Manny Ramirez Cuts Hair For Texas Rangers Minor League Contract
Comeback-minded Manny Ramirez has cut off his trademark dreadlocks to comply with Texas Rangers organizational rules.
Manny Ramirez’s haircut was required as part of his new contract with the MLB Rangers Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express. Ramirez may take the field for the minor league team as early as tomorrow.
The former MLB All Star’s dreadlocks are now history according to USA Today.
Will Manny still be Manny without his signature dreds?
Manny recently played in Taiwan for about three months, where he quickly became a fan favorite. In 49 games with the EDH Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League, he homered eight times and knocked in 43 RBI in 206 plate appearances, finishing with a .352 batting average, as he tried to reboot his career. It was rumored that he was headed to a more prestigious Japanese pro league, but he instead signed the deal with the Rangers.
Upon his departure from Taiwan, Manny’s agent said that “the reason he decided not to return for the second half was to free himself to be available to play in the United States.This whole thing with Manny in Taiwan was a phenomenon. He invigorated the league. Attendance went through the roof. It was a very positive experience for both sides.”
In his MLB career which ended under a cloud (or several clouds), Man-Ram blasted 555 home runs and finished with a .312 career batting average, along with 2,574 hits and 1,831 RBI. The slugger was suspended 50 games as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2009 for using a banned substance and again in 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays that forced him to retire after five games. Ramirez filed paperwork to return to the league and serve a 50-game suspension in December of 2011 and eventually signed with the Oakland A’s in 2012. Ramirez served the suspension before hitting .302 in Triple-A. He later asked for and was granted his immediate release from the A’s Triple-A team when it appeared he would not be promoted to the big league club.
Manny Ramirez getting many of his hairs cut in advance of joining the Rangers organization. pic.twitter.com/1e8Kr6xWo1
— Pedro Gomez (@pedrogomezESPN) July 4, 2013
The Boston Red Sox traded Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2008 season after many observers feel he quit on the team. He also reportedly physically assaulted the Sox traveling secretary. The 12-time All-Star was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series in 2004 when the Red Sox won their first championship title since 1918.
Apart from the fans, Manny, 41, will really be missed by the Taiwan play-by play announcers perhaps most of all:
Are you surprised that Manny Ramirez was willing to get a haircut for the Texas Rangers? Do you think the organization’s grooming policy is fair?
[top image credit: Twitter]
