Manny Ramirez has officially signed with an independent Japanese team
Sure, Manny Ramirez appeared on his first Baseball Hall of Fame ballot this year, but he still has plenty of Being Manny left to give. There are so many dingers that need to be hit, so many throws to be inexplicably cut off. And so, weeks after reports first surfaced that he was considering a comeback, we're pleased to report that it's official: Manny's back.
Ramirez has reached an agreement with the Kochi Fighting Dogs, an independent team in Japan. The team confirmed the news on its website, and we received some delightful photographic evidence thanks to his wife's Instagram:
Manny last played professional baseball back in 2014, when he served as a player-coach for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. No word on the status of his home run trot, but we can only hope it continues to lengthen with age.