Manny Ramirez and the Grand Slam of Destiny

It’s just starting to feel like a season of destiny in Los Angeles.

Every story of destiny needs the perfectly improbable victory for the hero — and Wednesday night the Dodgers got their first one of the season.

Dodger Stadium was sold-out because it was Manny Ramirez bobblehead night, and Los Angeles is crazy about Manny. Nearly 55,000 showed up to get a dreadlocked doll with an oversized head, complete with tar on the batting helmet.

The only problem: No Manny in the lineup. After getting plunked on the wrist the night before with a fastball, Ramirez asked out of the game to rest the injury.

But in the sixth inning, with the game tied and the Dodgers needing a pinch hitter, Joe Torre called on the people’s hero and Manny walked out on deck — suddenly a buzz rippled through Chavez Ravine. When Russell Martin singled to load the bases and Manny walked to the plate, the stadium was on its feet.

One pitch and Manny drove it right into the heart of Mannywood in the left field bleachers.

Vin Scully described what followed as the loudest and craziest he has seen Dodger Stadium since Kirk Gibson’s legendary 1988 World Series homer.

And 21 years later, this Dodger team is starting to have the feel of that 1988 team of destiny. The one that was not as talented as the Mets team they beat in the playoffs, not as talented as the A’s they knocked off in the World Series. At least not on paper. But that team had good players reaching their peak, a few stars really taking off (Orel Hershiser, for one) and a will to win. That Dodger team just would not be denied; it was going to find a way to win, often in dramatic fashion.

Dramatic like hitting a pinch-hit grand slam on your own bobblehead night. Dramatic like a movie ending, not the messy reality of real life. Dramatic like another team of destiny in Los Angeles.

And one that now has its first defining moment of the season. With more to come.