Amazing, if not accurate, article.
By THE JOURNAL NEWS
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: July 31, 2005)
In Focus/John Delcos
The answer is: because they are human, with the question being: What is it with some people?
We saw opposite ends of the spectrum this week with Manny Ramirez and Kerry Wood, one the epitome of selfishness and the other an example of sacrifice and putting the team first.
For Ramirez, it was making his third trade demand in four years; for Wood, it was volunteering to pitch out of the bullpen even with him possibly needing surgery for an injured shoulder.
The Red Sox are exasperated with Ramirez, who has 28 home runs and a world of talent but lives in his own universe.
Manager Terry Francona told Ramirez he would have last Wednesday afternoon off at Tampa Bay, but the manager came back to ask him to play after Trot Nixon strained a side muscle and went on the disabled list.
Being the team player that he is, Ramirez refused, then made his demand to be traded, which came as no surprise to club president Larry Lucchino, who said he didn’t know if all this was the result of some “psychological and physical needs for a sustained period of rest or if it’s some calculation or some move to encourage us to trade him.”
The fact is, the Red Sox would love to accommodate him and get out from under the weight of the remaining $64.2 million on his $160 million contract. After the 2003 season they actually tried to unload him through waivers.
That gave the Yankees, and everybody else, a chance to claim him off waivers by simply assuming his contract without having to give up players.
Every team passed on Ramirez then, so it’s unlikely they’ll offer players now for an expensive headache.
Lucchino knows Ramirez is basically untradeable.
“Because of the size of his contract, obviously, it’s hard,” Lucchino said. “There aren’t a lot of clubs that are going to be interested, but it depends how little you’re willing to take in return with respect to trades.”
While Ramirez remains a burden to the Red Sox, Wood is willing to do anything he can to help the Cubs, and it could be at the expense of his career.
Wood has been told he may need surgery to repair a frayed labrum in his shoulder, and the prudent thing would be to shut him down for the season.
Wood’s shoulder can’t handle 100 pitches anymore, but like Curt Schilling, he is willing to test it for 20 to 30.
“I don’t care if I can come out and get one guy out and it helps us win, I’ll do that,” Wood said. “I’d like to offer more than one inning, but this is what I’ve been dealt, and if I can get healthy and get throwing again, shortly, I’ll get out and try to contribute somehow.”
Whereas the Red Sox used Schilling in a closer role because of their hole in that area with Keith Foulke on the disabled list, the Cubs have a reliable closer in Ryan Dempster, so Wood could be temporarily slotted in a setup role.
The Yankees have a similar situation with Jaret Wright and haven’t ruled out using him in the bullpen when he returns from the DL.
Manager Joe Torre said Wright’s return could be accelerated if he initially comes back to pitch out of the bullpen, but indicated the club’s precarious situation with its starting pitchers might preclude that option.
However, should Carl Pavano come back strong, Aaron Small continue to pitch well, and either Al Leiter, Shawn Chacon or Hideo Nomo pan out, it could enable Wright to bolster the Yankees’ holes in long relief.
During spring training Wright said he’d do whatever the Yankees asked, and there’s no indication he’s moved away from that stance. He, like Wood, is willing to put his team first. Ramirez, meanwhile, is on his own planet.
