WASHINGTON – Charlie Manuel says he can handle it. If presented with a chance to manage a player who might be a bit of a discipline problem, Charlie doesn’t see it as an issue.
“I like talent,” Charlie said.
Of course the subject of the talent was potentially ex-Red Sox superstar Manny Ramirez, a player Charlie managed in the minors and coached in the big leagues with the Indians. In the past, Ramirez said he wouldn’t mind being reunited with his old hitting guru.
Manuel says he doesn’t think the Phillies need to add a hitter, but if they did he has one guy in mind.
“Manny Ramirez would be the hitter,” he said. “My time with Manny was very special," Manuel said. "He was a kid then. He's grown up a lot. Well, he's gotten older. I feel like I know him to a certain degree.”
But that would mean Ramirez is heading to Philadelphia, which doesn’t seem to be the case.
According to the banter making the rounds in the press box at Exxon (Nationals) Park, the Red Sox, Pirates and Marlins were ironing out a deal that would send Jason Bay from Pittsburgh to Boston and Manny from Boston to the Marlins. In fact, newspapers in Florida are reporting that a tentative deal has been struck.
That means no Manny for Charlie. But could it tip the balance in the NL East to the upstart Marlins who stand just 1½ games behind the Phillies?
Maybe.
“One player can make a lot of difference,” Manuel said, “if you get the right player.”
If a deal does occur and the Marlins get Ramirez, or if the Mets pull off a deal before the deadline, what does that mean for the Phillies? Will they try to keep pace?
“You don't like to react to someone else,” general manager Pat Gillick said. “I've always said you like to do what you think is proper for your club. If the Mets or Marlins improve their club, they improve their club. We'll hopefully try to improve our club, but we're not reacting.”
The GM might not be reacting, but the Phillies fans definitely will.
On another note, how did the relationship between the Red Sox and Ramirez get so bad? Why is Manny saying things like, “the Red Sox don’t deserve me…” They are paying him $20 million! How is that disrespectful.
Maybe they want him to run the bases?