I just hope Fox knows that things like this really make me consider NOT watching the playoffs on their channel.

There is a good chance this is going to dominate what he talks about for the entire series, and I'd rather just watch House reruns on USA then listen.

If I want to hear an old catcher-turned broadcaster, I'll take Bob Uecker.

Peter,

For a team like the Cubs, I don't think they can win until they get a few "nuts" on the team. They have such a history of not winning and the pressure that goes with it, they need a starting player and a bench guy or two that can loosen up the team.

Piniella is high strung, Derrick Lee is a good player but comes across more restrained. Zambrano may be a head case but in the bad way since I think he puts people on edge. As much as I dislike him, they need someone like Ramirez who doesn't feel pressure (probably doesn't know its definition nor how to spell it) to break through. I think one of the main reasons the RedSox broke through was guys like Ramirez and Millar and their "band of idiots".

I consider baseball to be the greatest game ever invented. The subtlety, the drama.

But I consider MLB to be a sorry custodian of the game. They let a jerk subvert the integrity of the game just because he's a great performer. But let a Mendoza-line player act like that and he's outta here. Obviously it's not about the "game" anymore, it's about the business. I don't like it.

Paul B Towson--But if Manny is a Republican, shouldn't he be letting the market decide his worth and shouldn't he be respected for his savvy in knowing how to get the edge?

Isn't this what you respect?

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Pete's reply: Now Barry, since you're an educated guy, you'll have to concede that you're buying into a stereotype created by those who wish to make sure you stay on their team. Consider who benefits by dividing us.

Pete—I’ve reread your answer more than a few times, and I must admit I don’t know what the hell you are trying to say. So much for me—and you—being educated guys.

I’ve enjoyed your writing for so many years from the first day you joined the Sun and reading your entries in the Sporting News to your current days as a columnist and a recent brave soul in the spots blogs.

What has always distinguished your work has been your love for baseball and a purely crazy, funny wit about life. So, I echo RavenFan in saying that as a guy who enjoys your stuff it catches me off-guard to find out that you are comfortable dismissing Barack Obama as a “personality.”

I suppose in the context of the attacks being made by John McCain now, things said that he somehow could not say to Barack Obama’s face on the stage at Belmont College in Tennessee, what you have to say is mild, almost like the serene sounds of moderate Republicans.

Of course, as you know, moderate Republicans in the House and Senate don’t exist anymore. Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel, and Olympia Snow may be as close as you can get to that. But if Lugar, Hagel, and Snow were people you respected, I don’t see how you would be making sarcastic remarks about “Obama nation.”

So, your comments, as delicately clicked as you may make them, feed into the general swirl of the Republican attack that has so much intellectual integrity that it seeks to make a point about the middle name “Hussein.” Painting the man as an outsider, un-American.

I would have thought you would be a guy to make a stand about stupid name association after all the silly crap thrown your way forever.

And if being “infatuated with personality” is something you disdain, what are your feelings about all the leaders you have admired? Why do you believe that having the ability to engage people is mutually exclusive from getting things done for those same people? Seems to me Pete, you have a pretty strong personality and that’s something I like. No, I don’t want you for president, buddy, but you do lead, in your way, in your profession. And didn’t Reagan—a California boy—have a personality?

Despite all the politics, for which we do seem to disagree, I will stay in touch because I’m a little longer in the show like you and know like you that friendship cannot always be predicated on complete agreement.

You are an excellent sportswriter and a good guy. We may disagree on politics—and how we all come to recognize our sense of community does mean a lot to me---but Pete I want you to know that I appreciate what you do each day and value your opportunity to express your thoughts and the forum you provide for me and all of the rest of us on this blog to express our ideas.

As my dad used to say when I was really young, “Stick with those Birds!”

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Pete's reply: You've kind of drawn a lot from my brief reply to an email about Sarah Palin. It started with someone saying (I don't know if it was you) that it was a disappointment I am a Republican. I was a little surprised that anyone had drawn that conclusion from the Palin item, since I thought I had written quite objectively about the decision by an NHL team to pick such a political partisan for a first-puck ceremony. I would have written exactly the same thing about Obama if he had been chosen. I even included the poll results that showed readers in Philly were roundly against the decision.

i am SO sick of you media types (yes you peter), dogging out Manny and what he did (allegedly) to get out of Boston. you know what? manny was batting well over .300 before he got traded, and still driving in runs. so what, he didn't hustle. when did he ever? he wanted to leave that claustrophobic, neurotic environment, so he forced their hand. who wouldn't? the only reason why this is even story is b/c every employee of ESPN is either a sox or yankees fan, and this is all they have to talk about. McCarver is an old-school guy and a total opinionated pr*ck...what Deion did to him was great, and well-deserved. i really can't believe you, someone who i used to think was level-headed and open-minded, could use the word "despicable" in this case. that is irresponsible journalism. it takes two to tango, and all we hear is the red sox side of things, while manny takes the high road. do you even know what goes on behind closed doors in boston? i doubt it, so why talk about it? last point, no one says anything about carlos delgado. look at his numbers pre-randolph firing compared to after randolph was fired. you think he was dogging it? dude became babe ruth after randolph was gone. lay off manny. go dodgers! ( and yes, i'm unfortunately an O's fan).

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Pete's reply: I'm glad there's someone around to rationalize Manny's behavior. I've been around his whole career and some of what he has done is just childish, but this was reprehensible. Sorry. I'm sure there are other players who do the same kind of thing, but that doesn't make it right.

Politics aside (or forever banished from the sports pages entirely), I think what some people may be objecting to is the certainty with which you vilified MannyB. At least that's the point I have a problem with.

I'm in no way defending Manny if he was jaking it out there. But I really don't think his "despicable" behavior wasn't that far outside the parameters he'd established as his baseline. I don't think his stats allude to a deliberate degree of despicableness by MannyB.

MannyB marches to his own drummer. And by all accounts, that drummer may be playing a kazoo. But the guy can rake. The Red Sox let him make his own rules (in exchange for that ability) for years, and to a certain extent, are therefore, responsible for his behavior.

I have no qualms with them trading him if they want. For whatever reason. But in local parlance, don't pee on the fans leg and tell them it's raining. Don't make MannyB out to be Saddam Hitler just to cover your asses.

If anyone in this conversation hasn't taken the time to read Simmons' excellent article on the subject, it can be found here. At the very least, I don't think this conversation can take place without the word Boras being banished about pejoratively.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=manny

It's long but good. And just as I'm sure not everything the RedSox PR machine cranked out isn't true, this piece too is likely skewed. But it does present an interesting, and well thought out, rebuttal.

Dan.

P.S. McCarver is to annoying as hot is to a volcano. Mt. McCarver, a seething cauldron of fiery bubbling bombastic grating annoyingness.

If anyone has noticed, McCarver seemed to be going out of his way during the first two games of the NLCS to kiss Manny's rear end. Either he thinks he was a little harsh in his previous comments, FOX censored him, or he's afraid to get the Deion Sanders treatment again if LA wins it all. ("You're a real man, Deion")