Always something

With a bat in his hands, future Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez has few peers. Yet when he abandons wood for leather, the Red Sox left fielder may compare to even fewer.

Though often described as one-of-a-kind, members of the Red Sox insist their teammate does, at times, resemble other defenders.

“He does some things,” marveled center fielder Coco Crisp, “that are Jeter-esque in their own right.”

Jeter-esque? As in Derek Jeter, the Yankees shortstop who is generally praised for his field instincts?

“You know — the cutoff,” Crisp explained.

Jeter, of course, delivered one of the signature plays of his career in the 2001 playoffs. Against the A’s, he emerged from nowhere when a relay throw from right fielder Shane Spencer sailed over both cutoff men. The New York shortstop picked up the ball along the first-base line and delivered a backhand flip that nipped Oakland baserunner Jeremy Giambi at the plate.

Jeter’s play enjoyed little precedent, but it did have a legacy. Ramirez, in fact, has offered echoes of that lengthy cutoff line on at least three occasions.

The most memorable instance was the first, when Ramirez made an inexplicable diving stab of a throw from Johnny Damon in 2004. The left fielder seemed gleeful with his glove work, even as Orioles outfielder David Newhan sprinted around the bases on a gift-wrapped inside-the-park homer.

More recently, Ramirez decided to interject himself into the cutoff lanes of center fielder Coco Crisp on two occasions. Ramirez actually jumped a throw from Crisp in Oakland early this month, and then on June 14, made another diving attempt at a throw from the weak-winged Crisp.

“He’s hustling. I’m not sure where he’s hustling,” chuckled manager Terry Francona. “He’s trying to do the right thing. … (But) I’ve never seen that many guys lined up. We had guys lined up all over the field. It was different.”

“That dude,” added David Ortiz with a shake of the head, “is a crazy (expletive).”

Though some players would bristle at the characterization, Ramirez takes pleasure in his perceived quirks. While he works hard at his craft, investing time and effort with outfield coach DeMarlo Hale, the slugger lacks pretense. In the field, Ramirez is everyman, taking apparent delight in his task even when it seems to come unnaturally to him.

He encouraged the Fenway crowd to laugh at his diving effort on Crisp’s throw. Ramirez inspired his teammates to do the same last week against the Braves when he caught a ball on the front edge of the warning track and took several steps with the sole purpose of bouncing — completely unnecessarily — into the outfield wall.

“He’s easily loved because of his personality. Everything is taken with a grain of salt,” noted Crisp. “He just goes out there and tries to do his best. If he messes up, well, everyone messes up.”

Of course, it is also quite easy for Sox players and fans to forgive such deeds because of what Ramirez does with a bat in hand. The Red Sox left fielder will likely surpass 500 homers this year with a career average over .300 and an OBP over .400.

When he does, Ramirez will join an exclusive list currently populated by only five players: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Mel Ott and, as of yesterday, Frank Thomas. For such performance, the Sox are more than willing to endure — and even enjoy — the occasional comedy in the outfield.

“It’s part of the package,” said Francona.