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Bay State Gamesby Cameron on July 31 at 7:47PM | comments (7)
[ comments (7) ] [ BallHype ] Someone needs to copyright that phrase pronto. Who knows if Jason Bay will hit as well as he could at Fenway, but if he does, a blind and deaf salesman could still peddle 800 of those shirts on Yawkey Way within a week. All clever puns and hopefulness aside, it's hard to make a case for the Manny Ramirez-Bay trade based on the numbers. Of course, that's why its the other aspects of the move that made it absolutely essential to make. On WEEI this afternoon, Providence Journal Red Sox writer Sean McAdam made the case that owner John Henry had frequently defended ManRam because his productivity looked so good on paper. That meshed well with Henry's background as a millionaire stock broker, but Manny's human side -- read: "Jesus! This guy is absolutely killing our clubhouse!" -- finally hit home for Henry when he was the subject of personal attacks ManRam made repeatedly to media sources, mostly ESPN Deportes, across the last week.Now, McAdam was quick to question some of the validity of those comments, saying that they could have been translated more harshly than intended from their original Spanish, but they were unquestionably a direct shot on Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Luchhino and the rest of the Red Sox front office when, before Wednesday's huge game against the Angels, Ramirez told ESPN Deportes that the Red Sox didn't deserve a player like himself. That's true, but for all the reasons Ramirez didn't consider. The Red Sox don't deserve a player like ManRam because he's a consistent headache and pain in the ass. They don't deserve a player like Ramirez because his lackadaisical outfield play costs the team at least 10-15 runs a year -- though it also unarguably saves them five or so because of his expertise dealing with the wall. They don't deserve a player like Ramirez because he can singlehandedly kill the momentum created by the rest of the team with one selfish "I'm questionable because my knee hurts" move. No, the Red Sox deserve a young outfielder like Jason Bay, a power hitter who was the National League rookie of the year in 2004 and is still only 29. They deserve a player like Bay, a pull-hitting righty who has been driving shots toward a cavernous left field wall that's 441 feet from home plate, ridiculously farther than the 37-foot high Monster he'll be hitting them toward now. They deserve a player like Bay, who's already developed a reputation for earnest hustle and consistent defense, an All-Star who has as many homers as Ramirez, though they may be less majestic. They deserve a player like Bay, productive without the panache, content to fit in with a contender after years slugging each night in anonymity in the baseball desert of Pittsburgh. And Bay deserves his shot to be a real contributor, a player who can make a name for himself in a season and a half before he hits the free market as a Boras client. Don't get WMYM wrong, the side pieces in this deal hurt Boston. Bad. We're officially on the record from here on out believing that giving up on Craig Hansen may come back to haunt us, not to mention the remarkably timely contributions from Brandon Moss, a perfect September call-up if ever there was one. But this was still the deal that HAD to happen if Boston was going to compete in '08. The Yankees may have won the trade war, particularly after getting Pudge Rodriguez. But with Bay -- and more significantly, minus Manny -- the Sox ensured that they still have a shot to catch a second wind, galvanize as a team in a way they couldn't with ManRam on board and start fighting in the division as a team on the chase rather than the reigning World Series champs. If memory serves us correctly, that may not be a bad thing for their future. It beats being a sitting duck with a free agent to be left fielder who may or may not sit out the final third of a season because he's sick of Beantown. 7 CommentsThe thing I hope happens most is Jason Bay playing well against the Yanks, that might make them not so smug about this deal. As a (sometimes) level-headed Yankee fan, I don't really see this deal as a clearcut backward step for the Sox. I don't think Bay is nearly as good as a properly-motivated Manny, but he may be a lot better for the team than the current version of Manny. He's certainly not going to take random days off, jog to first, etc. I don't think they're as talented today as they were this time yesterday, but they should be a more cohesive unit, which might just be more important when the stakes are raised day after day. Brian, completely agree. You can never say anything bad about a team that plays like a team and that has everyone on the same page. As much as we hate to admit it, Ortiz, Pedroia, Lowell, Drew, these guys are good, hard working players who deserve to play with other who care just as much. No, Bay will not be as feared as Manny, but he'll certainly give the Sox and their fans everything he's got. I am one of the few who believes that this trade doesn't hurt the Sox nearly as much as people are making it out to be. In fact, they almost got the better end of the deal. Paying the 7 million to get rid of Ramirez was a little excessive, but let's look at the major league players next year. Admittedly playing Devil's advocate here, but Bay put up those numbers having never played a game that mattered in his entire career. He's also coming off a season in which he hit .247. I think there's a legit chance that the talent drop-off is going to be more severe than most people think and replacing Manny in left is a tall order. He may not be up for the pressure. |
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The thing I can't stand the most about this trade, it's one less Sox player I get to despise. I like Bay. Damn. Oh well, the sight of 430 ft bombs to left center in Yankee Stadium won't have to haunt my dreams any more. Now, if we could just get Ortiz to start running his mouth a little...