Shoving Baseballs

A few days after the incident where Shawn Chacon tackled and physically assaulted General Manager of the Houston Astros, and a few days after his subsequent dismissal/release from the team...we have "issues" of our own in Boston.

Manny Ramirez, perhaps one of the best right-handed hitters of our generation, who has (in my view) consistently through the past 5-6 year of his long career here in Boston showed a general malaise and uncaring about his performance...has apparently twice put his hands on a club employee this year.

Manny has always been an enigma. He has supreme talent and ability to hit a baseball, but he often loafs around right field, often doesn't hustle, and doesn't seem to care much about other things than his hitting stats in general. Good for the Sox, but also bad for the Sox. This from a guy making over $20 million per year to hit a baseball.

Manny has been known to pout like a baby when he doesn't get what he wants or is embarrassed by the club or booed by "fans", and frequently (more and more) requires "days off." These episodes through Manny's tenure here in Boston have led to his numbers not completely matching his hype because of his loafing personality.

But, a bigger problem has emerged. Manny is at the end of a long term contract where the Sox have some control over his ass. The Sox have the right to pick up successive one year options on his contract where Manny would make $20 million per year. Manny, despite his loafing, has never been accused of being stupid. Manny wants his freedom to get another big, long-term deal. He doesn't want to be strapped to the Sox.

He recently (before the season started), fired his long-time agent, and hired the known contract assassin Scott Boras. Boras is who you hire in baseball when you want the best deal and don't care where you play, you just want to get paid.

This makes me ponder whether Manny did the pushing of longtime Traveling Secretary and 66 year old (ex-cop) Jack McCormick in public on purpose in hopes the Sox would do what the Astros did to Chacon...and cut his butt from the team immediately...thus allowing Manny to hook-up Boras and get himself a long-term deal somewhere else. While the club isn't stupid enough to dump him when they are one of the biggest contenders to win the World Series again this year, perhaps Manny figures he can make enough of a stink and scene that the Sox refuse to pick up their option on him next year and allow Manny to get the moolah.

If this happens again, the Sox need to do more than what they did in this case. Allowing your people to be treated in such a way with no more than a slap on the wrist is inexcusable, even if it is our biggest/best hitter.