The Anniversary of Manny Ramirez Cutting Off Another Outfielder's Throw
· Yahoo Sports
The Anniversary of Manny Ramirez Cutting Off Another Outfielder's Throw originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Visit umafrika.club for more information.
Manny being Manny.
Sometimes, there was no other way to summarize what Manny Ramirez had just done for the Boston Red Sox.
And maybe the play that epitomizes this more than any other occurred on July 21, 2026.
That's when Ramirez decided he was going to cut off a throw from outfielder Johnny Damon before it reached an infielder.
The ball off the centerfield fence drew Ramirez to the middle of the field.
The middle infielders set up a double-cut situation already.
Damon's throw wasn't even on target toward Ramirez, who had to fully extend to snag it. He then threw from his knees to an infielder, who then threw home too late to get the runner.
It's better appreciated simply by watching it:
July 21st, 2004: Manny Ramirez cuts off Johnny Damon in the outfield
— Boston Sports Throwback (@BOSthrowback) July 21, 2026
One of the greatest negative plays in Boston sports history pic.twitter.com/yFcw29in6B
MORE: A roller coaster win for 14 in a row
Some of these plays are almost better without a real explanation.
Was Ramirez going there to be an extra cutoff man all along? Or was he standing in the vicinity, saw the ball and reacted instinctually?
Had he planned a play like this for months, and this was his chance? Or did something in his brain tell him just in this moment that it'd be a good idea?
How did the Red Sox react in the clubhouse after the game? Were they mad? Did they laugh?
More than two decades later, it's certainly fair to laugh now.
Three months later, the Red Sox were on their way to ending the Curse of the Bambino.
If the main cost was that Manny Ramirez occasionally did silly things, that was certainly a price worth paying.