People often emulate those around them. Perhaps that would explain why Red Sox outfielder Hanley Ramirez sometimes looks like former Boston slugger Manny Ramirez.
Believe it or not, Hanley and Manny, who aren’t related, are next-door neighbors in Miami, Fla., according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.
Hanley hasn’t used the unique living arrangement to pick Manny’s brain about playing left field at Fenway Park or about being a focal point in Boston’s lineup, according to Bradford, but the 31-year-old converted infielder does hold the retired All-Star in high regard.
“He was one of those guys I looked up to. His swing, his timing, everything. He was such a good hitter,” Hanley recently told Bradford. “I looked every time he was ready to hit. He was never out front and always on time. He always told me, ‘Start early and finish your swing.’ ”
Hanley and Manny are different in so many ways, but there also are some things — the dreadlocks, the sizzling line drives, the interesting moments in left field and on the bases —Â that make the younger Ramirez look like the older Ramirez redux. Paramount among those similarities is their swings.
Hanley’s swing these days looks a lot like the one Manny used to rake with the Red Sox from 2001 to 2008, right down to the follow-through.
“I know. It’s unbelievable,” Hanley told Bradford of the similarity. “I just try and do what he told me, which is start early and finish your swing. That’s what he always told me.”
So far, the advice has worked out for Hanley. If ever it doesn’t, well, he knows where Manny lives.
Thumbnail photo via Andy Marlin/USA TODAY Sports Images
