Manny Ramirez has given us some of the best and some of the worst moments in Major League Baseball over the last few years. With his recent 50-game suspension painting the covers of tabloids everywhere, we are reminded once again that Manny being Manny truly is a phenomenon.
We pay tribute to the Manny behind the mask with a top 10 of Ramirez's best, worst, and most baffling moments on - and off - the field:
10. My Throat Hurts Manny August 30, 2003:
Maybe it was a sign of things to come for Manny and the Red Sox, but Ramirez's sick leave because of a throat infection came under scrutiny when Manny was spotted having a drink at the Ritz Carlton Hotel with Enrique Wilson. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Manny had chosen to fake a throat illness against a team other than the Red Sox's bitter rival New York. Or maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Enrique Wilson wasn't playing for the Yankees. Either way, it was a portent of things to come.
9. 500 Home Run Manny May 31, 2008
Like a tribute to any walking, talking conundrum, Manny being Manny also epitomizes Ramirez's god given ability to play baseball freakishly well. Manny became only the 24th player in Major League Baseball history to hit five hundred home runs on May 31st, 2008. The 410 foot blast occurred in front of a cheering crowd in Camden Yards.
8. Score Box Break Room Manny July 18th, 2005
Manny became notorious at Fenway for crawling into the left field score box between innings. What was he doing back there? We'll never know. What we do know was that on July 18th, Manny failed to emerge from the wall during the first pitch of the inning. The Red Sox were left without a player covering left field. Little was made of the event because the ball was not hit to the absent Manny. Still, a collective groan from a million Red Sox fans was heard later that evening across the eastern seaboard.
7. ALDS Home Run Hitting Manny October 5th, 2007
The second game of the ALDS and it was the bottom of the ninth. None other than Manny Ramirez was at the plate, facing the Anaheim Angel's intimidating closer, Francisco Rodriguez. Manny crushed the ball, raising his arms as it soared into the stands of Fenway. A game winner, and one that Boston fans will remember forever.
6. Trade Rumors Swirling Manny July 31st, 2005:
The Manny being Manny train was showing signs of derailing with Boston as early as 2005. In late July, Manny had been quoted as requesting a trade, and Red Sox management had begun considering their options. On July 31st, the final day of Major League Baseball's trade deadline, Manny was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until the 8th inning that Manny put Boston fan's minds at ease, appearing at Fenway and promptly driving in a run with a single.
5. The Snag in the Bronx Manny September 17th, 2004:
A heated duel for the pennant against the Yankees and the Red Sox - one of the best rivalries in American sports - was underway mid September of 2004. Miguel Cairo hit a ball destined for the left field stands of Yankee stadium, when shocked New Yorkers watched as Manny Ramirez leaped up to steal the ball just before it sailed over the outfield wall. The Sox won the game by a run.
4. Cut Off Manny July 21, 2004:
It was July 21st of 2004, and the speedy David Newhan pulled a ball deep into the gap. As the Baltimore Oriole rounded the bases, Johnny Damon threw the ball to his cut off man in Mark Bellhorn. Presumably, Bellhorn would have then thrown the ball to home plate, except that between Damon and Bellhorn, a leaping Manny cut off their exchange. The fiasco ended up giving Bellhorn enough time for an inside-the-park home run, and made Red Sox fans everywhere skeptical. Until later in the year, that is, when they broke Bambino's curse with a World Series title. Can you really blame the Red Sox for having a selective memory after breaking an 86-year curse?
3. Traded Manny July 31st, 2008:
Manny was traded to the Dodgers in a three way deal in July of last year. The Sox acquired outfielder Jason Bay and minor league infielder Josh Wilson, while the Pittsburgh Pirates received infielder Andy LaRoche. More interesting was the way in which Manny prompted the trade with his own immature actions. Ramirez acted like a teenager that's been told he can't go out past his curfew. In the end, Manny being Manny got him what he wanted - a one way ticket from Boston to LA. According to Theo Epstein, so did the Red Sox.
2. Substance Policy Violating Manny May 7, 2009:
Ramirez's 2009 season began strong with LA. The Dodgers currently lead their division, and Manny's strong batting average had been helping to carry the team. But yesterday it was gleaned that Manny violated the league's substance policy and will face a 50-game suspension from the 2009 regular season. Call it negligence. Call it dishonesty. Call it the darker dimension of Manny being Manny.
1. The Double Play High Five Manny - May 14, 2008
Nothing typifies the Manny being Manny brand like this May 14th play at Camden Yards. After making a tremendous running catch from left field, Ramirez jumped off the wall and high-fived a Red Sox fan sitting in the first row of the outfield. Manny proceeded to gun the ball into second base, doubling off the runner before he could return to the bag. Not only did this play present Manny's incredible baseball skills, it also displayed the unabashed showmanship of Ramirez. The perfect, all-in-one Manny being Manny highlight reel moment.
