Well, position players show up today in Ft Myers, but Manny Ramirez won’t be showing up until March 1st. Apparently he spoke with the team, specifically manager Terry Francona, and got permission to do so. I haven’t a clue as to why, and the team isn’t giving out any info, but I suspect it has more to do with Manny wanting to continue being Manny than anything else. So if it doesn’t bother the team, it doesn’t bother me. (Okay, it irritates me slightly…much like Pedro’s prima donna act began to irritate me. But just like Pedro, as long as he doesn’t kill anyone, I really don’t care much what Manny does as long as he plays the way he always has for us.)
His teammates seem to be all right with it too. A couple of quotes from the quote machine himself, Curt Schilling: "[Ramirez] will be here March 1, and he’ll be ready to play," said Schilling. "Who do we play first, Texas? April 3. He’ll be there April 3 and might hit two homers."
"One thing Manny always does is put his time and effort into getting ready," said Schilling. "I’m not worried about that. Once it’s April 3 and he’s healthy, we’ll be fine. Manny’s one of those guys who if he didn’t show up for Spring Training, I’d still know he’d be ready for the season when the season started."
Curt isn’t afraid to call someone out. These quotes are very telling to me.
Bronson Arroyo had a few interesting things to say as well: "Obviously, everybody likes to see you around and get to know your new teammates," said Arroyo. "But everybody understands Manny’s not on the same page with all of us. Just like Pedro [Martinez]. Pedro was used to doing his own thing, but you win 15 to 20 games every year, you’ve earned the respect of your teammates, and nobody is going to [complain] about it."
"When Manny comes, Manny’s going to rake," said Red Sox right-hander Bronson Arroyo. "That’s all we can ask from him. Everybody understands Manny. He’s a hard worker. He’s in the gym every day in the offseason."
And team Captain said more than once yesterday that regardless of public perception, Ramirez "is not a disruption in the clubhouse".
And it’s interesting to note that, according to MLB rules, a player can’t be ‘punished’ for not reporting to Spring Training until March 1. So basically, as long as Manny shows on March 1, he’s set.
After all this, Dan Shaughnessy (of the Boston Globe, yes my self-imposed boycott of Boston sports writers is over, but I still won’t link to him) writes yet another snarky article about how the Red Sox can’t control Manny and blah blah blah.
Rumor in Ft Myers is that David Wells has refused to talk at all to Shaughnessy. Ditto for Curt Schilling. The rumor goes on to state that Schilling is telling the new guys (specifically the new pitchers. Even MORE specifically, Jonathan Papelbon) to ignore Shaughnessy as well. I hope it sticks. I hope the entire team realizes what a hack the man is and never gives him another quote. Then he can keep writing his pieces of nastiness and everyone will come to realize what a bitter, talentless, man he is.
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