rantlust

Posted by john on July 30th 2005 in Sports
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So we’ve reached that time of the year when Steinbrenner typically opens his wallet and tries to buy his way to a (somehow nowadays) elusive World Series title. In Boston, it also means the rumors start working their way into ESPN news clips about Manny Ramirez being in some earth shattering trade talks.This year however was expected to be a dull one in terms of blockbuster deals with nobody worth trading and the Yankees lying low. The only thing that has shaken awake this lull is the hoopla surrounding the rather late bloomng Manny Ramirez trade talk.

Manny earlier this week was reported to have asked for trade from the Red Sox because he gets no privacy in Boston. Yet another Manny moment in the long list of Manny being Manny. Red Sox Nation was naturally a bit peeved and some chose to give him an earful of boos last night at Fenway Park. Part of the reason was the fact that he chose to sit out a game when his team needed him (it’s happened before) and he was running his bases or showing outfield defence without a bit more enthusiasm.

I have this weird feeling that unlike in years past, something actually might materialize this time. It sometimes amazes me how, over the years, Boston sports teams have traded away a sporting icon that potentially could cause more harm to them than good (Roger Clemens - bad deal, Nomar Garciaparra - looked bad but was good, Lawyer Milloy - looked extremely bad but made no real difference in the end). Losing Manny is going to be very bad for the Red Sox because for all his funny quirks, the man can bloody well hit a baseball. To borrow a phrase once used to describe the great Viv Richards … when he hits the ball, the ball stays hit. There is also no more lethal one-two punch in baseball today than David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Which means removing him from this equation gives the biggest shot in the arm to the hated New York Yankees and their quest to win the AL East. Interestingly enough, if Manny does leave, it may indeed be to New York but not to the pinstripers but rather to that perennial poor cousin team, the Mets. The Mets this year are a competitive team and this would be a great addition to their line-up. If Manny does indeed leave the Red Sox, I expect him to one day end up a Yankee. Georgie boy will cast his coveted eyes on Ramirez the moment Manny is out of the safe protection of Fenway Park. And we all know how Georgie boy loves to outspend the rest of the league.

So Manny, if you do take your bow from Boston, this is one fan who’s going to miss ya a lot. It has been a great ride so far and hopefully it will continue. If you’re sticking around, I’ll republish this entry same time, next year.