Opposing teams have had to put up with Boston slugger Manny Ramirez admiring his disappearing home runs; his teammates have had to stomach Ramirez failing to run out ground balls and the odd just-miss home run, and the Red Sox front office has had to parry the occasional trade-me whining.

Now, it's Boston principal owner John Henry getting the Ramirez treatment.  Manny says that the Bosox aren't being straight with him on his option years of 2009 and 2010, season in which he's scheduled to make $20 million.

Manny: "I want no more [expletive] where they tell you one thing and behind your back they do another thing. I think I've earned that respect, for a team to sit down with me and tell me this is what we want, this is what we want to do."

Since Ramirez went to to say that he wanted a post-season sit-down with "ownership," it was Henry who responded in an email: "I find remarks that we have been anything other than completely straightforward to be personally offensive. Manny has been a crucial part of two world championships. I do not believe we would have won either without him. He has never played a more important role than he has thus far this year."

Hmm, The Red Sox owner is personally offended by his star player.  Didn't he get the memo (all together now), "It's just Manny being Manny."