Manny.

Manuel Aristides Ramirez y Onelcida.

Manny Ramirez, left fielder for the Boston Red Sox. Manny Ramirez, whose defense, and indeed, attitude towards life, can best be described as casual. Manny. Slow afoot, and with 2007 statistics that, though fine for most of baseballkind, did not live up to his own, Cooperstownian, standards.

Manny, who missed nearly a month as the Red Sox stumbled and slid to the division title, shook off the rust of seeing few hittable pitches, and took to the dish against Francisco (K Rod) Rodriguez last night with two men on and two out in a tie game. After a leadoff single by Julio Lugo and an intentional walk to David Ortiz, Rodriguez faced Ramirez. Rodriguez is one of the best relievers in the game, with a 95+ MPH fastball and a hard, vicious breaking ball.

He got a hard fastball, inside, and Manny jacked it.

He crushed it. He slammed it, pulverized it, nailed it. He punched its ticket. He gave it a few quarters and sent it onto the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Manny hit a long, arching, no doubt about it, soul crushing, spine tingling, back breaking 3 run homer deep into the warm night, winning the game and pushing Anaheim to the brink of elimination, going back to the Coast down 0-2 in games.

Manny put both hands straight into the air, an act which is somewhat bush, I must admit, but I can't entirely blame him for, before beginning his home run trot. He better stay loose in the batter's box in game three.

Manny did it. Manny being Manny.

Manny.