Manny brings sweet music to Dodgers clubhouse

Some 70 minutes before Sunday's first pitch, Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin adjusted the clubhouse stereo system at Denver's Coors Field and began bobbing his head. Manny Ramirez walked by clapping his hands, repeating the Lil Wayne song's refrain. "Sky's the limit," he said. Ever since Ramirez on his second day as a Dodger began playing tunes from his iPod for all to hear, music has been prevalent in the clubhouse before games for the first time since 2005. To say the least, the room has been less tense. The Dodgers have proven eclectic in their taste in music, going beyond the standard hip hop and rock with John Mayer's rendition of "Free Fallin' " recently being added to the playlist. After wins, the Leona Lewis pop ballad "Bleeding Love" has been blasted over the speakers. "I put in some Spanish ones," said Ramirez, now hitting .385 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs in his first 41 games with the Dodgers. Former Dodgers manager Grady Little banned music during his tenure, but numerous players skirted the rules late last season. This year, Joe Torre said he spoke to Ramirez about his own regulations after his trade from Boston on July 31. "My stance on that is if one person has a problem with it, we'll stop it," said Torre, who also wanted players to be mindful of the volume. "I haven't heard any dissenting right now." During his days managing the Yankees, Torre was annoyed with but tolerated the music pitcher David Wells once was allowed to play. Asked if Ramirez's music had grown on him, Torre was quick to answer. "No, it hasn't."(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)