He is not Manny…

…But Jason Bay is pretty darn good.

“The Red Sox need to replace Manny.”

“Jason Bay won’t be able to handle the pressure of Boston.”

These are variations of quotes that I have been hearing ever since Manny was traded, and Bay being obtained. 

Indications are, according to many it seems, that Jason Bay should have his career numbers thrown out the window because they were put up in Pittsburgh.  If players don’t produce in the large markets, then, well, they aren’t very good. 

That is actually a theory that I have hated for many years now.  I don’t deny that the pressure of playing in Boston, New York, or Philadelphia is a little greater than Pitt or KC.  And I won’t even doubt that it may take a little longer to adjust to that additional “pressure.” 

But when we get down to it, most of these players are doing what they have done their entire lives, and eventually almost all of them will be able to perform the way they should, whether that be good, mediocre, or downright awful.

And even some Red Sox fans seem to be wary of 2009 because of the absence of Manny. 

Look, I understand why having no Manny could cause concern.  Manny, after all, has accomplished things on a baseball field that I have never seen before, especially from the right side of the plate.  The 2007 postseason is a great example of just how incredible of a hitter Manny Ramirez was.  His “domination” of good pitching nonetheless, was near remarkable, in baseball terms.  Pitchers such as Fausto Carmona and CC Sabathia seemed over-matched, and ace pitchers are not usually over-matched like that.  It was almost as if Manny was the one with the ball in his hands. 

So I understand the hesitance to say that Jason Bay is the second coming of Manny.  Because it wouldn’t be true.  He just isn’t that good. 

However, don’t misinterpret that for Jason Bay is actually very good.

This is the Jason Bay that outside of a miserable 2007, has been great for a while now.

Bay was 8th in WARP1 in 2006.  6th in 2005.  Much lower according to Warp in 2008, but still good. 

One thing that Manny has done more often than Bay is hit the ball hard.  And after watching the two players, the difference seems visible, too

During the past seven seasons, Manny has bettered the 20% line in “Line Drive %” six times.  But that is further proving a theory we all have to begin with, Manny is a great hitter.

Bay on the other hand, over the past six seasons, has hit the 20% line drive mark only twice.

Proving what?  Again, just another reason to know that Manny Ramirez is a better hitter than Jason Bay is.

But what I wish is that fans would understand that Jason Bay is a good player regardless.  And in baseball especially, the team concept is truly embraced.  Baseball players don’t “carry teams,” not like say a basketball player is capable of doing anyway. 

So Jason Bay isn’t Manny Ramirez.  Bay isn’t going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer.  And Jason Bay isn’t “the best right handed hitter we have ever seen.”  But this team has a great pitching staff, a very good defense, and somewhere between an above-average offense and a great offense. 

I doubt that the marginal difference between the 2009 versions of Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay is going to be the reason that the Red Sox fail to win another World Series ring. 

…Not to mention, Bay comes at a price of $7.5 million this season, while Manny would have cost $20 mill, and actually IS going to cost $25 million for his services this season.