Manny Ramirez’s shenanigans, I have recently determined, have lost their cheekiness. They have, to quote Super Troopers, become “cruel and tragic”, which, to continue quoting, “makes them not shenanigans at all, really.”

Antics now come off as forced, PR maneuvers, aimed at trying to rebuild his good standing with the Red Sox faithful. Climb into the monster between innings? Seen it. Muck around playfully with the third base umpire after a check-swing? Blah.

The truth of the matter is that Manny has permanently tarnished his image. Really, I don’t see how shoving a 60 year-old traveling secretary to the ground could not permanently scar a ballplayer’s reputation. The fact that Manny is now trying to cover up his recent indiscretions with a multitude of old Manny-isms just seems pitiful and, again, forced.

Its time for the Sox to take a stand and make a trade. Manny would be all right with it. God knows he’s asked (read: demanded) to be traded before. I’m just tired of the Sox bending to a superstar’s, melodramatic bull-crap (remember Mo Vaughn during the end of his tenure with the Sox?).

This is not the same man-being-Manny that we put up with and actually rooted for before. Manny has crossed the line, and while the Sox brass may lack the minerals to stand up to prima-donna bullies, I’ve seen enough.