Bill Simmons says that the real reason for Manny Ramirez shooting his way out of Boston this season is simple. Scott Boras made him do it. This is something I’ve touched on in the past, Simmons also puts blame on Red Sox management, who finally decided to flex their muscles when it came to Manny.

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Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

22 thoughts on “Bill Simmons Goes After Boras”

  1. Let’s not forget one thing- Manny is an adult. Even if Boras is the one who put the idea in his head to act up to try and get a new contract, he DIDN’T have to do it. In my eyes, they both have to share the blame.

    But I also think it’s apparent that Manny does what ever his agent tells him. Why else would he have signed the contract that brought him to Boston?

    It’s clear that Mannygate is this years version of Spygate- a story that the national media will find ways to keep alive, just because it sounds sooooo juicy,

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    1. It stays alive because WEEI has been told by Red Sox management to keep ripping Manny no matter what.

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      1. No kidding Will. Wake me up the next time the ‘RESPECT THE GAME’ Sox owners have a Little League Day or Bat Day, Ball Day, Hat Day, or even the first I Won’t Rob You Blind Day.

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  2. What a terrible article. a 35 year old man hurt because his favorite player was traded and not holding another grown man responisble for his own actions.

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  3. It really is pathetic that people like Simmons and apparently Bruce who agrees with him refuse to hold a 35 year old man accoutnabel for his own actions because they have a Manny jersey they wear to games.

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    1. I think its pathetic that Bruce and Bill have to share a Manny jersey. I bet Bill rarely uses it so Bruce probably gets the better end of that bargain…

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      1. Sorry, I don’t have a Manny jersey. I wasn’t saying that I agreed so much with the substance of Simmons’ column, as much as I was just noting that I had brought up the Boras angle a long time ago.

        Manny had to go. There wasn’t a question of that. I just wanted to know why he went so far over the edge in his last months with the Red Sox…what pushed him to act out in so drastic a manner?

        As for Simmons, I’m glad he at least made the effort to present a different side or angle to this instead of just resorting to the media staple of “Manny is Satan.” He may not have been entirely successful in presenting his argument, but I’m glad he tried.

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  4. Ramone, that apology tour that Simmons wrote was one of his worst columns ever. He’s the exact opposite of Mikey Adams. With Adams, Manny can do no good, with Simmons, Manny can do no wrong. Ramone! 😦

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  5. Bashing Bill Simmons has jumped the shark worse then Deadspin after Leitch left.

    Don’t like him, don’t read him.

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  7. This was a pathetic effort from Simmons, who has officially devolved into one of the morons who calls WEEI. He practically called the Red Sox racist at one point. I think some of the Manny bashing was over-the-top, but this defense of him is pathetic. Simmons has always taken shots at Theo throughout the years and comparing Theo leaving in 05 when his contract was up to what Manny did is just dumb. Also, to say that nobody brought up Boras is a lie. That has been touched upon many times.

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  8. Boras will never get enough blame for this mess. NEVER. Shame on Manny for playing along, but shame of Boras for using this tactic to get his client a better contract. Disgusting.

    Simmons might not be a very good writer (“Outside Providence”? Really?) but he’s right about Boras’ role in this affair.

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  9. If you buy into the idea that Boras is at fault, you are buying into the idea that Manny is an idiot that was forced on us all for years. I’m sorry, but Boras may have had some influence, but Manny is an adult more than capable of making his own decisions.

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    1. Then what are your opinions about Lawyer Milloy and Ty Law? They basically did the same thing: shot their way out of town to get more money. The difference is they didn’t assault anyone to do it.
      Of course Manny is responsible for his own deplorable behavior. Boras’ involvement in this matter stinks to high heaven and there’s no way he should be let off the hook.
      And yes, Jeremy Jacobs is by FAR the worst owner in sports around here. I will take Theo and company a billion times before I take him. Even Boras’ attempts to sabotage the Sox’s chances this year are nothing compared to the almost 30 years the Bruins have been scuttled.

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  10. I normally love Simmons and agree with some of his points in this article but the fact is (or at least the reported fact) that they voted 24-0 to get Manny out of the clubhouse. Simmons can’t defend Manny on that one.

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  11. poorly written, underedited, factually inaccurate and borderline racist. just another Simmons column.

    It’s pretty funny that all the Simmons supporters always claim that his detractors are ‘jealous’ of his success while it’s become clearer than ever that Simmons is incredibly jealous of Theo and will take swipes at the greatest Sox GM of all time any chance he gets.

    maybe Bill can remind us what well-known sports personality initiated a work stoppage despite being under contract when he became unhappy with his employer? oh, that’s right, it was Simmons. what a hypocrite.

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    1. What was so poorly written? You need to give evidence. I have hear people say James Joyce is poorly written. Its a stupid swipe with no evidence.

      Factually innacurate? So, the Theo Epstein firing never happened? The Sox never had two GMs? Scott Boras never brought JD Drew to the Sox? What is inaccurate about his article. Don’t just say it, put some evidence out there. If you want to make a statement, back it up.

      Borderline racist? When you make a team, the marketing of race usually comes into play. For a city that has its ground in huge racial issues ( which older people like Simmons and myself don’t forget ), you have to put that into play. He didn’t even mention racism; only that there are less dominicans, who may have related about their time in DR.

      People forget, Pedro, Colon, and Crisp and Manny ( along with Francona in 1995-96 ) were part of the Las Aguilas team in DR. Being a part of a country, and team, does mean something. It was only you who attributed racism.

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  12. The headline to this entry is a little misleading.

    Simmons doesn’t exactly rip Boras. He drives by that point and throws a couple of empty Arby’s cups out the window, but he never actually stops the car and gets out. I would have been interested to see what the “Boras effect” has been on players-teams on a larger scale than just Manny.

    I also would be remiss if I didn’t take Simmons to task on all the perceived ball washing of Sox management around here. You’re right, Bill. Aside from the take-a-number deli counter approach to the shortstop position, what exactly would you like the media and fans to hate about this management/ownership team? The farm system? The non-SS free agent signings? The renovations of the ballpark? What exactly would you like us to hate about them?

    The bottom line is if you’re an owner/ownership that works hard to put a winning team, you get respect from the fans. If you don’t, you still get ripped around here (see: Jacobs, Jeremy).

    Oh, and Bill, please stop writing like a spurned 16-year-old. You make the rest of us Bostonians look like fools when you slip into full-on yahoo mode.

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  13. This Manny nonsense needs to stop. I’m so sick of reading about Manny. He’s gone. The writers, fans and Manny himself all need to let it go.

    Yesterday the Globe headline read “Ramirez’s replacement turns tide.” Really? I could’ve sworn his name was Jason and not “Ramirez’s Replacement.”

    Let’s be honest, not a single person is to blame for Manny’s demise in Boston. If you think one particular side is to blame then you’re seeing things with blinders on. Can’t everyone just agree and move on? Does Simmons have to consistently defend Manny? Does Shaughnessy and Callahan still have to consistently bash Manny. He’s been gone for almost two months. Get over it.

    Simmons is a good writer but lately he’s been fawning over this Manny thing way too much. I totally agree with people like Bullock. He needs to get over it. Gah it’s a bit frustrating.

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  14. I know that Simmons loves “The Godfather” movies, so I guess in his mind, this is how it all went down last winter when Manny signed with Boras:

    Boras went to Manny’s house and asked Manny to sign on with his agency.

    Manny refused.

    A few days later, Boras went to see Manny again, only this time with Luca Brazi.

    Luca Brazi held a gun to Manny’s head and Boras assured Manny that either his signature or his brains would be on that player/agent contract.

    Do I have that right Mr. Simmons? Is that how it went down? Or did Manny willingly hire the biggest sleazeball agent in the country–a guy he KNEW would try to get him out of those option years–to represent him for this season?

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