Manny’s behavior in Houston is getting more attention mainly because of the way it was swept under the rug. Bob Ryan of the Globe calls out the Sox for their handling of the situation:
Manny was not just out of line. Manny was actually indulging in a criminal act. The Red Sox had an obligation to inform the rest of the organization, as well as the rest of baseball, that they will not tolerate criminal acts on the part of anyone, even future first-ballot Hall of Famers such as Manny Ramírez. It is incomprehensible that such smart people as John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and Theo Epstein didn’t understand how much they had to gain by taking a stand for honor and decency. There is no more thankless task in baseball than that of the traveling secretary. How can any of the Red Sox brass now look Jack McCormick in the eye?
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports thinks the Sox should end their relationship with Manny at the end of the season:
Should they have disciplined him? It goes without saying. But the Sox can’t touch Manny, lest he go into one of his periodic funks. So, they tolerate his obvious sense of entitlement and disrespect for a longtime team employee, viewing the incident as an aberration.
Manny has apologized and Jack McCormick says the incident is in the past but the story has legs and the media and fans will not be satisfied until some additional action is taken. The Sox dropped the ball on the handling of this one and need to right a wrong. I love Manny’s quirkiness and his ability at the plate but his actions were inexcusable and need to be addressed in a way that sets an example to the entire organization that Manny cannot get away with anything he wants. I understand the team needs to treat Manny differently in some situations, this is not one of them.
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