Published 23:45, July the 14th, 2009
Last innocent man in Boston
Larry Lucchino made an interesting case for Manny Ramirez recently on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan show. Whether it was a compelling case is in the ear of the beholder, so to speak.
The Red Sox president was asked if he thinks Ramirez used PEDs while with the Red Sox, he said flatly, “No.”
I know what you’re thinking, “What else is he going to say?” Right? Well, actually he had a lot more to say. First and foremost, it’s about motivation. Manny never put up freakishly great, Hall-of-Fame numbers in Cleveland. Two years later, he signed an 8-year, 160-million dollar contract with the Red Sox. His stats remained remarkably consistent and his financial security was secure.
Things changed during this past offseason, though, when Manny, 37, was met with significant doubts about his potential. That’s when Manny might have though he had something to prove. That might have been when Manny looked for some “help” in his game.
Lucchino’s argument makes sense. So much so, that if Manny’s only tainted numbers were in 2009, I think I’d throw him in the Hall of Fame. It was fun thinking Manny wasn’t just a quitter, but a long-time cheater, too. But thanks to Lucchino, I’m a lot less certain.
