Manny Ramirez may no longer be a baseball superstar in the United States, but he is certainly on his way to becoming one in Taiwan. Ramirez wanted to continue playing baseball so badly that he left the country and headed halfway around the world to regain his playing abilities. Now a member of the Chinese Professional Baseball League of Taiwan, Ramirez knocked out his first home run, creating the perfect reaction from everyone involved.
Ramirez, now playing for the EDA Rhinos, hit the 7,000th home run for the Chinese Professional Baseball League. In front of a record crowd of 12,000, Ramirez hit a two-run blast out of the park. With one out, a runner on first and a 1-1 count, Ramirez hit the pitch that fell just below his knees with one of his classic golf swings. The ball sailed out of center field.
The home run is number 556 of Ramirez's career. While it may not have come against MLB talent, a home run is a home run and it proves that Ramirez can still contribute. With the hit came a standing ovation from the crowd as both the fans and the announcer cheered him on.
Ramirez played in the major leagues from 1993 to 2011, a majority of those years spent with both the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. He was last seen on a professional field in 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He played in five games, earning one hit. He is a 12-time All Star, a two-time World Series winner and a nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
His professional career in the U.S. came to an end in 2011 when MLB informed him of a drug violation and threatened him with a 100-game suspension. Manny served a 50-game suspension before ultimately requesting his release. He has not been in the MLB since. However, at 41-years old, he is proving that Manny can still be Manny and that includes hitting a home run every now and then.