Manny Ramirez earned a ticket out of Boston by refusing to run out ground balls, refusing to come out of the dugout and at times taking breaks inside the Green Monster. Joe Torre watched from the opposing dugout as Manny and his Red Sox teammates became the new kings of the AL East as well as the Boys of October by making regular appearances in the Fall Classic. Now Ramirez has once again become a thorn in Torre’s side but in a different way.
Since arriving in L.A. Manny led the Dodgers to the post season and a first round upset of the Chicago Cubs. Since then he has been led astray by rogue manager Scott Boras. Boras and Ramirez have rejected four offers from the Dodgers to play the 2009 season and beyond. Frustration has built to the point where team owner Frank McCourt described the negotiations as a side show.
Since arriving in L.A. Manny led the Dodgers to the post season and a first round upset of the Chicago Cubs. Since then he has been led astray by rogue manager Scott Boras. Boras and Ramirez have rejected four offers from the Dodgers to play the 2009 season and beyond. Frustration has built to the point where team owner Frank McCourt described the negotiations as a side show.
“It’s a side show, a smoke screen,” McCourt said. “Call it what you will.”
McCourt said that the Dodgers aren’t through negotiating with Manny but suggested that hasn’t forgotten the way negotiations have gone with Boras and that it could have a lingering effect on upcoming offers.
“Every day things are changing and we need to be mindful of that,” he said. “We’ve made four offers since November. And, you know what, the world isn’t anything like the way it was in November.”
According to McCourt the Dodgers are going to start from “scratch” on Monday but it is clear that the organization is tired of the antics and tired of him not being in camp. Manny doesn’t have the track record in L.A. that he had in Boston so the fans may not be as used to his antics nor may they be willing to accept them.
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