Sox and Yanks

[pdutram]

Congrats Sox fan for taking 1 of 3 and avoiding the sweep. What is up with Manny?

And let's not forget that one of those losses was a one-run squeeker.

We always must keep in mind that Manny, at heart, is a child. And children require constant affirmation that they are still loved. Thus, we go through Manny's annual test in which he checks to see if Sox Nation still loves him by saying he is OK with being traded. And every year the front office decides that it is well worth having one of the most feared hitters in baseball.

The only hazard with Manny's approach is that some year the front office will experience brain fade and childishly decide they've been tested once too often. The Nation, of course, hopes that day will never come, and that Manny will ultimately enter the Hall of Fame wearing a Red Sox cap.

 

[bryanspellman]

I worked in Cleveland from 88-92 and got to be a fan and remember when Manny came up later. He was a nut case his rookie year. He would forget about the game while on base and would always get picked off because he wandered. I was at a game (at the old stadium) in which the 1st base coach would actually hook manny's pants with his thumb to keep him on base while talking to him....but man could he still hit!

 

[Psycho]

What is up with Manny?

Still a dbag. Notice that everyone talked about how tired of him they are, they booed him when he came up to bat, and he knocks in a run and they give him a standing ovation. He's going to continue his antics if you continue to forgive him when he knocks in a run.

 

[Bret Hildebran]

Man...103 posts (and counting). Impressive for a battle for 2nd place!

And in Cleveland we always liked to call Manny a "hitting-savant". Kind of like an autistic kid who does one thing amazingly well but is lost in his own world the rest of the time. Fortunately for Manny his one really good thing is worth millions & is enough to forgive his lost time in the field or on the bases...

 

[Faded 8-1]

The public perception of Manny as an idiot is largely based on that one dinger he hit and celebrated when he probably shouldn't have. It wasn't his finest hour, true, but it was completely overblown by a media anxious to create the next big controversy.

Perhaps Manny is less of an idiot than the brain-dead sheep who buy into that sort of inane media hooplah.

 

[Darrell Andersen]

Is he dumb? Can't answer that. Is he goofy? yes. I don't think the guy is a closet Rhodes scholar.

 

['Ol Fezziwig]

The public perception of Manny as an idiot is largely based on that one dinger he hit and celebrated when he probably shouldn't have. It wasn't his finest hour, true, but it was completely overblown by a media anxious to create the next big controversy.

Perhaps Manny is less of an idiot than the brain-dead sheep who buy into that sort of inane media hooplah.

No, I think Manny is portrayed fairly accurately by the press. It's rather a "...give someone enough rope..." thing, even considering the toxic media atmosphere in this day and age.

Not running out grounders to the infield, admiring his flyballs (not all of which land over the fence), his escapades in the field (they play much better when he DHs), lazy throws to the infield, forgetting how many outs there are, the 'injuries' or the mental days off..."hitting savant" says it eloquently enough, and, alas, is yet another example of the frighteningly gifted athlete who, however bright they shine in the particular aspect of whichever game they play that interests them most, falls far short of the legendary player they could have been if they had that 'olde tyme' drive of a Clemente, Mays, Slaughter or Rose...

 

['Ol Fezziwig]

Is he dumb? Can't answer that. Is he goofy? yes. I don't think the guy is a closet Rhodes scholar.

Sometimes, he comes out with the most amazing quotes or observations...happy-go-lucky may be a more apt description; it's nicer than 'doesn't-give-a-crap'

 

['Ol Fezziwig]

Man I love seeing that black bird soaring overhead, threatening to drop that big 'ol pile of guano on unsuspecting passers-by...

 

[Bret Hildebran]

Although one could argue that one of Manny's strengths is he's totally unphased by anything - i.e. it's impossible to get in his head.

And I have heard claims that he's actually quite the student of the game when it comes to hitting. Seriously - I found it hard to believe too, but that's what I've heard teammates say - he actually studies the pitchers and is a very knowledgeable hitter.

Why the Sox don't DH him, I don't know, but it may say a lot about Big Papi's lack of D. And I think Manny has resisted DH'ing too.

Manny does take some bad raps from the press because of his "lack of hustle" and goofy mistakes in the field/base running. I'll always remember in Cleveland Manny taking a bunch of cr*p for not hustling on a Sac Fly when he was at 3rd. Omar Vizquel was on first and decided to tag and try to go to 2nd and got gunned for out #3, but Omar wasn't criticized for making a stupid base running mistake since he was hustling, but Manny was lambasted since he was jogging. Now Manny didn't get gunned so his jogging made no difference and given Omar was faster than Manny anyway, it's hard to imagine that Manny really going all out he beats Omar to score the run, but it was still Manny that took the heat locally.

Sometimes I'm always amazed at how the dumb hustle guy (Ryan Freel is the classic example today) is lauded for running hard into that out...

 

[Psycho]

Although one could argue that one of Manny's strengths is he's totally unphased by anything - i.e. it's impossible to get in his head.

And I have heard claims that he's actually quite the student of the game when it comes to hitting. Seriously - I found it hard to believe too, but that's what I've heard teammates say - he actually studies the pitchers and is a very knowledgeable hitter.

Why the Sox don't DH him, I don't know, but it may say a lot about Big Papi's lack of D. And I think Manny has resisted DH'ing too.

I have heard that too and I will buy it. After all, he can't be working on his defense or studying the game. :nuts:

Manny does take some bad raps from the press because of his "lack of hustle" and goofy mistakes in the field/base running. I'll always remember in Cleveland Manny taking a bunch of cr*p for not hustling on a Sac Fly when he was at 3rd. Omar Vizquel was on first and decided to tag and try to go to 2nd and got gunned for out #3, but Omar wasn't criticized for making a stupid base running mistake since he was hustling, but Manny was lambasted since he was jogging. Now Manny didn't get gunned so his jogging made no difference and given Omar was faster than Manny anyway, it's hard to imagine that Manny really going all out he beats Omar to score the run, but it was still Manny that took the heat locally.

Sometimes I'm always amazed at how the dumb hustle guy (Ryan Freel is the classic example today) is lauded for running hard into that out...

I can't stand to see these prima donna f**kers jog to first on a grouder. How hard is it to hustle down the line like Jeter and Pedroia? They get on base because the guy had to hurry and made a bad throw. A bum like ARod you can take your time to get set and make a good throw cuz you know he doesn't hustle most of the time. :angry:

 

[Bret Hildebran]

I can't stand to see these prima donna f**kers jog to first on a grouder. How hard is it to hustle down the line like Jeter and Pedroia? They get on base because the guy had to hurry and made a bad throw. A bum like ARod you can take your time to get set and make a good throw cuz you know he doesn't hustle most of the time. :angry:

Not hustling down to first on a grounder is a little different, albeit 99% of the time it doesn't matter, but it's awfully annoying when it does and the guy was dogging it. I'm more talking about the guy who hustles to stretch that single into an out at 2nd and gets off for a stupid base running blunder because he tried really hard. I find that more annoying overall as it costs you an out when it shouldn't have...

 

[Psycho]

Not hustling down to first on a grounder is a little different, albeit 99% of the time it doesn't matter, but it's awfully annoying when it does and the guy was dogging it. I'm more talking about the guy who hustles to stretch that single into an out at 2nd and gets off for a stupid base running blunder because he tried really hard. I find that more annoying overall as it costs you an out when it shouldn't have...

If it's close I give him the benefit but when he's out by a mile I wonder what is he thinking. Especially when he didn't run hard out of the box and turned it on late. If he'd run like that from the beginning he'd have been safe. :angry:

 

[RobZagnut]

So, who won? Highlights?

I've been out camping and geocaching with fellow ASLer Jess Ward since Thursday and missed the series AND news.

 

[Psycho]

So, who won? Highlights?

I've been out camping and geocaching with fellow ASLer Jess Ward since Thursday and missed the series AND news.

Yanks 1-0
Yanks 10-3
Sox 9-2

 

['Ol Fezziwig]

Sox 9-2

Jon Lester continues to look impressive...

 

[Psycho]

Did anybody see the game last night? I was following it on the net. Almost got no hit last night. Late in the game Manny jogged down the line and got booed loudly according to some. These are the same fans that gave him an ovation the other night. As long as you go back and forth he is going to continue this behavior. :angry:

 

[wrongway149]

Did anybody see the game last night? I was following it on the net. Almost got no hit last night. Late in the game Manny jogged down the line and got booed loudly according to some. These are the same fans that gave him an ovation the other night. As long as you go back and forth he is going to continue this behavior. :angry:

Maybe he's one of these clowns that just likes attention either way.

 

['Ol Fezziwig]

Manny's just playing a game; apparently $20 million isn't enough (the Sox' options for each of the next two years) and he wants to test the waters of free agency. That will only happen if the Sox don't pick up the option-foolish because it ends up, in the Crystal Castle world of MLB, actually being quite a bargain-or release him.

Thus, the routine, which is olde hat to those of us who have to watch it play out on the local sportscast every time Manny's financial menstrual period starts.

 

[Psycho]

Why would they put up with it though? It sends a bad message to fans and other players when you let him get away with such behavior just because he can hit. :angry: