Friday is the night that many a Dodgers fan has been waiting for. After serving his 50-game suspension, the home run-hitting, fertility drug-taking wonder that is Manny Ramirez will be back in the lineup as the Dodgers take on the Padres in San Diego. Now if you're wondering what to make of all this I invite you to give our latest BaseCast a listen as Prez and Fletch have already broken it down for you.One question I have for tonight's game is how Manny will be treated by Padres fans. These are the same people who greeted Barry Bonds with giant syringes after all. Of course, while we know that Manny is bound to hear some boos while on the road, what kind of reaction will he get in Mannywood? Well, if Kevin Patra at the Los Angeles Times gets his way, Dodger fans will boo Ramirez.
I've never asked Dodger fans for a favor before, but I have one request now: When that first home game comes on July 16, for one night, one at-bat or at least one swing, boo Manny. I'm not asking you to burn your coveted Man-wig, hide the name on the back of your No. 99 T-shirt under duct tape or torture yourself by watching Angels games. All I ask is that if you attend Manny's first home game, you boo. Once, at least.First of all, before we even get to what I think about this, it's hard for me to take this article too seriously when the NL West is referred to as "pathetic." Last I checked the NL West would currently be the home of half of the National League's playoff teams if the season ended today as the Giants lead the wild card. The Colorado Rockies are only a game behind them.
I'm asking you to set aside the fact that the Dodgers will need Manny to win anything beyond the division crown in the pathetic NL West, and to forget that with a Manny-free lineup, your Dodgers have been scoring runs less frequently than your daughter's t-ball team (eight measly runs in five games).
As for Manny, I'm sure there will be some Dodger fans who boo him when he comes back to Los Angeles, but I'm pretty sure the vast majority of them will welcome him with open arms. The fact of the matter is that steroids and performance-enhancing drugs are just a part of what baseball has become these days, and with all the players who have been outed as "cheaters" in recent years, nobody is very shocked by it.
Besides, this is Hollywood and Los Angeles we're talking about. If you're going to boo Manny than shouldn't you boo every actress with botoxed lips, or every actor who's taken HGH to help bulk up for a role? It's all just entertainment, folks.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-03-2009 @ 5:59PM
fredwst7 said...
A terrible piece of writing. Concentrate on stats and the game and don't waste time writing smack about drug use in sports. It's not interesting and reeks of a sports writer who can't find something really interesting to write. It's sad, and I comment every time writers waste space in the sports section with this stuff - write something about the game, and don't waste hard working peoples' time with your opinion on drugs in sports. Write a book if that's your passion, but please, don't write about something we can all hear at work or at a bar. Boring and total crap. We all know the reality of drug use in every facet of life. Let it go. Fred West
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7-03-2009 @ 6:07PM
Patrick said...
A well written article by a Chicago sports writer. Nice change,AOL.When can Fornelli replace Mariotti? Manny did his time and will be welcomed back to a standing ovation at Dodger Stadium. Guarantee it.
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7-04-2009 @ 11:45AM
dewit202 said...
Your right the cheating manipulating lowlife was cheered in spite of going 0 for 3. It says more about the "cheerers" than the cheered. How about being able to find so many morons in one place?
7-03-2009 @ 6:16PM
jzz3skys said...
Tom, I have a 5k race tomorrow that I've been training 9 weeks for -- doing speed work, intervals, mile repeats, etc. -- in order to lower my time a measly 49 seconds. As we speak, I'm using a steroid. It's in the form of a prescription skin ointment that the dermatologist recommended to clear up a rash. I call it "the cream." LOL It's not gonna help me run faster but if I was going for the world record it would probably show up on a blood test (like it did with Lance Armstrong one time when he was using a similar thing for saddle sores).
Floyd Landis and Ivan Basso are back. Although neither one of them is competing in this year's Tour de France, Landis is competing in the Tour of California and Basso has already been hired by a team. They both served their 2-year suspensions and they're probably both broke.
Manny only had to serve a 50-game suspension or about 2 months, but he can't be blamed for the relative leniency of his suspension. That's the commissioner's decision and he's looking out for the interests of the owners. They don't want to lose their best players.
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7-03-2009 @ 6:26PM
burkester said...
Patra: There are way too many athletes taking drugs to single out Manny. In no way am I saying it's ok, but I don't think it's ok so single out just him. The pressure that these athletes are under is insane. It's hard to blame them when you put yourself in their shoes.
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7-04-2009 @ 6:15AM
bdyftns said...
Good Post burkester. Manny served his time and paid his fine. He also apologized to his teammates and the fans. That's a lot more than I can say for the 104 players who tested positive for PEDs but their names were kept hidden. No apologies from them, no remorse, nothing. PEDs have been around in sports since the 1960's. But the media has turned into the National Enquirer and loves the dirt and will drag it out as long as possible. We all make mistakes in life, no matter what we do for a living or how much we get paid. Move on folks.
7-03-2009 @ 6:27PM
mtcajh said...
Manny will be welcomed back with open arms to Dodger Stadium because Dodger fans and most fans around the country are hypocrites and followers. What kind of treat has Arod received? More or less silence. Players like Troy Glaus, Gary Mathews Jr. and any other name mentioned in the Mitchell report have all received free passes. If the media told them to boo all of the above they would as they did for Bonds it would happen. That hasn't happened so Bonds will remain the poster boy for PEDs. Now that every team has their own known PED user fans and local media could care less. Hypocrites one and all.
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7-03-2009 @ 7:50PM
tyrekyoung said...
I have a question for everyone out there and want your opinion on the suspension for everyday players and pitchers. I could care less if Manny got 50, or 100 games, but what I want to weigh in on is the punishment and is it fair for all position players. When Manny was suspended for 50 games he lost about 1/3 or 33% of his season while a starting pitcher that is band for the same amount of games may only miss 8 games or 23% of the season. Is this really fare?
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7-04-2009 @ 12:15AM
Bob & Carol, Ted & Alice said...
Manny's a diva, and sooner or later LA is going to wake up and discover that he's not worth the trouble. He's over-hyped, over-paid, over-confident, over-bearing, over-the-top, and over-the-hill. Make him cut his hair, take a shower, shave, lose some weight, learn how to address his fans and the press, and get rid of the friggin' attitude. I can't stand him!
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7-04-2009 @ 12:43PM
tonytiger18 said...
Manny is a disgrace to baseball.
We are focusing in this article on his drug use.
However, his mentality towards the game ,especially the last two years of his tenure with Boston should be dissected.
He was unhappy with his SMALL contract and the fact that Boston did not extend his contract.
He wanted out !!!
He did all possible selfish and dumb things to get out of Boston. He infuriated his teammates by not hustling, not playing in key games, faking injuries, and starting arguments with other players.
During a four game series at Yankee stadium , this poor excuse of a team player, against Mariano with the SOX trailing, he left his bat on his shoulders and took thre straight strikes with the tying runs on base!!!
Even as a Yankee fan, I thought that this guy was not what the RED SOX should have on their team. He is a cancer, more for his attitude towards his team than his drug use.
I always believed that he was one of the 104 users on Mitchell's list; even before joining LA.
Whatever he did to escape detection, other players did the same. I am certain that there will be a few suprises in the near future, maybe Manny will rat out on some of his teammates.
50 games for this guy --- not enough.
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7-04-2009 @ 1:44PM
freakbynature said...
It's amazing how the Dodgers fans attitudes change when it is one of their own that is caught using steroids. A bunch of hypocrites!!! You all chastised Barry Bonds for being suspected of the very same thing. Well, it should be expected when you had a biased leader as Tommy Lasorda was.
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