Play Ball!
The letter below is borrowed from The Boston Globe, that reprinted some of the best letters of the year in yesterday's paper. Oh Manny, how we miss you. The 2009 season won't be the same without your antics. (This is not sarcasm - in my house, we love Manny.)
MANNY HAVING BEEN MANNY
We can't handle the truth
August 2, 2008
JUST THOUGHT I'd update a famous speech from the movie "A Few Good Men" (with apologies to Aaron Sorkin):
We live in a world that has walls, big green walls that need to be guarded by men with gloves. Who's gonna do it? You, Jacoby Ellsbury? You, Jason Bay? Manny Ramírez has a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Tito Francona and curse Red Sox Nation; you have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what the players in the clubhouse know: that Manny's antics, while tragic, probably saved jobs and that Manny's existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, wins games. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want Manny in front of that wall, you need Manny batting cleanup.
Red Sox management uses words like honor, code, loyalty. They use them as the backbone of a team trying to defend their World Series title. Manny uses them as a punchline. Manny has neither the time nor the inclination to explain himself to a fan base that rises and sleeps hoping for another title and then questions the manner in which he helps provide it. Manny would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you turn on NESN and watch Manny hit another home run. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
SCOTT DAVIDSON
Fitchburg