Should be an interesting night at Fenway Park this evening.
For the first time since his trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers back in July 2008, Manny Ramirez will be returning to Fenway thanks to interleague play.
photo credit: OctopusHat
Manny Ramirez returns to Fenway Park tonight for the first time since July 2008.
In the Boston media, there is much conjecture as to how the fans will react when the notorious free spirit comes to the plate for the first time. In today’s Boston Globe, outfielder Mike Cameron predicted “cheers and jeers.” I agree. By the time Manny left town in a three-team trade that brought Jason Bay to Boston, Ramirez had worn out his welcome. Due to his malingering over alleged illnesses and injuries—not to mention various arguments, altercations, and brain cramps—Manny ultimately became a major distraction to a team in a pennant race. Yes, he was perhaps the best pure hitter in baseball for a time, but was it worth all of the downside of “Manny being Manny”? People argued the point around the time of the deal, but I felt it was for the best.
That said, the passing of time often results in resentment giving way to nostalgia. At this point, I think that the majority of fans will have fond memories of his bathroom break inside the Green Monster, leading to a delay in a game… or his great catch that include a high-five with a fan in the bleachers while the ball was still in play… or even his bizarre cutoff of a 20-foot throw by a fellow outfielder.
More significantly, Boston fans will remember his major role in bringing two World Series championships to long-suffering Sox fans in 2004 and 2007. Perhaps too much on his own planet to get unduly nervous over the stakes, Ramirez earned World Series MVP honors in 2004 and then hit .348 with four homers in the 2007 postseason.
Perhaps the most apt analogy here would be Nomar Garciaparra. When Nomar was banished from Red Sox Nation, it was inevitable and for the best. Yet he received a really warm welcome when he returned years later.
There will be some boos tonight, but I think that the cheers will outweigh them dramatically.
