More Manny stuff

Here is the link to a story that just appeared today on the Boston Globe's web site in which David Ortiz speaks candidly (albeit not always coherently) on Manny Ramirez's final days with the Red Sox. Interesting comment in there about the media being ``family.''

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2008/11/papi_opens_up_o.html

Also, my colleague Dylan Hernandez wrote in today's Times that the Dodgers' two-year, $45 million offer to Manny is $15 million in 2009, $22.5 million in 2010 and a $7.5 million buyout of a $22.5 million club option for 2011; that Frank McCourt might be open to guaranteeing the third year if that's what it takes to get a deal done; and that this particular offer will stand only through tomorrow, although that doesn't mean the Dodgers' attempts to re-sign Manny will end there.

Below is a press release I received this morning from ESPN about this Sunday's edition of OTL, which will focus largely on Manny.

Sunday's Outside the Lines (9 a.m. ET ESPN, noon ESPNEWS) will examine Manny Ramirez' upcoming free agency, his final days in Boston and circumstances that led to his trade, and a behind-the-scenes look at his 2000 free-agent signing with the Red Sox. Pedro Gomez reports.

Sunday's show will also reprise excerpts from the December 2000 Outside the Lines: Inside the Deal in which cameras followed Manny Ramirez' agent Jeff Moorad for seven weeks as he strategized with his client, criss-crossed the country, worked the phones, and met with general managers, to eventually produce the eight-year, $160 million contract with Boston.

From Sunday's Show:

"Every question was about Manny Ramirez. We lost a game -- it was 'Why Manny didn't run a ball out?' We win a game - 'Is Manny going to show up tomorrow and play?' So it got to the point that, I don't want to say it got to us, but it was this dark cloud over the team." - Alex Cora, Red Sox SS