“We’re confident every day,” said Manny Ramirez. “It doesn’t matter how things go for you. We’re not going to give up. We’re just going to go and play the game, like I’ve said, and move on. If it doesn’t happen, so who cares? There’s always next year. It’s not like the end of the world or something. Why should we panic?”
I can’t believe people are giving Manny such a hard time for these comments. Well, I can believe it, but does anyone here really agree? I am just as upset and anxious as any Red Sox fan, but why criticize Manny for honesty? Also, he’s right: IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD IF WE DON’T WIN!
I know it might feel like the end of the world to some of us, but seriously? People are dying in Iraq. People are starving to death because they can’t afford a meal. People are dying of diseases we can’t seem to find cures for. I, for one, applaud Manny for bringing us all back to reality.
I’m not saying I won’t throw things, and shout out some expletives, and even be a bit depressed for some time if we do lose the ALCS … but for me, Manny’s words will probably cut that time in half, if not cut it out completely. If you’re luck enough to consider the Red Sox possibly not making the World Series this year as one of your biggest problems, then you should be thanking your lucky stars. Like me.
8 Comments
I’d like to respectfully disagree. I think you are giving Manny WAY too much credit. For instance, its questionable whether or not Manny even understands the game of baseball. He is like an idiot savant, a born hitter who appears to be semi-autistic in other facets of the game. I know I have don’t have to give too many examples, but just last night he stopped running around the bases after hitting a questionable homerun so he could argue with the umpires and apparently signal for a “Time Out”!?!?!?!?!?!?!
If somebody like Curt Schilling or Mike Lowell were to give a quote like that, I think everybody would nod in agreement and think things like “your right, its just a game, there are more important things in life” . You know why we would all say that, becasue we know how much they care about baseball and we know they are giving it everything they’ve got. For Manny to say that, it sends a different message, it actually sounds like he doesn’t care about the game, or about winning. Which, for a fan, is the ultimate kick in the balls. This a guy that millions of people look at for inspiration and to entertain them on many a weekday nights…this guy gets paid 25 millioni dollars every year to play a game…why? because he entertains people and people love to root for their team, especially a winning one. SO, when one of those players who is notorious for ACTING like he doesn’t care about winning or losing, actually says that he doesn’t care about winning or losing….i think it just confirms a lot of people’s greatest fears….that their favorite player, arguably the best player on their favorite team, who OBVIOUSLY cares about hitting, doesn’t actually care whether his team wins or loses….and that sucks….cause I care wether they win or not and I know that almost every other guy on that roster REALLY cares wether they win or not, and that’s why we watch and root and read and all that other crap…cause we assume that they care EVEN MORE than we do. Otherwise, we’re all idiots.
Granted, if you actually read manny’s quote, he sounds pretty reasonable and he’s obviously stressing the “we aren’t panicing” card more than the “its not the end of the world if we lose” card…..but I’m obviously still bitter about last night where he was:
1. thrown out by 40 feet at home plate in a do or die elimination game
2. stopped running on a borderline homerun and had to settle for a 390 foot single instead of easily making it to 2nd or 3rd base. Did i mention that this was an elimination game that could have ended the season
3. Didn’t make a play on a bloop to left field that any self respecting left fielder in an important game would have killed himself to catch.
4. had a goofy smile during all of these events as if he didn’t realize that he was embarrasing himself, his team, and the game of baseball.
5. even with all this, is still one of the best hitters to ever, EVER play the game of baseball and is critical to the redsox having any chance at a world series AND is absolutely on fire right now at the plate and is a PURE joy to watch hit.
Just kill me.
Adam, number 1 english is not his first language. What I think he was trying to say is that it makes no sense to get nervous and be uptight about a game because you are not going to play well if you do.
I will take manny and his below average defense, his non running out of the box (there is no way in gods green earth that it would have been a triple, probably a double and Lowell struck out so it really does not matter) , and his standing and watching his homeruns, over someone like Nixon who always ran hard and was a “dirt dog”. The last thing I want a 34 year old who is the best hitter on the team do is pull a hammy because he ran out a meaningless out, or to break a finger sliding into home plate on a play that he was out anyway.
So, after being at work last night (sports bar), and fighting with my regulars about this … I see your side, Adam. I STILL feel what I wrote, but see more clearly now why it upset people … but your point about it being different if it had been Schilling or Lowell, is something I was really harping on last night. I guess it just frustrates me to no end when people are ridiculed or criticized for things they say or so, when those things really shouldn’t matter! Manny is one of the best baseball players of all time, and we would not be where we are without him. So can we cut him some slack for his antics?
oh c’mon c’mon its MANNY RAMIREZ is anyone surprised he said this. I am so surprised how profound this statement was. I always thought Manny was a deep thinker. Its a GAME, Baseball is just a GAME. Do we really care who wins !? YES, On only one level. On another level it’s really not that important. Perception is what this is about. I envy Manny. He seems to have perspective. I’m just glad he’s not a Yankee, if he was and he said this he would be chased out of New York, there, perspective.
the red sox are the worst team ever to play baseball… - they should tear down fenway park and put down a patch of grass in its place where people can bring their dogs… - wicked fuck’n fags…
I think Manny is telling everyone that he´s confident with his team and himself, and at the end he was right because Boston end up being AL champions
go yankees?