Manny may be admiring his home runs a little less (and even his flyball outs) and "jogging" a bit more around the base, but on infield ground balls, he continues to disappoint. Manny continues to fail to exert the hustle needed to avoid being thrown out on plays that marginal players make every day.
As for his intangibles, Manny is talking to the media more often and he started working on his interpersonal mojo in Spring Training by reading the bestseller THE SECRET (we know for sure he was at least looking at the pictures).
Minor alarms first went off after Ramirez’ shoving match in the Boston dugout with the always high-strung Kevin Youkilis. Then the line of acceptable behavior was crossed irreversibly on June 30 in Houston when Manny Ramirez knocked down Red Sox's traveling secretary, Jack McCormick, over a large and last minute personal ticket request for that night’s game.
According to conflicting Boston news sources, Ramirez was reportedly fined somewhere between $10-100K by the club over the incident, agreed to attend anger management, and now all supposedly has been righted. But assaulting a senior citizen is the first incident that even the most loyal of fans can’t explain away with "Manny being Manny".
If more incidents like this one occur, the 2004 World Series MVP may leave Red Sox management with no choice but to try and fill his spot in the lineup with someone not as good, but thankfully half as crazy.
Right now, there are several major questions for Boston fans, management, and Manny himself:
1) Does David Ortiz come back and restore the Ortiz-Ramirez combo that has wreaked havoc on pitchers across the American League? A healthy and hot Ortiz could change the equation a bit when it comes to Manny.
2) Will Manny continue his current strong offensive numbers and possibly lead the Red Sox to victory again in the World Series? If the Red Sox ride Manny to another championship, it may be tougher for them to not exercise his $20M option.
3) Most importantly, can the Red Sox find another outfielder on the free-agent market that will give them 30 HR, 100 RBI, and a better glove in left field for $20 million a year?
They also have to replace a postseason force in Ramirez, who most recently hit .348 in the World Series with four HR and 16 RBI in four games.
The list right now for that task seems both thin and complicated. Cincinnati’s Adam Dunn, Colorado’s Matt Holliday, Philadelphia’s Pat Burrell, or Atlanta’s Mark Teixeira are players that have been discussed as possible candidates.
4) Instead of going outside for help, do the Red Sox rely on their current non-Manny outfield package of Coco Crisp, Jacoby Ellsbury, and J.D. Drew, with additional help from youngster Brandon Moss?
5) Finally, if Manny’s not valuable enough for the Red Sox to exercise the one-year option on him...do the Red Sox really want to risk facing him 20 times a year as a Yankee?
As the season plays out, the answers to those questions will help determine whether, in 2009, Red Sox fans will find "Manny being Manny"...somewhere else.
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