Look at me!! I met Manny!

As you read this, consider that this writer is a 40-year sports writing veteran. I haven't seen squealing like this over meeting a Dodger since that woman who wrote about Shawn Greene's "goodies".

KRIKORIAN: Manny is my new best friend
By Doug Krikorian, Sports Columnist
Posted: 07/27/2009 11:07:55 PM PDT

It was Manny Being Manny - with me.

Honestly, we might now even soon be having shish kebab, pilaf, sarma, keufta, dolma, cheese berag, lahmahjoon, basterma, tabooleh, paklava and various other Armenian delicacies together if ol' Manny keeps his promise to me.

My New Best Friend was lolling around his Dodger clubhouse locker late Sunday morning a couple of hours before his team faced the Florida Marlins, and a few of us reporters were lolling around in the middle of the room exchanging banalities and being totally oblivious to Mr. Ramirez's presence.

Since the others were Dodger Stadium regulars and I've been an irregular one, I decided it was a journalistic imperative to say hello to a gentleman who has inspired a passionate cult following in the Los Angeles basin since arriving here under the darkest of clouds from Boston last summer.

So, somewhat sheepishly in light of the less than glowing words I've penned about Ramirez for his ignoble Red Sox exodus and for his 50-game suspension for violating major league drug policy, I went up and introduced myself to Ramirez.

And Manny Ramirez immediately charmed me right out of my moccasins.

He couldn't have been nicer, friendlier, or more gracious as we discussed a variety of subjects, none of which included his alleged dabbling with a female fertility drug, which he has stated repeatedly to previous reporters he won't discuss.

"I'm just blessed with what has happened to me out here. ... I've never been happier in my baseball career," he said. "The people out here are more laid back than they are back East, much nicer."

He went on to say what you would expect - he likes playing for Joe Torre, he likes all his teammates, he just wants to contribute in any way he can to bringing the Dodgers a World Series title, etc., etc., etc.

I asked him where he now lives, and he told me Glendale.

"There are a lot of Armenians in Glendale," I replied. "Have you tried any of the Armenian restaurants?"

"No, but I hear Armenian food is very good," he said. "I had a close Armenian friend in Boston, and he always bragged about it. Do you have any recommendations?"

"Sure," I replied.

"Look, write your phone number down," he suddenly implored to my astonishment. "When I have an off day here, I'll call you and you can take me to your favorite Armenian restaurant."

So, I dutifully scribbled down my cell number on a piece of paper, handed it to Ramirez, who carefully inserted it into his safety box.

"I'm going to call you," said Ramirez after we shook hands and I started to walk away from my newest pal...

http://www.presstelegram.com/moresports/ci_12927267

 

Um....OK. That was weird.

 

ugh

 

I left out the gossip part of his column, where he name-drops various bars, restaurants or local female talent, in order to secure free booze or dates.

 

If that was a twelve year old writing about meeting his hero, it would be a touching story. Knowing that an adult penned that, well, kind of pathetic really.

 

After all the cuts in the LANG over the years, this is what they keep.

 

I hope Manny calls him.
They go to dinner.
And then he sticks him with the bill.

 

The revelation of this thread is that Poin found someone to attack besides Plaschke.

 

This is not an out-there column; this is how he writes. And he's often on A1 of a paper that used to matter.

 

Now that's funny.