Does Manny Care? Who cares?
Posted: October 18th, 2007 | Filed under: Baseball | 12 Comments »
So this afternoon, while we wait for crucial Game 5 to begin, I thought it might be fun to get into some MannyBeingManny talk. I can never get enough Manny Ramirez. Anyway, it seems like more fun than reading the seven billion shmillion angry emails I’ve gotten from people over that Chief Wahoo blog.
Yes, I have promised that I would not write anymore on this blog about Chief Wahoo, and I will not. However, I must advise you — pro or con — you have to read my brilliant friend Scott Raab’s blog, “Why I Have A Racist Caricature on My Arm.â€
OK, you have no doubt by now seen the Manny Ramirez quotes that he offered after the Red Sox loss to Cleveland in Game 4. These have apparently set off some folks back in Boston. Here is the money quote, just in case you missed it:
“We’re confident every day. It doesn’t matter. We’re not going to give up. We’re going to play the game and move on. If it doesn’t happen, who cares? There’s always next year. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.â€
Yeah, you could see why that would tick some people off. There are those who will read this quote and take it to mean that Manny does not care if the Red Sox happen to lose tonight (there’s always next year). He also seems to be hinting that losing would not be the end of the world.
First, I have to say, I find the whole thing pretty hilarious. People have watched Manny Ramirez for how many years now? They have watched him jog after baseballs in the outfield with all the enthusiasm of a guy walking in to get his colonoscopy. They have heard him demand trades how many times? They have seen the guy move slower than health care reform on double-play grounders. This seems a funny time to be shocked and appalled to find that perhaps MannyBeingManny doesn’t share General Patton’s hunger for victory.
But that’s not really my point here.
Here’s my point: Does it matter at all? For one thing, the quote doesn’t really mean anything. MannyBeingManny actually said all sorts of stuff — many of his other quotes indicate he does care and would like very much to win tonight — and it’s very possible that this particular quote, while not taken OUT of context, was perhaps not really placed IN context either, if you know what I mean. OK, you might not know what I mean.
Here’s an example: A football player comes off the field after a loss. He’s beat up. he’s tired. He’s frustrated. His ankle has blown up to roughly the size of a Chevy Nova, and it is wrapped up with enough ice to service most weddings. And someone asks, “What did you think of the play calling?â€
And he goes off: “It’s ridiculous. We need to run the ball more. I have no idea what the coaches are thinking.†Etc.
Now, as a reporter, you obviously report those quotes. That’s the job. Those quotes are gold. And you are not reporting them out of context, not exactly, but you also will probably not write: The lineman was obviously in great pain and he was embarrassed after the loss and he had a hugely swollen ankle and couldn’t really walk, and there’s a good chance he will not feel the same way this morning when he wakes up and has to deal with the angry coaches.“ We don’t have the time (nor the transcendental understanding of other people) to put every single word in precise context.
Manny’s quotes — his first offered by his locker all year, from what I’m reading — were obviously affected by the Cleveland loss, by the fans getting on him, by whatever emotions he might have about his old team and town and so on. MannyBeingManny also likes to make people believe that nothing bothers him, nothing can get to him, he takes it all in stride, and it seems to me likely that these quotes are part of the act.
But even more to the point: Does it even matter if Manny really DOESN’T care? How much does the rah-rah, â€Our backs are against the wall,“ stuff actually help a team win games? I remember — as most fans do — the first time I started to suspect that as fans, we are sometimes more emotionally involved than the players themselves. I went out after a football game, a loss by the Cleveland Browns, and I was beyond depressed, and suddenly I saw some of the Cleveland players whooping it up in a bar on the Flats. I remember my exact feeling: â€What are they so damned happy about? Don’t they even care?“
Maybe they didn’t care. Maybe they did care but they were blowing off steam. Maybe they thought that the best way to come back after a loss was to put it behind them. I don’t know. But I do know this: The Browns won the next week, and two of the players I saw in here laughing had great games. Sure, I want to believe there’s something to caring — North Carolina coach Roy Williams calls it â€want-to,“ a noun, as in, â€Our team could use a little more want-to.“ — but if Manny hits two homers tonight to send this series back to Boston (and he’s more than capable of doing it) I suspect nobody will give a rat that he told reporters that losing would not be the end of his world.
We’re going to try to do something live tonight off of this crucial Game 5 — don’t know what yet. Maybe we’ll get a couple of blogging guest stars.
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I’m first, just like I’ll be in Iowa and New Hampshire!
Joe – I love your stuff, but you didn’t touch on the main point: Manny is killing the ball this post season. He has a 2007 postseason batting average over .450, an OBP over .800, and an OPS over 1.600. He’s not giving up on anyone. No one could make the argument that he doesn’t care, when he and David Ortiz are clearly the only ones out there that are contributing on offense every game. Now JD Drew…that’s a different story.
Mr. Posnanski, I’m very grateful that MoveOn.org posted a link to your blog over the racist Chief Wahoo. As a fellow Clevelander I feel a kinship to your writing. However, I must say that baseball is too much of a capitalist and competitive game for my liking what with winners and losers and things of that sort. Nonetheless, I hope you don’t object to me telling my fellow progressive and liberal supporters to post on this blog. In fact, would you mind us using this blog as a secondary source for my campaign? I’m afraid that the GOP is using the Patriot Act to illegally hack into my website. I blame them for sending out false information that caused only three people to show up to my vegan breakfast rally this morning in Iowa. Well, I must go. My radio interview with the local NPR station in Keokuk awaits. Until later, Go Native North American Indigenous Humans!
Amen, Joe, Amen. As I Red Sox fan, I am not in the least irritated by Manny’s comments, for a variety of reasons.
First, as you stated so well, it’s no mystery anymore that the players aren’t quite as absorbed by the wins and losses as the fans. Comments of this type ceased to be shocking to me quite some time ago.
Second, it’s Manny. He’s got uncashed $100,000 paychecks in his glove compartment and two sons who are each named Manny Jr. It’s not like he’s a real deep thinker, ya know?
Third, and most importantly, Manny is right. There are things in life that go beyond winning a particular game or series. In most other contexts, a player making the same comments as Manny would be praised. “Hey, look, a player who understands the bigger picture of life. He wants to win (says so right there in the same quote), but her also understands that sports are the toy department of life, etc. etc. How admirable.” But no, this is Manny Ramirez, the guys with the dreds and baggy unifrm. The guy who might have faked an injury to end last season a bit early. The guy who had the audacity to refuse to give interviews for the past couple of years, therefore he must be crucified.
Did anyone take the time to find out if there really was something more important than the ALCS going on in Manny’s life? Is one of his relatives sick? Did he and his wife just discover they can’t have any more kids? Who knows? Or as Manny said, who cares? The point is this: Maybe, just maybe, Manny said an ALCS loss won’t be end the world BECAUSE IT’S TRUE.
Maybe, contrary to popular opinion, it’s Manny who’s got his head screwed on straight for a change.
Dan nailed it. What does it matter if he cares or not when he’s batting almost .500 in the playoffs? If the Royals made the playoffs by some magic genie tomorrow, followed by Meche going out and throwing a perfect game, I wouldn’t care in the least if he spent the next 3 games sitting in the dugout and openly cheering for the opponents.
Besides that, Manny’s right. It isn’t the end of the world… and it’s even less so considering Boston got a title just 3 years ago.
And Kucinich: get a life. If you didn’t like his Wahoo post, demand your money back. Otherwise, stop ruining discussions on other topics.
Paul,
After reading a dizzying array of circular debate, faulty logic, and general stupidity, I must welcome your comment (on Joe’s behalf….can I do that, Joe?). It’s the smartest thing I’ve read all day.
And it’s not like Manny’s had a bad ALCS.
He’s hit over .400 in the series with a pair of homers.
Whoa, I forgot some words. After “stupidity” should have been “in the comments on the Chief Wahoo piece.”
Here’s the biggest problem with people and Chief Wahoo…just kidding.
What would be interesting to know is the reaction fans would have reading the Manny quote vs. seeing the Manny quote replayed on tv. In print, it comes across as direct and pointed, as though he thought about it and had those comments all ready for the reporters. On tv, it just comes across as the ramblings of another athlete trying to give an answer, any answer, that’ll fill the gap between questions. I’d guess the print version got more fans riled than tv version, but maybe I’m not giving Red Sox fans enough credit. On tv he just looked tired and as if he’d rather be somewhere else, makes it harder to take him seriously, even for Manny.
P.S. He looked the same in his first at-bat and doubled, so obviously next game (if there is one) he should tell reporters that he doesn’t even like baseball and would rather be watching 30 Rock.
When does the live portion of tonight start?
Another Sox fan who appreciated Manny’s comments. It’s certainly not the end of the world – the question is whether Manny knew that it would be the end of the series…
What about McCarver popping a vein over Manny not running hard on his game 5 almost homer? Clearly Tim needs to be taught some perspective about the end of the world (among many other things). Sure, Manny should’ve made it to 2nd, but it didn’t matter a bit.
good article. For the many who may not be so familiar with the psychology of peak performance, I have posted an article on my blog that might be helpful to understand why Many says “who cares”. It’s amazing the amount of people who actually think he “doesn’t care”. Then again they may never have played sports successfully – my article may upset some and may enlighten some… you be the “judge”…