Daily Sports Blurb, Anecdote or Quote 29 July 2008

Daily Sports Blurb - Money Can't Buy Happiness Edition.

Outfielder Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox is in the last guaranteed year of his 20 million dollars a year contract. The contract also has club options for the next two years at the same salary. For Boston management, Ramirez has been an emotional and less than 100% reliable employee. Additionally, he has a long history of taking too long to nurse real or imagined injuries. The team accepted and turned a blind eye towards his defensive lapses and occasional base running gaffe as long as he was hitting .330 with 40 homers and 140 RBI. However, as Ramirez had a season last year that showed he was moving past his prime, management has been more open in their unhappiness with the negative aspects of Manny being Manny. After this past week it is now obvious Boston is not going to exercise the option on his contract and will allow him to become a free agent. In fact, despite being in the pennant race, the Red Sox have stated they are willing to trade the superstar player just to be rid of the headaches he causes. It will be interesting to see how much money Ramirez cost himself with his latest stunts and comments. He was inline to get 40 million over the next two years. My guess is at 37 he will be lucky to find a team willing to risk 12 million a season going forward. Then again as history has shown us it just takes one idiot owner/GM to inflate salaries.