Manny Ramirez’s last act as a professional baseball player came in Taiwan in 2013 when he suited up for a very brief period for the EDA Rhinos of the CPBL (the Rhinos are now the Fubon Guardians). He did well in that short stint but then went back home to be with his family. Aside from some coaching here and there, he’s retired. He turns 48 next month.
Ramirez, however, apparently still wants to play.
In this interview in the Taiwan Times, he spends a great deal of time talking about how much he enjoyed and respected the baseball culture in Taiwan. And then he dropped this:My goal for 2020, is to find a roster spot in the CPBL. I have been itching to get back in the batter’s box and be able to compete again. I also miss being around teammates and team dinners post-game.
I know if I was given the opportunity to come in an organization as a player-coach, it would do great things for the organization and the league.
It’s hard to tell how much of this is serious and how much of this is Manny simply catering a bit to the Taiwan baseball audience. He did say, however, that he’s been “sneaking around the local hitting cages in my area,” and that he has had offers from teams in the Atlantic League, but that he is “more in favor of experiencing Taiwan and their delicious food . . . I am positive an opportunity will arise, God willing.”
I doubt anything comes of it, but weirder things have happened.