While Manny Ramirez and Scott Boras are still busy trying to get a new contract from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny's old teammates with the Red Sox are in Florida preparing themselves for another rough run through the AL East. After losing to the Rays in the ALCS the Sawx are looking forward to playing for their third World Series title since 2004.
Of course, many Sawx players are going to be asked about whether or not they think the team can do that without having Manny Ramirez around for the entire season. It's a legitimate question, but reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia would like to remind you they do have some other talent in the lineup.
"If you look up and down our lineup, there are tons of guys that have done a lot of things. Jacoby is probably going to hit leadoff, he lead the league in stolen bases. I lead the league in a couple of categories. Youk won the Hank Aaron award. Jason Bay hit 30 home runs. Mike Lowell is a World Series MVP. JD carried us for a couple of months. There's a lot of guys that are going to do a lot of good things offensively. We're not going to miss Manny at all."
I wonder if David Ortiz will notice that Pedroia didn't even mention him.
While it seems ridiculous to think that a team wouldn't miss Manny's presence in the middle of their lineup, Pedroia is right. The Red Sox lineup is more than capable of putting runs on the board, and with their pitching staff, I don't think Manny's absence will be all that noticeable. Sure, the inside walls of the Green Monster will miss the sweet aroma of his urine, but they'll move on. They're strong like that.
Dustin Pedroia: Sox Won't Miss Manny originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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