Yeah sure a sensible guy could do both, but this is Manny we're talking about. He ain't the sharpest tool in the shed. I don't think it even registers with him that he can do both of the jobs at the same time. But it's all good, as long as he comes back to the Sox and produces like he always does, we'll love him anyway.

manny being manny

as usual. and people think roger clemens and barry bonds are prima donnas...

Holy crap, you guys are a bunch of assholes. Think about how you would feel if your mother had surgery. Wouldn't you want to be by her side? Seriously, I agree that Manny's a freaking flake, but let's not jump on him for showing some filial respect.

Hmm..doesn't Manny have a track record of bringing up, ahem, family issues to leave early, show up late, etc etc???

The line "This was the first Terry Francona heard about it" is the issue.

Manny being Manny indeed.

Honestly, if the A-Rod / Jeter stuff is a "non-story," so is this. Manny will show up at some point, none of his teammates will care that he's late, and he will have the same productive year he always does. The press loves to build this stuff up, but I think at this point Manny's teammates accept his quirks and his "family issues." He continues to be one of the most entertaining and productive players on the Red Sox.

Manny never shows up to spring training on time. Does he even need to give an excuse? Just say "I don't feel like it." And then when he drives in 135 runs for the millionth season in a row, nobody on the team (or in the seats) will care.

Man, come on people. This is a guy's mom having serious surgery. Cut the dude some slack. Being there for your mom is noble, and I hope what all of us would do.

To those who think others are being insensitive... might I remind you of the story of the boy who cried wolf. This has got to be about the sixth year in a row that Manny has missed part of spring training, or missed time around the All-Star break. Like Pedro, his family and personal issues just always seem to pop up around that time.

It bugs me that he's a total lock for the Hall of Fame. I wonder how good he could have been if he showed up to spring training on time, maybe lost a couple pounds, hustled on grounders, etc. He certainly is one of the greatest to ever play the game, but I hate that I just don't know how good he could have been.

Mike, the relaxed Manny attitude that allowed him to shrug off nearly being traded - in fact, being put on waivers - and perform as if nothing had happened is the flip side of his laziness or lack of effort in situations like this. I don't think you can have one without the other. It's possible that if Manny cared more and had his head screwed on firmly he would have done the things you (and I) wish he would have over the years to improve his performance, but on the other hand, it also might have made him sulk when things got tough. It's hard to know if he could find a better balance, even in principle.

also Mike, it has been well documented (albeit lightly reported) how hard of a worker Manny is when it comes to game preparation. He may not hustle down the base line, but he isn't a good hitter only by chance- Manny puts in a *lot* of time in the batting cages throughout the season working on his swing.

Pitchers and catchers just reported, Manny will be a late arrival, and all will be well. I'm confident his performance won't suffer much for missing the first few days of spring training.

This isn't the first time Manny's mother has been an issue. He hit a slump last year and cited his sick mother as a reason for distraction. My speculation is that it's something very serious that she wouldn't be able to overcome if her son wasn't a mega-rich baseball player. Manny, in this case, would feel extremely responsible for her health. Missing a week of spring training is going to make zero difference to a guy like Manny - and that's why he's great.

"We're talking about practice. Not a game... Practice man! ... How the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing??"