Congrat Manny

I guess Manny is a pretty good player.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050516/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bba_ramirez_400_hrs

Manny Ramirez Hits 400th Career Home Run By TIM BOOTH, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 31 minutes ago



SEATTLE - Manny Ramirez downplayed his 400th career home run. He also probably underestimated the value of the milestone baseball.

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"I'm going to put it on eBay and see how much I get," Ramirez jokingly said. "Maybe $200?"

Ramirez became the 39th player in major league history to reach 400 homers when he hit a three-run shot off Gil Meche in the fifth inning of the Boston Red Sox's 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.

He's just the fifth player to accomplish the feat as a member of the Red Sox, joining Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Andre Dawson.

Ramirez hit a 1-1 fastball from Meche an estimated 404 feet into the seats in right-center field. It was his 10th homer of the season and second in the three-game series against Seattle.

"I knew it would happen someday," Ramirez said. "I wasn't trying to put pressure on myself. I'm just happy to accomplish it."

Ramirez is the 13th player to reach the mark before his 33rd birthday, and just the fourth since Harmon Killebrew in 1969. He's also the fifth-fastest to get to 400, doing it in his 5,695th at-bat. Only Mark McGwire (4,726), Babe Ruth (4,854), Killebrew (5,300) and Jim Thome (5,416) got there faster.

"I hope he hits another 400 ... like in the next three years," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "I think he's excited. I do really think it meant something to him."

Seattle's Mike Hargrove managed Ramirez from 1993-99 in Cleveland and saw him hit 198 home runs during that time. The view Sunday was a little different.

"I use to enjoy them a lot more," Hargrove said. "Manny is a good hitter. For me, Manny is a future Hall of Famer, plain and simple. I think he's that good. He's had that sort of impact with all the clubs he's been on."

Ramirez's homer brought Boston within a run, after the Red Sox fell behind 5-1.

The star for Seattle was struggling catcher Miguel Olivo, who had three hits, including his first home run since last Aug. 27. His infield single in the second scored Bret Boone and started a four-run inning for the Mariners.

Olivo hit a solo homer in the fourth off Boston starter Tim Wakefield (4-2), that proved to be the difference. Olivo had been hitless in his previous 27 at-bats.

Olivo said he received a batting tip from Boston's Kevin Millar before Sunday's game.

"The difference was I went back to the position I hit in last year," Olivo said. "My friend, Millar, he told me."

Seattle won a series for the first time since taking two of three at Texas April 26-28, and handed the Red Sox their first series loss this month.

Olivo was hitting just .125 and had been splitting time with catcher Wiki Gonzalez. But Gonzalez was placed on the disabled list Sunday with a strained left hamstring, leaving Olivo as the only catcher with experience on Seattle's roster.

"That scratch infield hit he got ... that was probably a major relaxer for him," Hargrove said. "Not often do you hit a ball like that and get an RBI."

Eddie Guardado allowed Johnny Damon's leadoff single in the ninth before getting his 10th save. He got Ramirez to fly out to Ichiro Suzuki in right to end the game.

"That was fun," Guardado said. "It was a little scary, but fun. I just tried to keep the ball down and stay ahead."

Aside from Ramirez's homer, Meche (3-2) was solid for Seattle, giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings. His only other mistake was David Ortiz's 10th homer, a solo shot in the third.

It was his second win in his last five starts.

"I made too many pitches away to Manny," Meche said. "I located my fastball the first couple of innings and have learned my last couple of starts that when I overthrow is when I give up home runs."

Seattle's four-run second included RBI doubles from Willie Bloomquist and Randy Winn.

"I made some bad pitches and allowed them to score some runs," Wakefield said. "I'd like to have that one inning back."

Notes Winn had two doubles for the second time this season and has 12 multihit games. ... Boston RF Trot Nixon finished the series 7-for-11 with two doubles and two HR, including a grand slam. ... Seattle RHP J.J. Putz worked a perfect eighth inning after giving up a grand slam to Nixon on Saturday. ... Boston and Seattle don't play again this season. ... Gonzalez injured his left hamstring in Saturday's game. C Rene Rivera was called up from Double-A San Antonio. ... The roof at Safeco Field closed during the game for the fourth time this year, and second time in the three-game series.

 

Oh, I am trying to give Manny credit here for choosing such a good name.