Where has the time gone? Today,
Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida turns 46-years-old. He is still playing baseball (as far as we can tell) for the
Kōchi Fighting Dogs of the
Shikoku Island League Plus. That's a long way from the glory of Major League Baseball—something Manny basked in for 19 seasons. And, in
eight of those seasons, Manny wore
Carmine Hose. Did he
ever. During his time in Boston, he won two World Series Championships (2004, 2007) while batting .312 and hitting 274 home runs (clouting a career-tying 45 for the Red Sox in the 2005 campaign). In a clear indication of his consistency, he also batted
exactly .312 for his entire career—and .313 during his eight seasons in Cleveland. And, amazingly, his on-base percentage for the Red Sox
also matched his career number: .411. As quirky and flat-out weird as Manny was, the dude could
hit. While his legacy has been at least partially tarnished by his PED dalliances, he will forever be our Manny. Happy birthday!
