Simmons On Manny
1-liner, Baseball, Bill Simmons, ESPN October 3rd. 2008, 9:40amThe Sports Guy returned from summer vacation about a month ago. Yesterday, he knocked one out of the park with a 39-footnote, E-ticket, Manny Ramirez retrospective. It’s probably Simmons’ best single post/column/article in years. I doubt he finds any solace in that. (ESPN)
30 Responses to “Simmons On Manny”
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October 3rd, 2008 at 9:43 AM
I read half, couldn’t finish. Didn’t like it. I may be alone in this.
I couldn’t understand why he dogged Epstein for what he did. Seemed petty to me.
He needs to get over this “I’m a regular fan” persona, which that obviously passed him by 5 years ago.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 AM
footnotes like in his book?
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 AM
that was easily the most annoying and pathetic post I’ve read from him.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:45 AM
He’s a regular fan the same way that McCain and Palin are middle class. I still liked the article though.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Did you stop reading him in 2002?
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:47 AM
nick, petty is Simmons’ middle name.
i’ve only read about half, but i liked it. nice to see him actually opening his eyes.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:48 AM
@benji: I know re: petty. That’s why I don’t get the love for this particular article. It feels like every other Simmons piece, except 10 times longer.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 AM
I didn’t find the Theo ripping petty…after all, everything he said was true. Theo left whining like a little baby, then orchestrated a takeover. He deserves to be called out for what he did.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 AM
I thought it was great but I am not a Simmons basher.
He probably takes solace in his salary.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 AM
@1 Happy St
I’ve read him since then, just his harping on Epstein was rediculous.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 AM
That and the fact that whether you love him or hate him, everybody reads him regardless.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:54 AM
@NickP…I don’t know that this feels like just any other Simmons article. It really offered a fresh perspective on the entire situation, whether or not it was written by a Sox fan.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 AM
Why?
His contract was up. He didn’t like his work environment, so he left. He was able to secure a better work environment, and he came back.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 AM
I was offended when we compared David Ortiz to Lou Gehrig.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:56 AM
And he left the park in a monkey suit.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:58 AM
arod?
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:06 AM
is that one incident with Epstein worse than multiple incidences with Manny?
It just seems disingenuous coming from Simmons, who seemed to lock in only on one thing Epstein did for the Sox and forget everything else he did, which includes two World Series wins and a farm system to keep them competitive for years to come.
almost like he just talked to the cabbie in the olympia sports commercials for inspiration.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 AM
is that one incident with Epstein worse than multiple incidences with Manny?
It just seems disingenuous coming from Simmons, who seemed to lock in only on one thing Epstein did for the Sox and forget everything else he did, which includes two World Series wins and a farm system to keep them competitive for years to come.
almost like he just talked to the cabbie in the olympia sports commercials for inspiration.
That is part of the whole point of the column, he is willing to blame others and not believe Manny was at fault. Manny meant that much to him as a player.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:19 AM
The column was good, but SG’s entire premise is flawed…
at some point Manny had to *decide* to fire his old agent and bring in Boras. Manny has just as much to do with this nefarious ‘plan’ to get traded as Boras ever did.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Actually, I thought his fantasy football column (DAL/PHI) from a few weeks back was one of his best.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:22 AM
I thought Simmons did a good job on this.. sure the footnotes got a little annoying at time but all in all it was a good column, def one of the better ones he’s put out in a while.. just remind me that we all have that one player that we put up with stuff and defend to the death no matter what happens, for me that was Warren Sapp, for Simmons it is obviously Manny
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Grunge:
thanks for so elloquently point out what I’ve been trying to formulate for the past 5 minutes. too damn early for me today….
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:25 AM
@Mike – agreed. he obviously put in a lot of work on this one though
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:40 AM
this was a good article…seemed to much more thought out than his last few years worth.
@mike – that last fantasy column was very good as well.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:48 AM
So I’m guessing you didn’t read any of his Patriots posts last season. I couldn’t even get past the first paragraph on some of those.
I thought it was very good, as I don’t think it can be overstated how big of a scumbag Boras is and how clear of an example this may be, but it’s just toooooo looonnnngggggg.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 AM
I didn’t agree with the premise. I think the Sox are better off without him. But, I felt that he made some valid points about the Red Sox manipulation of the media.
That said, he shoved a 68-year-old man to the ground! And then went into a sulk because the Red Sox disrespected him by fining him $10,000 (less than he makes per inning)
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 AM
This was a good idea when he wrote one paragraph about it in his “New Rules” piece last week.
New Rule: We must never forget that Scott Boras is the greediest, most manipulative agent in sports history. For example: Let’s say there was a happy-go-lucky slugger who was famous for sticking uncashed paychecks in his locker and glove compartment. Let’s say that same slugger hired Boras. Let’s say Boras got paid only if he could get the slugger’s team to drop his 2009 option, or else that commission would go to the old agents. Let’s say the slugger inexplicably became so moody and divisive that his team paid the rest of his 2008 salary for him to play somewhere else. Let’s say his new team immediately dropped that 2009 option. And let’s say the slugger immediately started hitting the crap out of the ball again, paving the way for one last monster deal this winter … and a big fat commission for Mr. Boras. Who do you think was the mastermind here? The happy-go-lucky slugger, or the greediest, most manipulative agent in sports history?
Shame on everyone who blamed the slugger.
I like how he just called Manny an idiot for 4,000 words and can’t see all parties were at fault, the organization, Boras, and Ramirez, if you can call it fault. More like all parties played a hand in what transpired. It was just business.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:11 AM
Footnotes were in honor of DFW?
/pourin some out
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Haven’t left a comment in a long while but I felt compelled to write about this. This column was flat-out brilliant. I didn’t agree with the premise of Boras being the driver of this thing, but it was truly a pleasure to read. See what an editor can do!
October 4th, 2008 at 3:41 AM
It was a bullshit column. The name-dropping and me-me-me focus of the footnotes were appalling. Plus, I got the feeling that he just heard about David Foster Wallace and his use of the technique after the writer’s suicide and thought, “Hey! I can do that too!”
And so I found it doubly stomach-turning.
I didn’t read past the first segment because I don’t like self-induced rage attacks, and I was headed in that direction.