Bye Bye Manny

It always painful for a fan base to say goodbye to one of its icons. In my generation alone, I have had to come to grips with the parting of ways between the Boston Red Sox and a popular player on at least two different occasions.

I said goodbye to Nomar Garciaparra back during the 2004 trade deadline without a problem. The result was a World Series Championship. After that 2004 season, I had to say bye to the greatest pitcher of my generation in Pedro Martinez. The result was another World Series Championship in 2007. Pedro's numbers have been nothing notable since he went to the Mets.

I may have been the only man in New England that was upset to see Drew Bledsoe go to the Buffalo Bills. However, no one could rightfully argue that Tom Brady was not a suitable replacement for Drew. Ok, so Brady was far superior to Bledsoe and has won 2 Super Bowls on his own and one with the help of Drew.

Bruins fans have not shared this same fortune when it comes to parting ways with an icon. Ray Bourque was traded to the Colorado Avalanche so he could win a Stanley Cup. Joe Thornton was traded to San Jose so he could win an MVP. The Bruins are yet to reap any benefits.

All of this brings me to my point for writing this post. It is time to say goodbye to Manny Ramirez. Manny came here in 2001 and has given us the best years of his career. We have been fortunate to see possibly the greatest right handed hitter of all time. Manny is a lovable player whom Red Sox fans grew accustomed to. We tolerated his antics, whether it was cutting off a Johnny Damon throw or his annual July trade demands, because the man would put up numbers and win. I love Manny as much as the next Sox fan. But reality has set in.

Manny is 36 years old and has a club option worth 20 million dollars for next season. This is not the same Manny Ramirez who'd put up 45 home runs and drive in 160 runs. I would pay possibly more than 20 million for that Manny Ramirez. What the Sox would be getting is a man who will hit 25-30 home runs and drive in 110-115. A man who's numbers are on the decline and who's distracting antics are coming up more and more.

What are the alternatives?

I do not see a problem going after a free agent such as Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. Another option would be to sign Mark Teixeria and move Kevin Youkillis to left field. I also don't see a problem with keeping an outfield of JD Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Coco Crisp. Sure the power numbers would be down, but that outfield covers a lot of ground and would be exciting to see in terms of players who could shoot the gaps for extra bases.

Theo Epstein has a number of options when it comes to the end of the 2008 season. When it comes to judging talent and deciding whether to keep players or not, Theo has a flawless track record.

It pains me to say it but it will not bother me to see Manny being Manny somewhere else next season.

-Scottie