It's late November in Boston. The Patriots are surging again, leading the AFC East and standing pat as one of the top five teams in pro football. The C's season is well under way, and I'm pretty sure that they'll be somewhere in the playoff picture come next Spring...albeit the eighth seed if anything. But I like Powe and PP somehow continues to improve his already sick game and things are a little exciting with Rajon and Bassy and company. Oh yeah, the B's are in season, too. I think. But I can't focus...I just can't do it. And don't act like you don't know why because it's pretty likely that you and I are in the same boat, probably fighting over the same oar to get us to wherever we're going as quickly as possible.
"Manny out of Boston by the weekend?" On Sportscenter last night, Steve Levy left off before commercial with this inquisitive statement. The rumors have been flying, just like they have been for years as Manny the Malcontent, a.k.a. Manny the Misanthrope, a.k.a. Manny the Mirthful is supposedly departing for greener pastures. It just doesn't seem all that unlikely this time, a la the boy who cried wolf. As I look out the window of my office (well, cubicle within an office that offers a window view) I can see the wolf approaching the boy and I'm just not that concerned. We might be losing one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game, but as history has shown us, there are far bigger holes to plug that will more than make up for the loss of #24.
We owe Manny $38 million over the next two years. If we can effectively dump that and maybe the salary of the great (barf) Matt Clement, I like what that opens up for us. Granted, we're looking at shelling out somewhere in the ballpark of $60-$75 million for our Far Eastern friend Matsuzaka, but that's fine. Actually, who knows what Boras is looking for. I've heard that Matsuzaka wants meals for a year at Fugakyu and a Nintendo Wii and he'll be happy. Man, Boras is such a prick. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could put him up in a stock in the middle of Downtown Crossing for all to abuse? To me, the most annoying thing would be that one bum who would constantly be asking him is he had any spare change, in that raspy voice of his. Carl, you know what I'm talking about. Either way, if this guy ends up here and materializes, I like what he brings. he commands SIX PITCHES. SIX! Yikes, AL East. YIKES.
There are some pretty good options out there for us, you know. Let's say we send him to SD, where we would likely land Scott Linebrink and Jake Peavy in return. I'm a big fan of this possibility. I've always liked Peavy, even though he had a poor 2005-06 season. And Linebrink is a very, very good set-up guy. As far as replacing Manny's bat, that is pretty unlikely. JD Drew is apparently close to inking a deal and Theo has been high on him for some time. I haven't, probably because he's a whiner and he's never lived up to his billing. But there's always that unknown with him and I guess that leaves a little bit of room for optimism. Either way, we're looking at a .286 career hitter, who, if healthy, will be good for 25 homers and 100 RBI. He's a lefty, so hopefully he'll be feasting on Pesky's Pole and opposite-field wall balls. I just hope that he can handle Fenway/Boston and fans like you and I. He's portrayed himself as a pussy up to this point, and we all know what happens to pussies in Boston (see Edgar Renteria).
There's my rational side. Now my emotional side. I do not want Manny to go elsewhere because he's in the top three of Red Sox hitters, all-time. I do not want Manny to go elsewhere because his character and non-chalance are a fucking cookie-cutter fit for Boston. He's a good guy who happens to be a little bit lazy, but he makes you laugh and more often than not, he makes you jump out of your seat. Will any of us ever forget when he charged out of the dugout with the American flag following receiving his citizenship? No way. That was a great moment. Will we ever forget his 'point' that culminated in him and Petey pointing to each other on the field in 2004 after Manny made a remarkable catch while Petey was on the mound? Not me. And the handshakes? My good buddy Cree and I spent an entire weekend learning the Millar/Manny handshake from 2004. There are just too many moments that I'm not ready to let go of with Manny. When he's gone, we're left with 3 players from the WS Title Year. Yeah, 'Tek, Trot and Timlin are all favorites, too. But Manny is Manny and things just won't be the same without him in Boston.
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