Red Sox Players Vote Two-Thirds Playoff Share For Former Teammate Manny Ramirez

Now that Manny Ramirez season is finished, he can look forward to cashing playoff shares from two teams. But his check from the Boston Red Sox won’t be as big it might have been.

When Red Sox players met last month to determine who would get playoff shares and for how much, Ramirez was voted a two-thirds share, reflecting the fact that Ramirez had spent almost exactly two-thirds of the season with the Sox before he was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31.

Only players who had been on the roster from the start of the season until the end of the year were eligible to vote. For players who hadn’t spent the entire year with the club - such as Ramirez - the voting players first determined whether the player in question would get a payout for exact time on the roster, or a larger grant such as a three-quarters share, indicating a larger contribution to the team’s success.

According to a source with direct knowledge of the vote, the vote was divided on Ramirez.

“Some wanted him to be paid days,” the source said referring to the number of days a player spent on the club, which in this case was equal to a two-thirds share, instead of paying Ramirez a more generous share. “It was obviously a somewhat sensitive subject with some guys, but we didn’t spend too much time on it. After the vote, we moved on.”

By contrast, Nomar Garciaparra, traded away by the Red Sox at the deadline before the 2004 World Series win, received a three-quarters share from his former teammates after spending the final two months of the year with the Chicago Cubs.

Jason Bay, obtained by the Sox as part of the three-team deal involving Ramirez, received more than a third, though it was unclear if he was voted a half- or three-quarters share.

Ramirez will also collect a postseason share for his two months with the Dodgers, who were bounced from the NLCS Wednesday.

Last year, a full share for the World Series-champion Red Sox totaled $308,235.75, based on a players’ pool of $18.9 million. The Sox awarded 47 full shares, 14 partial shares and 11 cash awards.

- Sean McAdam, Boston Herald