Mannywood banner can’t pay the Dodgers’ freight; sign gives way to more advertising

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What next, Dodger caps with dreadlocks vanish?

While Manny Ramirez is in Arizona trying to reacquaint his body with his right calf, Mannywood has quietly disappeared from Dodger Stadium. At least in name.

The banner that proudly proclaimed the left-field section just next to the Dodgers bullpen ‘Mannywood’ is no more.

It disappeared because -- surprise, surprise -- the Dodgers could make a buck. Or, at least, a better buck. The ‘Mannywood’ banner has been replaced with signs sold to John Hancock and 790 KABC.

The Dodgers, however, are still selling Mannywood seats -- two tickets and two T-shirts for $99. The Dodgers said the banner space had been for sale all season, but they only recently found someone to put their John Hancock on it.

Not that anyone is buying any of those seats right now, either. The two sections were almost completely deserted Monday, which is getting to be the norm without Manny trolling in left.

Manny was at the Dodgers training facility in Phoenix, on the disabled list for the third time this season with a bad right leg. Manny has appeared in 61 of the Dodgers’ first 106 games, batting .317 with eight home runs and 39 RBI.

The John Hancock banner reads, ‘the future is yours,’ which I guess you could argue is still a plea to Manny.

-- Steve Dilbeck