Dogging Manny

Even with a 'do rag, Manny's hat is above his ears!

"Despicable" is how Hall of Fame catcher turned broadcaster Tim McCarver labelled Manny Ramirez today...specifically, the Manny-being-Manny show which seemingly wore out its welcome in Beantown. Never mind that his talent is other-wordly or that his freespiritedness was trumpeted as a promotion by the Boston Brass when he was helping them win World Series rings. It matters only that Manny has shown a renewed spirit in Los Angeles, and the egg-splattered faces in Boston have a problem with that.

"Disrespecting the game" by not always running hard on routine grounders or not making it to left field at the beginning of an inning or going into the scoreboard during a pitching change? Yeah, that shows something, but I'm not sure it's as big as "the game." Sammy with a corked bat or McGuire et al with steroids...now THAT might be a big deal. I was not particularly sad that Clemens missed the final Yankees game, either...it almost seemed fitting. How about the Black Sox scandal, or Ty Cobb going into the stands to fight a heckler...who was in a wheelchair? That's gotta be disrespect to "the game." Don't forget the crime that forbad black players to play in the bigs for far too long. Horrendous! Even those horrid White Sox uniforms the year they wore shorts...THAT'S disrespecting the game. Randall Simon smacking the sausage at a Pirates-Brewers game? On the bubble. I'm not so certain about Manny.

Have you ever begun a new job and wanted to impress your co-workers? I think this is similar. In addition, the National League pitchers don't have a great "book" on Manny yet, unless Boston provided one for them; thus, he might be expected to go on a tear the first time around. After all, I think he's had fewer than 50 ABs in the senior circuit. The test will be the ensuing years, as I see it. Hall of Fame? probably not since guys like McCarver get to vote; but you know what, I doubt if Manny will care.

Personally, I care more that the Dow Jones Industrial has dropped more than 800 points in the last two days, but then, I'm not making Manny's salary...or Tim McCarver's, either for that matter.