Former Major League Baseball star Manny Ramirez has opened up about his past mistakes, apologized openly, and even revealed that he has spent the last number of studying the Bible in seminary.
It is quite the transformation for Ramirez, a Boston Red Sox star hitter who was known for his quirky behavior and scandal-ridden career that was dogged by catastrophic drug test failures. The final straw, however, came when Ramirez shoved long-time Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick to the ground in an infamous 2008 disagreement over a ticket issue prior to a game in Houston.
However, in a recent interview with the Boston Globe, Ramirez for the first time apologized for his behavior and revealed some remarkable details about what he has been up to during the intervening decade.
“I think maybe he said something and I reacted in a different way. When I went back to Boston, I really apologized,” Ramirez told the Globe.
“It doesn’t matter what people say to you, you’re not supposed to react like that. That’s somebody older than you that could be your dad, and when I went back and apologized, it showed a lot. It showed that you are growing up, when you go back and apologize and recognize that you did wrong.’’
“I was not in a good place at that time,” he said of the tumultuous final years of his illustrious playing career. “I wasn’t thinking right.”
Now 47-years-old, Ramirez revealed how his life was turned around when he started studying God’s word and sharing the good news with others.
“What I’m doing now, I preach. That’s what I do,” he said. “Go into hospitals just to preach and teach people the Bible.”
Ramirez added that he also headed to seminary to study — something he’s been doing “for five years now.”
“It hasn’t been easy,” he said of his theological pursuits. “It’s something that’s great. It’s changed my mind-set. I’m like a rookie. I’m just on the bench. Sometimes they give me 10 minutes or 15 minutes. And that’s it… I’m growing. It takes time. It’s like playing baseball. If you want to be the best, you got to hit it every day. If you want to get to know God, you have to have a relationship with him.”
Ramirez admitted that the temptations of fame and fortune tangled him up in a whole bunch of mess throughout his riotous career. “With all the power and all the fame, if you don’t learn, you’re going to keep falling,” he admitted, before adding that “when God calls, you should humble yourself and you can see.”
Manny hopes that one day he might be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, due to his numerous drug violations, he might be overlooked for the prestigious honor. And if he never makes it, that’s ok, he said. After all, as a believer, Ramirez knows he’s got a much more exciting destination to look forward to.
“I’m going into another Hall of Fame,” Ramirez declared. “If you read the Bible, the Bible says that your name is going to be written in the Book of Life. So it’s going to be more impressive than this. Remember, when you die, you can’t take this with you.’’