œI want no more (expletive) where they tell you one thing and behind your back they do another thing, Manny Ramirez told The Boston Herald’s Rob Bradford on Wednesday. Sadly, he wasn’t speaking of his attempts to get WMBR to play the Sicknesses’ “Regurgitation” 7″, but rather his contract status for 2009. On Thursday, Red Sox principal owner John Henry (above) responded to Bradford :
“I find remarks that we have been anything other than completely straightforward to be personally offensive, Henry wrote. œManny has been a crucial part of two world championships. I do not believe we would have won either without him. He has never played a more important role than he has thus far this year.
Talking before Tuesday night™s All-Star Game, Ramirez touched on his hopes that the Red Sox organization would inform him at the end of the season what its plans are going forward regarding the outfielder.
The Red Sox hold two one-year team options for $20 million apiece on Ramirez, who turned 36 on May 30.
Though I have no idea how seriously Henry takes his disgruntled left-fielder, Ramirez has not surprisingly, forgotten his previous trade demands. Given the unsentimental manner in which the Epstein-era Red Sox have parted ways with any number of local heros, this will probably come down to how much they figure Manny’s got left in the tank at age 37. Nobody is gonna confuse Chris Carter with Manny Ramirez, but the former can patrol left field for the league minimum.