FROM PHOENIX — He changes everything, the clubhouse louder, GM Ned Colletti smarter, the crowd for practice bigger, expectations rising, owner Frank McCourt shaking Page 2's hand, the Dodgers' chances of making the playoffs greater.
"I sign [Wednesday]," Manny Ramirez says, "and the stock market goes up."
You could look it up, following five straight losing sessions, an increase of 149.82 points Wednesday, and then again Thursday another downer -- the folks on Wall Street obviously taking note of the Dodgers' pitching.
But it's hard to wipe the smiles off the faces of the Dodgers' ticket-selling staff here, the team once again relevant and interesting, and Manny putting the fun back in Dodgers baseball at an entertaining news conference. And there aren't many of those around here.
"I'm baaaack," he says, the charisma dominating the air.
When it comes time for McCourt to speak, and now I lay me down to sleep, Manny leans into him and says, "Relax, Frank. Just be yourself."
With McCourt at the microphone, Manny points to his "gold glove," for Page 2's benefit, his homemade gold glove because no one else will give him one. Then he acts as if he's hugging someone, while pointing to McCourt to show they've now bonded.
McCourt is telling everyone Manny is going to donate $1 million to the Dodgers Dream Foundation to build baseball fields for kids, the donation coming in the form of deferred payments if Manny is really being Manny.
When McCourt takes his seat, Manny puts an arm around his new best friend, and for $45 million, you would too.
A few minutes later when it is Manny's turn, he is asked about his new disheveled goatee and getting it cut.
"You don't make the rules here," he tells Page 2 after being nudged by Manager Joe Torre, the joke thief not letting on that Torre has given him the punch line. No matter, everyone laughs.
Later I ask if he's going to opt out of his contract, Manny quick to turn on the fastball right down the middle, this time without Torre's help.
"Not yet," he says with a straight face. "I'm going to play my first year." And everyone howls.
So much for the guy who was going to report here unhappy after accepting only a two-year deal, the guy whom nobody else seemingly wanted in the end and who might very well dog it.
