Manny and the Secret Service

No, really. Manny has an ex-Secret Service guy watching him, protecting him from whatever...

Part of the crew sent by the Dodgers to accompany Ramirez to Albuquerque was Ray Maytorena, the club's head of security.

A retired secret service officer, Maytorena was part of security teams that protected Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Of the task of ensuring Ramirez's safety, Maytorena said, "It's rather low-key, especially compared to when you go to a G8 Summit."

Maytorena laughed when told that he went from flying on Air Force One to flying on Southwest Airlines, which took Ramirez from Los Angeles to New Mexico on Monday.

Maytorena said he feared Ramirez could be mobbed at Los Angeles International Airport, but that they encountered no problems.

"I've had more challenging assignments," Maytorena said, laughing.

Among them was helping Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, move into her dormitory at Stanford in the fall of 1997.

You just can't make this stuff up.