It was a sad day in Mannywood today-- or rather Dodgertown-- as the "Manny section" of Dodger Stadium has been renamed.
Just when you think the steroid era couldn't shock you anymore, it does.
I was stunned, saddened, disappointed, angered.
You duped us Manny. You suckered us into thinking that you were this happy-go-lucky character. You were too dumb to figure out about steroid cycles and multi-syllable drugs. You conned us into thinking that you were just being Manny.
You were different than the others. You didn't have the big head of Barry Bonds. You had the big dreads. You didn't have the seriousness of Alex Rodriguez. You were fun to be around. You didn't point the finger like Rafael Palmeiro. You preferred to wave.
For the two and half months you've worn a Dodger uniform, you changed the city. The Dodgers had their first face since Mike Piazza. You were the next Mania. The next Hideo, the next Fernando. Except you were even bigger.
But we're suckers for believing you, and now all we have is this bogus statement from you and your scumbag agent. We're not dumb enough to believe your pitiful excuses. No one in their right mind could believe you took women's fertility drugs with just cause.
The Dodgers lost today. They lost twice. They lost their dignity while the news cycle took its course and then they lost a game at home for the first time this year. The Dodgers and you were a part of something special. Today, they looked dejected. As each National touched the plate to turn a 6-0 lead into an eventual 11-9 loss, the faces in the dugout were glum. You brought a spark to the clubhouse and now it's gone.
The 2004 Red Sox were the idiots and you were one of them. You never looked like you knew what was going on, from your outfield gaffes to your clubhouse antics. You were the personification of innocence and naivety.
But you had us fooled. When will we hear the end of the steroid stories and who will be next?
Today hurt Manny.
In Mannywood, the story was too good to be true.
