Manny Ramirez Wants to Play Baseball In the United States Again
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — We thought we had seen the last of Manny Ramirez in a Major League uniform, but he’s not ready to call it quits just yet. After ending his contract in a Taiwan professional baseball league, Ramirez wants to play baseball again in the United States.
Ramirez walked away from his deal a week before it was set to expire. The 41-year-old Ramirez hit .352 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 49 games played with the EDA Rhinos. His deal with the league was only for the first half of the season.
“I dont have other offers, but I’m not retiring. I love this game too much as to give it up when I can still play,” Ramirez told ESPNDeportes.com. “Dominicans adore playing baseball. Why would I stop playing if I have the conditions to do so?”
Ramirez hasn’t appeared in a Major League game since 2011, when he played just five games for the Tampa Bay Rays. His time with the team was brief because he tested positive under Major League Baseball’s doping program. Instead of taking the 100-game suspension, he chose retirement.
In 2012, Ramirez wound up signing a minor league deal with the Oalkland Athletics and served a 50-game suspension. But he was let go by the team when they decided not to call him up midseason.
In 19 Major League seasons, Ramirez batted .312 with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBIs.
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