Rob Bradford had a great piece in the Herald today about Manny. The following excerpts really stood out to me :
on the issue of the team option (note that Legacy is the organization that handled Ramirez' affairs before Scott Boras):
"Still focused on the uncertainty of his future, according to Ramirez’ camp, the slugger was ensured by Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino that some sort of meeting would take place after last season. However, no such meeting occurred, with Sox general manager Theo Epstein again explaining to Legacy that the team wasn’t ready to make any definitive decisions regarding Ramirez."
This makes it a little easier to understand why Manny might be upset about the way things have been handled. It also might explain some of his more cryptic statements such as "Asked what he meant my ‘Enough is enough,’ Ramirez said, 'They know. You have to ask Theo and John Henry. They know.'" It might also give a concrete example of that whole they say one thing to your face and do another thing Ramirez was talking about.
If Manny went to ownership at the end of last season in search of some sort of meeting as to what the club was thinking in regard to his contract situation, was promised by Lucchino that a meeting would take place, and then denied that courtesy, it makes it much easier to understand his frustration. If we heard this story from a non-celebrity at a more conventional job, we'd say that they have every right to be upset. Clearly their company does not value them very much as an employee.
Dale and Holley addressed this today, and said that Theo is the one who put a stop on the meeting. They said that it is part of a long trend in which he refuses to allow ownership to intrude on baseball matters. He wants to handle the baseball side of things, and they handle the business side. That Lucchino and John Henry sign the checks, and therefore should have as much involvement as they want is undeniable but unimportant here. The fact is that, as good of a job as Theo has done of bringing talent in, he has not always done the best job of keeping up relations with players while they are here. Johnny Damon and Pedro Martinez come to mind. Now, the club didn't really want to re-sign those guys. They may feel the same way about Manny, and it is very easy for them to spin it as "this was all Manny's doing." Well, that's probably not the case.
I'm not trying to excuse Manny here. But, I think we tend to place all blame on him because of who he is. In this case, it seems like the blame may be more shared than we originally believed. Professional athletes are pampered. It's true. But, requesting to meet with a team in the off-season to discuss your contract certainly does not seem like an unreasonable request.
Another part that stuck out to me:
"Take, for example, the fact that Manny Ramirez [stats] has told some of his confidants that doctors diagnosed his right knee with what was 'probably tendinitis.' The Red Sox [team stats], however, have made no such statement......................"It was a relationship that only worsened when Ramirez took offense to the fact that the Sox didn’t believe his right knee was truly injured. He has told some that the ailment was tendinitis, which a team-issued MRI (that came up clean on both knees) might not pick up. Sox officials did not comment last night when asked about the alleged tendinitis diagnosis, reiterating Epstein’s pledge not to discuss the Ramirez situation on or off the record."
Again, not excusing Manny. But, I think that we should all remember that things are not usually as one-sided as most people in the media have made this whole thing out to be.
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From Tim Graham of ESPN.com on Ricky Williams:
"Of the many adjectives applicable to Williams, "dependable" hasn't been one of them. So far, however, the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL rushing king has been the definition of responsible.
The front office and coaches have raved about his offseason dedication. Parcells has taken a particular shine to him because of Williams' commitment to the conditioning program. Williams has been explosive and focused in open workouts.
He hasn't rushed for 1,000 yards since 2003, but he looks as though he could do it again. He's 31 years old with low mileage, having carried only 283 times (more than a third of those in the CFL) over the past five years."
- While the quarterback controversy sorts itself out, Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown could be a dangerous duo on the ground.
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And, sticking with the theme:
