How many times have we heard that over the past few seasons? Or just in the past week? Sunday night there was the “wall incident”, a couple days later he called Renteria off a ball and then wasn’t able to get to it himself, and last night there was that…whatever that play was where he misjudged a fly ball and did a little pirouette out in left.
But “Manny being Manny” also means production. In that same timeframe he has also hit three homeruns and has 5 RBI. For the month of July, he’s hitting .290 with 8 homeruns and 21 RBI. All in 19 games. Last night’s long ball was to right field. The opposite field power is just another sign of Manny being Manny.
And last night, he was involved in a play that is one of my favorite Red Sox moments of this season. After Miller pitched a great game, Myers and Timlin came in to do what they do: get guys out and set it up for the closer. In comes Schilling. He looked a little shaky letting the first two runners reach. Then he started a nice DP on a come-backer. The next batter hits a deep fly ball to left, but Manny makes a nice running catch to end the game followed by a behind-the-back flip of the ball into the stands. Here is the good part. When they showed the replay with the camera on Schilling, he went from watching in horror (no doubt thinking “holy-shit-I-just-gave-up-a-two-run-homer-to-Timo-friggin’-Perez”) then turning and heading towards the dugout as a grin cracked his always-serious face as Manny made the play.
As I write this I realize how goofy and not-quite-heterosexual it sounds. But you have to see it to understand. It became reason number infinity why I love these guys.
