After teammates Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz homered back-to-back in the third inning Manny Ramirez must have felt left out in the long ball contest.
In the seventh inning, Ramirez crushed Chad Bradford’s first pitch offering to deep right center for his 500th home run of his career.
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My wife asked me ‘how come everyone knows so much about the Red Sox?’ Interesting question. It must be more than Fenway, the Curse, the History, two WS, alot of All Stars.
I think it is because this team is now the most interesting and most human in baseball, on a player by player basis, with Manny at its core. There are no “bad guys”, just a bunch of interesting, successful ball players that we can identify with. 20 examples:
1. How many “Big Papis” are there.
2. Yooouuuuk
3. R.O.Y. little big man, Dustin
4. Base stealing, Navajo, rookie phenom, Jacoby
5. CA Survivor and WS MVP, Mikey.
6. CA Survivor and NoNo pitcher, Jon.
7. Dice-K of Japan.
8. OkiDoki of Japan.
9. Papelbon & Becket dominance
10.Bloody Sock Schill
11.Rookie NoNo Clay B.
12.Big Bartolo returns.
13.Coco Crisp . . . everyone loves that name.
14.Wakefield’s knuckle-ball adventures.
15.Captain Tek.
16. J.D. cool.
17. Mayor Casey
18. Tito, and the All Star Game.
19.Even the Red Sox diaspora are fascinating, from Roger to Johnny Damon to Gabe Kapler & Hanley, Wily & Pedro, Millar & Nixon, Hinske & Julian.
20.Finally, Manny Being Manny, with his 500HR.
What other team comes close to such compelling, humorous, interesting, human drama? Sure each team has one or three of A-Rod & Jeter & Joba, Bonds, Utley, Johan & Pedro, but not an entire team. Add two recent WS, and great baseball on top of it, and I think that no team since the old Yankees of Mantle, Maris, Berra, has had so many stars who have become friendly household words . . . and simultaneously been so dominant. And Manny being Manny is central to all of it.
No other team comes close in any league with all the personalities that we have on this team. There is someone for everyone to identify with and I think it is a great thing. You can love the loveable Ortiz, you can admire the grit and hardwork and run through walls mentality of Dusty, you can love the I am professional but like to have fun approach of Mike Lowell, and you can absolutely love the I am still a kid playing the game I love at the highest level in Manny Ramirez.
The last one is the one I love the most.