Soon-to-be 42-year-old Manny Ramirez sees his suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs as the "best thing that ever happened to [him]."
Manny Ramirez hopes to return as a ‘role model’
Manny knows he can’t hit like he did when he was 30 anymore, but he thinks he can be a “clubhouse” guy in his 40s.
Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE
Now that his suspension has been served -- and he’s come back from retirement -- Manny wants another chance, but this time around, he wants to serve as a “role model” of sorts for players that might consider taking the same path that led him to a scandalous retirement in 2011.
In an interview with Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Ramirez acknowledged the mistakes he made in his career -- and his personal life.
Now, he hopes to return to the majors, but he knows he can’t hit like he used to.
“I’m 41 years old and you’re asking me if I could still hit the way I used to hit. Nobody is going to hit like when they were 25, 27 or 30 when they’re 41 years old. I don’t care how good you are. It’s not going to happen. But you can contribute in other ways.”
Ramirez cited Raul Ibanez and Jason Giambi as examples of what he hopes to bring to the table in his attempts to return to a major league clubhouse. He has briefly appeared in the minors for the Rangers last season, but was granted his release in order to seek an opportunity to reach the majors.
He hopes to become a hitting coach after his playing career is over. However, he isn’t quite ready to call it quits just yet.
Some people might be hesitant to believe Manny has really changed, but at the very least, he sounds like he has.
“In your life, you’re going to mature,” Ramirez said. “Sometimes you’ve got to fall and get up to know who you really are. That’s what happened to me. I fell. I got up. Now I know what I really want in life.”
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