Reflecting on Manny’s L.A. Story: One fit for Hollywood

Want to know what Manny Ramirez’s two and a half seasons in Los Angeles were like in a nutshell — overpriced celebrity.

Sure there was the occasional award-worthy performance, but it came with a lot of baggage. From the moment he stepped off the plane from Boston and into a tight National League West division race in 2008, Manny produced fantastic offensive numbers, but he left the Dodgers during a significant season-long slump in ‘10. That sort of says it all right there.

Let’s take a quick look back at how we got here.

Ramirez’s instant offense after his deadline acquisition brought an energy level to Dodgers stadium that hadn’t been seen in twenty years since the last time the Dodgers won the World Series in 1988. With this came inspiration to a young, talent-rich Dodgers team that had been waiting for a spark. This all allowed a .500 Dodgers team to overcome the defending NL West Champion Diamondbacks and win the division crown.

The 2009 season started out so promising with Jack receiving a batting practice ball from Manny Ramirez at Opening Day in San Diego. (Jason Branch)

Had it not been for a total meltdown in Game 4 of the NLCS by closer Jonathan Broxton (that, for some strange reason, Dr. Sportsfan and The Phoenix keep reminding me of), the Dodgers may have very well rode that inspiration all the way to a World Series Championship. From the moment of his arrival, the Dodgers organization built its entire marketing around Manny, even dubbing a section of left field seats “Mannywood” — and coincidentally charging outrageous prices to sit in those lousy seats and get a “Mannywood” t-shirt. The seats did not even come with bandana and dreadlocks headwear, which didn’t stop it from becoming a staple at Dodgers Stadium very quickly.

The party was seemingly just getting started in April 2009. One of my personal feel-good moments as a baseball fan came on Opening Day in 2009 when the Dodgers came to San Diego. As Manny was shagging an errant ball in the outfield during batting practice, he seemingly nodded in acknowledgment to my “Hey, Manny”, then flipped the ball high over the fence to keep it out of the reach of little kids, and into my glove. This was a definite high for me as a baseball fan as the Dodgers won the game and raced out to 21-8 record, the best record in baseball at the time.

Manny Ramirez had plenty of highs in L.A., but his time in Dodgers blue wasn’t the subject of multiple baseball pieces from CTU Sports Division just for the good times.

The first moment of drama came with the inept offseason negotiations between Manny and  the Dodgers. There were no other visible bidders for Ramirez, prompting team owner Frank McCourt to say “we are bidding against ourselves”. Despite McCourt’s statement, negotiations ultimately resulted in a highly-scrutinized two year, $45 million contract (with the second year a $20 million player option) for Ramirez. Suddenly, this spectacle looked like a small screen Sundance film.

It all came crashing down May 8, 2009: the day Manny Ramirez tested positive for steroids and would be lost for 50 games! With that, a promising 2009 campaign was instantly in jeopardy, and the integrity of a magical second-half run in 2008 suddenly came into question. Manny Ramirez’s presence was certain to not come without serious drama at some point, but this was a Hollywood-style bombshell fit for the cover of National Enquirer.

The “experts” were quick to write-off the Dodgers, but I maintained faith in the still-young Dodgers. I believed they would be just fine without Manny’s physical presence on the field and in the clubhouse, and they had already learned a lot from him. Those who know Jack Bauer know Jack Bauer’s track record of predictions…

When Manny returned, he was not the same. Maybe he was rusty after missing such extensive time, or possibly he was now playing worse off the banned substances. Either way, he was still a valuable asset who hit for a decent average and represented the only true fear factor in the lineup. And Manny still sold seats.

Even though the fans were clearly annoyed at the steroid news, they remained loyal and the energy Manny brought to Dodgers Stadium did not waver. Dodgers fans will never forget when Manny hit a grand-slam home run on “Manny Bobblehead Night” in late July 2009. Only a moment like that could’ve occurred in Mannywood.

Manny Ramirez touching home after his pinch-hit HR in late April 2010, his last great Dodgers moment.

Despite the drama, the Dodgers cruised into the postseason and advanced to the NLCS for a second straight season only to fall again to Philadelphia. After the dust settled, the sports paparazzi quickly questioned the future of the Dodgers, and the decision to bring back Manny at that steep price after a possibly tainted 2008 season. Manny quickly exercised his player option to return for $20 million in the wake of his sub-par 2009 season.

Ramirez came out of the gate sluggishly this season, partly due to poor health and an inability to stay on the field. It was clear by the end of April that Manny’s relatively short time of stardom in Hollywood was at its twilight, like many who tried to make in Hollywood before him.

The fans — once maniacally supportive — were no longer energized by Manny — even when he could play — and fan support quickly faded.  Like every fading Hollywood star, Manny did offer one attempt at a comeback, a game I had the privilege to attend in late April. He delivered a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the bottom of the eight against the hated Giants to win 2-1. This only delayed the inevitable collapse of Mannywood.

As a Dodgers fan, I was satisfied with the Dodgers’ decision to allow the Chicago White Sox to claim Manny off waivers. Even though it was the final act of the Dodgers’ fading playoff hopes, Manny had simply worn out his welcome and was clearly no longer the player he was paid expected to be. Despite the lows, I am thankful for the time he spent in Dodgers blue and memories he gave me.

At the end of it all, Ramirez’s time was just an overpriced Hollywood product — excuse me — Mannywood product.

Tags: 2008 NLCS, 2009 NLCS, Baseball, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, manny ramirez, NL West