Manny Ramirez isn't hanging up his boots just yet.
The former big-league outfielder who spent parts of 19 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays, signed a deal with the Kochi Fighting Dogs of Japan's Shikoku Island League Plus on Sunday that will see the 44-year-old continue to play professional baseball, even as his name appears on ballots for the Hall of Fame.
Known simply as "Manny" or "Man-Ram" during his MLB days, Ramirez paired controversy with an infectious cheer and a resounding 555 home runs, leaving memories that can only be described as "Manny being Manny."
Here are the top 5 moments of Ramirez's MLB career:
Mistaking his 1st hit for a homer
Appearing in only the second game of his career in 1993, a rookie Ramirez sent his first major-league hit into the Yankee Stadium seats on a ground-rule double, but somehow mistook the shot for a home run, continuing to round the bases before his Cleveland Indians teammates realigned him with reality. If you thought the embarrassing gaffe would slow him down, though, you'd be just as wrong as he was, as he went on to launch two (real) home runs in the same game.
Skying it at SkyDome
If there was anyone in Toronto who was unaware the Blue Jays' SkyDome - now the Rogers Centre - had a fifth deck, Ramirez made them painfully aware of the fact. Sitting on a Chris Carpenter curveball, Ramirez turned the pitch inside out - possibly disintegrating the baseball's stitching in the process - and launched a moonshot into the SkyDome's deserted upper terrace. His expression as he follows through on his swing effectively says it all.
Needlessly cutting off Damon
Everyone was well aware that Johnny Damon's arm was relatively weak for an outfielder, but Ramirez attempting to literally take matters into his own hands was baffling. After Orioles utility man David Newhan sent a deep fly ball over Damon's head, Ramirez laid out to controversially cut off Damon's relay throw while still in the outfield. The needless interception allowed Newhan the extra time needed for an inside-the-park home run, though Damon would cheekily get back at Ramirez for the incident years later.
High fives all around
If Ramirez could add his own flare to a routine play, you can bet your life he was going to do it. Fielding a long fly off the bat of Baltimore Orioles batter Kevin Millar, the Red Sox left fielder tracked down the ball on the run, but didn't feel the need to immediately pump the brakes. In one fluid motion, Ramirez scaled the outfield wall and offered a Boston fan in the crowd a high five before turning around to double up Aubrey Huff at first to end the inning. Whether he actually landed the high five is up for debate, though his teammates had him covered when he returned to the dugout.
Walking off the Angels
With the score tied 3-3 in Game 2 of the 2007 American League Division Series, Ramirez stepped up to the plate with two outs in the ninth against the Los Angeles Angels and one of the game's best closers in Francisco Rodriguez. With runners on first and second for Boston, a well-placed single might have been enough for the win, but, remember, this is Manny we're talking about. On a 1-0 count, the slugger absolutely let loose on a 96-mph fastball, raised his hands in celebration, and watched as his mammoth home run gave Boston a 2-0 series lead. The Red Sox completed the sweep in Game 3 before going on to win the World Series for the second time in four years.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)