Manny Ramirez had three hits, including a two run homer in his Des Moines debut as the Iowa Cubs beat Omaha 7-6 in ten innings. The 12 time Major League All Star was out of baseball before being contacted by Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein about being a player-coach for the triple-A affiliate.
“I always wanted to come and help, Theo was really honest with me,” Ramierez says. Ramirez says he has been told there is no chance of playing in the big leagues and he may only play once a week for the I Cubs. “It’s different, but I like that challenge, I’ve always got to be prepared for when they need me,” he says.
Ramirez is with the I Cubs to help mentor some young stars and help them avoid the mistakes he made. Rameriz was suspended twice for violating MLB’s ban on performance enhancing drugs. He says the key is to have a routine and have a goal of where you want to be, as he says you sometimes take things for granted until you lose it.
Kris Bryant belted a grand slam home for the I Cubs and Josh Vitters won it with a single in the bottom of the tenth as the Cubs moved into first place in the PCL American North division race.