“He called John Henry and told him he didn’t want to be traded,” Mato said.
“Manny seems to be real excited about this year. He started working out about three days after the Red Sox lost to the Yankees, and he’s probably in better shape right now than he was at any time last year.
“Get ready. Get ready for this year. He is going in angry.”
The Boston Globe had an article on January 17th, 2004 by Gordon Edes about Manny’s (apparent) eagerness to return to the Boston Red Sox. Manny’s friend and agent based in Miami, Gene Mato, spoke out to dispel some myths about Manny. Namely that he really wants to play for the Sox; that he did not have dinner with Enrique Wilson (and as a matter of fact left Enrique because he was so sick) and that he wants to kick MFY butt come April.
It’s good to hear that Manny started working out three days after the … Thing. He’s going to come in with a mission, and he’s going to DELIVER on the mission. He was an angry man in September, and I hope to god we can keep him angry for six months. As Curt Schilling put it, Terry Francona learned a lot from his tenure in Philadelphia; learned things that will serve him well in Boston. I can’t think, off the top of my head, of anyone Manny-esque in Philadelphia, though. (Bobby Abreu, maybe?) As long as Terry can handle Manny and keep him motivated, I don’t care who he has dinner with as long as he eats the other team for dinner. (Good connection, eh?)
Kevin Millar answered Ten Burning Questions. Some highlights of the article:
I think this year, if we do get to the Promised Land, I’m going to try and break out the mohawks. I saw Jack McDowell at a convention last week, and he had a mohawk. I said, “THAT will be the 2004 Sox in the playoffs!”
Which part of your body hurts the most from the ALCS pain?
My brain. Mentally knowing that, not only were we just five outs away from the World Series, but also that I had the chance to play in that against my former team, the Marlins … who ended up beating the Yankees for the whole thing. Yeah, that hurts my mind.
oy Kevin Millar a lot. I think he did a lot for this team, and will continue to do a lot for the team. He has an infectious laughter and is truly sincere in his words and expressions. He is not like most “overpaid, overblown ego” people because he had to work to get where he is right now. And he is loving it.
Last year, I told everyone that IF (I said IF, not when…even though in my mind it was when, and it is STILL when) the Red Sox made the World Series, I’d shave my head like them. However…I doubt I’ll be mohawking my hair for 2004. That’s just nasty.
Things are a little slow with the Red Sox now. But as Truck Day appears, there will be a lot more things to talk about. 2004 is a special year, and most fans realize that the hourglass is running out; that we really need to pull through this year.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
