While the rest of the sports world waits for an explanation from Manny Ramirez on why he suddenly retired from the game last Friday, at least one person has heard from the former slugger.
Tampa Bay Rays’ manager Joe Maddon told the Associated Press that he had a conversation with Manny in which the eccentric outfielder laid out his feelings over what happened.
“He just said he was disappointed. He didn’t apologize. I wasn’t looking for an apology necessarily. I wasn’t. He spoke to me kind of like, man to man, person to person, manager to player. So I didn’t think he owed me an apology.”
I’ve never believed that an athlete owes fans any sort of apology. If you’re over the age of 13 and are still foolish enough to believe that all of these guys are paragons of virtue, you deserve any heartbreak you get.
However, Manny should feel enough remorse to offer an apology to his teammates and the organization. After floundering for the second half of last season after getting popped for PEDs, the Rays were willing to take a chance on an aging power hitter with a $2 million contract. Suddenly he leaves a gaping hole in an offense that isn’t what it was a year ago.
Maybe you’re not sorry for what you did, Manny. You would be neither the first nor the last arrogant cheater we’ll see. But at least have the decency to respect the guys who were willing to battle alongside you and stake their success to yours.