Tavarez is a fool!

In mannyacs@yahoogroups.com, "Lynne" <lynne@...> wrote:
>
> Me again. This just in from MLB.com:
>
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> FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox confirmed on Wednesday that Manny
> Ramirez is dealing with a family issue and the star slugger has been
> granted clearance from the club to report to Spring Training on March 1.
>
> The rest of Boston's position players underwent physicals on
> Wednesday, so Ramirez will be roughly one week behind schedule.
>
> "Manny is going to be here, ready to go, March 1," said Red Sox
> general manager Theo Epstein. "He's got a family situation. I think
> the important thing, from our perspective to this point, is that when
> he does show up on March 1 that he's ready to go, accountable to his
> teammates and accountable to the organization."
>
> Red Sox manager Terry Francona spoke to Ramirez via phone on Tuesday
> night and, like Epstein, expressed no issue with the left fielder's
> timetable.
>
> Reliever Julian Tavarez, Ramirez's close friend, said earlier this
> week that the slugger would not be on hand until March 1. However, the
> Red Sox weren't comfortable making an announcement until they heard it
> directly from Ramirez.
>
> Epstein said that he was satisfied with the communication between
> Ramirez's agent and the club.
>
> "Again, I think the most important thing is accountability, starting
> March 1, and from then on out," said Epstein. "Manny's spring will
> start March 1. That's an excused absence due to family reasons."
>
> The news that Ramirez would be on a different schedule from the rest
> of the players appeared to be a non-issue.
>
> "He's got to do what he's got to do," said Sox designated hitter David
> Ortiz. "He's got family problems, and hopefully, everything goes well
> with his mom, and hopefully, he'll be ready to go after he gets here."
>
> The Associated Press reported on Wednesday night that Ramirez was
> scheduled to attend a car auction in Atlantic City, N.J., on Saturday,
> according to the promoter of the auction.
>
> It wasn't immediately clear if the Red Sox were aware of Ramirez's
> scheduled appearance at the Atlantic City Classic Cars Auction.
>
> Louise Cunningham, who works for G. Potter King, the Berlin, N.J., car
> dealer promoting the auction, told The Associated Press that Ramirez
> was still expected at the event.
>
> "All we know, he's coming at noon on Saturday, nothing else," she said.
>
> Ramirez is a collector of classic cars. His 1967 four-door Lincoln
> Continental Sedan convertible is listed in Saturday's auction as
> number 1747A. In parentheses on the auction list is a note: Owned by
> Manny Ramirez.
>
> Epstein made no mention of the car show to reporters. Neither Epstein
> nor Ramirez's agent, Greg Genske, returned e-mails to The AP seeking
> comment.
>
> This will mark the second year in a row that Ramirez will report to
> camp on March 1. A year ago, the left fielder told the club he wanted
> to complete his conditioning program at his South Florida home before
> coming to camp.
>
> Full house: Aside from Ramirez, the Red Sox now have a full squad at
> camp. Physicals and conditioning drills were completed on Wednesday,
> and the club will have its first full-squad workout on Thursday.
>
> Prior to the workout, Francona will have a meeting with the team, as
> he does every spring.
>
> "It's exciting, isn't it? I just told [bench coach Brad Mills] before
> we came out here, we can actually play baseball tomorrow," said
> Francona. "We'll be out here tomorrow morning. We'll meet in the
> morning, we'll come out and take BP, we'll watch the pitchers pitch.
> This is an exciting time of the year for us."
>
> Clement working toward recovery: Right-hander Matt Clement is making
> good progress from the extensive surgery he had on his labrum and
> rotator cuff in September.
>
> "He's inside [during workouts]," said Francona. "He's on actually a
> very strenuous program. He's in the very highest percentile of how
> he's doing, according to other pitchers. A throwing program will start
> while we're down here in Spring Training. I don't have that exact
> date. He has to gain certain strength, certain mobility, and then
> he'll move on."
>
> Source: Ian Browne / MLB.com
>