When it comes to Manny, what would Nietzsche do?

Now that's a philosophy that will certainly resonate in the Mannywood bleachers.

Still, the question of forgiveness loomed. How can we forgive someone who hasn't even fully admitted he broke the rules?

Socrates finally had an answer.

"I've been reading a bit about that Buddha fellow," he said. "Who knew he was a huge Bonds guy? The Buddha says that deep down we're all suffering. Suffering causes us to make mistakes, big and small. Buddha's remedy? Compassion, spread all around. Beautiful."

So that's it. That's my new mind-set.

For the remainder of his career, whenever Manny Ramirez trudges to the plate, I vow to dig down and find compassion.

We will see how long my higher self holds sway.

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kurt.streeter@latimes.com

Thanks to Raymond Belliotti and William Irwin for their guidance. Belliotti, philosophy professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia, wrote "The Philosophy of Baseball: How to Play the Game of Life." William Irwin is a professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

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Age of reason

A few famous philosophers and their Manny Ramirez-applicable quotes:

SOCRATES

"An honest man is always a child."

PLATO

"Better a little which is well done than a great deal imperfectly."

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

"I am a law only for my own kind, I am no law for all."