ALBUQUERQUE — Brandon Casados arrived at Isotopes Park at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, hoping he wasn't too late.

He had heard a rumor from a co-worker earlier in the morning: Manny Ramirez was coming to play for the Albuquerque Isotopes on Tuesday.

Casados, a San Francisco Giants fan, couldn't pass up the possibility of seeing one of MLB's biggest stars. That appeal transcends even the chilly rivalry between the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ramirez's current team and the parent club of the Triple-A Isotopes.

"I like Manny, although I like him less now that he's a Dodger," Casados said. "But he is a superstar. This is a 500-home run guy. It'll be a change from what we normally see here."

He isn't the only one star-struck. Before the Isotopes ticket office opened in the morning, a line of about 50 people had formed to obtain tickets for Ramirez's expected arrival. A steady stream of buyers continued through
the rest of the day.

Excitement poured through the city because of a Los Angeles Times story that quoted unnamed sources saying Ramirez will begin his minor-league rehab assignment in Albuquerque. Ramirez, who is serving a 50-game suspension for violating the MLB drug policy in April, is allowed a 10-day stint in the minors to prepare himself for his big league return.

So when Casados, a 2002 St. Michael's High School graduate, stepped up to make his purchase for games Tuesday and Wednesday, he hoped he could still get tickets by left field, where Ramirez plays. He felt fortunate to find seats five rows from the field.

Still his excitement was muted.

"I hope he comes," Casados said.

That's because no official statement has been made about Ramirez's assignment. That was a point Isotopes general manager John Traub emphasized prior to a 4-0 win by the Omaha Royals before a crowd of 8,213 in a Pacific Coast League game at Isotopes Park.

"The fans here are obviously excited about the potential for this happening, but we don't have any confirmation," Traub said. "We're making sure to tell people that this is not a sure thing."

Isotopes manager Tim Wallach would talk about any preparations being made for Ramirez's possible arrival, other than to say he would know about it until a couple of days before it happens.

But he knows the topic won't go away.

"If I was living in Albuquerque and got a chance to go out and watch a guy like him, Id be thrilled, too," Wallach said.

The numbers certainly support his sentiment.

Traub said about 6,000 tickets have been sold since Thursday night for the final four games of the homestand, and the ticket office will open at 8 a.m. starting today to cater the demand.

And it's hard to temper enthusiasm once it spreads. Even the TMZ Web site, which is known for celebrity gossip, got in on "Manny Mania."

It reported that the early morning ticket line stretched around the block.

Jim Descoteaux said he would talk to his wife about getting tickets for next week after purchasing some for this weekend's games against the Royals.

"I think it's great," Descoteaux said. "It'll help boost ticket sales for people to see a real professional, a home-run hitter. I'm sorry he had to get out of so many games, but he needs to get back into the swing of things. So come out here, swing the bat a little bit in Albuquerque and give us fans a little thrill."

Not even the stigma of steroid use that is attached to Ramirez's suspension (it has been reported that he used a female fertility drug used to mask steroid use) could cool the excitement.

Most of a group of seven players from the Paradise Hills Majors All-Star team weren't fazed by Ramirez's indiscretion.

"Steroids don't help him hit home runs," Cody Trujillo said.

"I still want to get his autograph," Brandon Pino added.

There was one dissenting opinion in the group — Tynan Hoefferle.

"If he doesn't need to do it, why did he do drugs?" Hoefferle said.

But when asked if he wanted to still see Ramirez in Albuquerque, Hoefferle had one answer.

"Yes."