Manny Ramirez: No Marbles?

While sipping on my coffee this morning, I noticed a flash across my TV screen stating that Mr. Ramirez turned down another offer from the Dodgers at $25 million for one year.

I, being a long time Sox fan, was not impressed with their move late last summer that had them trade Mr. Ramirez away, and decided to stick by him and cheer for him, regardless of how the Boston media portrayed him in his last days. However, my patience for this enigma has worn thin.

What is he thinking? Would it be so bad to take the $25 million and play some ball for the Dodgers? No.

Would it be so terrible to play at a discount of say $10 million, and go play for the Cardinals and punch their ticket to the World Series? Because there isn't anyone beating him and Pujols on a regular basis. No.

Would it be so harmful to curb the atrocious reputation that Mr. Ramirez has garnered and say to himself, "I know people are struggling in America today, so maybe I shouldn't appear to be so money hungry?" No.

But, maybe he doesn't care what we think. Perhaps he only cares about one thing and one thing only.

Money.

Growing up, I thought it would be a dream to roam center field for the Sox, maybe one day playing in the World Series. I didn't think about the dollars to be made, or how long my contract would be good for.

But Manny does, and perhaps he always did. I was willing to look the other way when he was with the Sox and come up with some dumb excuse as to why he acted the way he did; like preferring to be private, or that he was just a big kid, or that he was really hurt.

Well, I was duped. And so were you.

Mr. Ramirez turning away this contract symbolizes what America is paying for now. Greed and selfishness. Manny being Manny is not a cute catchphrase that masks his goofiness. It's Manny being Manny; never having any marbles at all.