Is Manny just being Manny ?

[RichardLikeWhoa]

Manny Ramirez probably won't play for the Dominican Republic in the WBC, meaning he'll be around to stay after reporting to Red Sox camp on March 1.
No reason has been given for Ramirez's apparent withdrawl. The Dominican Republic would still have the tourney's best lineup without him. Moises Alou will probably take over as the primary left fielder. Willy Taveras, Juan Encarnacion and Wily Mo Pena are options in center, and Vladimir Guerrero will start in right.

Source: Boston Herald


alright... what's the deal? It kind of sounds like Manny isn't going to
play for the Dominican because he almost feels bad about already being
late to spring training for the sox. He is due to report March 1st in ft. myers, the Dominican team reports March 2nd for training...

Is Manny just being Manny?

[wamby]

As the WBC gets closer I think more than a few players are going to start thinking that they don't want their spring-training regimans upset and decide to forego the 'classic'. It also wouldn't surprise me if some players get a bad taste in their mouths about it, after hearing the criticism that Guillen heaped on ARod, and decide that linking this 'classic' to some kind of patriotic thing is kind of tasteless.

People who follow the Indians gave up on trying to figure Manny Ramirez along time. I wound't wasye one brain cell trying to figure him out.

[Nomtoc]

I'm not sure Manny knows who he is so the question remains redundant.

[TonyStarks]

I'm not sure Manny knows who he is so the question remains redundant.

I wouldn't care who the hell Manny is if he were on my team.
All I'd care about is getting Manny into his 'Happy Zone', the Batter's Box. Anytime he's in that zone....bad things happen to the opposing pitcher.

[RichardLikeWhoa]

Anytime he's in that zone....bad things happen to the opposing pitcher.

YUP

[YOUgodofwalks]

Well I'm glad he's at least he'll have a normal spring training to get ready for the season, of course he's probably the player on the Sox that needs the least preparations.

[FlashGordon]

I have to admit, I really don't know what to think or feel about Manny these days. He's a great hitter who is amazingly consistent, year after year. Even in those times when he's under particular scrutiny from the fans and the media, it never seems to bother him at the plate. Maybe he is trying to dodge the superstar role that Benedict Arnold Damon basks in or maybe he's always going to be in search of a better situation (on and off the field). It's hard to want the best for him when he doesn't really seem to know what that is himself. Failing that, I can only want what is best for the Red Sox and, at the moment, it's Manny in a Red Sox uni batting tandem with David Ortiz. Unless some other team wants Manny badly enough to give a fair trade for him, that's the way it's going to stay until his contract runs out in 2008.

[Williamsburg2599]

I really couldnt care less about manny not playing in the WBC. Just more practice with the soxs, and im not dominican, so that just means less compatition with the good ol' US of A.

[CuriousBoston]

Manny being Manny

I don't care if he plays for Mars, Pluto, or Boskone, as long as when Francona puts him in the lineup, he he doesn't fall asleep in left field, and does his thing in the batter's box. I want to watch him taking a pitcher through 13 pitches, then, BLAMM!

Watching Manny get a double, then Ortiz getting a hit, and running up Manny's heels, that's pretty good, too.

Any pitcher facing the Sox: Manny in the batter's box, Papi on deck. At least neither hits comebacks.

[SoxSon]

I don't care if he plays for Mars, Pluto, or Boskone, as long as when Francona puts him in the lineup, he he doesn't fall asleep in left field, and does his thing in the batter's box. I want to watch him taking a pitcher through 13 pitches, then, BLAMM!

Watching Manny get a double, then Ortiz getting a hit, and running up Manny's heels, that's pretty good, too.

Any pitcher facing the Sox: Manny in the batter's box, Papi on deck. At least neither hits comebacks.

I'm actually ok with Manny falling asleep in left field.

[Mattingly]

I'm actually ok with Manny falling asleep in left field.

Hey, what would ESPN be without Manny's ahhhhhhhhhhh ... *INTERESTING* moments in LF.

Talk about out in left field someplace.

[Evangelion]

You also have to admit that Manny also very entertaining most of the time.

[efin98]

He reported to Fort Meyers as stated today, and wants to put all of the offseason rumors, inuendo, talks, or whatever behind him. He isn't playing for the Dominican Republic in the WBC so they have one less star on their roster.

This year he has two friends on the team again in Enrique Wilson and David Ortiz so he should be happy with moving on from last year. He will do his usual screwing around and foul ups but I think he just wants to work his way through the rest of his contract and move on.

[FlashGordon]

This year he has two friends on the team again in Enrique Wilson and David Ortiz so he should be happy with moving on from last year.

I wasn't aware that Enrique Wilson was in Ft. Myers this year. Is he a NRI or was he acquired in some convoluted trade?

[efin98]

I wasn't aware that Enrique Wilson was in Ft. Myers this year. Is he a NRI or was he acquired in some convoluted trade?

NRI with the hopes of being the team's utility infielder. He was invited to keep Manny happy but if he is good enough he could wind up being the team's main utility player.