Producing a short Manny Ramirez moment in Taiwan [Video]
We love you, Manny
Oh, yes we do …
Come on, deep in the wacky little recesses of your baseball mind, admit it. There are times when you completely miss Manny Ramirez.
That would be the Manny who was electric at the plate and jovial and carefree in the clubhouse. Not the drug-busted, non-talking, non-producing Manny.
But when he was going good, there was no one like him, neither via his baseball prowess or special antics.
Manny is not willing to give up the ghost just yet, and after failing in his last attempt to hook up with the Oakland A’s, he is now playing baseball in Taiwan. He turns 41 on May 31.
He currently plays for the EDA Rhinos in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, and in this video posted over the weekend, you can see he is still managing those very special Manny moments.
In this one he is on first with no outs and the Rhinos down by a run in the sixth, when a bouncer is hit to the first baseman. Manny sprints for second, seemingly intent on breaking up the double play.
Except he slides and comes to a stop about six feet shy of the bag. Like he’d dropped anchor. Worse, the throw to second was way off line, pulling the second baseman several feet toward right field.
If Manny had been paying attention — just go with it — he easily would have been safe. Instead, looking almost cemented to the ground, the second baseman just calmly walked over and tagged out the tethered Manny.
Of course, savvy baseball man that he is, this ploy took so long the second baseman had no time to throw to first. Manny, having sort of broken up the double play, returned to the dugout, welcomed with high-fives.
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