That pesky chemistry thing

[BaltimoreTerp]

I don't really have an opinion (til now) on Papelbon, but I commend him for saying what probably everyone else was thinking. Manny is a flake, and plays at all or at least plays hard, when he damn well feels like it. Sure he is a game changer, but only when he feels like it.

Maybe you could argue it in the field or the base paths, but there is no way you could argue it with his bat, and that's where his value is.

Papelbon is a dope anyway, so he could say that Derek Jeter is the devil and I would disagree vehemently.

And I have to agree with the "cancer, Lester" part as well. That could be questionable.

[Gurgi]

That's what I was thinking. I'd like to see Lester light him up for that. You don't throw that kind of stuff around when your teammate and one of your better pitchers has survived cancer and worked hard to get back to the game.

I honestly think Lester really is more intelligent than this.

[Scrat1]

Papelbon is annoying. Your team is really strong if one player can destory the entire team chemistry. I really hope Boston doesn't make the playoffs. I rather the Yankees make it over them.

I'm sorry, but I can't back you up here. You'd rather the Yankees, after spending almost half a billion dollars on free agents this offseason, make it over the Red Sox?

[TyCobb]

I'm sorry, but I can't back you up here. You'd rather the Yankees, after spending almost half a billion dollars on free agents this offseason, make it over the Red Sox?

Yes. And it isn't even close anymore.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I honestly think Lester really is more intelligent than this.

Doesn't mean it isn't insulting.

[O's84]

Lester may have already talked to him about it for all we know. Non publicly would be the way to go.

[Anonymous]

... and for all those who insist that clubhouse chemistry is so unimportant (or that it's merely the result of winning) ... this article may give some food for contrary thought.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3972796

[YardBirds13]

The only thing that article made me realize is how much I despise Papelbon.

What a.....yeah.

[birrman54]

The team chemistry with Manny was so bad that they only made the playoffs in 4 of his 7 years there (if you don't count last year), and won just 2 of the Franchise's 7 world championships.

He also selfishly led the team in OPS in just 5 of those 7 years. He also has a pathetic .949 OPS in postseason play with only 28 homeruns in 378 at bats.

Yep, I bet team chemistry sucked with all that success.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Here's the big problem with the whole "Manny was hurting the team" argument.

During the time they were so desperate to trade him:

July: 11-13, 110 RS, 100 RA (17-10, 147 RS, 118 RA monthly average the remaining five months)

Team offense

 I Split          G    PA    AB    R    H   2B  3B  HR  RBI  BB  IBB  SO  HBP  SH  SF ROE GDP  SB   CS   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS  BAbip sOPS+ tOPS+ Split+-+------------+----+-----+-----+----+----+---+---+---+----+----+---+----+---+---+---+---+---+----+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------------+  July          242   940   817  110  222  46   5  18  105   93   8  159  12   6  12   6  17    8   8  .272  .350  .406  .756  .313   100    89 July         

Ramirez offense

 I Split         G   GS  PA  AB  R   H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO HBP  SH  SF ROE GDP  SB CS   BA   OBP   SLG   OPS  BAbip sOPS+ tOPS+ Split+-+------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------------+  July          22  21  93  75  18  26  6  0  4  16  14   3  15   4   0   0   1   2   0  0  .347  .473  .587 1.060  .393   179   108 July         

He was really carrying the team for that month.

[byrdz]

Eric Young get's it right.

It's very interesting that none of the team veterans, like Jason Varitek or David Ortiz, came out and trashed Manny. They know there is no reason to talk trash about a player who is no longer on the team and also because they respect that they won two World Series in large part because of Manny's contributions. There is no way they win those titles without him, and the veterans know that.

This game is about having a long memory, and the veteran leadership on the Red Sox realizes that trashing Manny serves no purpose except to sully a person who was a good enough teammate to help them win two titles. Papelbon should step back and understand that sometimes it isn't worth it to get a quick sound bite when baseball's unspoken rules are in play.

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