Manny Ramirez traveled a long way for a pit-stop on his never-ending baseball journey.
The Sydney Blue Sox announced Monday they’ve released the Boston Red Sox legend. Ramirez, 48, had yet to debut with the Australian Baseball League team before it decided to part ways with him due to an unspecified medical issue and the uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic has cast over the ABL season.
“Combined with the uncertainty of the season and the ongoing medical issue that is preventing Manny Ramirez from playing and training with the Sydney Blue Sox, we have decided to release Manny,” Blue Sox CEO Adam Dobb said in a statement.
“This is extremely disappointing for the Sydney Blue Sox, but we owe it to our fans and the other teams to make a decision now.
“The level of investment to get him here meant this was never a PR stunt. It was never was our intention to have him NOT participate in the ABL this season.
“We are unable to comment further and wish to respect all of our current players and staff by continuing preparations for the remainder of the ABL season. We are doing everything we can to get restarted.”
The Blue Sox were just two games into their 2021 season when a coronavirus outbreak in Sydney halted the team’s campaign. Ramirez missed both of those games, which took place Dec. 17 and Dec. 18, due to an injury.
Ramirez in August signed a one-year contract with the Blue Sox. He had impressed Blue Sox manager manager Shane Barclay with his commitment as the season neared, but something has broken the bond between Ramirez and Sydney.
