Manny

nbsp;mumbling outloud to nobody, repeatedly - Look at Youk's face! I thought maybe he and Manny had another sparring match between innings. What's perhaps most amusing is that the injury was suffered by our gold-glove first baseman, he of the longest errorless streak ever at the position, during warm-up tosses prior to the top of a frame. The dude handled everything hit and thrown at him for more than a full year - scorching liners and off-target throws alike - and lets one of his teammates tag him during break time. He looked like Rocky Balboa at the end of the first Rocky movie.

Continue reading "Kevin Youkilis is smuggling golf balls in his face"

Yes, Manny is still "being Manny," but you can't fault a man for lightness of character when the effort is there.  He's started running out grounders this season -- granted, it's abhorrent that it took him this long, but at least he's doing it.   He still looks like he dogs it in left field, but he gets to the ball and still has one of the best and most effortless-looking arms in the game.  I won't say that he's the be-all-end-all of left fielders, but he does a pretty damn nice job out there given his size and aerodynamic catastrophe of a hairstyle.  Think of his fielding as a less flashy version of the Bernie Williams phenomenon -- Bernie knew exactly how hard/lazily to run to guarantee a diving catch.  

Continue reading "Manny: Portrait of a Porkchop"

Manny's back.  And he proved it last night by planting #499 in the right field bleachers to tie the game in the 6th.  Unfortunately his homer wouldn't help the Red Sox get the win.  Instead it would be just another dramatic moment in a night full of dramatic moments.It all started in the bottom of the fifth when Dice-K took the mound to start his warm-up, only to be pulled before he threw his first pitch due to shoulder fatigue.  Through four innings, the pitcher had only given up four hits and three runs.  He struck out two and for only the second time this season, the Diceman didn't walk anyone.  But in case losing your starting pitcher in the fifth due to injury isn't exciting enough for you, the Sox would lose two more key people later that same inning.Aardsma had come in to pitch, and with two outs and a walk under his belt, that's when things really got interesting.  Ibanez had just taken his first pitch for a ball when Lugo asked the 3rd base umpire, Angel Hernandez, to check the swing.  Things must've gotten heated because Hernandez threw the shortstop out of the game.  Then when Francona came out to retrieve Lugo, and ask why he was being ejected, Francona was ejected as well.  But the drama didn't end there.  In the sixth inning the Sox offense decided to add their two cents.  After Coco struck out, Pedroia chopped the ball to the Mariners shortstop, but he couldn't handle it and the Sox 2nd baseman ended up on first with one out.  Then Papi lined to right and just like that, the Sox finally have something going against Batista.  Then

Continue reading "Manny Hits #499... To No Avail"