Red Sox: Mannyology

A lot of people are glad to see Manny go out of town. A lot of people aren't. I find myself in the middle. To wit, Manny is one of the game's smartest, pure hitter. He is shrewd when it comes to anticipating the pitch. It is all the more confounding that this shrewdness or calculation doesn't carry over into his on-field behavior, or what he says into the microphone. Someone, long ago, told me, "People are complex beings." Make no mistake—despite his histrionics or Manny-erism, which bordered on downright absurd—Boston has parted with a cornerstone of their famed offense, and someone who really knew how to play off the green monster. You can hear a big sigh of relief going up in the Bronx, as their No. 1 nemesis departs for a different league. Manny has the most RBI and homeruns against the Yankees. Was this about money? If it were, he would have been on his best behavior, ripping the plate up, because not many 36-year-old players have a $20 million option on them, waiting to ... (link)