CLEVELAND 鈥?Ole Manny hit the hell out of it all right, absolutely blasting a 3-2 Jensen Lewis fastball deep into the Ohio night. It was a gasp-inducing, head-snapping shot that didn't stop mesmerizing the masses until it landed more than a quarter mile away.

Even the 44,008 Cleveland Indians fans here marveled at it. Manny Ramirez did, too. He saw the entire thing because he stood in the batter's box and watched it in all its glory before raising his arms in triumph, like it was the game winner from the Los Angeles Angels series. Then he trotted around the bases slower than a Tim Wakefield fastball.

He was proud. He was pleased. He was a peacock.

He was behind 7-3. He and his Boston Red Sox were still well on their way to a 3-1 American League championship series deficit to the Indians.



Not that Ole Manny seemed to realize or care at that moment.

Celebrating and taunting a solo shot to bring your team within four? This is what they call "Manny being Manny."

He is both arrogant and dumb...................... I am a lifelong Red Sox fan, and I love watching Manny admire him homers, but it's got to be at the right time. I understand that he has been booed all series in Cleveland, but his team was down by 4 runs, and about to go 3-1 down in the Series, it's a joke. If Sabathia drills him tomorrow night, I'll be laughing along with Cleveland fans.

Manny always admires homers. Regardless of score. It's not personal.

Had Manny been facing Don Drysdale , Bob Gibson, or even Clemens, the next pitch to him would in his ear. Gibson's last batter he faced was Pete Lacock, who homered off him. the next time they faced each other years later in an old timers game, Gibson drilled him in the back.

I don't get this 'let's bash Manny Ramirez' bandwagon. He has ALWAYS been like that. A lot of big leaguers do the same thing, regardless of score. What's he supposed to do? Run the bases with his head bowed down because his team is behind? The self-admiring home run shot is much the same as the touchdown dance. I don't get why they do it but they do it and, heck, they just hit a home run (or scored a touchdown) and there is no better score than that. Personally, I'm glad different people do different things.

Way to cut and paste the Wetzel article from Yahoo!Sports. Use your own words to ask a question.

I'm tired of showboaters period. And Manny is one of the biggest, next to Barry. But if you absolutely MUST admire your longball and show up a pitcher like that, shouldn't it be done when you just put your team up by a run or two or won the game? Don't act like you're the greatest hitter of all time when your SOLO shot just brought you within four.

Yes it is, and to understand it you would have to visit planet ManRam and try to get to know the few inhabitants, they are all off kilter and all classless.

I hate when any player show boats a homerun, run the bases, act like you have done it before and you will be doing it again very soon, the pitcher already knows he screwed up you don't have to try an demean him more by acting like a Moron.

I hate when guys pose like that after homers. I'm a Phillies fan and hate when Ryan Howard does it.

As for Manny, If it had been a walkoff, like the one he hit against the Angels in the ALDS, I wouldn't have had much of a problem with it. But when you are still down by four runs, to me that is totally bush league.