106 replies to this topic

[CaptainLaddie]

From WEEI this morning, via ESPN:

In an interview Wednesday on Boston radio station WEEI-AM, the injured Boston Red Sox starter took his former teammate to task, saying Manny's "level of disrespect to teammates and people was unfathomable."

Ramirez was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline after complaining the team had tried to turn the fans against him and that the Red Sox no longer deserved him. Ramirez was in the last year of his contract, with the team holding two one-year options for $20 million each.

In eight seasons in Boston, Ramirez's quirks were widely seen as harmless, or dismissed as a small price to pay for having such a gifted hitter in the lineup. But Schilling, speaking with "Big Show" host Glenn Ordway and former Red Sox players Brian Daubach and Lou Merloni, said Manny's antics disrespected his teammates.

This should be fun.

[Drocca]

I was just thinking that Schilling hadn't seen his name in print in over 48 hours.

[BoSox Rule]

This should be fun.

That sums it up nicely. Didn't Schilling already go down this road like a month ago?

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

It bears mentioning that this was not his weekly radio appearance, which usually takes place with Dennis and Callahan. He called in for this segment. I am not sure if they asked him to, or if he did it on his own.

I am unsure why he's bringing this up again. I thought he had said his peace on this topic when the trade initially went down.

[RedOctober3829]

Cross-posted from the Big Show thread...I thought about starting a seperate thread about it on this forum but wasn't sure if it was warranted.

Curt in the Car called up to talk about Manny.

"Never knew when he'd be able to play day-to-day." "In spring training, he was fine in his Buddhist state"

On Tito
"He was brought up to play the game the right way and respect the game."

"Manny makes his own decisions. The day he signed with Boras was his last day in uniform for the Red Sox."

Merloni: "In the last year, Manny was impossible to deal with."

"Manny never cared about any of us. I am totally convinced that he was going to play half the games the rest of the way. He brought nothing else to the table besides his bat and we were OK with that"

"The hardest part was to watch it, live it, and then read Shank saying we don't do anything about it. At the end of the day, he still wore the uniform and played"

"Thankfully, Tito finally put it in front of the players(the decision to keep Manny)."

"David saw what was going on and knew we needed a happy Manny but David understands the difference between respect and disrespect"

"What you guys hear and see is 10-20% of what went on."

"I've been the biggest waste of space all year and I'm the last person to tell you who is right and wrong, but I'm a part of this family and I saw it. The guys who played crucial roles on important teams are the worst people. Nothing makes guys like Tito feel worse than putting these type of guys in the lineup when you have guys busting their ass and he has to tell them to sit."

"Jason Bay plays the game the right way. He is a piece of the puzzle going forward not just a stopgap."

[Pearl Wilson]

From WEEI this morning, via ESPN:

This should be fun.

Not the first time he's done this on WEEI. As long as he speaks in general terms like that (as opposed to discussing specific events not known to the public), probably not much will come of it. Heck, look at, and listen to, Eckersly.

[TomRicardo]

Yes Lou Merloni, another loud mouth, only this time completely marginal.

[Drocca]

Curt Schilling is disrespecting the fans with this. I know that. Manny is gone, has been gone and it is a total nonstory. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are gearing up for the playoffs. Obviously we've all gotten to know Schilling over his time here and appreciate his on-the-field performance while understanding that off of it he is an insecure person with child-like vendettas.

Bringing this up serves no purpose. None. It is, literally, pointless. Curt Schilling has contributed nothing to baseball this year. Manny is in the middle of a playoff hunt with his own team. Contributing, like, actually playing baseball. I wonder if Schilling remembers that's what the both of them are - baseball players.

[5belongstoGeorge]

I love what Schilling did for the Sox in '04. I even like to tell myself that he understood some of the thoughts/feelings/emotions that many generations of Sox fans had been through and that his desire to "right that wrong", if I may, entered into his decision to come to Boston.

With all that said, as a baseball fan I pretty much don't care if Lou Merloni lives or dies (figuratively speaking), although sometimes I plan my evenings around watching the Dodgers long enough to catch a Manny at bat.

Good luck with the video game gig and thanks for the memories. Nothing good can come from G38 bagging on Manny.

[jodyreeddudley78]

My main problem is really just: what is the point? He is gone, the team is going to the playoffs, they received a good player in the deal, and, apparently, all is well. It just seems like sour grapes. I don't know if the reason is Schilling isn't playing (which I'm sure bugs him) or if it is the fact that Manny is having an amazing end-of-year in LA. I just don't see the point in the constant rehashing of the events leading up to the trade. It is not as if there is some major outcry of "We shouldn't have traded Manny!", is there?

Just let it go.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Also, this seems awfully contradictory to me:

"I've been the biggest waste of space all year and I'm the last person to tell you who is right and wrong, but I'm a part of this family and I saw it."

If he's the last guy to tell us who's right and wrong why is he on the radio declaring Manny to be in the wrong?

The atmosphere surrounding the team leading up to the deadline looked poisonous from seeing the way they were playing, so I'm fine with the trade. The Sox put their asses on the line and traded Manny away because they felt they would be a better team without him and with Bay. Their record since the trade seems to bear out this line of thinking. All that stuff Curt is saying about Manny may well be true and it wouldn't surprise me, but what's the purpose of airing dirty laundry now? He's gone and the Sox are going to the playoffs. No further commentary seems required here.

[Drocca]

Also, this seems awfully contradictory to me:
If he's the last guy to tell us who's right and wrong why is he on the radio declaring Manny to be in the wrong?

The atmosphere surrounding the team leading up to the deadline looked poisonous from seeing the way they were playing, so I'm fine with the trade. The Sox put their asses on the line and traded Manny away because they felt they would be a better team without him and with Bay. Their record since the trade seems to bear out this line of thinking. All that stuff Curt is saying about Manny may well be true and it wouldn't surprise me, but what's the purpose of airing dirty laundry now? He's gone and the Sox are going to the playoffs. No further commentary seems required here.

SJH, he did the same thing (I think in response to you, actually) when he did his whole "I have never bashed Scott Williamson" and then went into a huge bash of Scott Williamson. He can throw a ball very fast and very accurate. But, he's not the smartest guy in the room.

[yecul]

Have we heard any of the players on the Red Sox comment on this?

Do you think there might be a reason for that?

Schilling misses the mark when he complains about a distraction by creating one of his own.

I'm not sure what is to be gained. Public opinion of Manny in Boston is not high in regard to his role in the clubhouse. Ditto the team itself. Manny doesn't seem to give a shit, so it's not like this would get a response. So... where are we going here and why is this brought up again?

[5belongstoGeorge]

The worst thing about this is that now we are going to have to listen to Gammo and Buster and Kruk and ____ go on and on about it instead of talking about baseball... something that many of them already find challenging.

Could the Sox just have #38 throw out a first pitch or something in the playoffs so he gets some "good" attention? Just make sure the mics are all off.

[pedros hairstylist]

Merloni and Dauber seemed to pretty much agree with Schilling's "If people knew half the stuff that went on, they'd be appalled" line of reasoning. Ordway concurred. If knocking down Jack McCormick was par for the course, then I might have to rethink my ambivalence towards Manny. Loved the results he gave us but I was never a huge fan even before the negative stuff started coming out.

I guess this is where the helpful local sportswriters/reputation assassins come in...

Edited by pedros hairstylist, 18 September 2008 - 12:08 PM.

[Yaz4Ever]

SJH - putting on my bloody sock for a moment and trying to get into Curt's head, I'm going to assume that he refers to himself as a waste of space because he's physically unable to play and it's driving him nuts, whereas he views Manny as someone who is not only tremendously gifted, but also physically able to play and made it clear he was willing to 'tank it' for the rest of the season if he didn't get his way. This has to drive someone like Curt absolutely nuts.

That said, I am nuts about both of these guys. Without them, we would not be looking at one, let alone two, championship banners whenever we're able to get an advance on our home equity lines to purchase tickets to Fenway. I wish Curt would just step back and be quiet at this point, but that's not him. I wish Manny would've manned up a bit instead of being a spoiled man-child who simply doesn't get it (or worse, does and doesn't care), but that's not him either. Regardless, I look forward to bringing my children to Cooperstown one day and showing them both plaques.

[Mr Weebles]

Manny may be half a retard and not play the game "right" (whatever that may be) but what's the point of Schilling's comments? Is he jealous Manny has gotten a lot of ink recently? Are his video games not life-satisfying enough? Has sand found its way into his vagina?

Curt's proving to be quite the douche.

[Foulkey Reese]

"If people knew half the stuff that went on, they'd be appalled"

God I hate it when people say stuff like that. Either come out and tell us everything, or just shut up about it and let the players who are actually playing go about their business.

[Rudy Pemberton]

Have we heard any of the players on the Red Sox comment on this?

Do you think there might be a reason for that?

Judging by the reaction Schilling gets every time he speaks his mind, it's no surprise that other players haven't commented on these and other issues.

Schilling is a guy who pretty much laid it all out on the line for the Sox, a key part to two WS teams (as was Manny of course) and he gets trashed here when he says something that a lot of fans don't agree with. I agree that there's not a lot to be gained by talking about Manny since that problem has been solved, but I also don't really have an issue with Curt talking. He's a member of the team, was close to the situation, and thinks Manny should be called out for his actions.

Every team we hear something negative about Manny, the commenter (whether its Gammons, Schilling, Olney, Edes, etc) gets ripped for having an agenda or something. I don't know that it is all that complicated, but whatever. There's probably some folks within the organization angered by the run Manny's been on, and how healthy he is. Ultimately, I could care less since Manny for Bay is a trade I make every day of the week, but I'm also not in the clubhouse as Curt is.

[NomarRS05]

I don't see why this story is getting any attention at all. There's nothing new here - Schilling said the same exact thing back in July. There is a lot to talk about regarding the Red Sox right now. This shouldn't be at the top of that list.

[Dogman2]

Manny may be half a retard and not play the game "right" (whatever that may be) but what's the point of Schilling's comments? Is he jealous Manny has gotten a lot of ink recently? Are his video games not life-satisfying enough? Has sand found its way into his vagina?

Curt's proving to be quite the douche.

Put another way. If Manny was .300/.375/.450 or injured as of this morning, do we hear anything out of Schilling?

[mclusky]

Curt Schilling is disrespecting the fans with this. I know that. Manny is gone, has been gone and it is a total nonstory. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are gearing up for the playoffs. Obviously we've all gotten to know Schilling over his time here and appreciate his on-the-field performance while understanding that off of it he is an insecure person with child-like vendettas.

I don't understand what that means, "disrespecting the fans," in this context. How does a baseball player speaking his mind about a controversial situation "disrespect the fans?" If anything, the endless, intelligence-insulting strings of cliches served up by most pro athletes are a lot more disrespectful.

Bringing this up serves no purpose. None. It is, literally, pointless. Curt Schilling has contributed nothing to baseball this year. Manny is in the middle of a playoff hunt with his own team. Contributing, like, actually playing baseball. I wonder if Schilling remembers that's what the both of them are - baseball players.

It's pretty easy to see what purpose it serves if you're not focused 100 percent on Manny Ramirez. What Schilling is doing is defending Terry Francona and the front office and the rest of the clubhouse.

[Carlos Cowart]

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG *OPS+ TB
144 525 96 173 34 1 34 112 3 0 79 119 .330 .425 .592 161 311

Push Jack McCormick down a flight of stairs, then teabag him for all I care.

Notice that 144 games played with 11 left to go? Yeah, Manny only plays when he feels like it. Unlike Schilling, who's been out there every 5th day like clockwork.

[JohntheBaptist]

Merloni and Dauber seemed to pretty much agree with Schilling's "If people knew half the stuff that went on, they'd be appalled" line of reasoning. Ordway concurred.

We're not talking about national security here, we're talking about a god damn baseball player- when these guys continually repeat this line, it boggles my mind. If we don't get it, and you're so passionate about us getting it, then fucking tell us once and for all the other half of his egregious offenses against God and baseball and humanity, and we can make a decision on how we feel about it, then move the hell on. Constantly bringing it up and then whining about it in the vaguest of terms only allows people on the fence to stay there, and ramps up the insecurity about it further down the road which starts this obnoxious cycle all over again.

And there is Mr. Appalling, keeping his mouth shut and carrying a team to the playoffs. It's easy to see why people gravitate more towards Manny.

[5belongstoGeorge]

It's pretty easy to see what purpose it serves if you're not focused 100 percent on Manny Ramirez. What Schilling is doing is defending Terry Francona and the front office and the rest of the clubhouse.

Defending them from what? I hadn't noticed they were under attack. Of course now everyone with any sort of connection, including us as fans, will bombarded with Manny talk in the middle of a run toward the post season. Thanks for that Curt!

If anything needs defending they need to defend that turd they called a baseball game last night.

[Frisbetarian]

Here's the full audio of Curt from the car.

[roundegotrip]

Personally, I want to know every detail of what went on in the clubhouse this year. All the allusions to what was really going on behind the scenes have made me curious. However, now is not the time to be dredging the Manny drama back up. Save it for the offseason.

Edited by roundegotrip, 18 September 2008 - 12:55 PM.

[Pumpsie]

The guys who played crucial roles on important teams are the worst people. Nothing makes guys like Tito feel worse than putting these type of guys in the lineup when you have guys busting their ass and he has to tell them to sit."

Oh, poor baby. Having to play the best players instead of the nicest guys. And getting paid millions to do that in order to help him get over that bad feeling.

What a narcissistic tool Schilling is sometimes.

As a fan, I could care less if a guy is impossible in the clubhouse, on the plane, in the hotel, at team meetings, whatever. If he delivers between the lines, I want him to be in the lineup. Similarly, I could care less if another guy is really nice. If he can't hit, pitch, field, run better than another guy he should be glued to the bench, traded or cut. Mr. Nice Guy is getting paid a LOT of money to watch more productive players play. He should be happy with that instead of whining to the manager. I'd rather watch the Sox win with a few jerks on the team than lose with 100% nice guys. The goal is to win championships not field the all-Nice Guy team. Let's not lose the reason why you get to cash those checks. It's not because you pick up after yourself in the locker room.

And the manager is getting paid to win games, not to win the Miss Congeniality Award. If he jeopardizes team success because he consistently rationalizes playing his favorites over better players, he should be fired so he can pursue his true calling; being Activity Director on a cruise ship.

Players and managers are getting paid HUGE amounts of money to win games. Keep focused on that goal and the reason you're getting those big paychecks, guys. If the clubhouse is a little uncomfortable for you because your locker is next to an uber-jerk, I have zero sympathy for you. You're being paid more money than most of the fans will ever see in their lifetimes to put up with that. Stop being such a big baby, fer Crissakes!

[5belongstoGeorge]

You know, this makes me wonder if Manny went "Charles Halley" on Schilling.

I want to know what Andre Ethier thinks about Manny as a teammate.

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Every team we hear something negative about Manny, the commenter (whether its Gammons, Schilling, Olney, Edes, etc) gets ripped for having an agenda or something. I don't know that it is all that complicated, but whatever. There's probably some folks within the organization angered by the run Manny's been on, and how healthy he is. Ultimately, I could care less since Manny for Bay is a trade I make every day of the week, but I'm also not in the clubhouse as Curt is.

Rudy, two things:

1. Who cares? Manny is gone. He's in Los Angeles, what's the point of coming out two months after the trade and ripping the guy?
2. Who cares? I really don't care what goes on in the clubhouse. There's a lot of fans who have this unhealthy obsession with what's going on the Red Sox clubhouse (who hates who, whose a 'player', etc.) and people are legitimately SHOCKED when there are reports of cliques and infighting. It's a normal business, just like where we all work. The differences are the money and the work is done publicly.

I heard the end of the interview and Schilling, I don't know, he didn't come off too well. Manny probably wasn't well liked this last year, if he was still producing at his HOF rate he'd still be here. He's not so he's gone. Pretty simple story.

[Drocca]

I don't understand what that means, "disrespecting the fans," in this context.

It is disrespectful of the fans to bring this non-story up again RIGHT WHEN WE ARE ABOUT TO GO TO THE PLAYOFFS. It is the most exciting time of the year for baseball and he wants to bring up THIS?

What do you not understand, exactly? It is disrespectful.

[JayMags71]

"I'm the last person in the world who should be telling you who's right and who's wrong in this," he said.

Truer words were never spoken. They'd seem less hypocritical had he not shown up in Spring Training '07 looking like Chris Farley.

[Fred not Lynn]

Personally, I want to know every detail of what went on in the clubhouse this year.

To each his own, but to me, that's like going to the sausage factory and watching them grind up the ingredients for the hot dog you're going to eat at the ballpark. There are some snouts and ani you just don't really need to know about...

Edited by Fred not Lynn, 18 September 2008 - 01:02 PM.

[smastroyin]

Now is not the time.

However, it has been clear since 199x that Curt Schilling and Terry Francona share a relationship of some sort. Their views often align. It has been clear since 2005 that Terry Francona doesn't much care for Manny Ramirez. Curt probably feels like he has a lot more freedom than Terry does to express these thoughts.

It should still wait for the memoir though.

[mclusky]

Defending them from what?

You don't think that there is more pressure on the team and the front office now that Manny is tearing up the National League and the Red Sox have lost two series to Tampa? You think if the Red Sox are eliminated early and Manny goes on to be World Series MVP, there won't be criticisms, internal and external, aimed at people in the organization vis-a-vis Manny? Don't you think the players/Francona/Epstein/H/W/L would all feel the heat in such a situation?

Schilling is trying to publicly address that issue. The people here who are criticizing him for it are clearly looking at it from a "he's bashing Manny" POV, which is partly valid, obviously, but it's nonsense to think that's the only valid POV.

Oh, poor baby. Having to play the best players instead of the nicest guys.

Wouldn't it be beneficial, though, if the best players could at least be not total pains in the ass? I think what's emerging is that there's a difference here between a guy like Manny and a guy who is just labeled as a pain because the media doesn't like him. Plenty of guys are hated on in the public and the press but respected by their teammates, Manny genuinely appears to have lost that respect this year.

Players and managers are getting paid HUGE amounts of money to win games. Keep focused on that goal and the reason you're getting those big paychecks, guys.

I agree with this, but why does this advice only apply to players other than Manny Ramirez?

[Drocca]

I'd say Manny is earning, and has always earned, his paycheck. So the advice does go for Manny. He appears to heed it.

[TheRooster]

Put another way. If Manny was .300/.375/.450 or injured as of this morning, do we hear anything out of Schilling?

People keep hinting at it, but I want to be explicit. There has been a groundswell of support for Manny in the NL MVP race and I think that would appall the whole "play the game the right way" crowd. This could easily sway just enough voters to nip Manny's candidacy in the bud. I really wish Curt would devote his considerable talent and energy elsewhere.

[E5 Yaz]

Schilling's comments are of little consequence. I think they speak more to a need to appear relevant than anything else.

Regardless of what Manny has done with the Dodgers, we haven't a clue what he would have done had he stayed in Boston for the full season. The disaster game series against the Angels just before the deadline was evidence that something was seriously amiss on the team. Was the situation with Manny the primary cause? Possibly. What would have happened without a trade? We don't know.

Despite his success in L.A., there is still the perception in the MSM that Manny "quit" on the Red Sox and (with Boras) forced his way out of town. Schilling talking about it at this point adds nothing to the equation.

[maufman]

Have we heard any of the players on the Red Sox comment on this?

Do you think there might be a reason for that?

Schilling misses the mark when he complains about a distraction by creating one of his own.

I wish G38 hadn't picked this scab, but I don't think it's a distraction. I'm also sure he wouldn't say these things if he wasn't sure that most of his teammates agreed.

[reggiecleveland]

Lugo should phone is saying Schilling's phone calls are wrong.

[sachmoney]

It should still wait for the memoir though.

Yeah, indeed if we only did hear 10-20% of what happened, I would love to see what else happened, and I'm sure that Big Schill will be coming out with a strongly worded three part epic of his career.

The funny thing is, Schilling is probably one of the last guys I want to hear from on this. I'm much more interested in guys who were with Manny every day. I want to know what David Ortiz thought (about the situation). I want to know what Dustin Pedroia thought. I want to know what Kevin Youkilis thought. Was Schilling even with the team during the end days? Or was he hearing from his teammates?

[xjack]

Two thoughts:

1. Lay off Schilling. I hate it when CHB and his ilk blast Schilling for speaking his mind -- when we all know they're giddy whenever he does -- and we shouldn't fall into the same hypocritical trap. On some level everyone here knows that what Schilling said is both interesting and largely true.

2. That said, Schilling's opinion has no bearing on how I feel about Manny Ramirez.

Steve Jobs is an egomaniac control freak who is a nightmare to work with, but that doesn't mean Apple shareholders shouldn't be grateful for the wealth he's created for them. It's the same thing with Manny.

I realize that he was a bad teammate, but that's a burden that Schilling and the other players had to deal with. It's not the fans' problem. And so long as Manny is not some cretin like Orlando Cepeda or Roger Clemens -- and even Schilling admits Manny is basically a nice guy -- all that matters to me is that A) Manny helped win two championships, B) he was the rare big-money free agent who came to Boston and actually lived up to his contract, and C) he was a joy to watch.

Edited by xjack, 18 September 2008 - 02:42 PM.

[Worst Trade Evah]

Why all the negativity toward Schilling?

He's asked a question and he answered it openly and honestly. His answer very likely reflects the general opinion of players and management. Even Ortiz was talking about the "cloud" over the clubhouse. It's not exactly a national security issue here, and there's nothing that threatens or distracts from the playoffs or the team in any serious way. Some people are interested in what goes on in clubhouses and some aren't. Some people have an abiding interest in Manny, who was only here for 7 years and two championships, and the events of this summer, and some don't.

I don't really mind if an athlete gives an open answer to a question. I doubt it ever really matters on the field at all, so why all the angst? It's just more grist for the mill, which doesn't bother me.

Edited by Worst Trade Evah, 18 September 2008 - 02:45 PM.

[yep]

I agree with those who hate the old "If you knew what I know then you'd feel as I do" argument. That is at best a really bad argument, and more commonly it is both a cop-out and a particularly insidious form of gossip, because there is no defense from it. I don't care a lick about hearing the embarrassing/ugly/prurient details, but I prefer arguments that are based on something more substantive than how somebody else felt about something they won't tell me about.

All that said, Schilling has indicated publicly that the team voted unanimously to get rid of Manny, which is significant and specific. There was a rumor, but Curt seems to confirm it. That is not the same as actually spilling all the gruesome details, but it's a pretty good hook to hang your hat on in making the argument that the Manny problems were serious. If true, I think that's enough detail to establish for purposes of polite conversation that Manny was creating real problems.

As for comments about Manny's fitness as a human being or Schilling's prerogative to speak or whatever... <shrug>. It's Curt Schilling. We're not going to hear from Ortiz anytime soon. If you want inside dirt, you usually have to get it from a loudmouth. For good or for ill, Curt is pretty clearly the first if not only person in the organization that we are likely to hear from on this until everyone is retired. You're not going to get discreet, well-considered, even-handed types to talk about problems with their teammates, because people like that don't talk about their teammates. It is the Schillings, Sheffields, Wellses of the world who give the inside scoop if anybody does, and it's only going to come out wrapped in their opinions. That's the nature of these things. If you want drugs, you have to get them from a drug dealer, and if you want rumors, you have to get them from a loudmouth. It takes all types.

[norm from cheers]

Thanks for posting the link to G38's call in to the show. I wish there was some context available--particularly--the five minutes on air prior to him calling in. In his first sentence G38 says that he "almost can't help driving off the road hearing you guys (WEEI Radio heads) talk about Manny."

Isn't it likely, that they said something that made G38 react as he was listening? Would he have called if they were talking about Lowell's hip in the show? I doubt it (but don't know, because I am not G38 of course.)

When I first read the article this am and saw the story, my initial thought was WTF is this even coming up for now? Having just now heard the clip, I simply heard a player who wanted to give his perception to a bunch of radio heads who basically are in the hype and drama business. Sure, the Buddhist comment was an attempt at humor, but overall, he was talking more about the team and Tito's frustrations than Manny being Manny from Hell.

[Soxfan in Fla]

Curt,

I sincerely hope you come on here and read this. WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS?!?!?!? Seriously, you made your views on the situation quite clear when everything went down in July. We get it, you don't like Manny, you think what he did is wrong, blah, blah. MOVE ON ALREADY. The rest of the Sox have, pretty much all the fans have and considering his absurd performance in LA its pretty clear Manny has too so I think its time for you to grow up and move the hell on.

This stupid little stunt makes you look like nothing more than an attention whore who hasn't seen enough ink lately. Is that seriously what you want to look like? You've got a lot of positive overall love from the Boston/New England community. Keep pulling stupid stuff like this and that will go up in smoke REAL QUICK. Move on already, this team has a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks. Hop on the gravy train and enjoy the ride. I know it sucks you can't be a part of it this year but it doesn't mean you need to be a distraction because of it. You can just sit back and enjoy watching it all unfold without drawing attention to yourself.

It pains me to say this because overall I have really liked what you have brought to the team and most of your mouthiness (not all) but this was just uncalled for and really stupid timing.

[someoneanywhere]

Wow, what a massive pile-on this thread has become. Can we back away a little from the Boston-mindedness of all these views and take it from another direction?

Manny Ramirez is a story, all the time. Not because it's a MBM thing, but because he is one of the best to ever play the game, a sure-fire HOFer, quite possibly the greatest right-handed hitter of the last 30 years and maybe ever. We are, in other words, dealing not just with a teammate but a historic player. What he did in Boston in 2008 is part of his legacy; saying this is not a good time to talk about Manny is like saying it's not a good time to talk about Pudge Fisk or Reggie Jackson or whomever. There is never a time not to talk about HOF players and their impact.

Besides, the man is being about talked about elsewhere, all the time, for what he has done since he got to LA. And you guys are saying Boston shouldn't talk about him when nationally he's all the rage? What kind of sense does that make?

Schilling shouldn't talk? Why not, exactly? The man spent four years with Manny and, of this moment, is his only true peer on the team: a serious candidate for the HOF himself, and the greatest post-season pitcher of his generation. If anything, he's more entitled than anyone else on the team to talk about Manny, his dis/respect of the game, and his legacy. Tiz, Tek and maybe a few others may eventually enter the HOF discussion -- but none of them are there yet.

To turn this around by playing with the context: talking about a role player [like, say Lou Merloni] and what he may have done in the clubhouse would be a distraction, or having a dirtdog [like Dauber] run down Manny may be cheap news [Dauber: I love, you bro, no offense] -- but a HOFer talking about another one is neither cheap nor a distraction. It's about baseball, folks, not about Boston.

[Tangled Up In Red]

It is a non-issue to me. One man's view of what went down from a man with a pretty good view. There are a thousand lenses into every situation, and I don't mind looking through one, and I'd be happy to look through more (including Manny's).

Does this help the Sox? No. Does it harm them? Again, no... or if it does, they have far more serious issues.

[PC Drunken Friar]

My issue is, it seems to me that Schilling is one of the first guys I would think of when talking about how players are in a frat. you don't let the real shit come out, because you are one of them. What about the 100's of assholes that Schilling has come across in his career...he himself I am sure pissed MANY people off. imagine if they came out and put Schill on blast? hewould throw a fucking fit.

Peace out guy. thanks for '04 and '07. I root for laundry and the occasional player.

I like Manny better.

[Bowlerman9]

Tomorrow's top story: Schilling talks about Jason Bay missing two important games in September.