Time to let Manny be Manny

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It's time for the Giants to Manny up.

This team desperately needs somebody being somebody, and nobody does that better than Manny.

If the Giants manage to land Manny Ramirez, they will make their boldest statement since 1993, when they went all-in on a dubious diva from Pittsburgh.

Manny Ramirez isn't just the opportunity of the year, he is the opportunity of the decade, the Giants' best hope since they passed on Vlad Guerrero in 2003.

The situation is Code Red. Manny must be a Giant, for four reasons.

1. Tim Lincecum changed the whole picture. Had Lincecum not emerged, as Timmy being Timmy, the Giants' brass could make the case that acquiring one big bat, one Manny, would not make enough of a difference to justify the huge price tag.

But Timmy is being Timmy, and suddenly the Giants have a foundation, an opportunity and an obligation. You don't discover Sinatra and then back him up with Those Damn Accordions.

The Giants wasted Bonds by making him go it alone for several seasons without a partner in crime. If the Giants do that to Lincecum, they deserve every 6,000-fan house they get at the old ballyard in the years to come.

** FILE ** In this Oct. 4, 2008 file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez reacts after sliding safely into home to score on a two-run double by James Loney during the first inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League division series in Los Angeles, Calif. Ramirez and the Dodgers open the best-of-seven NL championship series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terril, Fie) less ** FILE ** In this Oct. 4, 2008 file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez reacts after sliding safely into home to score on a two-run double by James Loney during the first inning of Game 3 of baseball's ... more Photo: Mark J. Terrill, AP Photo: Mark J. Terrill, AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Time to let Manny be Manny 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

2. The Giants owe it to Major League Baseball to sign Ramirez, under that "best interests of baseball" clause. Manny needs a home, and only one team in baseball is trained and qualified to handle the man.

Ramirez doesn't run out a ground ball? Doesn't actively pursue a ball in left field? We understand! He's avoiding costly "hustle" injuries and conserving precious energy for more important tasks, like trotting out three-run homers.

Ramirez seems to "quit" on his team? We understand! He's taking a mental break, checking out momentarily to save his finite store of focus.

Giants' fans, the team itself, and the local media understand that it's not meant for mere mortals to understand the ways of the superhero. Just stand back and let him do his job, OK?

If Ramirez goes to any other team, he might not be accorded the space to be his own strange self. If that happens, shenanigans ensue and all of baseball is distracted and disrupted.

If Manny being Manny sometimes means Manny being a fanny, the Giants and their supporters can deal.

3. The Bay Area is starved for a contender. With the exception of the valiant Sharks, when was the last time a Bay Area pro team went into a season with a legitimate chance to do anything except hope to sneak into the back door of the playoffs? I don't know either, and I'm too discouraged to do the research. It's been a while.

With Ramirez, the Giants have that chance. There is a power vacuum in the West and it won't be there forever. The Dodgers have money, eventually they'll get tired of mediocrity and they'll spend big, and the window of opportunity will slam shut on the Giants' fingers.

As the philosopher Robin Williams once said, "Carpe diem." Which is Latin for "Seize the carp."

Even with Ramirez the Giants would have some holes, but they would have a good shot at the playoffs, and once you get to the playoffs it's a crap shoot, with the dice favoring a team with strong starting pitching and Manny Ramirez.

4. Ramirez is expensive, but so is sucking. I believe it was Alan Greenspan who said, "Empty seats don't buy garlic fries."

As we all inch closer to starvation, we get squeamish at the prospect of our local team raining crazy cash on any player, especially a player who might take a lawn chair to left field or call in sick with leprosy.

Get over it. It's not your money. It's money that belongs to people who hire people to pluck the lint off their luxury automobiles.

It's their money and they should spend it, because they chose to own a ball team, and this is what it costs to own real players, as opposed to a gaggle of uniform-fillers.

And this is no small consideration: It's time to stop blaming Barry Zito.

The Giants want you to believe they can't afford to shop for a big star because Zito's got all their money tied up? Preposterous. If you're going to take a wild gamble, which is what Zito was from the very beginning, you have to be prepared to take your hit and move on, not give up for the next five years and blame it on one struggling pitcher.

You made that mistake, Giants. You fix it.

Let Manny be Manny in old San Franny.

For more on Manny Ramirez and the Giants, see Henry Schulman's Giants Splash blog at sf.gate.com/sports.