Lowell on Manny

From Boston.com, via Joy of Sox.

"I get along with [Manny] great. He's a different personality. I think he has this, I think, stereotype about him that he's just this aloof guy who has this amazing ability to hit, who just comes to the field and puts up unbelievable numbers. That's really not true at all. On the road he's lifting weights in the morning. It's not like he shows up on a Tuesday and then he'll show up maybe four weeks later. He's got his own plan hitting. A lot of times he doesn't like to hit outside, but you know what, a lot of guys don't. But he's inside the cage, does a lot of those visualization drills before the game. That's kind of an accelerated type thing. Most people don't really concentrate on the visual. He feels comfortable with that. So I mean, he could eat four bananas and a slice of pizza before every game. If it makes him hit that way, you'll see a lot of guys eating four bananas and a slice of pizza. There's a method to his madness, though, it's not just like this guy shows up with his crazy hair and starts killing pitchers. He's got a plan."

When does he become a distraction?

"We'll wait and see. He can be great. He can be phenomenal for this team. He actually can be slightly a uniting guy. It's not where you guys see it, you know, it's on the team bus where he feels more comfortable. I think he can be a tremendous asset to this team. Our chances of winning a World Series are much better with him than without him."

Mike Lowell: my hero.

Now can the Boston press please shut the fuck up about Manny?