"Everybody was wondering how I'd do in my first playoff game," said Bay. "I had nothing to compare it to. It's baseball again and I couldn't have picked a better first game, I guess."
No one expects Bay to be Manny Ramírez. A mild-mannered Canadian who toiled in anonymity in Pittsburgh, Bay hit .293 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 49 games for the Red Sox after the blockbuster deal that sent Manny to SoCal. Bay didn't invent any injuries or duck inside the Wall to relieve himself. He hardly said a word. He was just Jason being Jason.
Meanwhile, Manny Mania gripped LA and much of the nation. In 53 games with the Dodgers, Manny hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs. The goofy slugger is considered a legitimate National League MVP candidate (though Ryan Howard will win) even though he played only two months with Los Angeles. Manny continued his dominance with a homer in the Dodgers' shocking NLDS Game 1 win over the Cubs last night.
Southern California is in the midst of a baseball renaissance, and the Angels graciously allowed fans to keep track of the Dodgers-Cubs game while the Sox and Angels were warming up for their late start. Bay was on the field with his teammates when Manny interrupted the action. There was a gasp in the half-empty park when the big board showed Manny crushing a pitch that almost bounced on home plate. A few fans in Red Sox garb booed while Manny rounded the bases.
It was hard not to watch.
"Mike Lowell said, 'Geez, did you see the pitch he hit?' " said Bay. "Obviously, he's one of the best postseason players of all time. Regardless of where he's at, we enjoy watching him."
Meanwhile, Scott Boras, Manny's agent - believed by some to be the evil force who urged Manny to shoot his way out of Boston - smiled at the sight of Manny being Manny in the playoffs. Ca-ching.
