Lammycat

But he doesn't do this every year. He has expressed a desire to leave before but this is different. His contract is nearing it's end with 2 $20 M. options for the Sox. His direct attack on the FO is beyond repair, imo. ed. And not that the FO didn't push to get Manny on his way out, either.

They supposedly showed Manny in a Marlins had about a half hour ago during the Marlins game....

Mike Jacobs pulled from FLA line up: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/unfiltered/?p=966

It's quite possible as we've been through similar things at the trade deadline before with him. Honestly though, I don't see how he stays with some of the spew coming out of his mouth. However, I can see him staying if Bay isn't involved somehow. The FO aren't foolish. In short: who the fuck knows?

Boston doesn't deserve that grill anyway.

Well, he does have a house there.....

Pretty harsh words from Manny to the Sox front office before tonight's game: "The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," Ramirez said. "During my years here I've seen how they [the Red Sox] have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them. "The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy," Ramirez added. "I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price and I don't have peace

Certainly not a great source, so "grain of salt" on this one: Sox will hold on to Manny until at least Nov.: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/sports/17042677/detail.html

Hermida and Willingham are on the FLA roster/line up for tonight, as is Manny for BOS....

Of course they'll need another bat, but the bigger issue is that the front office apparently wants to move Manny due to all the issues surrounding him; most important his contract coming up for renewal and his public bitching about it. ed. Who knows. At least Theo can say he tried to Manny, even if they don't really want to move him.

Buster Olney reports "serious" talk between FLA/BOS for Manny trade: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?..._trade_deadline ed. Gammons saying a possible three-way deal involving FLA/BOS/PIT (Jason Bay) could happen, too. ed.2: Sox trying but no bat to protect Ortiz in line up worthy yet: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds..._tryingbut.html

They also have Molina. And Moeller. I suppose Pudge's bat is better than either of those two (and he's still got a nice throw to second), but isn't he notorious for not getting along with pitchers/being difficult with calling pitches?

Not great upgrades for either team but I think the trade will help both teams a little bit.

And they were at/near? ($49 MM) the bottom of MLB payrolls for the next one (bottom 2/3). I'm not saying money doesn't help, but the efficiency in how that money is used and the manner in which a team is run is of greater importance than bottom line payroll numbers.

The Marlins and the Red Sox have won the same number of WS the past ten years.

Yet the Rockies took a short series 2-1 from the Sox earlier in the season, and yet plenty of teams with far lesser payrolls have triumphed over higher-payroll teams in the WS (of recent memory: FLA, ARI, etc.). I just don't see the validity of pegging a team as a "better" team because they have more money to spend. Sure, of course it helps, and I say this as a fan of a team that's 4th highest in payroll this season (Tigers and Mets don't get the same criticism that BOS takes, though), but there are plenty of other factors besides bottom-line payroll that are more important in how a team f

Outclassed, outcoached, outplayed. Call it what you will but at that point in the season do you honestly believe they were outspent?

Doesn't this counter your contention that anyone can win in the post-season, though? With a little luck? I agree they were the inferior team. They made it to the WS on a shoe-string budget, though.

According to Remy on WEEI this morning, Manny asked him yesterday if he'd been traded yet and told Remy he wants to "find peace" playing somewhere else....

Trade deadline rumors from Jon Heyman (SI); Dunn, Washburn, Bay, et al.: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writ...ex.html?eref=T1

Yeah, I don't see Allison sweetening the deal at all. Manny mid-season trading-deadline mania once again.

I don't follow this logic. "Expensive" teams play better in the post-season then less expensive teams? So if LAA meet the Cubs then the LAA should win because they have a higher payroll? Colorado lost the WS last year because they were outplayed. The amazing run they had in the three weeks before the post-season showed that a team with a low payroll can be competitive, too. ed. I went to push "reply" and it was locked.

That's that.

nm