OT: Manny Ramirez: 'No one wants to sign me'

[godwulf]

P.S. Sorry for the typo's and misspells.......I was in a hurry!

Yeah, I know how that is...trying to get everything typed before your head explodes, huh?

I suppose I can thank Ramirez for his monumental contributions to the two World Championships, without advocating for his lack of class and decency in other regards.

Absolutely. Randy Johnson was a tower of pitching awesomeness for the DBacks in '01...I still get gooseflesh thinking about him walking slowly out to the mound to pitch relief in the bottom of the eighth in Game 7, after starting and getting the win in Game 6...but he's also a childish, inconsiderate jerk, and nothing he ever did for the team is gonna blind me to that reality.

I wonder how many players we idolize from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's beat their wives, cheated, were homosexual....and we never knew, therefore we didn't care.

Not to try to steer this thread off-track or anything - and certainly not with the intention of starting any rumors about myself - but...does that third item really belong on the list of "transgressions and offenses" for which an athlete (or anybody else) should be thought less of?

[Mr.3000]

godwulf,

It was merely an example to say that we shouldn't know as much as we do about players.

It falls into the category of "Who cares what their sexual orientation is, or the religion, or anything else that doesn't fall inbetween the chalk lines".


I could have been more clear.

[kellsox]

My personal opinion is that I don't care what a player does or says off the field. The media is way too involved with athletes these days.

I wonder how many players we idolize from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's beat their wives, cheated, were homosexual....and we never knew, therefore we didn't care.

I submit that some fans only care today because it is all over the media, 24/7.


I am a fan of the sport and a fan of the athlete...and what he does ON THE FIELD.

I want to see Manny hit the ball, drive in runs and hit HR's. I don't pay for my ticket to sit and wonder what charity he involves himself with or whether or not he's a faithful spouse.

Ballplayers are paid to play ball...not be perfect.

Players are people too. Yes they are often spoiled primadonnas but who are we to try and dictate how they live their lives off the field? Try telling your neighbor he has to go to church or that he must give to a charity. I'd wager that wouldn't fare to well for you.


And yes, Manny doesn't contribute much other than his bat. What about Bob Uecker. Did he contribute much more than catching? What about Edgar Martinez? He was all bat as well. Maybe Manny should be back in the AL and moved to DH.


I respect the uber straight and narrow players....but I don't begrudge the ones that aren't perfect.

The issue was that the team didn't know if he would be willing to take the field and contribute- his being traded had nothing to do with personal life but more to do with reliability. He didn't like his contract status(the mega deal that he agreed to, along the 2 option years that his party insisted on) and he put up a stink, eventually trying to talk himself out of the starting lineup.

[Mr.3000]

The issue was that the team didn't know if he would be willing to take the field and contribute- his being traded had nothing to do with personal life but more to do with reliability. He didn't like his contract status(the mega deal that he agreed to, along the 2 option years that his party insisted on) and he put up a stink, eventually trying to talk himself out of the starting lineup.

It was clear he wanted out of Boston. But to think he wouldn't contribute? Where in his stats does it show he didn't contribute?


2008, his last for Boston, he had 100 ab's....in which he only hit .299, had 109 hits, 20 hr's, 68 rbi and scored 66 runs. Not bad for a guy with "questionable motivation".


I'm just stating a case for Manny being a good player. In reality, I'm not even a Manny fan Never have been. But nobody can deny he's a great hitter. Maybe that's all he feels he needs to do. Like I said, nobody's perfect.

[Mr.3000]

I meant to say 100 games (365 ab's).

[eisenreich8]

I may have been guilty of running amok in this thread and deviating from the underlying topic, but I respectfully, and personally, don't agree that "between the chalk lines" is all there is to appreciate about the game and its players.

One could overlook the hero police officer who pins his badge on each day, and busts a lot of crime for his community, but off-duty, decides to snort oxycontin, shoplift and rob banks. I know one who did. All this erased any good he did in uniform to the observer.

As did my 7th and 8th grade award-winning science teacher, who 32 years later thought it was okay to sleep with his 16 year old students (female).

Or my parish priest, in the Boston area, who became a monsignor and was adored by all, until the skeletons came tumbling out of his confessional.

I am solidly in with and one of those humans who are imperfect and make mistakes. I am a very forgiving sort. But I get no pleasure out of an Albert Belle at-bat or a Carl Everett at-bat or a Roger Clemens Cy Young Season when I see the person in the polyester, who is a public figure and performer who does indeed owe something more to the fans. Not chipping in even a few hours for childrens' cancer research programs is indefensible and rotten. How can the way one swings a bat make it okay?

All that aside, Manny's reputation has apparently preceded him around both leagues, his bat is obviously not as much of a catalyst toward yet another mega contract, when he lacks so much else. I'll start my weekend by predicting that Boston will win the AL East by at least 3 games in '09.

Everyone enjoy your weekend. Go AZ!

[matt]

This is a very interesting thread. Some say all that matters is what a player does on the field and others see Manny as the antichrist for his character and the way he layed down last year.

Manny was my favorite for years and clearly was a key to the 2 championships. He deserves credit. However, by letting down his teammates as his head swelled and by acting better than everyone else in the clubhouse, he DID affect the team on the field. These guys play 6 months ayear and live together as a unit. One guy can bring down a team, and Manny was voted off the island by veterans.

For me, I'd like to admire players that can both play and be decent people, and I don't think that is too much to ask. If Manny started hurting the team, then he had to go. Last I knew, this is a team sport and when I coach teams, that's what I try to teach kids.

Matt

[suicide_squeeze]

Reason he's not signed:
He quit on his team. He faked an injury(sent to get an MRI on his sore knee, forgot which knee hurt, they took an MRI on both and both came up clean, traded days lasted and magically became healthy batting 400 in the NL)). As an owner/coach/or teammate, it would be very hard to put trust in him. Nobody wants to invest that much money in an employee and not know if he is going to do his job from day to day. Players are all for each other getting the biggest contracts that they can, but they will not tolerate a bad teammate. At the end, it was the Boston players as much as management that had enough of Manny

My point exactly, kellsox.

So you've ALL "had enough of Manny". Poor, silly Bostonites.

Thank you!!! We haven't in Los Angeles. In fact, we're all collectively holding our breath for the signing announcement....

And if you'd like, give us your mailing address. We'll send you an invitation to our parade coming up in early November......

It will be for winning the event you guys won't see again for ......oh......maybe..........86 years?

We're dubbing it "The curse of the Manbino".

[suicide_squeeze]

[quote=godwulf;120845]Yeah, I know how that is...trying to get everything typed before your head explodes, huh?



Actually, not trying to get off track on the thread, but here's why I was in a hurry.

I have typed two LONG very heart felt threads here, and BOTH times I lost them, because when I went to "submit reply", the next screen that popped up was the "sign in" screen. I guess I took too long, and it automatically logged me out.

On the second thread I spilled my guts, I remembered the first because it was so painful to realize I had NO WAY of retrieving my typed post by hitting "back"....it was GONE!......So, I remembered to highlight the whole thing, then right-clicked on the highlighted thread to "copy" it in case it dumped me into the same "sign in" page while losing my post.....but I realized you can't highlight and copy while posting here(????????). WHY IS THAT Chris Cavalier????? Is there a reason that you guys have disabled that possibility? So, I lost that second thread too.

So.....Now, when I type a post that is getting lengthy, I try my best to hurry, because if I lose a THIRD post, I may just give up altogether!

[Mr.3000]

Chances of Manny going to the Mets?