Boston Red Sox Manny Ramirez
Slugger faces backlash for skipping his 10th MLB All-Star Game.
Jul 11, 2006
The media needs to lay off of Manny Ramirez, already. Manny wants to stay home during the 2006 All-Star break, in spite of being voted in by the fans. It is the Red Sox outfielder's 10th All-Star game. So, Ramirez, and his 450 career home runs and 20 career grand slams, is obviously beloved by Major League Baseball fans.
Manny, though, wants a break.
Some baseball pundits, however, don't want Ramirez to take a break. He was voted into the mid-summer classic, and he is obligated to appear, they say. In fact, some even suggest that Major League Baseball should fine Ramirez for wanting to disdain the exhibition game, in order to rest his ailing body.
The extremists want him fined as much as $1 million.
Let's consider this ridiculous debate for a moment. First, most Major League Baseball players will be home for three days, during All-Star festivities, playing golf, frolicking with kids and even mowing the lawn. They aren't getting fined for not reporting to the ballpark and honing their skills. Many would love to go to the game, but they weren't invited. Manny Ramirez, on the other hand, is invited, and he's taking a beating in the media because of it.
Second, let's think about the whole notion of being fined or berated for not showing up to be honored, which is really what the All-Star game is about, in the first place - honoring baseball's best players.
Suppose you were a trash collector. In half of one year (your personal season), you grab more sacks of discarded items than any other collector in your state. Now, the Major League Trash Collectors are having their annual All-Star Garbage Day, in which only the greatest collectors are invited, so they can be honored for a great start to the trash collecting campaign.
It's a three-day extravaganza, in which you get to show off how you swoop in on that trash can, fling off the lid and dump the unwanted crud, in perfect grace and harmony. But you would rather skip the journey and take a few days off, to rest your garbage-grabbing arm.
Is a fine in order? You're being honored for being one of the very best at what you do. Instead of showing up to tip your hat and wave to your adoring fans, you decide to take a break. Are you, glorified garbage guy, any different from Manny Ramirez - other than the obvious fact that Ramirez is making close to $20 million more per year than you do.
How, I wonder, can we penalize anyone who is being lauded for his performance, simply because he chooses to say, "I don't need a pat on the back." Anyone who knows Manny, understands that he is the last person who cares about public affection. I'm not sure about what he does care, but he never asks for anything. He just rolls out of bed and belts baseballs as well as any player we've seen in a few decades.
Finally, the All-Star game is a joke, anyway. Major League Baseball is trying to make the game important, but it isn't. And it's not fun to watch.
So, why would Manny Ramirez want to go? It's really no big deal.
Now, let's move on to something far more important, like the NFL Pro Bowl.
