Manny Ramirez built his reputation as one of the most notorious Yankees villains, but if things had gone his way, he would have been wearing pinstripes instead of a Red Sox uniform.
Manny Ramirez admits he was always a Yankees fan, despite Red Sox legacy
At an autograph signing event at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, NJ, Jake Kosack, creator of The Bronx Zoo YouTube channel, caught up with Ramirez and posed a question that had long intrigued baseball fans.
“Are you a Yankees fan?” Kosack asked, via Twitter/X.
Ramirez’s response might raise some eyebrows in Boston.
“I’m always a Yankees fan,” he admitted. “I went to school in New York. That was one of my dreams—to play with the Yankees. It couldn’t happen. But I got two World Series (rings).”
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Ramirez moved to Washington Heights as a child, growing up just a couple of miles from Yankee Stadium. While he never played for the Yankees, he made a habit of tormenting them. Across his career, he hit .321 with a 1.010 OPS at Yankee Stadium, belting 29 home runs and driving in 77 RBIs in the Bronx.
Ramirez’s battles with the Yankees were legendary. In 2003, he ignited one of the most infamous brawls in the rivalry’s history after Roger Clemens threw an inside fastball. That led to the benches clearing and an unforgettable moment when Pedro Martinez threw Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer to the ground.
The following year, Ramirez played a key role in one of baseball’s most historic postseason comebacks. After trailing the Yankees 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS, Boston stormed back with four straight wins to clinch the series, ending New York’s season. Ramirez then helped lead the Red Sox to their first championship in 86 years, earning World Series MVP honors against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Yet, despite his place in Red Sox history, Ramirez still has a deep appreciation for Yankees fans.
“The Yankees fans are the best,” Ramirez said. “They demand a lot from you, like Boston fans, because they want to win, and we want to win too.”
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