| Manny Ramirez | |
|---|---|
 Ramirez with the Boston Red Sox in 2008 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: May 30, 1972 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 2, 1993, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| April 6, 2011, for the Tampa Bay Rays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .312 |
| Hits | 2,574 |
| Home runs | 555 |
| Runs batted in | 1,831 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of 19 seasons. He played with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays before playing one season at the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. Ramirez is recognized for having great batting skill and power. He was a nine-time Silver Slugger and was one of 28 players to hit 500 career home runs. His 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 29 postseason home runs are the most in MLB history. He appeared in 12 All-Star Games, with a streak of eleven consecutive games beginning in 1998 that included every season that he played with the Red Sox.[1]
Ramirez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. When he was 13 years old, he moved to New York City with his parents, Onelcida and Aristides. He attended George Washington High School and became a baseball standout. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 1991 MLB draft, 13th overall. He made his MLB debut on September 2, 1993.
In 1994, Ramirez became a major league regular, and finished second in voting for the Rookie of the Year Award. By 1995, he had become an All-Star. He was with the Indians in playoff appearances in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999; this included an appearance in the 1995 and 1997 World Series. In 1999, Ramirez set the Indians' single-season RBIs record with 165 RBIs. After the 2000 season, Ramirez signed with the Boston Red Sox. During his time in Boston, Ramirez and teammate David Ortiz became one of the best offensive tandems in baseball history. Ramirez led the Red Sox to World Series Championships in 2004 and 2007 before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 2009, Ramirez was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy by taking human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a women's fertility drug that is often taken after steroids.[2] In the spring of 2011, Ramirez was informed by MLB of another violation of its drug policy,[3] and a 100-game suspension.[4] He chose to retire on April 8 rather than be suspended.[4][5] However, in September 2011, Ramirez wished to be reinstated and agreed in December with the league to a reduced 50-game suspension. Though he played at various points in the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs systems, as well as internationally, Ramirez did not appear in another Major League game.
Known as a complete hitter who could hit for both power and average, and widely regarded as one of the best right-handed hitters of his generation, Ramirez finished his career with a lifetime .312 batting average, 555 home runs (15th all-time), and 1,831 RBI (18th all-time). In 111 postseason games, Ramirez posted a .285 batting average with 29 home runs and 78 RBI.[1]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
baseball-reference1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Schmidt, Michael S. (May 7, 2009). "Manny Ramirez is banned for 50 games". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
- ^ Rimer, Sara. "Manny Ramirez News". The New York Times. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ a b Barzilai, Peter (April 8, 2011). "Manny Ramirez retires after MLB notifies him of drug-policy issue". USA Today. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ Schmidt, Michael S. (April 8, 2011). "Manny Ramirez Retires After Testing Positive". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2011.