Surprise! No One Cares That Manny Ramirez Used PEDs

Manny came back to Mannywood last night, and the fake dreadlocked Dodger fans welcomed him back with open arms, much to the consternation of you know who.

Bill Plaschke is like the nerd who can't understand why the head cheerleader prefers to date the quarterback and not him. He's no good for you! He's just a musclehead! I'm the one who really cares about you! Grandpa Grumpypants seems constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown and his lament to Dodger fans today is that you shouldn't love someone who doesn't love you back.

After blowing off honesty, accountability and one-third of the season, Manny Ramirez did something more egregious in his return to Dodger Stadium on Thursday.

He blew off Mannywood.

In the first inning of his first appearance in a left-field corner adorned with the "Mannywood 99" banner and filled with hundreds of loving fans who paid a premium for their proximity, Ramirez acted as if none of it existed.

Interesting. Or ...

Maybe I'm crazy, but doesn't it kind of look like he's acknowledging them there? Plaschke complains that Manny didn't throw the Mannywood fans—who pay extra to sit in that section—a warmup ball, but that he "threw it in the left-field stands instead." Again, I'm not a expert, but isn't Mannywood in the left-field stands? Isn't the gesture the same no what which set of seats the ball happens to land in?

Plaschke again goes into the crowd, desperate to find someone (anyone!) who will boo Manny. He owes you! Why can't you people see that? Only one lone soul half-heartedly yells "cheater" and then gives up, because he's a Manny fan too. Even worse, Manny interrupted a Joe Torre press conference, something Bill Plaschke has NEVER SEEN IN ALL HIS YEARS. The disrespect to Torre is mind-boggling!

"Nobody says its OK to violate rules, but he took his punishment and fans came here to be entertained," Torre said.

Entertained? That's just silly.

(Oh, and he also thinks Dodger Stadium should be razed but that's another column.)

Manny Ramirez shows little gratitude to his fans [LA Times] Boo-birds extinct in Mannywood [Yahoo]