Bill Plaschke: A burst from Manny, a dud from the bullpen

From now through October, all of the noise will surround Ramirez, whose presence Saturday elicited standing ovations, a barrage of boos, angry showdowns between fans, flapping banners in the seats.

And one big boom.

Oh no he didn’t. Oh, yes, he did.

Ramirez clobbered a hanging mistake by Josh Geer on the fourth pitch he saw, knocking the ball into the left-field stands in the first inning as Petco erupted in a minute of happy, angry, solid noise.

That was the old Manny, taking him all of five at-bats to leave the yard.

Soon thereafter, though, fans saw some of the potentially new Manny, as he confronted first-base umpire Sam Holbrook after being called out on a grounder.

It was the first time I have seen Ramirez argue with anyone since becoming a Dodger, but before you accuse him of ‘roid rage, listen again to the boss.

“I think it was just because he ran hard and didn’t get anything out of it,” Torre said with a grin.

Old Manny, new Manny, then old Manny again when he jumped late and turned the wrong way and barely caught a routine fly ball from Everth Cabrera in the fifth.

Bill Plaschke is an personal expert on roid rage.