Manny Being Manny

This has nothing to do with China, but I had to get it off my chest:

As if the recent slide of the Red Sox wasn't enough to make fans feel weary of post seasons prospects (the double sweep by Angels at both a home and away series was concern enough), things just got worse: Manny Ramirez is officially gone! Traded away to the LA Dodgers. Just saying it outloud shakes one to the core. We've lost arguably one of the best right-handers to ever swing a bat...

While the ESPN pudits are engaged in the usual jaw-flapping that comes with any big trade (many of which predicted that Manny would stay with the Red Sox), the phrase keeps rearing it's ugly head: it's just "Manny being Manny". The logic behind which is simple, so they say. Manny just wants to play baseball. Manny just wants to make money. Manny just looks out for Manny. So this trade is just an extension of "Manny being Manny," nothing more. His allegiances are solely to the game and his family. He said he's tired of the Red Sox, and by the lop sided trade that the Red Sox agreed upon--exchanging a Career .312 hitter, with over 500 HRs and 1600 plus RBIs, not to mention the 2004 Playoff MVP along with 7 million dollars severance, and two up and coming players (Moss and Hansen), for a .281 carrer decent, but nowhere close to power hitter from the Pirates--they seem to be sick of "Manny being Manny" too. Way to go LA, way to go Pirates. Bosox, what's the deal?

Last year, a list was created of the 50 top phrases of American culture that were worthless in both conveyance and meaning. Topping the list was "it is what it is," a phrase that simply pointed out "this is how things are". If I may, I'd like to move "it is what it is" down to number two, and replace it with "Manny being Manny". While both state the obvious, "it is what it is" at least has somewhat of an existential ring to it, and even resonates with buddist and daoist philosophies. Whereas, "Manny being Manny," seems to imply a level of selfishness and professionalism that is endemic to the game of baseball (don't hate the player, hate the game). A player is a commodity first and foremost, and a fan favorite second.

So why the hurt feelings on both the sides of the Red Sox and Manny Ramirez? This is nothing new to the game. Players will seek better contracts, GMs know that, so players will often use anything possible to leverage better deals and contracts, including the media and press as a sounding board. But for the management to openly declare a player is up for grabs, is quite a bluff...unless the RedSox really mean it. After all, this is a guy who spends everyday staring down the worlds best pitchers--calling their bluffs on balls and strikes. His batting average and hit record would suggest he's got a better poker face--and much bigger balls--than almost anyone on the planet. Do you think Theo Epstein has every stared down a 0-2 pitch going 97 miles power hour, and belted it over the monster? No, I didn't think so.

The move to get Manny out, seems more like an issue of pride than good team management, and should make the fans a bit irked with how poorly it was dealt with. Couldn't we at least have gotten a better deal on this trade? I liked Brandon Moss, and it'll pain me to see him come of age as a player down in Pittsburg. The BoSox soured the deal by being so cagey with Ramirez. In the end he got pawned off on a opportunistic team. Is it suprising that he ended up with the Dodgers, a team that took on Joe Torre after the Yankees gave him a one year, slap-in-the-face deal? The Dodgers are the smart ones, taking on players unhappy and unsatisfied with the upper eschlon of team management. I'll say this though, at least he's not wearing pinstripes. The Yanks would probably make manny cut off his dreads, which would not fit with "Manny being Manny". That's the game though...it is what it is.

I wish Manny the best at LA, but man this stings. Bay better have a career high season with Boston, and I hope the Red Sox fans give him a warm reception. Still pretty big shoes to fill. That's the game though, and we all gotta deal. It is what it is...