Manny being Manny???

Red Sox did it. They forced a game six. It's not over til it's over. Yada Yada Yada and all that crap.

Yeah, I'm excited. As a 41 year Red Sox fan (I was raised on them), I love to see "my boys" do it up right. I also confess that I do kinda like the thrill of the come back. The stress is killing me but I love it.

I'm ok with Beckett getting a little heated, after all he is quite hot. Not as hot as Mike Lowell but hot just the same. I've gotten past the dry bats of JD Drew, Veritek and Lugo. It happens. I can control my outrage at Gagne (aka Gag Me) and his total lack of ability to get the ball over the plate without it landing in the bleachers. And there are probably many other things that I have bitched about, but Manny?????

Manny being Manny just doesn't cut it anymore. Yeah he can swing the bat, but who wants to watch him standing there with his arms in the air, gloating like he had just won the world series when it only put us 5 points down instead of 6. And after each time he hits the ball? Come on, he's paid 25 mil to do just that. It's not the huge accomplishment he seems to think it is. He has had some good moments in the field but he has also had a few blunders. Twice he has dove for a ball that was meant for the infield cut off which allowed the runners to advance extra bases. Now I admit, I did laugh at those. Watching his dive to catch Coco Crisp's throw to the infield was hilarious. And Francona's reaction after when he motioned him to get into left field and stay there cracked me up. Even now I could watch it over and over. And of course there was the time that he decided to go and visit the scorekeepers inside the "Green Monster" while the game was going on and he was supposed to be playing left field. Yeah, that was another of his goofy moments. But last night just plain pissed me off.

It was a bad call. The ball should have been ruled a homerun. The explanation was lousy and lame. Luckily it made no difference to the ultimate outcome of the game. But Manny should have been running. Running with heart. Running like he was trying to catch Forrest Gump. Instead he jogs. Gloatingly, then has a totally hissy fit when the call is made against him. He stops at 1st base, because he was only running fast enough to get one base out of it, then calls a time out instead of letting his manager handle the situation. Francona did come out and speak with the Umps. They stuck to the call. And it WAS a aBAD call. But bad calls happen all the time. Manny should have been rounding 2nd base on his way to 3rd before the call was even made. It was a hanging, lobbing hit that would have given him time for an easy stand up double if it wasn't caught or gone over the fence. Instead, Manny assumed and gloated and wound up with a long single. And that was a gift, given his attitude.

In a way, I'm glad the season is winding down. I guess I need a break from the Manny antics and some time to find my sense of humor again.

Go Sox!!! Game 6, Sat Night 8pm. Be there for all the thrilling and sometimes absurd baseball in Fenway Park.