Manny Being...Pedro?

STEPHANIE GRAY '09


For the second time in the recent years, I find myself caught in a love hate-relationship with one of my favorite Baseball players. After losing Pedro at the end of the 2004 season, I was devastated. Pedro was, at one time, the heart and soul of the team.
He was the one joking around in the dugout and in the locker rooms to keep the team’s spirits up. I will never forget that Pedro, because that is the player I fell in love with, not the Pedro that was in it for the money and glory. But the feeling of personal loss I felt when Pedro left was nothing compared to when I realized that Manny was not going to be around anymore, or at least he wouldn’t be playing with the Red Sox. Manny, like Pedro was formerly the player that others turned to when they needed to laugh. He was the goofy, smiling, extremely talented (in a seemingly accidental way) player that people watched and revered. Whether he was on the field, or in the dugout, Manny was always in the spotlight. What he brought to the team was priceless, because he brought more than just talent. Manny brought back the meaning of Baseball; to play a great game and to have a good time doing it. For this, I will always remember him. In my mind, Manny will always be Manny, and nothing he says or does will taint that memory. There are too many players in today’s society that play for the money, and have lost the old-time meaning of Baseball. Part of the reason why I love the Red Sox so much, is because they haven’t forgotten what Baseball is all about, like so many have, and they play as a team. People don’t play for the Red Sox, they play with the Red Sox, and that makes all the difference.