Manny Pulls Himself out of the Lineup... Again
Sensing a repeating theme with Manny lately? With his battery mate David Ortiz reclaiming the 3-spot in the lineup tonight, Manny once again decided that his balky knee was too much trouble to allow him to play. He'll be replaced in left by Ellsbury, with Coco (who was originally schedule to receive a day off) taking center.
Had Manny been in the lineup, Dusty and Youk would have slid into the 1 and 2 holes, allowing Francona to bat Ellsbury ninth in an attempt to help him bust out of his month-long slump. Now, Ellsbury's back in the leadoff slot with Dusty batting second. Should this revised lineup prove to be detrimental to tonight's success in any way, you can bet Manny will catch a good amount of crap tomorrow.
As of late, I haven't exactly portrayed myself as a big Manny proponent, but typically, I'm willing to overlook the less severe versions of his unsportsmanlike indiscretions as long as he produces at the plate and doesn't look too ridiculous in the field. I'm not a full-blown Manny apologist, but I'm realistic in recognizing that some entitlements come with being a future Hall-of-Famer. Now perhaps Manny's knee really is hurting him so much that sitting a a second straight game is best for the entire team (in order to keep him fresh for the stretch run and what not), but this is the second time in three days that Manny has slapped manager Terry Francona in the face by waiting until the last minute to let him know he can't start. Not only should Manny show his manager and teammates a little more respect out of sheer human compassion, but also because he wants the team to pick up next year's $20 million option.
UPDATE, 7/26, 12:01 PM:
According to the Providence Journal, Manny will face disciplinary action (likely including a suspension) if he doesn't return to the lineup tonight after and MRI on his "injured" knee came back negative last night. It's believed that Manny has been taking out his frustration with the front office by inventing this most recent knee injury. Those are obviously pretty extreme claims and if they prove to be true in the least, Manny seems to be doing everything he can to put himself on a different team next year.
Had Manny been in the lineup, Dusty and Youk would have slid into the 1 and 2 holes, allowing Francona to bat Ellsbury ninth in an attempt to help him bust out of his month-long slump. Now, Ellsbury's back in the leadoff slot with Dusty batting second. Should this revised lineup prove to be detrimental to tonight's success in any way, you can bet Manny will catch a good amount of crap tomorrow.
As of late, I haven't exactly portrayed myself as a big Manny proponent, but typically, I'm willing to overlook the less severe versions of his unsportsmanlike indiscretions as long as he produces at the plate and doesn't look too ridiculous in the field. I'm not a full-blown Manny apologist, but I'm realistic in recognizing that some entitlements come with being a future Hall-of-Famer. Now perhaps Manny's knee really is hurting him so much that sitting a a second straight game is best for the entire team (in order to keep him fresh for the stretch run and what not), but this is the second time in three days that Manny has slapped manager Terry Francona in the face by waiting until the last minute to let him know he can't start. Not only should Manny show his manager and teammates a little more respect out of sheer human compassion, but also because he wants the team to pick up next year's $20 million option.
UPDATE, 7/26, 12:01 PM:
According to the Providence Journal, Manny will face disciplinary action (likely including a suspension) if he doesn't return to the lineup tonight after and MRI on his "injured" knee came back negative last night. It's believed that Manny has been taking out his frustration with the front office by inventing this most recent knee injury. Those are obviously pretty extreme claims and if they prove to be true in the least, Manny seems to be doing everything he can to put himself on a different team next year.
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