BOSTON — Luis Jimenez sat in the Red Sox’s dugout at Fenway Park, checked out his surroundings and realized he, in some ways, was following in his idol’s footsteps.
“Manny Ramirez, no doubt,” the 27-year-old infielder said before Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays when asked if there were any players he looked up to as a young baseball player. “Now, I’m here.
“That’s why when I came out here, I was just looking at the stadium and looking all over the place like, ‘Wow. This is where Manny played.’ ”
Jimenez, like Ramirez, is a native of the Dominican Republic. It’s only natural then that he admired one of the most feared sluggers of the 1990s and 2000s. It just so happens Ramirez did much of his damage while donning a Red Sox uniform — the same uniform Jimenez now sports.
But there was more to Jimenez’s awe-inspiring Fenway moment. Jimenez, who began his career with the Los Angeles Angels, was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, claimed off waivers by the Red Sox on Sunday and added to Boston’s active roster Monday.
He’s used to life on the edge, as he has been a fringe major leaguer to this point in his career, but Jimenez never stepped foot in Boston before joining the Red Sox organization. And Fenway Park, a ballpark rich in history, always was a place he longed to visit, whether it be in a Red Sox uniform or as an opponent.
“That’s one of the biggest reasons I wanted to come to this park, a lot of history and stuff like that,” Jimenez said. “When I was with the Angels, I was going to come a couple of times, but I got sent down right when the trip was coming. And now that I’m here, I’m just so happy and excited.”
The Brewers are off to a slow start, so it isn’t surprising they’ve been making some changes, including firing manager Ron Roenicke and replacing him with Craig Counsell. Jimenez said he isn’t paying much attention to his former club’s situation, instead opting to control what he can control, but the three-year veteran admitted Monday he was taken aback when someone from the Brewers informed him his contract had been picked up by the Red Sox.
“I was a little surprised because this is a big team in baseball,” Jimenez said. “I’m not saying that my other teams weren’t really good teams, but you’re talking about a team that has a lot of history on it. You’ve got some players who are superstars.”
No one is expecting Jimenez, who has experience at every infield position, to come in and be a superstar. In all likelihood, he won’t even be on Boston’s big league roster for long.
But Jimenez is hoping to stay within himself and provide the Red Sox with some flexibility. Adjusting on the fly is hardly a new concept to the versatile utility man.
“Here, they have Pablo (Sandoval), they have other guys. Everybody’s got their position here,” said Jimenez, who’s most experienced at third base. “So for you to be able to be around here, you’ve got to be able to cover more places. That’s what I’m trying to do.
“I’m trying to get better every day, trying to practice different positions and see if I can get the chance.”
Manny Ramirez, he is not. But a Red Sox, he officially is.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@JuniorPepen
