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Manny joins White Sox with memorable entrance

A.J.'s 3 run HR lifts team past Indians

CLEVELAND - Manny Ramirez was decked out in a White Sox uniform Tuesday night, but he never got the chance to get it dirty.

After flying in earlier in the day from Los Angeles, Ramirez met with Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and was promptly scratched from the starting lineup.

"It was my call," Guillen said. "Everything with the lineup is my call. He flew for five hours. He was up at 4:30 in the morning, 5 o'clock in the morning. He tried to get here and that is the reason I don't think it was necessary to play him.

"When I asked him how he felt, he didn't give the right answers. Manny has been on the DL three times this year. Why do we have to take a risk for no reason?"

Ramirez was set to pinch hit in the ninth inning Tuesday but was pulled back after A.J. Pierzynski hit a 3-run homer to put the White Sox in front 4-1.

They had to hang on for a 4-3 win.

Ramirez is expected to make his debut in Wednesday's series finale against the Indians at Progressive Field, but his first day with the White Sox was nonetheless unusual.

Ramirez, claimed off waivers from the Dodgers on Monday, walked into an interview room to meet with media wearing bright white sunglasses and batting gloves. And, yes, the flowing dreadlocks were present.

Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has a hard-set rule when it comes to hair length, and Ramirez's literally crosses that line.

But when asked about his hair Tuesday, the 12-time all-star scoffed.

"That's a stupid question," Ramirez said. "I'm here to play baseball, and that has nothing to do with playing baseball."

It does if you play for the White Sox, so Ramirez's appearance bears watching.

Maybe he gets a haircut. Maybe he tucks the dreadlocks up under his cap. Or maybe Manny just keeps being Manny.

When he was in the on-deck circle Tuesday, Ramirez's dreadlocks hung down past his shoulders as usual.

"I can't answer that question," Guillen said of Ramirez's hair. "The chairman likes one thing, and if I was Manny, I'd try to make the chairman happy. The only thing I worry about Manny is he's there on time and drives in some runs."

Ramirez has 1,828 RBI over his 18-year career, which ranks 17th all time. He also ranks second in history with 78 RBI in the postseason.

Ramirez did talk a little baseball Tuesday, but he spoke Spanish. Bench coach Joey Cora served as his somewhat reluctant translator.

Just call it yet another Manny moment, considering he has been answering questions in English since beginning his big-league career with Cleveland in 1993.

Ramirez last spoke to the media on the second day of spring training.

"I don't know too much about the White Sox, but I'm happy to be here," Ramirez said. "I'm happy to be playing for Ozzie. This team is very loose. It's a good team."

Can Ramirez help the Sox?

"I don't worry about what other people say," he said. "I can still be productive. This is a team that is in the playoff hunt. I'm going to play more. I probably won't play the outfield, if at all. I'm going to DH and play more."

It all starts Wednesday, and that's when Ramirez will let his play do the talking.

"I think when you have Manny or a caliber of player like Manny in the lineup, if you're a pitcher, in the back of your mind you want to find out where he is," Guillen said.

"He's going to take a little heat (off) the rest of the guys. How good are we going to be with him? I expect to be better, and I hope I'm not wrong."

As for Ramirez's decision to speak Spanish when meeting with the media - assuming he even does meet with the media again this season - Guillen said his new player knows what he's doing.

"He's a very smart man because he doesn't want you guys to bother him coming to Chicago," Guillen said. "It's a very good move.

"I think Manny wants to stay away from all the distraction from all the fans and the media. I think he wants to be one of the guys. He will be treated as another guy that wears this uniform.

"He can do whatever he wants to do. If he wants to talk, he wants to talk. If not, it's not. I don't have any problem with that."

Chicago White Sox's A.J. Pierzynski, right, is greeted by Carlos Quentin after Pierzynski's three-run home run off Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Frank Herrmann in the ninth inning Tuesday. Associated Press

<p class="factboxheadblack">Scot Gregor's game tracker</p>

<p class="News">White Sox 4, Indians 3</p>

<p class="News"><b>K machine:</b> Sox starter Edwin Jackson pitched 82/3 innings and struck out 11. The right-hander has 10 or more strikeouts in 3 straight starts and is the first White Sox pitcher to accomplish the feat since Floyd Bannister (May 7-16, 1985).</p>

<p class="News"><b>Long time coming:</b> A.J. Pierzynski's 3-run homer in the ninth inning decided the outcome. It was Pierzynski's first HR since July 9.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Hot at the top:</b> Juan Pierre was 2-for-3 with a walk and stole his 52nd base. Since July 25, the Sox' leadoff man is batting .368 (56-for-152).</p>

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<li><a href="/story/?id=404983">Jackson saves day, bullpen<span class="date"> [8/31/10]</span></a></li>

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