Jayson Stark piles on Manny
Another inane column today by ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, a once-decent columnist who seems to be becoming more inane and more preachy by the day.
He begins with this ridiculous opening:
Hey, we couldn’t be happier for those Los Angeles Dodgers, who are selling about 30,000 tickets a day now that they’ve moved their home games to Planet Manny. But we’d like to ask one little question of all those people in L.A. who are showering their man Manny Ramirez with so much love:
What the heck are you cheering for?
Um, maybe the fact that Manny has batted .467/.564/.867 since he came to LA? Why should Dodgers fans care what happened on a team 3,000 miles away? Manny is ours now, and he is raking. So we cheer.
Stark then proceeds to lay out his case for why signing Manny to a contract after this season would “set a terrible precedent” after his “bad behavior” this year. Indeed, Stark seems to have appointed himself personal Pope of his own personal crusade to make sure Manny gets as little money as possible next year.
But what I don’t get is why Stark thinks it would be such a novel event if an athlete got money after whining his way out of town. As if this hasn’t happened thousands of times before. As if Manny’s own Red Sox hadn’t done this twice already with Julio Lugo and J.D. Drew.
But what I don’t get even more is the repeated suggestions by the East Coast media, parroted here by Stark, that Manny was somehow doing more than just whining, that he was actually dogging it at the plate in July, leading up to the deadline.
Stark suggests in this column that Manny’s brilliant performance in LA should not win him a big new contract but in fact the opposite, because it proves he was not playing his best in Boston. Stark suggests that Manny’s performance this month is especially jarring “after what went on last month in Boston.”
But my question is, did any of these guys actually go back and look at Manny’s statistics last month?
The man batted .347/.473/.587 in the month of July. Do people really think that was dogging it? Do people actually believe what they seem to be implying, which is that Manny could hit .467 every month if only he just put his mind to it?
Stark quotes his usual chorus of “several anonymous GMs” as saying they would never give Manny a big contract because he will probably dog it again in the future.
But if batting .347 against the AL East is dogging it, then I would gladly pay Manny to keep on dogging it for my team any day of the week.
July 30th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I’m a bit shocked that Detroit decided to relive the Kyle Farnsworth experience. It’s been reported at mlb.com that Dombrowski called the Yankees to initiate this deal which I really don’t get. I know their bullpen is troubled but regardless of the questions they have there, Farnsworth certainly isn’t the answer. I think this deal benefits the Yankees a great deal since they were not going to count on Farnsworth and Pudge is a great addition behind the plate for them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cashman makes a deal for another arm to put in their bullpen before the deadline. The Yankees two best moves may have been getting Hawkins and Farnsworth out of their pen.
That picture of Farnsworth taking down Paul Wilson was by far his finest moment as a Cub. It was a really bad idea for Wilson to charge the mound.
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July 30th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
The new setup man is going to be Jose Veras. The Yankees had already been gradually displacing Farnsworth with Veras as the setup man in recent games. The emergence of Veras is probably what gave them the confidence to deal Farnsworth, not that it was too hard for them to deal Farnsworth. After all, he’s freaking Kyle Farnsworth.
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July 30th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Farnsworth is the sort of player who will always catch an opposing GM’s eye, because he throws so freakin’ hard. But that’s all he does: throw. Not pitch. In this respect, he’s not unlike that really hot chick you have a crush on until you start dating her, whereupon you realize that she has nothing interesting to say/a really annoying laugh/bad breath/herpes. Make no mistake. After a few rough innings, Dombrowski will see the light.But by then, it will be too late.
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July 30th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Detroit should know better though, they have already gone out with the Farns. The Farns went to Detroit after he left the Cubs and they promptly realized he sucked and shipped him off to Atlanta in 2005. Meet the new Kyle, same as the old Kyle.
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July 31st, 2008 at 7:30 am
Ah, Melissa, how right you are! Of course. Perhaps right now, Dombrowski is looking dreamily at the Farns and thinking “he’s changed.”
Well, he’ll learn.
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July 31st, 2008 at 9:47 am
the yanks are looking scarier by the minute.
the sox? mmm, not so much.
I STILL stand by Manny for Holliday and Fuentes. I’ll even throw in Michael Bowden since we know Colorado is looking for a starting pitcher. AND, Craig Hansen, because we know he’s worthless. he’ll be like the “buy one get one free” in it.
my question in the pudge deal though is, what happens to Molina? I assumed he would automatically take over the everyday role in Posada’s absence – he’s certainly capable of it. so I don’t see where Pudge is really necessary? somebody help me out here.
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July 31st, 2008 at 9:49 am
ah yes – Lyndsay should have read the WHOLE article – offensive output is not there for Molina – and I just answered my own question, nevermind.
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July 31st, 2008 at 9:50 am
Lyndsay, Molina was the problem. He was OPS’ing only .581, which is pathetic. The Yankees felt they needed some more offensive production behind the dish.
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July 31st, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Lyndsay, I don’t get it. You think the Red Sox should trade Manny for Holliday and Fuentes? I’m sure Boston would love to make that trade, but I can’t imagine a world where the Rockies would agree to that. Holliday is in his prime and is a better player than Manny right now, offensively and defensively. And Fuentes is no slouch, either. Plus he’ll net the Rockies two draft picks when he leaves via free agency next season.
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July 31st, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Yeah, the problem with trading Manny to the Rockies is that they want to rebuild…not get older. Which is why the Boston-LA-Pittsburgh trade makes so much sense. The Sox dump Manny, the Pirates get prospects, and the Dodgers get older (yessss! shouts Colletti, pumping his fist). Everybody wins!
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August 15th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
So Nick, what exactly would you be willing to pay? Or better still, what would you like to see the Dodgers pay to retain Manny’s services? If the Dodgers(or any team for that matter) give Manny 100 million for four years, I will roll over laughing. Handing that much money to a 37 year old(with the mind of a 12 year old) player is just not that bright.
“Ballplayers, as a group, reach their peak value much earlier and decline much more rapidly than people believe.” – Bill James
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August 15th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I know some people have accused Manny of dogging it, and I agree that isn’t fair. But my understanding of the situation is that Manny was threatening to sit out if he didn’t get a contract extension or a trade. Peter Gammons had this to say:
I don’t think it’s fair to compare what J.D. Drew did to what Manny did. Drew opted out of his contract, which was unexpected, but entirely within his rights. Manny wanted to be an unrestricted free-agent, and he wasn’t, so he threatened to sit out. That’s just wrong, and I think Stark is correct that it would be a real bummer if Manny’s shameless strategy pays off and he gets his 4-year contract.
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August 15th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I don’t know if Manny was dogging it, and you don’t know either.
All I know is the man hit like a demon, came up with one of the best postseasons I’ve ever seen, twice, brought my boys two championships, and, at times, seemed to really enjoy himself.
The business about the MRIs and the Commissioner’s investigation and the Boras told him to lie down talk? I don’t know. I hope it’s not true, but I’m too old to believe that it’s impossible.
Clearly, the guy hit all month. As for what happened at the end? We can file it next to the Cleveland Crybabies as one of those baseball stories people will be chuckling about in 100 years.
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August 15th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I don’t think baseball finds will ever find humor in Manny faking injury to protest his $20 million a year contract. It’s not funny. It’s shameful.
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August 15th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Gammons is clearly a mouthpiece for the Red Sox front office so I would take his bias into consideration when he talks about Manny. Another thing that people should be cautious about is accusing players of faking injury simply because an MRI may not expose a specific injury. At 37, I would imagine he has pain in both knees that may come and go, not that unusual.
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August 15th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Melissa, I think it’s a stretch to call Gammons a “mouthpiece.” I’m wary of his homerism, but let’s not forget we’re talking about maybe the best baseball journalist of his era, or any era. Moreover, Gammons quoted a player close to Manny who said he thought Manny was prepared to sit out if he didn’t get what he wanted. The anti-Manny stuff isn’t just coming from Theo and Larry.
Here’s what we know:
1. Manny claimed he had a knee injury, but couldn’t remember which knee was injured.
2. MRIs on both knees revealed no injury.
3. Since he was traded, Manny has shown no sign of injury.
4. Manny is capable of inventing injuries when he wants to sit out. He did it down the stretch in 2006.
If you want to defend Manny, go ahead. But I’ve seen more than enough to make up my mind.
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August 15th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
It comes down to this:
1) Manny/Boras engineered his way out. I fully believe he was dogging his last week. Considering he was walking to first with Boston and sprinting in LA says a lot. It isn’t the first time he claimed injury when there was none apparent.
2) Stark has a point this could lead to something, be also I doubt it, next one will be costly.
3) The anonymous GM was Sabean… I’d bet money on it.
On the flip side, as a Red Sox fan… I could care less. The Manny era was great, brought us 2 WS. But that era is done.
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August 15th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Coley,
First you say, “I know some people have accused Manny of dogging it, and I agree that isn’t fair.” You then go on to accuse him of dogging it by saying, “..Manny faking injury to protest his $20 million a year contract. It’s not funny. It’s shameful.” So in comment 2 it’s unfair to say he was faking injury but in comments 4 and 6 he is faking injury and you’ve made up your mind? I wonder if you would have felt this way about Manny if your Phillies had been able to pull off a deal for Manny and he was helping them pull away in the East? I am not defending Manny I am simply pointing out that Gammons may well be biased in this case. Consider the source. Nick points out that Stark is jumping on the bandwagon with the majority of the East Coast media in bashing Ramirez. The most egregious example of Stark’s buffoonery would be this:
“Yeah, we know what every Dodgers fan on earth is thinking: “What he did in Boston isn’t our problem. He didn’t blow up our franchise. So who Cares?”
He is contending that Manny blew up the Red Sox franchise? Hyperbole much? Is Boston no longer one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the AL? That’s news to me. It also disregards the fact that he made a significant contribution in that franchise winning not one but two World Series.
Stark neglects to point out that Boston is probably better off bringing in Bay and paying him $7.5 next season than paying Manny $20 million. If Manny was trying to play his way out of town he may have done the Sox front office a favor as they probably didn’t want to bring him back at that price anyway. More so than Manny, Boras is the one that had the most to gain from this situation because he would only profit if Boston didn’t pick up the option and Manny signs a new deal. Even if Manny’s new deal is less than the $20 million per year for 2 years Boras makes money off the new deal. I also will add that Dodgers fans should not give a damn what happened in Boston if Manny helps them win their division. Of course I’m biased because I would rather see the Cubs face the Dodgers in the playoffs than the Diamondbacks. Go Manny!
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August 15th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Melissa, Nick objected to Stark’s accusation that Manny was dogging it at the plate. I agree with Nick. Manny had a great July. I think when Manny played, he played well. Unfortunately, he didn’t play often.
You say Gammons may be biased, but facts are facts. Manny had two MRIs and the doctors found nothing. The Red Sox threatened Manny with a suspension if he didn’t play. Those aren’t Gammons’ theories. Those are facts. It’s not a matter of bias.
I think you’re right that it’s an exaggeration to say that Manny “blew up” the Red Sox, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. And even if Boston is better off in the long run for ditching Ramirez and acquiring Bay, that doesn’t make Manny’s refusal to play any more or less ethical. Let’s not give Manny credit for Theo’s savvy.
Next, you say Stark disregards the fact that Manny played a big part in helping the Sox win two championships. Are you saying Manny was under appreciated? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. They appreciated him plenty – to the tune of $18 million a year.
Finally, I’m glad the Phillies didn’t trade for Manny. If they had, I wouldn’t have rooted for him. He’s a douche.
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August 15th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Stark criticizes Ramirez by referring to his actions as criminal and blowing up the franchise. How does that equate to me stating that Boston didn’t appreciate Manny? I’m glad I didn’t say the craziest thing you’ve ever heard, that would be quite the ignominious distinction. My point was that Stark should not say that Ramirez blew up the franchise when in fact he helped them win 2 World Series. It was not giving Manny credit by saying that the Red Sox trading him is probably in their best interest in the long run, just pointing out facts. Ultimately his actions, even if you consider them unethical, resulted in favor of the Red Sox .
Sorry, but any team that employs Brett Myers really isn’t concerned about keeping douche bags off their roster.
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August 15th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Hey, I’m not happy that Brett Myers is on the Phillies. And I’d be very surprised if the Phillies retain him after his contract expires.
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August 17th, 2008 at 2:05 am
I don’t think anyone really considers Stark a sports columnist anymore anyway, do they? Most people I know consider him a cheap heat tabloid journalist.
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August 17th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Stark may not fit into the typical baseball columnist mold. He’s never been very interested in breaking news. But he was one of the first baseball writers to really embrace statistics. So let’s cut him some slack. This may not have been his best work, but he’s still one of the greats.
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August 17th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
The thing about Manny that sportswriters will never understand is that when he plays for your home team, as a fan, you have no choice but to cheer for him. It is simply a physical response, like your skin reddening when you sit in the sun or your stomach growling when empty. You can’t help it. It just happens.
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August 17th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Lugo signed in Boston as a free agent, Drew opted out of his deal to test free agency and signed there. I don’t see the comparison between those 2 and Manny. Manny was still under the Sox control for 2 more seasons, but dicked around with the franchise until he got traded, with the conditions that he wanted (getting his 2 club option years dropped). Drew and Lugo didn’t force their teams to do anything as they were free to sign with any team they wanted. There is a huge difference there.
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