NEW YORK -- For someone just back, Manny Ramirez made quite an exit.

After looking at another strike three, the Dodgers star dropped his bat, tossed
his helmet and flung his elbow pad Tuesday night. Booed for much of the game
against the New York Mets, Ramirez then heard his departure cue from plate
umpire John Hirschbeck.

Ramirez was ejected as he walked toward the outfield for the bottom of the fifth
inning. By then, he'd done enough damage, driving in three runs as Los Angeles
won 8-0.

Such an abrupt end to what began as a jovial evening for the formerly suspended
slugger.

Hours before game time, Ramirez walked into the clubhouse, spotted the waiting
flock and broke into a familiar grin.

"Whoa. Whoa," the Dodgers' main man said. "Most wanted."

Far from his fans in Southern California, Ramirez received a less-than-sunny
reception in his first at-bat. That said, the flailing Mets drew a much harsher
reaction from the crowd at Citi Field.

Booed for about 20 seconds when he came up, Ramirez took a 3-2 pitch from Mike
Pelfrey, chucked his bat aside and began heading toward first base. Not so fast,
it was strike three.

Ramirez spun around and argued for a moment, to the crowd's delight, and kept
barking from the dugout. When he took his spot in the left field for the bottom
of the first, several fans stood in the front row above the wall and snapped
cell phone pictures.

The affable Ramirez came up the next inning, met Hirschbeck with a smile and
spread his hands about a foot apart, perhaps showing the crew chief how much the
disputed pitch missed the plate by. Ramirez then delivered a two-out,
bases-loaded single that scored two runs and added an RBI single his next time
up.

But in the fifth, Ramirez wasn't so jolly after striking out with the bases
loaded. He was halfway through the infield when Hirschbeck inspected what
Ramirez had thrown and tossed him.

Ramirez took a left turn and went to the dugout while Dodgers manager Joe Torre
came out to talk with Hirschbeck.

Ramirez was much more easygoing in the hours leading up to the first pitch.
Seeing the pregame throng of reporters, he pretended to count each of them.

"Look at how easy I do it," he said.

He was chatty before the series opener but brushed back all questions about his
50-game suspension for using a banned female fertility drug. He repeated several
times that he didn't want to talk about the past, albeit never with a stern
tone.

And when it came to the future, he was downright playful. Tapping a reporter's
notebook, he said: "Put in a good word for the All-Star Game next year."

Ramirez finished seventh among NL outfielders in fan voting for starting
All-Star spots. He is hitting .340 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs and is
3-for-11 since his suspension ended.

Ramirez returned from his penalty over the weekend at San Diego. Many fans made
the drive down from Los Angeles to see him at Petco Park, and he was showered
with far more cheers than jeers.

Asked what kind of reception he'd get against the Mets, he said, "I don't know.
What do you think?"

Predicted Torre: "I think they're going to boo him."

After all, booing is something of a spectator sport in New York. Yet the razzing
Ramirez got was nothing close to what Atlanta's Chipper Jones routinely receives
or even what Mets fans unleash on their own David Wright after a misplay.

One fan held up a placard with a drawing of a syringe. Still, it was not nearly
as severe as the greeting New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez got in May at
Baltimore in his first major league game since admitting he used steroids.

Wearing a blue Dodgers shirt, Bill George sat 12 rows off the field, down the
left-field line. He's a season ticket-holder at Dodger Stadium and had come East
with his teen son on a ballpark tour.

"I think Manny is a talented player and an interesting personality. But I'm not
thrilled with his behavior. To put in bluntly, he cheated," George said.

"I won't boo him, but I won't clap for him like he's a returning war hero," he
said.

Source: ESPN.com