The Tampa Bay Rays are reuniting Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, hoping the veteran free agents can help them stay on top in the American League East.
The Rays on Tuesday introduced their new acquisitions Ramirez and Damon — teammates on the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox who had since gone different ways.
“We’re not going out there right now to just fill out a 162-game schedule,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Our goal is to repeat as division winners this year, and then moving on from there.”
Photo: REUTERS
The Rays are cutting their wages bill because of poor fan support. They have lost key players in outfielder Carl Crawford, first baseman Carlos Pena and closer Rafael Soriano to free agency.
Damon, 37, agreed to a US$5.25 million deal that includes a chance to earn US$750,000 in bonuses based on attendance.
Ramirez, 39, gets US$2 million from the Rays, a significant drop from the US$20 million he made last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.
Both players said the chance to play closer to their homes in Florida helped them make up their minds to move to a team that despite its financial constraints hasn’t given up on the idea of challenging big-spending Boston and the New York Yankees in the division.
Ramirez, who will probably be used mostly as a designated hitter, said he’s keen to show he can still contribute.
“I’m here, like I said, because I love the game, I love to compete. It doesn’t matter how much money you make,” Ramirez said. “What you want is a chance to prove to people that you still can do it.”
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two