Advertisement

Manny’s back

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

After weeks of public wrangling, Manny Ramirez summed it all up at the Dodgers’ new spring training facility with a wide grin and these first words at today’s news conference: ‘I’m b-a-a-a-a-c-k.’

Ramirez and the Dodgers agreed Wednesday on a $45-million, two-year contract that keeps him with the NL West champions. He can void the second year of the deal and again become a free agent.

Advertisement

‘It’s better late than never,’ Ramirez told reporters in Arizona. ‘It was a bad economy. I got a great contract.’ He thanked owner Frank McCourt and agent Scott Boras several times, the two men who publicly feuded for weeks over the details of the contract.

Ramirez helped the Dodgers win the division by hitting .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in only 53 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he batted .520 with four home runs and 10 RBIs, carrying the team to the NLCS.

Follow our full coverage of Ramirez’s return with The Times’ Dylan Hernandez, Bill Plaschke and T.J. Simers on latimes.com/sports.

-- Debbie Goffa

Advertisement