Manny Ramirez

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ramirez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. When he was 13 years old, he moved to New York City with his parents, Onelcida and Aristides. He attended George Washington High School and became a baseball standout. He was drafted 13th overall by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut on September 2, 1993. In 1994, Ramirez became a major league regular and finished second in voting for the Rookie of the Year Award. By 1995, he had become an All-Star. He helped lead the Indians to five consecutive playoff berths from 1995 to 1999; this included an appearance in the 1995 and 1997 World Series. In 1999, Ramirez set the Indians' single-season RBI record with 165 RBIs. After the 2000 season, Ramirez signed with the Boston Red Sox. During his time in Boston, Ramirez and teammate David Ortiz became one of the best offensive tandems in baseball history. Ramirez led the Red Sox to World Series Championships in 2004 and 2007 before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2009, Ramirez was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy by taking human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). In the spring of 2011, Ramirez was informed by MLB of another violation of its drug policy, and a 100-game suspension. He chose to retire on April 8 rather than be suspended. However, in September 2011, Ramirez wished to be reinstated and agreed in December with the league to a reduced 50-game suspension. Though he played at various points in the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs systems, as well as internationally, Ramirez did not appear in another Major League game.

In Their Own Story

Ramirez made his major league debut on September 2, 1993, against the Minnesota Twins, going hitless in four at-bats as the designated hitter. The following day, when the Indians took on the New York Yankees, Ramirez went 3 for 4 with his first two home runs, with many of his family and friends in attendance at Yankee Stadium. His first career base hit was an automatic double that bounced into the left-field seats as left fielder Paul O'Neill pursued it. Ramirez, seeing the ball in the seats, continued running thinking he had hit a home run, before returning to second base while his teammates ribbed him. After flying out to O'Neill in his next plate appearance, Ramirez homered in his final two at-bats. In 1994, his first full season in the majors, Ramirez finished second in the Rookie of the Year award voting after batting .269 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI in 91 games. His breakout season came in 1995, when he batted .308 with 31 home runs and 107 RBI. In July, he was selected to his first All-Star Game and won his first career Silver Slugger Award following the season. That year, the Indians reached the postseason, and Ramirez hit two home runs in the 1995 American League Championship Series against the Mariners, which the Indians won in six games. The Indians then took on the Atlanta Braves in the World Series, and Ramirez batted .222 with one home run in the Indians' six-game loss.

Reader's Guide

Known as a complete hitter who could hit for both power and average, and widely regarded as one of the best right-handed hitters of his generation, Ramirez finished his career with a lifetime .312 batting average, 555 home runs (15th all-time), and 1,831 RBI (18th all-time). In 111 postseason games, Ramirez posted a .285 batting average with 29 home runs and 78 RBI.

Did You Know?

• Ramirez's 29 postseason home runs are the most in MLB history.
• He set the Cleveland Indians' single-season RBI record with 165 RBIs in 1999.
• Ramirez was a nine-time Silver Slugger and appeared in 12 All-Star Games.