Manny Ramirez

From SoSH

Manny being Manny

Born:	May 30, 1972
Birthplace:	Santo Domingo, D.R.
Hometown:	Pembroke Pines, Florida
Height:	6' 0"
Weight:	200 lbs.
Bats:	Right
Throws:	Right
Drafted:	1991: 1st Round, 13th Pick by the Cleveland Indians
College:	None
High School:	George Washington H.S. (NY)
Other Teams:	Cleveland Indians 1993-2000 Los Angeles Dodgers 2008
Years with Boston:	2001 - 2008

Manuel Arístides (Manny) Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is an outfielder for the Red Sox since 2001. Previously, Ramírez played with the Cleveland Indians (1993-2000). He bats and throws right-handed.

Manny is an extremely quirky baseball player, known for fits of passion and lack thereof that could give fans and coaches alike heartburn and ecstasy in the same game. He is also a dead lock for the Hall of Fame. With nine Silver Slugger awards, eight top-ten MVP finishes, five All-Star Game starts, one of ten players ever (minimum 1000 games/3000 PA) with a career OPS of at least 1.0, the highest number of grand slams among active players (20), a batting title in 2002 and a home run title in 2004, he carries a 187.5 score on Baseball-Reference.com's Hall of Fame Monitor (100 = a likely hall-of-famer). He is also fifth among active players with 168 career intentional walks.

Manny is also one of the most feared postseason performers in baseball history. He is in the top ten in 12 different offensive postseason stats, and has hit more home runs in the postseason (24) than anyone else. He was instrumental in the Red Sox's 2004 World Series run, hitting .350 through the playoffs with 2 HR, including .412 in the World Series to earn the MVP award. He wasn't too bad in 2007 either, hitting .409 with 2 homers and 10 RBIs in the 2007 ALCS.

With a career .313 BA and 2,209 hits as of 2007, he has an inside shot of eventually reaching the 3,000 hit club. With 491 home runs to date, it is likely he will join the 500 home run club in 2008; an oblique injury kept him from doing it in 2007.

Some have suggested that if "Men in Black 3" is ever made, they should add in Manny as one of the aliens hiding out on Earth.

1 Overall Career
2 Manny Being... Manny
3 Moment in the Sun
4 Trivia
5 Personal life
6 Awards
7 Achievements
8 External Links

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Overall Career

Manny Ramirez has been one of the most potent batsmen in baseball history throughout his career. He has also been one of the most colorful characters the game has ever seen. These two attributes have made Ramirez a joy to watch, night in and night out for the last five years. Although Manny has had his blunders in the field and on the basepaths, Ramirez is an absolute machine at the plate. His ability to use every part of the ballpark can make him nearly impossible to get out when swinging the bat well.

Starting his career in Cleveland, Manny was a big part of the Indian powerhouse teams that made World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Manny shot up through Clevenland's farm system. In 1991 he was the MVP of the Appalachian League, leading the league in total bases (146), home runs (19), RBI (63), and slugging percentage (.679) Although hampered by a hand injury in 1992, he would continue to impress with 13 home runs as a 19 year old in single A ball. He rocketed through AA and AAA, playing only 40 games at AAA before being recalled by the Indians.

In the second game of his career, against the New York Yankees, Manny hit two home runs and a ground-rule double. Manny would go onto play 22 games in the big leagues that year.

1994 was Manny's first full year in the Major Leagues. As is typical with Manny, he hit over .300 and had over 100 RBIs, finishing second in the rookie of the year voting to Bob Hamelin.

Ramirez was lured away from Cleveland after the 2000 season when Dan Duquette brought him in for 160 million dollar, eight year contract. This contract has been a blessing in disguise for Red Sox Nation, as Manny would almost assuredly be playing somewhere else right now if it weren't for the gigantic price tag he carries that few markets can afford. Being a major part of both World Championship teams, including his World Series MVP in 2004, you would be hard pressed to find someone that doesn't believe Manny is worth every penny.

Ramirez had a streak of nine straight 30 HR, 100 RBI seasons from 1998 through 2006. Only twice during that span did he hit under .300, .294 in 1998, and .292 in 2005. His career power numbers are now to the point where with almost every homerun he jumps over an elite name in history and draws closer to that ever magical 500 HR plateau.

His K/BB ratio has been improving over the years as well. In 2003, he walked more than striking out for the first (and only, to date) time in his career, with 97 BB and 94 Ks. He came close again in 2006, walking 100 times and striking out 102 times.

In 2007 Manny had a below-average regular season with a .296 average, 20 home runs and 88 RBI, the first time he was under 30 HR and 100 RBI since 1997 as he was hobbled toward the end of the season with an oblique strain. However, once the postseason began, it was reminiscent of his World Series MVP year in 2004. He hit .375 (3-8, 5 BB) with 2 home runs in the ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, including a walk-off 3-run shot over the Green Monster in Game 2. Manny followed that up with .409 (9-22, 9 BB) with 2 home runs and 10 RBI in the ALCS against the Cleveland Indians. His first ALCS homer, in Game 2, broke Bernie Williams' career postseason home run record.

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Manny Being... Manny

Many of the quirks of Manny Ramirez's nature have been attributed as "Manny Being Manny". The actual term is believed to have been coined on July 18, 2005, when he disappeared into the Green Monster during a visit by coach Dave Wallace to the pitcher's mound to check on Wade Miller in the top of the 6th inning of that day's game, and was late getting back out to the field. He claimed he was using the bathroom, even though there are no facilities behind the Monster.

Sports pundit Jim Rome jokingly claims that Ramirez is from another planet, referring to bouts of quirkiness as visits to "Planet Man-Ram".

When MLB opened up a web page to follow Manny's pursuit of his 500th home run in 2008, they titled the website "Manny Being Manny".

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Controversy

In the summer of 2003, after missing several games with pharyngitis, Ramírez was criticized by the Boston sports media and many fans who said he should have played despite the ailment. When it was learned that he had been seen in a hotel bar (Ramírez lived in the hotel in question) with a close friend, Yankees infielder Enrique Wilson, the controversy grew, causing manager Grady Little to bench Ramírez for one game.

“Hi, I’m Manny Ramirez. I bought this AMAZING grill...”

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Idiosyncracies

Once asked Cleveland Indians beat writers (along with fellow minor leaguer Julian Tavarez) for 60,000 dollars to buy motorcycles after being turned down by GM John Hart.
Due to his discomfort with media, Red Sox brass constructed a new interview room in December of 2001.
When he hit his 400th home run, a journalist asked Manny what he planned on doing with it. His response: "I don't know, probably put it on eBay. See how much I could get. Maybe $200."
During Spring Training 2007 Manny put up an eBay auction for his neighbor's grill.

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Quotes

"I don't believe in no curses. You make your own destination." (after the 2004 World Series)
When then Sox GM Dan Duquette asked Manny why he sometimes stepped into the batters box after ball four, Manny responded “I don’t keep track of the balls. I don’t keep track of the strikes, either, until I got two. Duke, I’m up there looking for a pitch I can hit. If I don’t get it, I wait for the umpire to tell me to go to first. Isn’t that what you’re paying me to do?”
"I got a beautiful career going on and I'm not going to let little things like this mess (up) all the things that I accomplished because I think when I finish my career I'm going to be a special player."
One story took place in his early years with the Cleveland Indians in June 1994. As teammates were gathered in the Indians clubhouse watching news of the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase, Ramirez asked what was going on. A player responded that "they are chasing O.J.", to which Ramirez responded in disbelief, "What did Chad do?" (in reference to their current teammate Chad Ogea, who was likely in the same clubhouse just several feet away).
"When you don't feel good, and you still get hits, that's when you know you are a bad man." ALDS 2007, Game 2, after his 9th inning walk off HR off Francisco Rodriguez.
"Pressure? What pressure? We're confident every day. It doesn't matter how things go for you. We're not going to give up. We're just going to go and play the game, like I've said, and move on. If it doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like the end of the world or something. Why should we panic?" --When the Red Sox were down 3-1 to the Indians in the 2007 ALCS. The Red Sox then won three straight to get to the World Series.

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Quotes Relating to Trade Rumors

"Forget about the trade. This is the place I want to be, ... They want to win. I want to win, too. I'm back... Manny being Manny, man..."
"I'm fine. I'm fine. I guess a lot of people want me to be back and that's why I'm here"

One World Series - lots of babes. For winning it this year, we're gonna kill that fat dude who jumped in this photo with you, Manny.

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Quotes - About Manny

When I asked his teammate David Ortiz, himself a borderline folk hero, how he would describe Ramirez, he replied, “As a crazy motherfucker.” Then he pointed at my notebook and said, “You can write it down just like that: ‘David Ortiz says Manny is a crazy motherfucker.’ That guy, he’s in his own world, on his own planet. Totally different human being than everyone else.” -- David Ortiz
“Sometimes I think it’s Manny’s world, and we all just exist in it.” - Greg Brown

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Moment in the Sun

April 19, 2005: Against Toronto, Manny crushed a majestic first-inning solo home run off Roy Halladay that sailed above the light tower atop Fenway's left field wall, bounced on the roof of the parking garage across Lansdowne Street and came to rest on the train tracks next to the Massachusetts Turnpike. It is considered one of the longest home runs in Red Sox history

July 31, 2005: It was still unclear whether Manny Ramirez was going to be moved in a blockbuster trade at his request. But sure enough, Manny emerged from the dugout to pinch-hit, with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th inning, less than 45 minutes after the Trade Deadline had passed. As Manny made his way to the On Deck circle while David Ortiz was being intentionally walked, the Fenway Faithful started working themselves into a frenzy, realizing Manny had not been traded and that he would be coming to the plate to try and give the Sox the lead. Fenway erupted the second Manny shot a single back through the box, scoring Edgar Renteria with the eventual game winning run. Don Orsillo shouted "Manny's back, and he's back big!" in one of the greatest overstatements in sports history, as Renteria ran home. Manny further pleased everyone with his post-game comments of "Forget about the trade. This is the place I want to be," Ramirez said. "They want to win. I want to win, too. I'm back."

This game also marked the Major League debut of Jonathan Papelbon. Paps went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out 7 and walking 5. Mike Timlin earned the Win while Curt Schilling picked up his 5th save of the year.

October 5th, 2007: Improbably, Manny's first walk-off HR with the Sox did not come until early in the morning of October 6th, 2007, when he hit a 3 run shot over the Monster off of Francisco Rodriguez in the bottom of the 9th in the second game of the ALDS vs. the Angles (the game was tied, 3-3).

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Trivia

Manny also holds the record for freakiest hair in the major leagues. He showed up to Spring Training in 2007 with his dreadlocks dyed red (dreadlocks shown here, bleached instead of dyed).

Placed on irrevocable waivers after the 2003 season. Every team passed on Manny, likely due to contract length and total amount.

Starred in an Olympia Sports commercial during the 2004 season that featured a daydreaming Manny winning the 2004 World Series MVP award. A few months later, Manny won the 2004 World Series MVP award.

All Time Grand Slam Leaders
PLAYER	SLAMS
Lou Gehrig	23
Manny Ramirez	20
Eddie Murray	19
Robin Ventura	18
Willie McCovey	18
Ted Williams	17
Jimmie Foxx	17
Babe Ruth	16
Dave Kingman	16
Hank Aaron	16
Ken Griffey Jr.	15

Manny ranks in the top ten all-time in 13 different postseason batting statistics:
- Games - 103 - 4th
- At Bats - 378 - 5th
- Runs - 64 - 4th
- Hits - 108 - 3rd
- Total Bases - 208 - 3rd
- Doubles - 16 - T 9th w/ Jim Edmonds
- Home Runs - 28 - 1st
- Runs Batted In - 74 - 2nd
- Bases on Balls - 70 - 3rd
- Strikeouts - 85 - T 2nd w/ Bernie Williams
- Singles - 64 - 6th
- Extra Base Hits - 44 - 2nd
- Times On Base - 183 - 3rd

Manny with his sons, Manny and Manny Jr., before Game 2 of the 2007 World Series.

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Personal life

Manny was born in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, but grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City. In 2004, he became an American citizen.

Although he grew up in New York City, he grew up as a Toronto Blue Jays fan, since they had a large number of Hispanic players on their team.

Manny is married to Juliana Ramirez, whom he met at a gym not long after arriving in Boston. His first son, from a previous relationship, is Manuelito "Manny" Ramirez (b. 1995). His children with Juliana are Manny Ramirez, Jr. (b. 2003), and Lucas Ramirez (b. 2006). Manny, Juliana, and their children live in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, suburb of Weston during the postseason.

Although they legally have slightly different names, the similar nickname leads to people calling Manny's two older sons both "Manny Ramirez, Jr.", hence both named the same (another "Manny Being Manny" idiosynchracy). In terms of quirkiness, however, this does not top boxer George Foreman naming all five of his sons and one of his daughters "George".

Manny is the cousin of Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

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