Sorry Seems to Be the Easiest Word
Manny Ramirez dominated the headlines not because of what he did on the field (a decent 2-for-4 showing but no extra base hits or runs batted in) but because of what he said. Ramirez apologized for his behavior in 2008. “Everything was my fault, but you have to be a real man to realize when you do wrong,” he told reporters. “It was my fault, right. I already passed that stage. I’m happy. I’m on a new team.”
A real man wouldn’t shove an elderly man. So what about Pedro Martinez playing matador to the charging Don Zimmer you might ask. That doesn’t count; Zimmer is an elderly gerbil.
A real man wouldn’t inject himself with female fertility hormone as part of a steroid regime.
A real man wouldn’t wait two years to admit that he was wrong. How genuine is his contrition in light of the fact that he is a free agent next season and has to buff up his tarnished reputation?
The only success the Red Sox had was in the execution of the “fake to third” ploy. Of all players Omar Vizquel was lured off of third base when Clay Buchholz feinted a throw in his direction. Buchholz fired to Jed Lowrie who then heaved the ball home to Victor Martinez. Vizquel didn’t score and was the final out of the third inning.
The next victim was Alexei Ramirez in the ninth. Tim Wakefield made a move towards A.J. Pierzynski at the hot corner but then pivoted to first. Mike Lowell received the ball and played catch with Lowrie and Marco Scutaro to tag out the uncontroversial Ramirez.
Coincidentally Scutaro drove in the home team’s only run of the game in the fifth. The Red Sox squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the second and stranded nine runners as a team. Hurricane Earl wasn’t New England’s only letdown of the weekend.
Game 135: September 4, 2010 | ||
White Sox 74-60 | 3 | W: John Danks (13-9) H: Sergio Santos (14) S: Bobby Jenks (26) |
2B: Andruw Jones – 2 (11), Paul Konerko (27), Gordon Beckham (25) | ||
Red Sox 76-59 | 1 | L: Clay Buchholz (15-6) |
2B: Mike Lowell (11) |