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Manuel Arístides "Manny" Ramírez (born May 30, 1972 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball left fielder who plays with the Boston Red Sox. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Ramírez signed with Boston as a free agent after the 2000 season. He bats and throw right-handed.
Ramirez at Red Sox victory parade Ramírez is a career .316 hitter with 390 home runs and 1270 RBI in 1535 games (1993-2004). He combines power, contact and patience at the plate, but he still doesn't pull the ball very often for a power hitter. He does most of his hitting from center field to the right field line. He has good power that way and seems content to go with the pitch.
No one would yet nominate Ramirez for a Gold Glove. He still has trouble at times with footwork, his range is limited and his arm is fairly strong, but he has soft hands, and his hard work improved every aspect of his game. Ramirez is an adept leftfielder in Fenway Park, as he's learned to play all the corners and angles. He is aggresive playing balls of the Green Monster and holding runners to singles.
In the summer of 2003, Ramírez weathered a controversy in Boston when he missed several games with pharyngitis. Many members of the Boston sports media and many Red Sox fans criticized the outfielder, saying he should have played despite the ailment. When it was learned that he had been seen in a hotel lobby with close friend, Yankees infielder Enrique Wilson, the controversy grew, causing Red Sox manager Grady Little to bench Ramírez for one game. After the season, the Red Sox put him on waivers, but no other team was willing to take on his contract.
In 2004, however, Ramírez silenced his critics. He displayed a good attitude and an enthusiasm for playing, two qualities his critics had charged that he lacked. Coupled with impressive play on the field, this absolved Ramírez in the eyes of many Boston fans and sportswriters. Also, he appealed to fans by joining the 2004 Red Sox tradition of growing a unique hairstyle, maintaining a solid set of dreadlocks throughout the season. His .308, 43 homers, 130 RBI season numbers, were capped off by being named the MVP of the World Series as he led the Red Sox to their first title since 1918.
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