Manny Ramirez unfazed by rude reception in House that Bonds built

Every time you go to a baseball game you see something new. And that was certainly true at AT&T Park on Monday night.

In the bleachers a flurry of signs waved all night at the left fielder.

"Drugs Are Bad."

"Got Steroids?"

No, we'd never seen that before in the San Francisco Giants' home ballpark. The irony of the evening's entertainment was lost on exactly no one. A torrent of abuse was directed at the Dodgers left fielder. Manny Ramirez was making his first appearance at the House that Barry Bonds Built since serving his 50-game suspension for a banned substance.

And the taunting was coming from the same fans who bowed down in adoration to the Giants left fielder. "Barry had to deal with that everywhere he went, too," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said before the game.

Turnabout is fair play. Hypocritical but fair enough.

Portrayed as the lap dogs of the steroid era -- cheering every crack of the bat as Bonds relentlessly attacked Hank Aaron's all-time home run record -- the Giants home crowd was mocked for years.

This week those fans had the chance -- albeit a little late -- to join in on the finger-pointing party. Making the exercise slightly more satisfying, San Francisco's crowd directed its payback at a member of the rival Dodgers, in a series with the potential to swing the balance of the NL West.

The whole evening was inside out, a reverse image of the final years of Bonds' career -- the left fielder with the too-long pants, the one who doesn't make a move as a ball sails toward him, was being booed and not applauded by those in McCovey Cove.