Fans need to rethink celebrating Manny's return

SAN DIEGO -- That the Big Dope returned in the Dodgers' 6-3 win Friday night is fine. What are you going to do? He did his time, missed his 50 games and lost his $7 million. He paid his penalty, according to baseball's rules. What's done is done. Move on.

Fans seem eager to forgive and forget Manny Ramirez's past transgression. (AP)

Now, that Manny Ramirez* is returning largely to a hero's welcome?

Despicable.

Absolutely, positively, downright despicable.

Every one of you several thousand Dodgers fans who motored down Interstate 5 here Friday afternoon in your dreadlock wigs, Manny T-shirts and boisterous approval, you should be ashamed.

So, too, should all of you other Manny apologists who cheered him in Albuquerque or Rancho Cucamonga, or who intend to cheer him when the Dodgers return home following the All-Star break.

Because Ramirez* is more cuddly than Barry Bonds*, or more goofy than Roger Clemens*, or less intimidating than Mark McGwire*, it's as if he's being graded on the curve.

What it is is disgraceful.

It can be argued that what Ramirez* did is worse than Bonds*, McGwire*, Sosa* and the rest. They at least had the "it wasn't against baseball's rules at the time" defense. Ramirez* doesn't even have that. It is against baseball's rules. And he still brazenly injected whatever it is he won't apologize for.

Oh, he said he's sorry before going 0 for 3 with a walk that helped key a five-run first inning before leaving in the sixth inning on what was pretty much an uneventful evening. He also declined multiple opportunities to say what he is sorry for. He said he was sorry for the fans and for his teammates because he missed time.

But ... sorry for taking steroids?

"I already answered that question, sir," he said during a 12-minute, pregame news conference during which he wore wraparound shades the entire time and entered the room declaring "Showtime."

Well, not technically, he didn't answer the question

"I'm not talking about my criminal record," he joked.

No doubt, that line will win him even more fans.

"I think it's sad how celebratory an event this is," Jake Peavy, San Diego's disabled ace, told me Friday. "Everywhere this guy's been the last 10 days it's been a big celebration. You're watching 10-year-old kids condoning it.

"I understand people make mistakes. Certainly I've made my share of them. I'm not saying that I don't forgive him."

Neither am I. Personally, I find it hard to dislike Manny*. I get a kick out of him.

But does his return have to come complete with party hats and noisemakers?

"The man did something wrong," Peavy continued. "He cheated the game of baseball, he cheated his peers who play the game, he cheated his teammates. He took an illegal substance. You see some guys being persecuted for that. And this is a celebrated event."

When Ramirez* stepped to the plate in the first inning Friday against San Diego's Chad Gaudin, his first at-bat since May 6, several thousand Dodger-blue-clad fans gave him a standing ovation. He battled to a seven-pitch walk.

•  Miller: Manny mum about 'criminal record' | Dodgers 6, Padres 3 | Ramirez apologizes to fans, teammates

"That first at-bat was pretty amazing," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre, whose club improved its major league-best record to 51-29. "It lets you know what kind of hitter he is and how well he knows the strike zone."

When he batted three other times -- two ground balls and a pop fly to shallow center -- the reaction from sold-out Petco Park was less dramatic. But it definitely was noticeable, and for every loud boo there was a raucous cheer.

When the Dodgers return home on July 16, they will re-christen the sections of seats down the left-field line "Mannywood." Great. Celebrate a drug cheat. Let's allow Ramirez* the luxury of not fully explaining himself, then go out of our way to toast him. Hey all you 10-year-olds, keep rockin' with Manny.

"I don't think baseball has cornered the market on that," Torre said, discussing the July 4th fireworks/barbecue feel of Manny's instant redemption. "I think we've seen it in other walks of life.

"Am I defending what he did? Is he defending what he did? No. Certainly, the young kids need to get a message that what any of the players did and have been punished for isn't advisable. We are role models. Whether we want to be or not, that's who we are. ...

"But as far as him paying the punishment and coming back, I mean, do we think he should be out of the game for life?"

Nope, not for a first offense.

But a little less sweet barbecue sauce with his comeback would be nice.

When Bonds* came through Petco Park several years ago with the Giants, there was anger in the air. One person tossed a jumbo-sized, toy syringe onto the left-field grass.

Now, understand. This isn't to advocate littering the field with garbage. But Friday's largely pro-Dodgers crowd did everything but blow wet kisses at Manny.

You can read that only one of two ways:

Either the societal line between right and wrong is at an all-time low ebb, or fans simply are so fatigued by trying to ferret out who did what and when in the Steroid Era that they simply no longer care.

"I think it speaks to a couple of things," said Dodgers utility infielder Mark Loretta, a member of the players union's executive sub-committee. "One is, the public is over the shock of this whole issue and I think it's moving more toward what you see in football. Look at Shawne Merriman. He was suspended for four games [for violating the NFL's steroids policy in 2006] and when he came back, Chargers fans were happy.

"The other thing is a 'The guy's done his crime, and he's done his time' kind of thing. Michael Vick, we'll probably see it with him if he gets back into the NFL now that he's served his time and now if he comes back ... the public forgives. I think people enjoy seeing Manny as a baseball player, and they enjoy the whole persona."

Loretta added: "There's also something to be said for the public not having to speculate about something. There was speculation about Bonds, Clemens, McGwire. But when you fail the test, there's no doubt. There's no cover-up. There's no denial. He accepted the suspension. Obviously, that's an admission of guilt."

And, as Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said, "At some point, it will go away."

Until it does, the Dodgers are traveling with their own security man, just in case.

Granted, it will be a wholly different atmosphere when the Dodgers move on to New York to face the Mets on Tuesday. But here, it looks as if the security man's biggest challenge will be making sure Manny's dreadlocks don't come undone.

"It was a lot friendlier today than I thought it was going to be," said Torre, who was amazed at the number of Dodgers flags and paraphernalia on the cars he saw while driving from Los Angeles to San Diego earlier Friday.

"I just hate to see what this has become, a celebration," Peavy said. "I hate to see the message sent to young kids and the public that hey, you know, if you do something like this, it's OK, we'll go on. I have a hard time seeing this guy who's coming back off of a drug suspension and I'm watching 10-year-old kids at these rehab starts.

"I would love the message to be out there that hey, this is an illegal drug in the Unites States of America. It's an illegal drug, it's a banned substance in our game.

"I would love for that message to be out there instead of 'Manny's back, Go Dodgers.'"