Manny Ramirez: Hall of Fame?

[Teach]

“Manny Gets Into Hall On First Ballot”. (Fake News). Yet I read a recent article that calls for Manny Ramirez to be listed on the 2018 Hall-of-Fame ballot.

That takes me back about 15 years. I was then a Fenway Park Tour Guide. I showed groups of visitors around the oldest ballpark (1912) in Major League Baseball.

I was leading the last tour. I was just finishing up. Our group was standing just beyond the 3rd base (visitors) dugout when someone in our group spotted Manny Ramirez warming up out just beyond 2nd base in short centerfield. It was typical Manny Ramirez. “Manny-Being-Manny." Earbuds in his ears. Seemingly, in another world. Some of the members in our group starting yelling for Manny to come over.

Just then, I used what little Spanish I knew (My son-in-law, Mario, was originally from Camaguey, Cuba; his family escaped when Castro took power) to coax Manny to come over to where were standing. “Senor Ramirez, por favor, ven aca.”

Seconds later, Manny throws a baseball he had been tossing up in the air toward my group. On one hop the ball lands in the stands. It was snagged by one of our guests. Then, Manny walks over to where are standing. He proceeds to sign everything: pieces of paper, shirts, hats, etc. The whole thing couldn’t have worked out better.

About a minute later, Manny trots out to his original position beyond 2nd base.

As we're departing Fenway via Gate “E”, Lansdowne Street, the guest who caught Manny’s toss tells me that he was in Boston on his honeymoon. He went on to say that he and his wife got some beautiful gifts; yet he also said that the souvenir baseball with Manny Ramirez’s signature was as good if not better than any of the gifts he had received. I remember saying to him just before we exited Fenway, “Now if only Manny Ramirez gets into the Hall-of-Fame..."

[FakeNameChanged]

Manny gets in when, the confirmed list of steroid users also get in: Bonds, Conseco, Palmeiro, McGuire, Clemens, Pettitte, Ortiz,. . . . . it's a long list. Maybe someday. I remember going early to an Oakland-Baltimore game just to see McGuire take batting practice. It was already 3/4 full, so the list above definitely put fannies in the seats.

[Secondbest]

Ortiz will get in my opinion. The writers like him which is important . See how they totally ignored that he flunked the same test as Arod.

[MutuelClerk]

Bonds was worthy before the steroids. Should already be in. Nice story on Manny,

[olddaddy]

I think all the juicers will eventually get into the Hall but only after a "clean gene", already in the Hall, is proven that he was on the juice.

[onefast99]

Originally Posted by MutuelClerk

Bonds was worthy before the steroids. Should already be in. Nice story on Manny,

Several years back I took my son and his friend to a Boston/Yankee day game at Yankee Stadium. Before the game Manny was out in front of the dugout signing everything. He saw my sons friend wearing a throwback red Sox jersey and asked if he wanted it signed, and he signed it. Two days later the kids mom washed the shirt. Manny was upbeat that day, joking with the fans and that is exactly what you want to see as a fan of this game.