Goose Gossage: Manny Ramirez exit a plus for Red Sox

Ahh, yes…the Manny Ramirez exit.

“I’ve always thought that Manny was a dog,” Gossage said Friday. On Thursday, Boston sent the longtime Yankee killer to Los Angeles, receiving Pittsburgh left fielder Jason Bay in a three-team deal. “People say that Manny is a Hall of Famer, but I don’t know that he’s such a shoo-in. He lets in as many runs (with poor defense) as he contributes.”

...Never reluctant to speak about current events, he has said this season that Joba Chamberlain should remain in the bullpen, and that Chamberlain and Jose Reyes should stop their expressive celebrations on the field. These critiques have underscored a generational tension in baseball.

“The game has changed so much,” Gossage said. “It is a shell of what it used to be, though it’s still great.”

Among Gossage’s complaints: pitchers are “babied too much” by pitch counts, and even the game’s hot dogs are more selfish than ones of the 1970s. When reminded that former teammate Reggie Jackson once requested a trade away from the Yankees during a pennant race, Gossage said, “But Reggie played harder than Manny. He worked harder. He may not have been the best outfielder, but he was a professional once the game started. I don’t think there’s any comparison.”