Last night, Manny Ramirez hit his first home run as a member of the Cubs—not the Chicago Cubs, but the Iowa Cubs. Manny, one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time, finds himself in Des Moines, playing for the Cubs’ top minor league team. He’s in Iowa because he has no where else to go.
For years, Manny delighted Boston Red Sox fans (and before that, Cleveland Indians fans) with not just his feats on the field, but also the sheer exuberance he brought to the game – captured best in 2007, where he ended a playoff game with a towering home run over Fenway Park’s left field wall, the “Green Monster.” The home run was a marvel, but the moment is remembered best for Manny’s reaction, captured in a photo: standing still at the plate, hands aloft, amid a sea of Red Sox fans leaping out of their seats.
