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dd88
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Post subject: Manny Ramirez Finishes Rehab, Won't Play Tuesday
 Posted: Jun 30, 2009 - 01:01 AM PST
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Manny-mania in the Minors is officially over.
Despite Dodgers manager Joe Torre's initial belief that Manny Ramirez would DH for the Class A Inland Empire 66ers on Tuesday, Ramirez's Minor League assignment came to an end Monday night.
After Ramirez, who was suspended 50 games for violating MLB's drug policy, left the stadium in the fifth inning, the Dodgers confirmed that he will not play with the Sixers on Tuesday.
On Monday, Ramirez went 1-for-3 in five innings against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
In his five games in the Minors, Ramirez recorded three hits in 10 at-bats and hit one home run.
Ramirez, suspended for 50 games for violating MLB's drug policy, led off the game with an infield single to shortstop and was stranded at second base.
In the second inning, Ramirez struck out on three pitches against Rancho Cucamonga Quakes starter Michael Kinney.
Then in the fifth inning, he struck out again, this time on four pitches.
The two whiffs marked the second consecutive night that a Class A starter fanned Ramirez multiple times.
As was the case the past two days, Ramirez declined to speak with reporters Monday. As he walked through the dugout he said, "No, thank you. Go to YouTube."
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said that he doesn't expect Manny initially to be the same hitting force when the slugger first returns to the club Friday night in San Diego.
"He's probably going to be a little bit rusty," Colletti said. "It will take him a little while."
Regardless of how long it takes for Ramirez to resume his role as the main power threat in the Dodgers lineup, Colletti said that his presence would be greeted with open arms.
"His addition's a plus in the room, on the field," he said. "We struggle from time to time offensively."
That's especially been the case of late. The Dodgers entered Monday's game against the Colorado Rockies having scored three runs or fewer in 11 of 24 games in June. And Ramirez's replacement in left field, Juan Pierre, began the day batting just .257 for the month.
While the confines of PETCO Park shouldn't be a welcoming venue for Ramirez's first game back, Colletti doesn't think that it will be anything unusual for Ramirez.
"It will be majority of fans rooting for Padres so obviously a lot of booing," he said.
"But you know that's no different any other big player going to play in a Major League ballpark. Sure won't be any louder then it would have been in his Boston days at Yankee Stadium."
The atmosphere in San Diego definitely should be different than the carnival-like scene that engulfed the Sixers' stadium Sunday and Monday.
There, Ramirez was greeted with standing ovations and raucous cheers whenever he stepped out on the field.
The chaos escalated when Ramirez left the stadium after the fifth inning. Awaiting him along with his police escort and white GMC Yukon were hordes of fans waiting in hope of seeing the slugger.
Once Ramirez made his way to his car, with at least 10 security officials clearing the way, fans erupted in screams, and one man attempted to show him his Dodgers tattoo inked along the side of his torso. |
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