When Manny finally retires, one thing is for sure: the time before the trade deadline is going to be that much boring without these "Manny okay with trade to Iraq or the Yankees" and "Red Sox exasperated with Manny being Manny minus toilet paper" stories.

It's all Manny all the time, this weekend on BBTF!

Manny speaks

"Boston is not stupid. They're not going to do it. They can say whatever they want. But when it comes to make a deal, they're not going to pull the trigger, because they know what they've got here."

Are you happy here?

"I'm happy. But enough is enough."

When you say "enough is enough," what does that mean?

"That's it. You've got to ask Tito and John Henry, they know."

I think in a few hundred more articles we're really going to get to the bottom of this.

I miss Barry Bonds threads.

Maybe the Red Sox could trade him to the Army for a couple of military academy draftees.

Scott Boras seems to be just a wonderful influence on Manny. Four years ago, the Sox put him on waivers before the 2004 season. Manny shrugged it off and had a terrific year. Now he's cracking up at the mere thought of dealing with his option either being picked up or declined. Way to go, Scotty. Keep whispering in that ear and turning off potential suitors for Manny's services after the Sox let him go.

I miss Barry Bonds threads.

Well, I don't know if you've heard, but the Sox may have an opening for a HoF LF.

The Iraqi government failed to stop the NOC from messing up the Olympics. I wonder how they feel about starting a domestic baseball league. Surely lessons were learned from the disaster that was baseball in Israel. Surely a superstar like Manny would be an ideal cornerstone for such an undertaking. He did volunteer.

So is Manny suggesting that the surge is indeed working?! Because last time I checked there wasn't the political, social or economic climate in Iraq for a MLB team, but he's hinting that he'll play there. So does he foresee stability come 2009?

I miss Barry Bonds threads.

Well, I don't know if you've heard, but the Sox may have an opening for a HoF LF.

This is all John Henry's carefully calculated scheme to get everybody at BTF to pay him money to make kevin's head explode.

Years ago everybody gave credit to managers. Now it's general managers. Soon people will realize the real geniuses are the owners.

It's all Manny all the time, this weekend on BBTF!

It wouldn't have hurt to consolidate all of these links in one thread. NTNgod would do this from time to time. Where best to discuss Ramirez? Here? The Rosenthal thread? The Buckley one? What about the CHB thread?

It wouldn't have hurt to consolidate all of these links in one thread. NTNgod would do this from time to time. Where best to discuss Ramirez? Here? The Rosenthal thread? The Buckley one? What about the CHB thread?

We could have a theme for each Manny-thread, one could be a serious debate on the way forward for Boston, one could be humorous, one could be full of inane trade proposals, one could be an all out flamewar (about NBA, of course) and one could metastase into a 3000 post monster.

CHB is never the answer.

I'm looking forward to the "Hot Topics" list being about 12 Manny links at 3:45 on Thursday.

It's all Manny all the time, this weekend on BBTF!

Ah, must be the last week of July.

Seriously, there are four separate Manny-trade threads on Hot Topics already!

It's just....


MANNY BEING MANNY!


Seriously, he needs to stop doing this stuff. Going to Iraq? I don't know if the Baghdad Battery have the prospects the Red Sox are looking for.

..."I’m a ballplayer with more than 500 home runs and almost 2,000 RBIs. I’m a professional. I don’t know how anybody can say I could be making it all up,” said Ramirez, who has hit .312 with 509 home runs and 1,667 RBIs in 16 seasons.

Interesting definition of almost. Greg Maddux has almost 14 twenty win seasons. Randy Johnson has almost passed Nolan Ryan in K's. Luis Gonzalez has almost 3000 hits.

It's just BTF being BTF.

"I’m a ballplayer with more than 500 home runs and almost 2,000 RBIs. I’m a professional. I don’t know how anybody can say I could be making it all up,” said Ramirez, who has hit .312 with 509 home runs and 1,667 RBIs in 16 seasons.

He's a ballplayer, not a math major.

Of course, does that mean the Red Sox could pay him only $16,670,000 for this season? That is almost $20 million, after all.

It's just BTF being BTF.

Furtado would like to move a lot of us for younger posters with more versatility and better attitudes, but he probably can't work out a deal.

Interesting definition of almost. Greg Maddux has almost 14 twenty win seasons. Randy Johnson has almost passed Nolan Ryan in K's. Luis Gonzalez has almost 3000 hits.

Of course, if Ramirez had more accurately quoted his numbers people would be accusing him of being selfish and being too concerned with numbers.

He can't win.

(By the way, Peter Gammons's 8pm intro tonight on ESPN was absurd.)

Whoever can come up with the best photoshop of Lynndie England pointing at Manny... I'll sponsor a bb-ref page in your honor.

Trade him to Milwaukee for Gagne. Everybody wins.

Of course, if Ramirez had more accurately quoted his numbers people would be accusing him of being selfish and being too concerned with numbers.

He can't win.

I highly doubt that many people would comment if he'd said "almost 1,700 RBIs" or "over 1,600 RBI". A couple people are picking on this one because it's not even close.

You should also remember that this is BTF, where there's always someone who will happily point out any minor discrepancy, no matter the source.

(By the way, Peter Gammons's 8pm intro tonight on ESPN was absurd.)

I missed it. What did he do?

Seriously, there are four separate Manny-trade threads on Hot Topics already!

If these trends continue...

Tatis and Heilman for Manny.

Make it happen, Omar.

We could have a theme for each Manny-thread, one could be a serious debate on the way forward for Boston, one could be humorous, one could be full of inane trade proposals, one could be an all out flamewar (about NBA, of course) and one could metastase into a 3000 post monster.

Could we have one where we talk about soccer? And music?

They need to get a 5 time all star with a ton (literally, nowadays)of gold gloves in return for Manny. I think Andruw Jones straight up for Manny is the right trade.

Dunn to Boston, Manny to LA, scraps to Cincy

I highly doubt that many people would comment if he'd said "almost 1,700 RBIs" or "over 1,600 RBI". A couple people are picking on this one because it's not even close.

And I think they'd comment that he was too concerned with numbers in that case. As I said.

I missed it. What did he do?

Some select quotes from The Peter:

"Well Jon, as the rest of his teammates are trying to win and get to the playoffs, Manny is preoccupied with becoming a free agent at the end of the year, with not having those options picked up, and he thinks he is going to make $100 million for four years. Next year - that next contract - is his interest, not a pennant or championhsip of any kind.... ... Manny motivated to go out and get $100 million for four years will be a pretty good pickup for [a team interested in trading for him]... ... I dont think they can do the trade, but I do think they'll certainly explore every opportunity to allow him to go out and get his next contract."

Memo to Peter Gammons:

1) "Manny has become preoccupied"... It was the Red Sox who started this, by accusing Ramirez of faking an injury, and then having Theo Epstein conduct trade negotiations through Tim McCarver, thereby essentially publicly accusing Ramirez of faking the injury.

2) "As the rest of his teammates are trying to win..." Nonsense by Gammons, unless he can read Ramirez's mind.

3) "That next contract is his interest." Again, nonsensical. Gammons's entire thesis is based on the belief that Ramirez faked the injury. But how in the world does Ramirez help himself on the free agent market by faking an injury and then having teams find that out?

4) "Manny motivated to go out and get $100 million will..." Will what? Cause him to hit .301/.401/.533 on the year?

5) "To allow him to go out and get his next contract..." Allow him to be traded? It was Theo Epstein who expressed the desire to trade Ramirez.

As I said, Gammons's analysis was absurd, in every respect.

Maybe the Red Sox could trade him to the Army for a couple of military academy draftees.

No, Kevin is too busy curing cancer.

I highly doubt that many people would comment if he'd said "almost 1,700 RBIs" or "over 1,600 RBI". A couple people are picking on this one because it's not even close.

You should also remember that this is BTF, where there's always someone who will happily point out any minor discrepancy, no matter the source.

I was moved to comment because when I read the intro, I stopped at "almost 2000 RBI", and immediately thought "Really? He's got a good shot at Aaron then.", and rushed off to BBREF to see how close to 2000 he was. Then I saw he has a good shot at 2000, and thus my comment.

Gammons act has gotten old - I'm over him and don't take any notice of his crap anymore.

I was moved to comment because when I read the intro, I stopped at "almost 2000 RBI", and immediately thought "Really? He's got a good shot at Aaron then.", and rushed off to BBREF to see how close to 2000 he was. Then I saw he has a good shot at 2000, and thus my comment.

I wasn't intending to pick on you, and I apologize if it came off that way. It was intended as a simple comment about how people here will always point out inaccuracies like the one in Manny's statement of "almost 2000 RBI". People here just don't seem to like it when players (or GMs, or coaches, or announcers, or media) make statements which aren't really supported by reality, and that it's not exclusive to Manny.

When is Willie Randolph going to get fired?

And I think they'd comment that he was too concerned with numbers in that case. As I said.

Do you mean here? Seriously, if Manny said what Ryan suggested, I can't think of anybody at this site who would criticize him for saying that. But if you can identify these people, by all means fill us in.

Seriously, there are four separate Manny-trade threads on Hot Topics already!

If these trends continue...

What do you think of Jim Rice's HOF chances, Crispix?