Manny Ramirez Heads West

The word enigmatic is probably thrown around too often in sports; however, today's three way trade involving the Boston Red Sox marks the end of an enigmatic career for Manny Ramirez in Boston.  

Manny and the Sox seemed to be a match made in heaven. Ramirez was paid handsomely, was surrounded by the right talent to win two championships, and had a legitimate shot at more in years to come.

For the Red Sox, Manny was the definition of consistency at the plate, and although his defense was at times eye-poppingly terrible, Manny will leave Beantown with a knack for playing the infamous left field in Fenway better than most of his predecessors.  

The question is: How did Manny wear out his welcome in Boston? Although it has become a term all too cliché at this point, the Red Sox simply could not put up with "Manny being Manny."

There is no easy way to describe what "Manny being Manny" is—he just has an uncanny ability to draw attention to himself that other players could never do. Whether it was high-fiving Orioles fans on his way to assisting a double play or walking down the first-base path on a groundball, Manny leaves plenty of truly unique memories behind with Boston fans.

It is hard to value what the Red Sox are losing at this point because it is clear that Manny's antics competed with his production in terms of importance. It is unfathomable to trade a player of his caliber and end up getting more value in return. Manny is a legend in Boston and a first ballot Hall of Famer.

He was charismatic and charming to some and downright undeniably productive.

The media and fans are rarely able to understand what a player is really like in the clubhouse and on the road, but it seems all too obvious that Ramirez was enough of a headache in these realms to justify relinquishing a player of his offensive prowess.

One would think that getting rid of Manny would lead to a calmer, less turbulent clubhouse—which Red Sox fans all over hope means will contribute to more wins (the Sox are 1—5 in their last six). And although it's hard to believe that a team can get better through losing a player of Manny's talent, Sox fans are hoping for exactly that.

The story of an unhappy player wanting to leave a team is found throughout sports, from Terrell Owens in San Francisco to Shawn Marion in Phoenix. And yet, the Manny Ramirez situation seems unparalleled because of how mutually beneficial the two parties involved have been.

Will the Red Sox be able to fully replace Manny's bat?  The answer is likely not entirely, but there is optimism around the organization that this trade will ultimately constitute the proverbial addition by subtraction.

Only time will tell what affect Jason Bay can have on the Manny-less Sox, and whether this team does improve like management believes it will. The trade to the Dodgers caught many off guard, but it will not take away from the awesome run that the Red Sox and Manny Ramirez shared for seven-and-a-half years.