Is Manny Ramirez despicable?

Despicable, (adj.): so worthless as to rouse moral indignation.

Baseball broadcaster Tim McCarver thinks so.

“I mean, talk about wearing out your welcome in a town, and it was a long welcome with the Red Sox,” McCarver told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “But some of the things he did were simply despicable, despicable – like not playing, refusing to play. Forgetting what knee to limp on. And now it’s washed, it’s gone.”

Washed. Interesting word choice, Tim. Next Tuesday marks the 16-year anniversary of Deion Sanders’ famous hydro-attack on McCarver on national television.

Sanders is famous for his two-sport abilities as an MLB outfielder and NFL cornerback.

The pinnacle of his career was 1992, when he hit a career-high .304 with 14 triples, making $600,000 as a member of the National League champion Atlanta Braves. Across town at the Georgia Dome, Sanders had a $750,000 contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

On October 11 of that year, Sanders made a famous trip from Miami to Pittsburgh, hoping to become the first athlete to play two pro sports in one day. If Braves manager Bobby Cox had actually played him, it would have been a historic day.

That fact brought out McCarver’s claws, and his purified sense of self. He criticized Sanders three days later for skipping out on his baseball obligations by playing against the Dolphins. Sanders responded by dousing McCarver with three buckets of ice cold water.

“You know, Deion, you’re a real man,” Sports Illustrated reported McCarver saying.

Don’t worry Manny, you’re a real man too. So let’s call a truce. McCarver will do play-by-play. Neon Deion will do commentary. The water will come out of a modern press box cooler rather than a bucket.

And the Red Sox will square off with the Dodgers in the World Series, allowing Manny to re-live his passion for the Fenway Park Green Monster restroom. Washed.