Remembering Manny

Yesterday, Tampa Bay Rays outfield and designated hitter Manny Ramirez retired from Major League Baseball. He decided to retired because he received word that he fail a drug test for performance enhancing drugs for a second time. According MLB drug rules a second offensive is an automatic 100 game suspension, in which Ramirez decided it was not worth missing most of the season for and retire. If he wanted to return to MLB, he had to serve the suspension first and at his age of 38, I highly doubt it he will serve it and a team wants to sign him for 62 games. Yes, today is the day of baseball mourning, as baseball may not return to the level fun loving enjoyment we all viewed when he was playing.

To me is a Hall of Famer not by numbers alone, which they are impressive by any means, but how he made two teams enjoyable to watch again. After spending eight years in Cleveland, he went to Boston to play for the Red Sox; a team where its fan base were annoying and its teams was okay but like any other team. At his time in Boston his antics along with David Ortiz, Jonny Damon, and Pedro Martinez had made the Red Sox’ games enjoyable to watch for those who are outside of Red Sox nation. Sadly, Ramirez’s antics had him forcibly put out of Boston for Los Angeles. He made the Dodgers franchise relevant again, and people wanted to watch the Dodgers again. At his time there, fans made a section just for him called “Mannywood” it was fun until he broke MLB’s drug policy. That slowly was the start of the end of Ramirez career, but the whole drug thing should be look at for a spot at the Hall of Fame, not the deciding factor.

With the numbers in hand, Ramirez made the baseball fun again in Boston and Los Angeles. Besides how many Red Sox players who are in the Hall of Fame won a World Series with the Red Sox; how about none.  With 556 home runs, over 2500 hits, and a World Series ring with a team whom many thought will never win a World Series in their lifetime, to me that is a Hall of Famer; regardless of what any snobbish Hall of Fame voter may think. Unlike the other great home run hitters that appear in our lifetime, Ramirez did not make us feel sad or disgusted in cheering for them, he made us enjoy the game of baseball again. There will never be another Manny Ramirez in baseball in our lifetime or even in our children lifetime, and that is sad to think about it.