"Manny Being Manny": Same time, same station.

Just minutes before the first pitch of the game, Manny Ramirez went inside the Green Monster, yet again. Not to take a piss. At least not to my knowledge. But to pull out this humorous sign. MLB.com explains who came up with the sign:

That came not from a fan, but from a creative group of Red Sox players. Kevin Millar -- in a shocker -- was one of the contributors.

"We were trying to get him to carry that out to the field like the American flag (in 2004), but instead he had it in the Green Monster and went out and got it," said Millar. "I guess in the ninth inning, he gave it to a fan. You've got to love that guy, man. He's just here to have fun and hit."

Said manager Terry Francona:

"He can carry all the signs he wants as long as he hits homers. He had a smile on his face and he swung the bat with authority... but I'm glad he put the sign down before the game started."

According to the Providence Journal, actor John Ratzenberger (Cliff from Cheers) was the public announcer at the bottom of the sixth and introduced Manny by saying, "Now batting... Manny being Manny Ramirez."

In other Manny news, the other day former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette shared an anecdote with the MetroWest Daily News:

After Manny Ramirez joined the Red Sox in 2001, Dan Duquette, the man who brought him here, noticed that "three or four times when the umpire called ball four Manny would stay in the batter's box. I asked him about it one day and he said, 'Yeah, I don't keep track of strikes. I'm looking for a ball to hit. That's what you pay me for.'"