And with a whimper, the Manny Ramirez Era came to a close at Dodger Stadium last week as Manny was thrown out while arguing a first pitch strike with the bases loaded, unleashing a long frustrated sigh from Dodger fans everywhere.

Ramirez was subsequently waived on Wednesday and claimed on Friday by the White Sox.  Mysteriously, he hardly played during the critical weekend series.  I’m not a big believer in conspiracy theories (although my recent favorite rumor is that the Dodgers planned all along to waive Manny, as they knew he would be claimed and the money they would receive in return for the aging slugger would equal a good chunk of what they promised to first round draft pick Zach Lee).

But I do think that Torre’s decision to play Ramirez so sparingly over the weekend had everything to do with making sure Manny was healthy enough to complete the transaction.  Remember, Manny does have a recent track record of quirky injuries that send him to the DL, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Colletti had the same conversation with Torre after putting Ramirez on waivers.  Just my opinion, so take that for what it’s worth.

Per the Dodgers official press release:

Ramirez was originally acquired on July 31, 2008 from the Boston Red Sox in a trade deadline move and then re-signed the following March. Over parts of three seasons with the Dodgers, Ramirez hit .322 with 44 homers, 156 RBI and a .580 slugging percentage in 223 games.

But as noted earlier, Manny Ramirez brought an electricity and excitement to Dodger Stadium that can’t be measured simply in numbers.  I’m going to miss the guy, and hope Colletti & Co. can bring that level of buzz back to Chavez Ravine, very, very soon.

Photo Credit: Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2010

It’s becoming more and more likely that general manager Ned Colletti and the Dodgers are going to put Manny Ramirez on waivers as early as today, clearing the first hurdle to his eventual departure from Los Angeles.

The move is the equivalent of the Dodgers waiving the white flag in the 2010 season (something that one could argue has been over for weeks), and allows the Dodgers to recoup the remainder of his salary for the year.

If Manny does clear waivers, the Dodgers are free to trade him to any team of their choosing.  However, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted this morning that the White Sox plan to claim Ramirez.  But before that could happen we have to get through the entirety of the secretive waivers process and another team may end up the winner.  As Dylan Hernandez notes, National League teams have the first priority, then American League teams.  If there are multiple claims from the same league, the team that has the worst record gets priority and wins the claim.

If Manny is claimed, the Dodgers would most likely would only receive about $4 million (the remainder due on his $20 million salary), instead of maybe cash and a marginal prospect or two.  But in the end does it really matter?  The season is over and Manny is one of the few chips the Dodgers have to deal, given his upcoming free agent status.  I have no doubt that Manny will also waive his no-trade clause so that he can once again insert himself on the national stage as he makes a run at a new contract in 2011 (presumably in the American League as a designated hitter).

Interestingly, if the White Sox were successful in claiming Ramirez, that could create an outfield of former Dodgers’ including Manny Ramirez, Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre.  How crazy would that be?

While the second half of Manny’s tenure with the Dodgers left a lot to be desired, the electricity ”Mannywood” brought with his arrival in LA (both on and off the field) was something rarely seen in Chavez Ravine in recent years, and something the fans will not soon forget.  If this is goodbye, then good luck, Manny.  It was fun while it lasted.