Will Manny be Manny in Wrigley Field? According to the latest Chicago Cubs press release, that is now a possibility. On Sunday, May 25, at 11:45 A.M. EDT, the Cubs announced the signing of former Major League outfielder Manny Ramirez to their Triple-A Iowa Cubs as a player/coach. Team president Theo Espstein made the announcement Sunday morning. Here is an excerpt of that announcement taken directly from the Sunday press release. Said Epstein,
“We are excited to welcome Manny to the Cubs organization and look forward to him working with our young hitters. Manny is not only one of the best hitters of all time, he is also a dedicated student of hitting and has proven to be a gifted teacher with younger teammates who have worked with him in the batting cage. Behind the scenes he has always been a tireless worker who is very serious about the craft of hitting. Manny has made real mistakes in the past but he has owned up to them and moved his life in a positive direction the last couple of years. He is in a really great place right now and wants to share the lessons he’s learned along the way. We think he deserves another chance and that our young hitters will benefit from it.”
Epstein is right about Ramirez as one of the best hitters of all time — at least certainly in this generation. Ramirez played from 1993 to 2011, mostly with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. He has a career record of .312/.411/.585, 555 HR, 1831 RBI, and 3.6 average WAR. He is ranked 14th all-time in home runs and 18th in RBI. He also made 12 American League All-Star teams and won nine Silver Slugger awards.
Ramirez was a star with Cleveland, but when he went to Boston in 2001, he became an Red Sox icon — not quite the likes of Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski, but an icon nonetheless. Although he had nearly the same number of home runs and RBI in Cleveland, Ramirez helped Boston break the 86-year-old Curse of the Bambino in 2004 and win the World Series for the first time since 1918. They won it again in 2007, his last full season with the team.
The Red Sox traded Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in mid-2008 where he played until mid-2010. He finished that season with the Chicago White Sox before trying to play for the Tampa Bay Rays very early in 2011. PED controversy caused him to retire before any pending suspension could occur.
Known even more for his “Manny Being Manny” character, Ramirez entertained fans with more than just his bat. Who can forget his famous cut-off, high-fiving the fans in the middle of a play, and visiting the facilities inside Fenway’s Big Green Monster during an inning?
What does Epstein expect from Ramirez at this point?
Ramirez is 41 years old but is now a player as well as a coach. According to the press release, Epstein does not expect Ramirez to play on the Major League roster but, rather, mentor the young talent coming up through the Cubs’ system. Epstein says Ramirez “will coach full-time and play part-time in a roll that does not take at-bats away from [the Cubs’] prospects.“
What does Ramirez expect?
Ramirez answered that question himself as part of the press release. Said Ramirez,
“I’m at the stage of my life and career where I really want to give something back to the game that I love — the game that has meant so much to me and done so much for me and my family. I know I am nearing the end of my playing days, but I have a lot of knowledge to pass on to the next generation – both what to do and what not to do. The Cubs have some very talented young hitters, and I would love nothing more than to make a positive impact on their careers.”
Although it is not likely that Ramirez will make the Major League roster, many Cub fans may wish to have some fun seeing Ramirez play in the ivy at some point, perhaps as a September call-up. The Cubs will not contend this year, so — at least then — why not let Manny be Manny in Wrigley Field?
PHOTO CREDIT: Keith Allison on Flickr, via Wikimedia Commons
