FanNation

Sports by the Numbers - Manny Ramirez Career Retrospective

Manny finally got the milestone, and he wasted no time getting 501 - as he hit another bomb on Sunday, the day after he became only the twenty-fourth member of the 500-homerun club.

In his last 34 games prior to Saturday's historic big fly he had hit only three homeruns, so the milestone took some time in coming - but it was worth the wait. Manny said, "Every time you get to the hotel, people say, hey, when you gonna hit it? I'm just happy everything's done for now - I can go be myself and have fun."

Manny has been doing exactly that - being true to who he is as a person and a ballplayer - for a very long time, and having fun doing it. Now his numbers have fully cemented his place in Cooperstown - take a look at his career using Sports by the Numbers.

2 It only takes one - but Manny has (2) World Series titles. He lost his first Fall Classic in 1995, lost his second in 1997, but won with Boston in historic fashion in 2004, and then again in 2007.

3 There have been (3) players to reach the 500-homerun plateau in a Red Sox uniform: Jimmie Foxx (1940), Ted Williams (1960), and now Ramirez.

4 He has played in (4) World Series - and hit (4) World Series homeruns. Manny also holds the post-season record for career homeruns with 24.

5 There are (5) active players who belong to the 500-homerun club: Ken Griffey, Jr. (599), Alex Rodriguez (525), Frank Thomas (520), Jim Thome (517), and Manny (501).

7 Only (7) members of the 500-homerun club can boast 1,500 RBI, 1,000 walks, 475 doubles, and a .300 average: Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Frank Thomas, Mel Ott, and Manny.

9 He has (9) career homeruns against Mike Mussina - his highest total against a right-handed pitcher.

10 He has (10) career homeruns against Jamie Moyer - his highest total against any pitcher, right or left-handed.

11 Manny is an (11)-time All-Star who has hit 30 or more homeruns in (11) different seasons.

24 Manny is now a member of an exclusive club - only (24) members. Next on the list are Eddie Murray (504), Mel Ott (511), and Eddie Mathews and Ernie Banks (512) - which means Manny should be among the top 20 homerun hitters in baseball history by season's end.

36 Manny just turned 36 years old - and of the 24 members of the 500-homerun club, he reached it the eighth fastest. It took him only 7,263 at bats.

43 He hit (43) homeruns in 2004 and beat out teammate David Ortiz by two for the only homerun title of his career.

45 Twice he hit a career high (45) homeruns - in 1998 for Cleveland, and in 2005 for Boston.

81 His historic homerun came on the first pitch of his at bat - something he has now done (81) times in his career. He has more first pitch homeruns than he does on any other count.

236 Manny hit (236) long balls as a member of the Cleveland Indians - the third highest total in franchise history behind Jim Thome (334) and Albert Belle (242).

265 Manny hit number 501 on Sunday - giving him (265) big flies as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Only Ted Williams (521), Carl Yastrzemski (452), Jim Rice (382), and Dwight Evans (379) have more.

312 He currently boasts a (.312) career batting average - only Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Jimmie Foxx, among members of the 500-homerun club, closed out their careers with a higher average.

349 Manny won the 2002 batting title when he hit (.349) - and he has posted ten seasons of .300 or better.

351 He hit a career high (.351) in 2000 - but placed third in the batting title race behind teammate Nomar Garciaparra and Angels outfielder Darin Erstad.

412 Manny hit (.412) during the 2004 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals - hit one big fly - and got his first ring, along with the hardware for World Series MVP.

697 His career high slugging percentage is (.697) - a mark he set in 2000, his last season with the Indians. His career slugging percentage is .590, one of the top ten in baseball history.

Oh, Manny - what a career. See you in Cooperstown.

Sports by the Numbers Available Titles

www.sportsbythenumbers.com