As a baseball player, returning to play at a former team’s ballpark can be tricky. And Fenway isn’t just any ballpark.
Red Sox Nation is a spirited bunch. It includes some of the most devoted fans in all of baseball — if they don’t like you, they let you know it. If they love you, they let you know it, too.
When Johnny Damon returned to Fenway after going to the Yankees as a free agent, he was met with thundering boos. On the other hand, Nomar Garciaparra commanded a celebratory standing ovation upon his return to America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.
And then there’s Manny Ramirez.
The relationship between Ramirez and fans is complicated, to say the least. For the majority of the eight years he spent in Boston, fans loved him. For all of his ridiculous antics on and off the field, Ramirez was one of the best hitters Major League Baseball had ever seen. And he was instrumental in bringing a World Series trophy to Boston for the first time in 86 years.
He was adored, in spite of the constant distractions he created.
But as the years wore on, “Manny Being Manny” grew tiresome, and a few days after rumors swirled about Ramirez opting not to play due to a made-up injury, he was shipped off to La La Land.
The first of the Dodgers’ three-game series at Fenway is Friday evening, and nobody knows what to expect. There’s even some speculation that Ramirez won’t play in all of the games, if any.
“I have no idea how this is going to be,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona told reporters. “This will be one of the more interesting returns, probably, in the history of the game. It could range anywhere from them throwing a parade to a riot. You just don’t know.”
So, as Zach in Brighton, Mass., asks, how will Manny Ramirez be received at Fenway on Friday night? If you think it will be mostly cheers, text “SOX1” to 542542. If it’ll be mostly boos, text “SOX2” to 542542.
