Hey, Plaschke — remember when you were saying that Manny didn’t deign to acknowledge his fans on his first game back in Dodger Stadium? You wrote a big article about it, “Manny Ramirez shows little gratitude to his fans”, on July 17th.
Let me refresh your memory:
The citizens showed up early in hopes that the mayor would come out early to greet them.
He didn’t.
The citizens began cheering as he ran out for the start of the game in hopes that the mayor would acknowledge them.
He wouldn’t.
The citizens chanted his name as he finished his first warm-up tosses in hopes that the mayor would at least throw them the ball.
He threw it in the left-field stands instead.
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.
Talk about splitting hairs. Of course, you don’t have a bias about this story, do you, Bill?
No, of course you don’t.
Trying to spin his first appearance back in left field like he blew off his fans (the “official” Mannywood or not) is just wrong.
Stick with the mascots, Bill. I think you found your calling in Lake Elsinore.
Update: I missed Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness catching this on Friday. I enjoyed their post title: “Bill Plaschke Lies to You and Hates Dodger Stadium”. :)
Picture found in this Dodgers.com gallery.