Something to Ponder

Should anyone really be considered bigger than the game itself????

Manny Ramirez:A Career Tarnished

It was October 2^nd 1998, the 20^th anniversary of the Bucky Dent game. The Red Sox were playing game 3 against the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. The series was tied at 1 apiece. The Sox were behind 2-1 when Indians right fielder Manny Ramirez hit a solo home run off Brett Saberhagen to pad the lead to 3-1. It was the 9^th inning that I took notice that not only were we in the midst of another playoff collapse but also that Ramirez was one of the best players in the game.

The Red Sox had brought back Dennis Eckersley to finish his career; Eck had not pitched very well during the season so it was surprising to see him in this situation. Manny not only hit his second home run of the day but he hit a rocket out of the park and on the rooftop of the parking garage. The Red Sox did not have anyone like him at the time. Not even Mo Vaughn was the player Manny was. When the Red Sox signed Manny in the winter of 2000, it was considered one of the greatest signings in the history of the franchise. We just didn’t know how eccentric he really was although I do remember a Harpo Marx hairstyle he sported one trip with the Indians in Sept. 2000.

I remember during his first year with the Red Sox he was sent to Pawtucket on a rehab assignment, where most players reject the idea of spending any more than a day or 2 down there, Manny milked it for all it was worth, he was hitting so well down there he didn’t want to leave. There was the incident in 2003 when he was too sick to play a crucial series against the Yankees he was spotted in a bar. He was suspended by the team for a day. This would have enraged most players, especially of his caliber, Manny just looked it this as another day off. He rarely argued close pitches was sometimes caught not running out ground balls. This was Manny being Manny.

The Red Sox finally shipped him off to the Dodgers at the trading deadline in 2008 simply because it was time to move on. It’s very different when someone like this is surrounded by mostly guys his age but with all the younger players the Sox now had, they did not want Manny as their role model.

Like him or hate him. His numbers show a bona fide Hall of Famer. If you ask me I think he belongs there. He is not going to get there though. Manny exited the game on Friday in a way I never expected him to, in shame and this will be his legacy.SHAME!!!

Pitchers Duel Cut Short

OK, as a Red Sox fan I am very disappointed in this 0-6 start but as a fan of the game I can’t believe that Fausto Carmona and John Lester both  got lifted with 2 hit and 3 hit  shutouts going. I don’t accept the fact that the complete game is almost unheard of even though the rest of the world has. This brings me to a spectacular pitching performance by Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo of Milwaukee over the Braves. A spectacular pitching performance is by any pitcher who:

1)      Completes the game

2)      Pitches a shutout

3)      Gives up 3 or fewer hits

Gallardo pitched a 2 hit complete game shutout, granted he only struck out 2 but this is noteworthy just the same. As for our Red Sox-Indians matchup, the fact that it’s a scoreless game in the 8^th and it’s in the hands of the bullpen is just something I can’t wrap my head around.

Opening Weekend Recap

The 2011 season has begun. On Sundays I will be recapping the week that was (save for the ESPN game of the week. I don’t want to write at the crack of dawn; any great moment in that game will be on next week’s blog posting). Among the highlights are the fast starts of the Orioles, Phillies, Reds and (sorry Red Sox fans) Rangers. Each of these teams has begun 3-0. Carlos Quintin of the White Sox and Ryan Howard of the Phillies are the best offensive so far in their respective leagues, honorable mentions go out to Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz of the Rangers as well as Mark Texieira of the Yankees for hitting 3 home runs apiece. Rookie J.P. Arencibia of the Blue Jays hit 2 home runs on opening day.  Jeremy Guthrie of the Orioles turned in a fantastic pitching performance at their season opener giving up only 3 hits over 8 innings, but the top performance goes to the Cardinals’ Jaime Garcia for his complete game, 4 hit shutout over the Padres. The Mariners’ Felix Hernandez deserves a special mention for his complete game victory over the A’s. The complete game is such a dying commodity I think I am going to feel the need to mention each and every one of them. The best offensive performance thus far goes to the Tigers’ Brennan Boesch going 4 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBIs over the Yankees today.

On an unrelated note….

I was in Florida during spring training in 1988. It was Haines City, Florida at the new spring training facility for the Kansas City Royals. It was a part of the “Boardwalk and Baseball” theme park. The fact that it was out in the middle of nowhere eventually led to its demise. A man walked by me that I recognized. Spring training back then wasn’t as in vogue as it is today so the place wasn’t flooded with Red Sox fans so I asked the man to sign my baseball. It was general manager of the Red Sox, Lou Gorman who we lost April 1^st.

I talked to Lou for a few minutes about Ellis Burks who had recently got hurt, he talked in great detail about the bone chip that had to be removed and how Ellis was not going to be ready for opening day and that future star Brady Anderson had been given the job in the interim. I have never shaken a male hand that was so soft before. Not much manual labor there but he couldn’t have been a nicer guy. By this time people got wise and a crowd had gathered and Lou would not be leaving anytime soon but he did not seem to mind.

Rest in peace Lou