Page 16 - IAV Digital Magazine #423

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Manny Ramirez Gets Unlimited Sushi As Part Of Japanese Baseball Contract
Manny Ramirez has- n’t played profes- sional baseball since 2014, but you’d never know it by looking at his new contract with Japan’s Shikoku Island League.
The former MLB out- fielder, who played in 12 All-Star games and won two World Series Championships throughout his major-league career, will reportedly be entitled to unlimited sushi as part of his new contract with the Kochi Island Fighting Dogs.
Ramirez, 44, first reached an agree- ment with the Fighting Dogs in January, but certain details of his con- tract were not made public until they were published
online over the weekend.
In addition to Ramirez’s all-you- can-eat sushi, his contract also entitles him to several other perks, reports Yakyubd.com, via The Boston Globe. The swankiest among them include the use of a Mercedes, along with a driver, a pri- vate hotel suite dur- ing road games-- and the option to skip practices when- ever he wants.
However, Yakyudb.com notes that Ramirez did attend practice on March 10 during the team’s spring train- ing.
It’s not clear whether Ramirez added the sushi stipulation to the contract himself,
or if the perk was offered to the player by the league.
During his time in the MLB, Ramirez played for the Cleveland Indians, the Boston Red Sox, the L.A. Dodgers, the Chicago White Sox, and the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 2011, he tested positive for perform- ance-enhancing drugs and retired from the league. He was reinstated by 2012, and played for the minor league and the Dominican Professional Baseball League through 2014.
According to The Boston Globe, Ramirez claims he wanted to return to the sport to share his love of the game with Japanese fans.
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