night’s rehab game with the Class Binghamton Mets and is expected to be lost for the season. It also figures to be the end of Alou's career with the Mets.
“It’s going to be tough (for him to return),” Minaya said. “When you tear a hamstring and you are looking at the middle of July, it would be pretty difficult for him to return.”
Alou, who was trying to return from the disabled list from a strained left calf, injured the hamstring diving for a ball in the game and left after five innings.
WHICH OLLIE? – Manuel said he is confident starter Oliver Perez will be ready to go tonight against the Colorado Rockies at Shea Stadium.
Perez has pitched well in his last two starts, against the Yankees and Phillies, but has a tendency to struggle against weaker opponents. The Rockies come into the game with a 39-54 record and are in fourth place in the NL West.
“Oliver has a made an adjustment in his delivery and he has been consistent with that over the last two starts,” Manuel said. “I think as long as he is sound mechanically that he will perform well.”
Perez has allowed only one run and two walks with 14 strikeouts over the last 14 innings in wins against the Yankees and Phillies.
Posted by Bill on 9:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
