BOSTON -- A hitting machine from the right side of the plate who also happened to be one of the most unforgettable characters of his era, Manny Ramirez is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.
The statistics are clearly Cooperstown-worthy. Ramirez had a slash line of .312/.411/.585 over his 19-year career while clubbing 555 homers with 1,831 RBIs. He was also a force in the postseason, helping lead the Red Sox to World Series championships in 2004 and '07 before producing some October heroics for the Dodgers in '08 and '09.
But Ramirez's case for the Hall of Fame won't be based solely on numbers.