no more dreadlocks

(the end of an era)

for about 20 years of my life, i have been a fan of the red sox. it is a strange thing, for sure, to root for a team that has undergone such a big public image change. when i first started following them, they were in the middle of what some have dubbed a "curse," and only about 3 years removed from the most recent low point when a certain bill buckner flubbed a routine grounder against the mets. but the last 4 years have been spectacular. no longer are they a model for everything that can go wrong for a team (that just might be the braves of the last 2 years), now they are a powerful example of how to run a franchise (with a ton of money). and 2 world series rings are proof enough.

a large part of that success has come in the form of one manny ramirez. he of the tired cliche (manny being...you know how that ends) has been one half of the most feared left-right 3-4 combo in the game. he may go down in history as one of the five or ten best righties ever to strap on a uni. his swing is a majestic amalgam of grace and power that is as close to mechanically perfect as possible. he is, without a doubt, a once in a lifetime talent.

at the plate.

in the field and on the basepaths, he is an adventure at best. and many of these plays are downright goofy. cutting off throws, rolling over on singles until they are triples, highfiving fans as he makes a double play (which was cool), the way he always seemed to dive at just the wrong time. he was known to take his time legging out ground balls. and it could be quite infuriating. but you learned to deal with it because he was a freak when he swung a bat.

that such a singular talent who played a huge part in 2 world series rings would be traded mid-season for a decent hitting canadian is surprising. that the sox gave away 2 more prospects and are paying out his salary just to get rid of him is beyond astonishing. but apparently this had become an exercise in finding that line between coddling a superstar because he is an uber-talent and kicking him to the curb because he is a cancer. manny had quickly deteriorated into the latter.

as a fan, this has been a trade of mixed feelings. i was a manny fan completely. there are a number of iconic images of his home runs that are forever part of my baseball memory bank. and i always thought that his carefree attitude was a chief reason he was absolute ice under pressure. he was always a joy to watch, because for every lazy jog to first or confoundingly bad fielding play, there were 4 or 5 times when he hit a baseball so far you weren't sure if it would land or made an opposing pitcher look that it reminded you how good he was and made you grateful he wore your colors.

but now, after a quick but ugly divorce, i have been forced to acknowledge that he had become so difficult to deal with that his numbers couldn't keep up. he quit on his team, and in sports, this is the most grievous of sins. and in that respect i admit that he had to go. and i am genuinely excited about jason bay and his role on the team. do i hope that we pick up a masher in the off-season? absolutely (please be texiera). but i believe that we can win with the lineup that we currently have. that is what a fan does.

but i will miss him. i will miss the talent that he brought to my favorite pro sports team. i will remember how he helped give me what many sox fans have died hoping for. i will be thankful that my son, himself a member of red sox nation, had the childhood joy of watching a larger than life character display his uncanny talent for all of us. but i will teach him a different way to play. i will teach him to hustle and not to quit on his team, no matter what. because freak talents are once in a lifetime, but the rest of us must work a little harder. and when it all comes down to it, winning matters, but it is much better when you win in the right way.