That Was Then, This Is Now.

I was at Dodger Stadium in 1988 when Kirk Gibson hit that World Series home run. Even the hardcore Yankee fan in me went batshit. Chavez Ravine was seriously rockin'.
Fast-forward twenty years. It's 2008, and it's mid-season when I stroll into the Poop Deck. I was following the Dodgers by this point, although conflicted, like a teenager who couldn't decide which girl to ask to the prom. A guy on his Blackberry screams at me, "We got Manny! We got Manny!" I half-expected Tommy Lasorda to come waddling out of the men's room and kiss me on the cheek.
There is no doubt that Manny Ramirez's arrival fired up the Dodger base and transfixed a somewhat somnambulant yet fiercely loyal bunch of Dodger fans like nothing since that magical run in '88. But--Manny became Manny, just as he was billed to become--and a subsequent 50-game suspension in '09 and his ineffectual return meant that Hollywood would need another story line in 2010.
Kemp and Ethier it is, which works just fine for me, and I don't even like buddy flicks.

Go BLUE!
Play ball...

(Read about the rebranding here.)

Wait 'Til Next Year.

10-4.

Phils eliminate Dodgers for the National League pennant.

So much for that Dodgers/Yankees World Series...

The Artless Dodger.

     I am no longer shocked when I hear of yet another great baseball player caught with a needle in his ass. But for reasons that I'll try to briefly explain, today's news about Manny Ramirez whacked me more than any of the others.

     Manny Ramirez is a right-handed hitter of historical proportions. Like all hardcore fans, I've followed him since his Cleveland Indian days. His patience at the plate, ice-watered veins and natural exuberance combined to make him a unique, charismatic superstar.

     Fast-forward to his Red Sox years. I am--was, anyway--a Yankee fan, and here's this guy I loved on the Tribe kicking the pinstripes crooked on my Bronx Bombers. He was absolutely lethal, he was Manny Being Manny and he was cementing his place as one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game. I hated the Red Sox, but I couldn't hate Manny.

     Then came stories out of Boston that weren't Manny Being Manny-level entertaining anymore. The one about him knocking down an older Red Sox employee was particularly unsavory, and I wrote him off as just another pampered asshole.

     Last summer, I walked into the Poop Deck one afternoon, and my friend Dave--an L.A. guy by way of Boston--screamed at me. "We got Manny! We got Manny!" We had talked about the Dodgers a lot last summer because Joe Torre was here, the Yankees having largely told him "thanks, but no thanks" after the previous season. I was becoming more of a Dodger fan (root, root, root for the home team--in baseball, anyway), and now here comes Manny. We fist-bumped.

     I was cynical about which Manny the Dodgers had landed; the historically-dominate right-handed hitter or the guy who tackled an old man in Beantown.

     Then came the last half of last season.

     I was at Dodger Stadium the night Kirk Gibson hit the home run in Game One of the '88 World Series. It was the single greatest moment I've ever experienced at a sporting event, and I wasn't even a real Dodger fan at the time. The only other time I've seen Dodger Stadium close to that state of frenzy was last season, the night after they clinched the NL West. Everywhere I looked, there were "Ramirez 99" jerseys, kids in the dreadlocked promo hats the Dodgers began selling and the joint was rockin'. After that game, both Manny and Joe Torre took to the field and addressed the crowd. Dodger fans weren't leaving early that night.

     The Yankees now play in a fake Yankee Stadium, and I've been in L.A. too long now to move on with them. I already have a Disneyland here, so I'm not interested in the one I read about in New York papers or see on TV. I simply don't care anymore; I'm a Dodger fan now.

     I ended up giving Manny the benefit of the doubt regarding the stories I'd read about his final days in Boston. There were other stories, too; ones that hinted that maybe the Red Sox had hyped some of Manny's least-attractive qualities a bit more than they warranted. Ultimately, how the hell did I know the truth, and I loved watching the guy play. Torre was here, they were building a great young team and the young guys all worshipped Manny.

     We've read much about Manny's discipline, his routine, his preparation, his dedication to hitting. We never read about his name tied to cheating. His short time here has been infectious, and Mannywood was the hottest neighborhood in town. 

     Plus, Manny was becoming L.A.'s favorite athlete, which meant less talk about my least-favorite L.A. athlete--the unctuous Kobe Bryant.

     And then Manny got caught with a needle in his ass. 

     Just another pampered asshole, fucking up this beautiful game.

     There is no joy in Mannywood--mighty Manny has struck out.

Manny's Statement.

From TMZ.com:

"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me.

Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy, that mistake is now my responsibility. I've been advised not to say anything more for now.

I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past 5 seasons. 

I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. L.A. is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."

UPDATE here.

So Manny Ramirez Is A Juicer, Too?

Didn't read baseball's list of banned substances, huh?

From the Los Angeles Times:

Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and will be suspended 50 games starting today, The Times has learned.
The test result and suspension is expected to be announced later today.

The suspension will cost Ramirez $7.7 million, or roughly 31% of his $25-million salary. Players in violation of baseball's drug policy are not paid during suspensions.
Ramirez is expected to attribute the test results to medication received from a doctor for a personal medical issue, according to a source familiar with matter but not authorized to speak publicly.

With the suspension taking effect with tonight's game against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium, Ramirez will not be eligible to return to the team until July 3.
Ramirez would become the biggest star suspended under an oft-criticized major league testing program that started in 2003. He had been a model citizen since arriving in Los Angeles last August, following a stormy tenure with the Boston Red Sox.

Ramirez did not appear in the clubhouse after the Dodgers' 10-3 victory over the Washington Nationals Wednesday night. After the game, Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti and Manager Joe Torre said they were unaware of any failed test or pending suspension.

Who's next?