Legendary MLB slugger Manny Ramirez wants to join a big league team as a hitting coach, according to his agent, Hector Zepeda, per New York Post columnist Jon Heyman.
“He wants to bring his greatness to teach the young guys,” Zepeda said.
Ramirez was one of the most feared hitters of his era, spanning the 1990s and 2000s. Known for his eccentric personality, Ramirez spent 19 seasons in the majors with a career batting average of .312 with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBI.
Adding to his baseball legacy as a hitting coach could be a great role for Ramirez since that’s what he was primarily known for on the field. Outside of his mishaps in the outfield, Ramirez was known for coming through with his bat in the clutch. Ramirez won the 2004 World Series MVP with the Boston Red Sox behind a .350 batting average, .923 OPS, 2 home runs and 11 RBI in 14 playoff games during that run.
It was also in 2004 that Ramirez and the Red Sox recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series to come back and win, becoming the first and only team to do so in MLB history. Ramirez hit .300 in the series with a .733 OPS and 5 RBI, en route to his first World Series championship.
After winning a second World Series with Boston in 2007, Ramirez’s welcome had worn and the Red Sox traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2008 season. After back-to-back National League Championship Series appearances with the Dodgers in 2008 & 2009, Ramirez finished his major league career with brief stints on the Chicago White Sox in 2010 and Tampa Bay Rays in 2011.
Ramirez tested positive for PEDs three times in his career, receiving a 100-game suspension in 2011 and opting to retire instead of serving it.
In 19 big league seasons, Ramirez was a 12-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger winner, two-time World Series champion and World Series MVP. He currently ranks 15th all-time on the major league home runs list and 20th in RBIs.
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