Manny has a new episode (but others are stuck in repeats)

The Red Sox, with some help from Manny Ramirez, are on a roll …

Steve:
So less than a week after El Gordo calls for a cease and desist to the phrase "Manny being Manny," none other than Manny himself has twice now referred to himself as "Manny being Manny."

 

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Bill:
Christ, wasn't that bit with Manny holding up the "The New Episode … Manny Being Manny" sign priceless?

 

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Steve:
Yeah, you know if I hadn't had it repeatedly drilled into my head so many times by our distinguished media elite that Manny is a retard, I might begin to believe he's actually making fun of Edes.

 

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Bill:
Reminds me, does the Curly Haired Boyfriend have some sort of terminal disease we are not aware of? Because the Gordito seems like he's positioning himself to take Dan-O's place as the grand poobah of media dinks …

 

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Steve:
For sure, look at today's piece. Edes can barely contain his anti-Manny seething, you know, "Ramirez 'evidently' decided he didn't want to be a dropout after all" and "Ramirez is at least 'outwardly' acting like he's happy" …Jeez.

 

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Bill:
Yeah, and all the hahdly subtle grandstanding for the Edes-approved work ethic of Damon, Wakefield, and Varitek meant to contrast against the "fun" Manny has.

 

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Steve:
And how about the truly sublime opening graf comparing Manny to a school boy with a crush on his algebra teacher that extends the "petulant child" label Gordung is so fond of slapping on Manny?

 

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Bill:
Christ, I missed that one! I thought Edes was just unconsciously projecting one of his own wank-O-tastic fantasies on us.

 

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Steve:
You know it's been written that fans, and in particular bloggers, can't exist without the newspapers because the bloggers "don't do the reporting." Fair enough, but is it too much to ask to have the so-called reporting delivered without the vindictive, ax-grinding, biased, vendetta bullshit?

 

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Bill:
You know, when the Boston press went negative on Jurassic Carl, at least that made sense, the guy was a total asshole, but what is it exactly about Manny that inspires such animosity?

 

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Steve:
I know, even Derek "I'll hump anything that moves" Lowe gets treated better than Manny.

 

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Comments

[ryan]

Well, I guess Theo didn't wanna sign Lowe lest Derek leave his wife for Hazel Mae.

[The Goat]

I've been thinking the same thing: What is it about Manny that gets dipwads like Edes so riled up? Sure he's a space cadet, but a lot of these writers and sports talk guys treat him like he killed and ate a baby on live TV.

Sometimes it's weird being a non-New England sox fan, because I can't really relate to the seemingly total mass hysteria that the media creates out there. Manny's offenses, though annoying, never ever came close in my mind to justifying the deletion of his production from the team. For all the world, the proposed trades seemed to be of the "white flag" variety to me.

I really started to believe that the Boston (and national) media was rooting for the trade simply to watch our team implode afterwards. Thank jeebus that Theo isn't that gorram stupid.

By the way, it's over for Pure Evil. Oh lord how I hope we get the chance to mathematically eliminate them on the final weekend of the season. :)

[Robert (00:05)]

our tolerance for this 'misbehaviour' in a ball player is all relative, Manny can be Manny as long as his numbers will allow (I can stand a little personality round the place). I think this gets tmepered a little by the fact that this is the Redsox not the evil empire, where I can imagine a finger nail inspection before they are allowed to take the field. As for Lowe he could leave his wife for my sister then leave her for Hazel Mae for all I care as long as he got the sox 20 wins. But right now he's more likely to get 20 losses at the Dodgers.

[Oki-na-chichi]

From Skip Bayless's Page 2 column:
"Maybe I'm giving the Boston brass too much credit here. But I believe it staged a little trade charade just to use a little child psychology on Manny, who's 33 going on Sesame Street.

Of course, Manny asks to be traded the way a spoiled child threatens to run away if he feels he isn't getting enough attention. At least once a summer for the last four seasons, Manny has demanded to be dealt."

"Of course, owner John Henry remembers when Manny called him and begged not to be shipped to Texas for Alex Rodriguez. Henry knows Manny's love-hate relationship with Boston is mostly love. Henry knew the Manny-to-the-Mets hysteria would again force a left fielder with the attention span of a second-grader to suddenly remember all the great things about playing baseball in Boston."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/050801

With brilliant insight such as this it won't be long before ESPN forces us to shell out for Insider to read Bayless's gems.

[illegitimate son of dwight evans]

"Tim Wakefield, when he's not starting, takes his spikes to the bench. Jason Varitek goes to the bullpen and warms up relievers on his days off."

But apparently that's not enough, as they didn't call Manny out for his "selfishness". You know, I think Bill has it right - CHB must be dying and Edes is crown prince media fucktard. Either that or he's going to challenge him for his starting spot on the all-asshat sportswriter squad.

I can't say how much I liked seeing Manny get his ovations over the past two games. It was like a giant collective F-U from fans to the asshole sportswriters who think they can wag the dog.

Great strip, h.b., this crystallizes just about all the b-s Edes slings.

[SawxSince67]

"...non-New England sox fan"

Yeah, living outside of the region looking in, I found that the media rabble-rouses just as much as it informs. Thankfully, none of my family in Mass were really sucked into the maelstrom of insanity.

The results of some seasons were sufficient to induce insanity on other levels.

So...things have obviously changed, but they clearly haven't.

[Cathryn]

Thanks for reminding me why I usually skip the papers entirely and just read sports blogs these days. I'll take any given blogger over the entire sports staff of the Herald any day.

[Follower of Tito]

Manzilla!
Manosaurus!
Manster!
Man-o-Matic!

You know why the print media dickheads are so damn vitriolic? They can't feel anything. They can't feel the love of the team the way the fans do. They can't feel the regret that those who booed Manny have felt. They can't feel the apology (the standing O on Sunday that my family and I were part of). They can't feel the acceptance of that apology (Manny tipping his cap). Do these guys have any friends? If they did, they would know that there are ups and downs.

Actually, I think they have totally missed the point (except Bayless). The crowd willed Manny back to his happy place. It may sound old-fashioned or corny, but these guys, even Manny, play best with passion and emotion. Don't you think that every pitcher in the league is just that more freaked out when they come up against a smiling, happy, Manny?

I wonder sometimes if these Asperger's Syndrome suffering writers ever played or even like the game.

Sorry...I guess I should exhale now...rant over.

[Aaron]

One of the Boston sportswriters (I think it may even have been Shaughnessy) used to refer to the folks who listened to sports talk radio as "Bloodthirsty Shut-ins." Obviously, the irony of the fact that he and his spittle-flecked cohorts provide fodder for the Shut-ins was completely lost on him...

[NV in SD]

How about CHB as Buffalo Bill and Edes as the girl putting the lotion in the basket? Has Gordo ever spouted this much anti-anybody vitrol about anyone on the Sox? I see CHB walking around, writing articles in his Edes- suit, which would both explain his mysterious dissapearance and Edes turn-for-the-fuckstick.

Just a thought- kinda like h.b. as bribri.

[pawsoxpop]

Edes would be the first one on the bandwagon to get Theo fired if he had traded Manny and the Mets won five in a row while the Sox went on a losing streak. I also have a hard time understanding the fan mentality that gets all bent out of shape over something written in the paper when it contradicts the evidence right in front of their eyes (97 RBIs by August) but I think most fans realized in the end that trading Manny would be insane.

Edes is right about one thing though. More players could use a mental health day or two. And as the Yankees fade and the Sox surge in August, there will be time to give Varitek and the rest of those guys a rest once in awhile.

Still, a couple of weeks on the DL have not done much good for Belhorn, who is 0 for 8 with four strikeouts in Pawtucket. I still think we should bring him back as the third base coach and let Graffanino play second.

[Aaron]

Bellhorn's errors and strikeouts were tolerable last year, when he was hitting for power and driving in runs. He's done neither this year. He had a good run, but Graffanino should be the starter the rest of this year, followed by either Pedroia or Hanley next year.

Bye, K-horn. Enjoy your complimentary cheese log and World Series ring.

[yazbread]

D-Lowe's wife is going to take him to the cleaners - lucky for her, he sign that fat contract before moving on. As for Carolyn Hughes, since when are 'Baseball Annies' given a mike and allowed to host a pre-game show. Hell hath no fury like a Dodger wife scorned (e.g., Cindy Garvey).

[pawsoxpop]

Weren't the Go-Gos all going out with the Dodgers in the early '80s? Isn't there some band now that D-Lowe can jam with? Maybe the Donnas? Are they from L.A.?

[scott12xu]

...or maybe an all-girl tribute band from L.A. like Cheap Chick or AC/DShe. That'd be more D-Lowe's speed.

[da kine]

This is an example of when the time zone difference twixt Beantown and Hawaii sucks. I was totally going to use the DLowe/Hazel Mae line myself. That is in the first comment alone! Then I was going to mention how K-Horn needs to stay home so Graffiti can stay in the lineup. You buggers all made great points, and now I have nothing to do but complain about living in Hawaii. Man, I'm a dick.

[SawxSince67]

"Hawaii: Tropical Paradise or Time Zone Purgatory?"

Some worry that Graf has never played an entire season, but at this point, he won't be asked to.

He's 12 for 37 and was hitless in only one game since his acquisiton. Has to have more range than the Bell.

Oh yeah, Miller's going against some dude with a 9 ERA tonight...just sayin, is all...

[bd]

Seems to me like you're focusing too intently on El Gordo & Shaunnie and haven't mentioned at all the similar smear campaign waged by That Other Paper. From Tony Mazz's Edes-esque article on Friday to Silverman's "Team Has Issues After Manny Mess" dig on him yesterday, the boys at the BH have been at least as ruthless towards Man-Ram as the Globies have. Or mebbe I'm just the only one to read The Rag and notice this stuff.

[pawsoxpop]

Sending Damon to be thrown out at home with Manny coming up and no outs. I'm telling you, bring Bellhorn back AS THE THIRD BASE COACH!!!!!!

[h.b.]

>+ I love this line fron da kine:

"... now I have nothing to do but complain about living in Hawaii."

>+ And this fabulous response just as much:

"Hawaii: Tropical Paradise or Time Zone Purgatory?"

>+ Some truth to this:

"the boys at the BH have been at least as ruthless towards Man-Ram as the Globies have. Or mebbe I'm just the only one to read The Rag and notice this stuff"

[I do read the Herald. Had at least one link out to it today. But it's true I tend to get myopic on the Globe. And the working for a living scribes at the Herald can be every bit as good, pathetic, vexed, full-of-shit, entertaining as the Morrissey Boulevard gang.]

[beth]

the hell i need the papers.

the games are on TV. i can watch them myself.

and guess what?!?! THAT'S ENOUGH TO WRITE ABOUT!

*storms off*

[Damien]

The Yanks fading faster than Joe Morgan can say "Billy Beane should never have written
Moneyball".

Where are you Big Bri - I miss you, in a sort of "now that pimple on my butt is gone, I need something else to bitch about" kind of way.

[Rick]

Incidentally, did anyone else enjoy seeing Ambiotrix relieving Runelvys as much as I did?

[SawxSince67]

I've seen Jimmy Gobble Ambiotrix to relieve a bad case of Runelvys, if that's what you're saying...

[BARRY]

HEY WHERE DO I FIND TOPLESS HAZEL MAE PICTURES I WILL PAY BIG DOLLARS