(with this kind of countryside, wouldn’t you want a few days off?)
Though I’d rather you read the entire piece, Bruce Allen of Boston Sports Media comes up with some provocative stuff regarding All-Star no-show Manny Ramirez, and the way he’s treated.
Trot Nixon is lauded by most in the media for his hustle and œdirt dog style of play. However, he™s been known to make even more egregious errors on the field than Manny. Who can forget Trot making a catch, forgetting how many outs there were in the inning, and tossing the ball to a fan, allowing baserunners to advance? Afterwards, Nixon angrily swatted a fan™s beer off the nearby ledge. His demonstrated anger at himself endeared him to the media, whereas, had Manny done the same thing, his reaction would likely be a self-conscious, embarrassed grin, which would infuriate the various guardians of the gate for the great game of baseball.
Others question or even ridicule his intelligence. His hitting skills are minimized as he is described as a œslugging savant. On the surface, that™s might sound like a compliment, as a œsavant™ is a œlearned person, or scholar. However, it is clear in the context in which the term is often used that it is meant more along the lines of œidiot savant, or someone defined as œa mentally retarded person who exhibits genius in a highly specialized area; in this case, hitting. This of course implies that Ramirez™s incredible hitting ability is something that he has no command of. It would indicate that he doesn™t need to work at it. This of course is another fallacy, as Manny™s work habits in the batting cages, film room and off season training are well documented. Yet, all of that is dismissed with the œslugging savant label.
Many jokes are also made about his alleged lack of awareness about certain events. We™ve all heard the stories. How many of these are urban legends and how many are actually true is a matter of debate. He is referred to as a 12 year old. He is called goofy, flaky and oblivious “ all of which he might act like at times “ but these are allowed to overshadow and demean his accomplishments.
It seems clear that there is clearly an imbalance of reporting here. Manny™s quirks and incidents are covered much more than are his on-field accomplishments and statistics. The perception being given by the media is that Ramirez is simply a simpleton who just gets in the batters box and hits, and doesn™t care about anything else.
Wow. Good piece, and surprising to see. Contrarian sports journalism is not rare, obviously (c.f. Bayless, Fucking Skip), but this is pretty unique in the fact that it’s so well-argued and actually mentions cultural (both the workplace culture of sportswriting and the culture of greater Boston) and (almost) racial issues that seem unutterable in sports journalism.
Just read the whole thing. Friggin’ brilliant! THAT is the kind of journalism most of us are looking for. Informed, and well-thought out.
Not to mention: Fair.
Also, see this clip from Baseball Prospectus claiming that he has a torn Medial Meniscus:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5284
I haven’t been a big fan of Trot Nixon’s play, either. His defense is ok if not unspectacular, but him and Varitek are so overrated on offense (both really suck balls with the bases loaded). Curt Schilling is on record describing just how smart Manny is as a hitter. If you’ve been watching his at-bats over the years, you can see how he sets up pitchers, sometimes toying with them before lowering the boom.
Thanks, GC. Manny may be the most purpose-built player in baseball, but he’s also the best righthanded hitter in the AL. He is one of three or four guys alive you’d most want at the plate at any random moment on a baseball diamond. He’s been that kind of company for a fuckin’ decade, and he often doesn’t get credit for it for some reason.
For what it’s worth, this sort of reasoned analysis is nothing new from Allen. Even compared to NYC, Boston is hysteria-central much of the time and Allen (along with colleagues David Scott and John Molori) does an excellent job of shifting through the sports media scenery. To call BSM the anti-WEEI would be simplistic, but I’m not getting paid by the word.
And I must admit, I’ve fallen prey, on more than one occasion, to the Manny = Space Cadet line of thinking. I remember a national TV broadcast some years ago where it was claimed that Manny “never looked at videotape”, had no idea what anyone was throwing, and had no strategy at the plate besides hack-away. Clearly, his ridiculous success over the years kills some porton of such charges. I mean, if Manny’s not prepared to yack about the mysteries of hitting .300 ala Tony Gwynn or pen his own sequel to Teddy Ballgame’s “The Science Of Hitting” is it actually fair to call him a dimwit? Probably not.
He’s got his quirks, and perhaps some zipper issues. But year in and year out, he’s absolutely deadly.
critical acclaim for jon molori, it’s astounding. dumbfounding, if that’s a word.
CG said: “I mean, if Manny’s not prepared to yack about the mysteries of hitting .300 ala Tony Gwynn or pen his own sequel to Teddy Ballgame’s “The Science Of Hitting†is it actually fair to call him a dimwit? Probably not.”
Don’t be so sure that Manny can’t yack about the mysteries of hitting. This is straight from his website (www.mannyramirez.com), and its simple elegance of how to hit a baseball rivals William’s credo of “get a good pitch to hit.”
Manny’s Hitting Tips
Hit it on the ground, in the air or anywhere, but hit the ball as hard as you can. This, in my opinion, is the first thing a young hitter should learn; a hard hit ball is a tough out, even if it’s hit to a fielder. So now you ask, How do I learn to hit the ball as hard as I can?
To hit the ball as hard as you can, you must make solid contact. And to make solid contact you must LEARN TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BALL; never guess where the ball will end up. Some times it’s even good not to swing so you can stare at the ball as it passes you. A good way to practice this is to look the ball into your glove when catching ground balls with a friend; this can help improve your catching skills too.
At the same time that you practice keeping your eyes on the ball, it’s important to LEARN TO FEEL CONFORTABLE AT THE PLATE. If you don’t relax, you can’t focus on the ball or make a smooth swing. The batting stance you choose can help, so try a couple of different stances until you find one that makes you feel comfortable, while allowing you a clear view to the pitcher’s hand and the ball. Your batting stance should transmit your power to the bat quickly and smoothly; keep this in mind when selecting a batting stance that works for you.