MLB 2008

[papsrus]

After stewing over this for a day or two, I think that by staying put at the trade deadline, the Rays probably made the best move they could at this point. It shows a young, developing team that management has faith in them, and that's probably a boost for confidence and morale across the board. They didn't give up any prospects for a short-term lift, so the message is "we have a long-term plan and it's working and we're sticking with it." And I'm not sure any of the available bats would have been a huge upgrade anyways (other than Bay or Manny, and he wasn't in play here). Yeah, it would have been nice to get Jason Bay, but it's not as if he was going to put them over the top. ... Besides, after watching some Dodgers games over the last few weeks, I'm realizing that the Rays offense really isn't that bad after all.

Edited August 2, 2008 by papsrus

[Dan Gould]

PhillyQ, I think you're right about Boras. In fact, Manny met with Boras during the Angels series, and its now been reported that he refused to board the flight to Seattle afterwards until the club threatened to suspend him (I had heard players "begged" him). Then of course, in Seattle he begged out of the last game with his knee "problem" and did the same at home against Joba and the Yankees.

Now, if no trade had happened, could Boras have convinced Manny that he had to play hard the rest of the way to get his next contract? We'll never know, but it appears that no one in the clubhouse, not even Papi, thought that they shouldn't get rid of Manny.

And I certainly enjoyed reading about Manny's first game in Dodger blue - two unimportant singles, a double play grounder in the ninth of a 2-1 game, and his range or lack thereof helped result in a triple. And that news conference was a joke. Instead of asking about how his former teammates lost patience with him, why not call a spade a spade? Ask him flat out why he quit on the Red Sox? And here's a funny quote:

"The only thing I know is that I’m going to play the game hard and give all I have to help the team.”

Yeah, Manny will always bust his hump down the line. Count on it, Dodger fans.

In the meantime, while a Hollywood script would have called for Bay's flyball to carry into the Monster seats, I'll take it! The kid got on base four times, made a nice play in left that Manny may or may not have come up with, went first to third on a couple of occasions. And it really is true that fans cheer for the laundry, as shown by their standing ovation when he made his first trip to the plate. I like him already.

[Dan Gould]

And it gets crazier, folks. Gordon Edes, who originally broke the story that Manny had been traded when everyone was reporting that the deadline had come and gone, now says that Manny actually lobbied, through Boras, to stay. If the Sox promised not to pick up the 2009 option, he promised good behavior the rest of the way.

Of all the Manny moments in Boston, the last ranks as one of the most confounding. Within an hour after Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein informed Manny Ramírez he had been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday, Ramírez's agent, Scott Boras, called the Sox back, according to a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations. If the Sox dropped the option years on his contract - which they had agreed to do if they traded him - Boras said Ramírez would not be a problem the rest of the season.

For the Sox, the source said, Ramírez's pledge of good behavior only served as a tacit admission that his disruptive conduct of the last couple of weeks had been calculated, and they had had good cause to suspect more was in the offing if they did not trade him. The Sox told him thanks but no thanks, what was done was done, and pack plenty of sunscreen.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...obbied_to_stay/

[papsrus]

The thing that really sticks out to me in all this, assuming that even half of it is true, is that an agent was manipulating the performance of a player on the field in order to squeeze more money (for himself) out of a future deal. This is outrageous, IMO, and if true, should be cause for some sort of sanction or legal action. If Boras advised Manny to behave the way he did for the purpose of positioning himself for a new contract, it has to be illegal or against some MLB bylaws somewhere. If not, it should be. The fans (as in, the paying customers) get screwed over (again) when this shit happens. Sure, the soap opera was entertaining to a point, but some of the shit he pulled on the field was bullshit. It really is enough to turn me off of pro sports sometimes.

[zen archer]

The thing that really sticks out to me in all this, assuming that even half of it is true, is that an agent was manipulating the performance of a player on the field in order to squeeze more money (for himself) out of a future deal. This is outrageous, IMO, and if true, should be cause for some sort of sanction or legal action. If Boras advised Manny to behave the way he did for the purpose of positioning himself for a new contract, it has to be illegal or against some MLB bylaws somewhere. If not, it should be. The fans (as in, the paying customers) get screwed over (again) when this shit happens. Sure, the soap opera was entertaining to a point, but some of the shit he pulled on the field was bullshit. It really is enough to turn me off of pro sports sometimes.

Here in Boston people are very suspicious of Boras ( especially Schilling) BUT i really don't think he told

Manny to skip games or roll around left field like a Moron.

BUT , I bet at that meeting Boras told Manny that the Sox could pick up his option. Especially if he put up

big numbers in the second half and helped get them to the playoffs.

And if they picked up the option he would be in the same position next year playing his heart out for another option and of

course Boras would continue to work for FREE.

[tkeith]

The thing that really sticks out to me in all this, assuming that even half of it is true, is that an agent was manipulating the performance of a player on the field in order to squeeze more money (for himself) out of a future deal. This is outrageous, IMO, and if true, should be cause for some sort of sanction or legal action. If Boras advised Manny to behave the way he did for the purpose of positioning himself for a new contract, it has to be illegal or against some MLB bylaws somewhere. If not, it should be. The fans (as in, the paying customers) get screwed over (again) when this shit happens. Sure, the soap opera was entertaining to a point, but some of the shit he pulled on the field was bullshit. It really is enough to turn me off of pro sports sometimes.

I don't doubt that it happened and I do doubt it was the first time. I don't see anything illegal in it; if a player has any decency, he'd tell said agent to get fucked. Clearly, Manny has spoken to his decency. Imagine Cal Ripken sitting on the advice of an agent. Gorman Thomas? Rick Burleson? Tony Oliva? Teddy F. Ballgame? Not going to happen, for *ANY* of them. This guy is an ass, and I can stress enough how happy I am that he's gone -- the last vestige of the Duquette nightmare finally laid to rest.

[Dan Gould]

Boras as Bebe Glazer?

[Dan Gould]

Tex wouldn't know clutch hitting if it bit him on his pompous ass. His avg is good and his OBP is okay, but a lot of times the game is out of reach or meaningless when he gets his HR or whatever. When the game is on the line, when his team really needs him, he buckles. Without fail.

Yup, that's so true.

Oh wait a minute, 8-5 Yankees in the eighth, two outs, the halos load the bases and Tex ... ... hits a Grand Salami to take the lead? That couldn't have happened ... did it?

(makes it all the more enjoyable since the Yankees had come back from 5-0 down, and that skinny pitcher had two outs in the eighth before he went hit, hit, walk, homer.)

[Dan Gould]

Jesus Fucking Christ this day just turned to shit.

First the Angels do everything in their power to give the game back to the Yankees - a 9-8 deficit is not 14-9, but a mind-boggling eight of those runs were unearned.

And now Upton hits a two run homer in the eighth to take the lead from the Kittens (they sure as fuck aren't Tigers).

The Sox better hold on against the A's when the rain stops.

[MartyJazz]

Tex wouldn't know clutch hitting if it bit him on his pompous ass. His avg is good and his OBP is okay, but a lot of times the game is out of reach or meaningless when he gets his HR or whatever. When the game is on the line, when his team really needs him, he buckles. Without fail.

Yup, that's so true.

Oh wait a minute, 8-5 Yankees in the eighth, two outs, the halos load the bases and Tex ... ... hits a Grand Salami to take the lead? That couldn't have happened ... did it?

(makes it all the more enjoyable since the Yankees had come back from 5-0 down, and that skinny pitcher had two outs in the eighth before he went hit, hit, walk, homer.)

Not quite. Ramirez with two outs walks the 9th place hitter, gives up a hit to Chones, walks the next man after getting ahead 0-2, and then when I'm screaming for Girardi to act like a fucking manager and take him out because I know - I swear I just KNEW - that if he leaves Ramirez in, Tex is going to hit a grand slam..........well, sure enough. Worst loss of the year and you can pin it totally on the same clueless fuck of a manager who earlier in the year allowed Mussina to pitch to Manny late in a tight ball game with men on 2nd and 3rd and two outs. Joe Girardi and game management skills, could be the shortest book ever written.

[Tim McG]

Any bets on how long it will take for Manny to wear out his welcome in LaLa Land?

I couldn't help but notice he still had long, natty dreads...hm.

[Dan Gould]

Tex wouldn't know clutch hitting if it bit him on his pompous ass. His avg is good and his OBP is okay, but a lot of times the game is out of reach or meaningless when he gets his HR or whatever. When the game is on the line, when his team really needs him, he buckles. Without fail.

Yup, that's so true.

Oh wait a minute, 8-5 Yankees in the eighth, two outs, the halos load the bases and Tex ... ... hits a Grand Salami to take the lead? That couldn't have happened ... did it?

(makes it all the more enjoyable since the Yankees had come back from 5-0 down, and that skinny pitcher had two outs in the eighth before he went hit, hit, walk, homer.)

Not quite. Ramirez with two outs walks the 9th place hitter, gives up a hit to Chones, walks the next man after getting ahead 0-2, and then when I'm screaming for Girardi to act like a fucking manager and take him out because I know - I swear I just KNEW - that if he leaves Ramirez in, Tex is going to hit a grand slam..........well, sure enough. Worst loss of the year and you can pin it totally on the same clueless fuck of a manager who earlier in the year allowed Mussina to pitch to Manny late in a tight ball game with men on 2nd and 3rd and two outs. Joe Girardi and game management skills, could be the shortest book ever written.

Not so much, Marty - the Angels really really REALLY wanted the Yankees to win this game.

Forget Girardi's game management, that was the most pathetic display of fielding skills I've seen in a long time. And the Angels are supposed to be great defensively and in the bullpen?

And I so wanted Abreu's out at third on the sacrifice fly that negated Jeter's run home to end of being the difference.

[Big Al]

Well, you know what they say: if Al predicts it, the opposite will happen.

[Soulstation1]

I dig MannRam's new uniform number for the Dodgers # 99

[Chuck Nessa]

[Big Al]

Seriously, though, of course Tex is gonna hit in the clutch once in a while. Come talk to me when he does it on a consistent basis.

[tkeith]

Damn she was cute!

No Diana Rigg, though.

[Big Al]

RANGERS WIN!!! RANGERS WIN!!! HOLY COW!!! A GRAND SLAM BY MARLON BYRD!!!! WWOOOWWW!!!!

Whatta game! 2 balks in one inning causing Washington to go ballistic like I've never seen him! Michael Young's three-run HR to cap a comeback after being down 3-0. The double-play that was called back and changed to a foul ball.

And to top it all off, THEY BEAT THE F^%#%$#&$&ING YANKEES HERE IN TEXAS!!!! That hasn't happened in almost THREE YEARS!!!

Marty's gotta be dyin' right now: closer walks three and then gives up the walk-off grand-slam. Man, that kinda stuff usually happens to US!

And Dan: you're welcome! 'specially since you guys lost to the Royals, ferchrissakes!!!

[Patrick]

And Dan: you're welcome! 'specially since you guys lost to the Royals, ferchrissakes!!!

Not to mention that the dismal Tribe remains undefeated against the Rays this season. Cliff Lee wins his 15th, though really struggled to get through 7, and Rafael Perez earned a 2 inning save. All that with a lineup that has Jhonny Peralta batting cleanup (should be 6th or 7th) and Kelly Shoppach batting fifth (should be 7th or 8th).

[Dan Gould]

I am so sick of watching this team on the road, and extra sick of watching Clay Buchholz. How many more games will he fuck away before they realize he is not fit for a major league rotation? Colon was supposed to be protection for Buchholz, now I want to know how soon he can pitch again, so that we can get Buchholz the fuck out of there. Unfortunately, with Colon scheduled to throw two innings at Pawtucket, he's at least three weeks away. They should bring up Charlie Zink instead, which will do two things:

Get Buchholz the fuck out of the rotation

Put Kevin Cash behind the plate one extra game, and keep Varitek out of there.

No one not named Varitek, Crisp or Lugo has done more to kill this team than Clay Buchholz.

[/end rant]

Yeah, thanks a lot, Al. I told my wife that its not much consolation, the Yanks lost on a walk-off grand slam, and Joba Chamberlain left the game with a boo-boo.

Seriously, the way the Yankees have been with medical information, if Girardi says there's a "chance" he misses his next start, you can pretty much pencil him onto the 15 day D.L.

[tkeith]

Buchholz will be okay in time, but in the now, I couldn't agree with you more. You do NOT change a guy's arm angle AT the major league level. Yet another reason I don't like this pitching coach (or Tito, for that matter).

I like the idea of bringing up Zink (or Pauley, or Bowden, or Hansack, or frickin' anybody NOT named Clay Buchholz). I hadn't really thought that much about Zink and the added benefit of Cash catching an extra day. That makes a lot of sense (when will they realize that?). Tek brings a LOT to the team defensively, but even with that, I'd like to see him getting at LEAST two days off a week at this point in his career. He may have stunk it up offensively this year, but don't forget the way this team imploded when he went down with an injury. That part of the game is HIGHLY under appreciated.

Now, if Papi's wrist knocks him out again, do you give Bailey/Casey, et al, a shot to get it done, or sign an unemployed, overweight, aged free agent?

[Big Al]

and Joba Chamberlain left the game with a boo-boo.

Yeah, that was pretty scary since it could've been a lot worse: the shoulder injury was likely caused by him ducking outta the way of a Pudge surprise rocket to second. Getting smashed in the face by one of those missiles could've been fatal.

[Soulstation1]

We own the Rays

[Patrick]

We own the Rays

...and not much else, this season.

[Dan Gould]

We own the Rays

...and not much else, this season.

It is pretty sad that in the first week of August, you're a week away, give or take, from matching last year's loss total.