And in the latest installment of "Learning how to say hello when it's time to say goodbye" . . .
Manny Ramirez -- attempting to entice a major-league team to sign him in spite of his age (40) and the fact that he has a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use hanging over his head -- sat down with ESPN's Pedro Gomez to explain why he wants to return to baseball. It may be one of the longest interviews ever granted by Ramirez, who rarely spoke to the media when he was a superstar.
Now, of course, he needs them. So . . .
Asked why a team should give him a chance, Ramirez replied: "First, because I can still play. Second, because Im going to be a role model. A bunch of guys are going to look at me and say hey, this guy made a mistake but he didnt quit. Look how he finished. He did the right thing and came back."
Manny Ramirez, role model?
Stranger things have happened, I suppose.