Here's question number four from Tony Massarotti's article, "The
starting 9: A full lineup of issues facing the 2006 Red Sox" from
BostonHerald.com. I'm only posting the question regarding Manny:

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4. Coming off a winter filled with trade rumors, what can the Red Sox
expect from Manny Ramirez?

Roughly 40 home runs and 140 RBI along with the usual doses of humor,
frustration and befuddlement.

Were this any other player, there might be concerned about the effect
this offseason might have on his performance. Not with Manny. Over the
last three winters, the Red Sox have placed Ramirez on waivers and
expressed a willingness to trade him to anyone who made a respectable
offer. Ramirez has responded with his best years as a member of the
organization, which makes you wonder if the Red Sox have tapped into
some fascinatingly complex mechanism to motivate him.

Whatever game is being played here, let there be little doubt about
Ramirez' impact on the Red Sox. Without him, David Ortiz might as well
have one of his legs amputated. Ramirez' unique skills, after all, are
the foundation on which the entire Red Sox offense is built.

Here's the link to the entire article:
http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=125773

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Lynne