Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty he is free at last.
Manny heard a few boos at Petco and he’ll get hooted this week at Citi Field because he is a Dodger in New York, but just wait until the Dodgers return to Chavez Ravine July 16 after the All-Star break. On that night, Manny will be the biggest thing to hit SoCal since Jacko. Two sections of “Mannywood’’ will be re-opened in Dodger Stadium, Manny wigs will be back on sale, and I think there’s a quickie book planned with T.J. Simers: “Letter From Albuquerque Holiday Inn.’’
Out here, Manny the rules breaker is honored as Manny the victim. Major league heroes returning from World War II and Korea didn’t get this kind of treatment. Taking the old Red Sox enabling to a new level, the Dodgers have assigned a former Secret Service agent to stand by Manny’s side. It’s as if Manny’s returned from 50 days as a political prisoner in a Turkish jail.
Performance-enhancing cheater? More like Manny Mandela. Set free on Independence Day weekend.
Here are some of the questions Manny was asked at his comeback news conference: “How emotional has this all been for you? . . . How tough was it for you to sit out 50 games? . . . How bad was this for you?’’
The theme is obvious. Manny didn’t do anything bad. Something bad was done to him and now he is overcoming the obstacles and returning to his craft.
Fans simply love their ballplayer heroes and don’t care about steroids.
Pre-Mitchell, post-Mitchell, Andrea Mitchell, it doesn’t matter. The longer this goes on, the more it seems that the only people who care about steroids are Hall of Fame voters, a handful of baseball purists, and perhaps those players who have not cheated and now feel like suckers.
I called the commissioner to ask him about Manny getting the Charles Lindbergh treatment in San Diego.
“The only comment I have on that score is that fans everywhere will have to make their own value judgment,’’ said a disgusted Bud Selig. “That certainly is out of our control. That’s all I’ll say on that.’’
