Jason Bay: Making the National Media Eat Their Words With Every Game

"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me"....that's right Manny, we don't, we deserve a player like Jason Bay. The 29 year old has come into Boston and produced, more importantly, he plays the game right and is the furthest thing from a clubhouse distraction there is. Maybe LA deserves a player like him too.

Remember the outcry after the trade? The national media could not believe the Red Sox and Theo made this trade, here are some the quotes I remember....

"The Red Sox can't make the playoffs without Manny."

"David Ortiz won't hit a thing without a player like Manny behind him."

"They traded Manny for some guy from Pittsburgh most people have never heard of!"

"They've effectively thrown this season away by getting rid of a hall of fame left fielder"

"Manny will propel the Dodgers into the playoffs and make them relevant again in LA"

I'm still waiting for the all-knowing national media to readdress their analysis. Most writers in Boston understood the reasons behind the trade and knew we were getting a good all around player back for an aging pain in the ass who would likely shut it down for the rest of the year. What no one expected, is that Jason Bay would be this good. The Red Sox are 17-8 since "trading away our chances to make the playoffs", while Manny's Dodgers are sinking by the second out in Hollywood. Not only did the national media underestimate Jason Bay's ability and overrate Manny's, they failed to realize something all of us here in Boston have known all year, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia are studs. Bay, Youk and Dusty have kept their team's October hopes alive through consistent all around play. Youk and Dusty's MVP considerations is a entirely different blog rant, but for now, let it be known that they better see some serious votes.

Just so we're all clear, Manny is playing with "peace of mind" and the hopes of getting a ridiculous contract out in LA. We all knew he would rake out there...but we didn't expect Bay's numbers to look like this in comparison:

Manny:

Since Trade (92 at bats)

.380 average, 6 taters, 13 runs, 21 rbi

LA's record: 11-15

Jason Bay:

Since Trade (95 at bats)

.347 average, 4 taters, 22 runs, 24 rbi

Boston's Record: 17-8

....and did I mention he makes 13 million less than Manny????

The numbers don't lie so I'll quote my own blog post from August 1st (only becuase i love to quote myself when i'm right):

"As much the national scene doesn't like this deal for the Sox, I'm ok with it. I will miss Manny diving to cutting off random throws from the outfield and high-fiving fans....but he simply had to go."

"In the end, did we give up a sure fire hall of famer? Absolutely. Will Manny rake out in LA? Most likely. Is Manny at 36, and 37 THAT much better than Jason Bay at 29 and 30? No"