Manny Ramirez "happy" in new Dodger colors

LOS ANGELES — He took a seat in the Dodgers' dugout and the fans cheered.

He jogged to shallow left field to stretch and the fans roared.

He stepped into the on-deck circle and the fans rose to their feet, many repeatedly chanting his name.

Merely being Manny Ramirez was enough Friday to endear the Los Angeles Dodgers' newest acquisition to their fans.

"I feel great, man. I'm happy," the former Red Sox slugger told media members before his debut against Arizona at Dodger Stadium. "Whatever happened in Boston is in the past. I'm excited, man. I can't wait. I feel like I took 5,000 pounds off my back.

"It's just a new chapter in my life. I'm happy to be here. That's all I can say. L.A.'s a great city. I'm happy to be a Dodger."

Batting in his customary cleanup spot, Ramirez singled twice in four at-bats but grounded into a double play in the ninth inning of a 2-1 loss to the Diamondbacks and pitcher Randy Johnson.

The Dodgers acquired Ramirez from the exasperated Red Sox a day earlier, giving up two minor-leaguers in a three-team trade that sent outfielder Jason Bay from Pittsburgh to Boston.

Ramirez said he spoke with ex-teammates David Ortiz and Julio Lugo after the trade was announced, and harbored no bitterness toward the Red Sox.

"I want to say something from the bottom of my heart," Ramirez said. "I want to thank the fans in Boston. I love you guys. I just want to move on. I'm thinking Blue right now, I'm thinking about the Dodgers. I want people to judge me on what I do here, not what I did in Boston."

The 36-year-old Ramirez sidestepped a question regarding a report that veteran Boston players had told upper management that he needed to go.

Ramirez played with the Cleveland Indians from 1993 to 2000 before signing an eight-year, $160 million contract with the Red Sox.

"I'm in a new league," he said. "I'm just going to do my best."

That apparently includes cutting his hair for Joe Torre. The Dodgers' manager said he asked Ramirez how important his hair was to him and was told he'd do whatever Torre wanted. Torre said he asked Ramirez to "clean it up a little bit and make it manageable."

"I've got to cut it. I'm going to be looking like a baby," Ramirez said with a smile. "I don't want them to treat me different than the other guys. If they want me to cut it, I'll cut it. It will grow back."

Ramirez, who wore No. 24 during seven-plus seasons in Boston, wore No. 99. Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston wore No. 24 with the Dodgers, and that jersey is retired.

"I don't know why they gave me 99," he said. "I wanted 34."

No. 34, worn by Fernando Valenzuela in the 1980s, isn't officially retired.

Notes

• Dodgers infielder Nomar Garciaparra went on the disabled list with a sprained ligament in his left knee.

• Minnesota called up left-hander Francisco Liriano from AAA Rochester and released right-hander Livan Hernandez and outfielder Craig Monroe. Liriano, who missed last season after Tommy John surgery, was 10-0 in his last 11 AAA starts.

• San Diego shortstop Khalil Greene went on the 15-day DL with a broken left hand two days after he punched a wall near the dugout.

• Texas fired pitching coach Mark Connor and bullpen coach Dom Chiti. Andy Hawkins, the pitching coach at AAA Oklahoma since 2006, will replace Connor. Jim Colborn, formerly the director of Pacific Rim operations, is the new bullpen coach. Colborn also worked for the Mariners in that capacity from 1997 to 2000.

• Reliever Arthur Rhodes said he was "shocked" to be traded to the Florida Marlins by the Mariners on Thursday, but wasn't complaining. "It's great to come over here on a winning team," he said.