All Episodes

October 6, 2025 • 20 mins

The great Mannywood arrives on FT to hype his favorite team to root for. He talks about a recent conversation he had to try and land a coaching gig and we went all over the map with questions about his playing days.

Hosts: AJ Pierzynski, Erik Kratz, Scott Braun

Good time to remind you that we have a loaded FT YouTube channel, featuring many postgame shows after postseason matchups.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hey, we've got the twelve time All Star, two time
World Series champ, including a World Series MVP, nine time
Silver slugger, almost two decades in the sport. Manny Ramirez
joining us right now on FT many Great to see you.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
How's life, how you been?

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Everything is good? L A baby all the way? Mine's back.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Hey. We all know that your favorite team was the
White Sox you ever played for? Okay, so let's let's
change that. Let's off and put a White Sox out on.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Had a great time with you guys over there.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
It was fun. We had a We were very good,
but we had a good time. I'll tell you.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
That, especially in that CD. That CD is a nice baby.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
Not not Yeah, exactly exactly, Manny. What about Boston? You
watching and rooting for Boston in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
I'm gonna lead it about Boston, but I don't know.
I'm taking La all the way?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Okay? Is that because of Manny Wood? Or is that
because you just like the Dodgers? I mean, is La
can get you in trouble now too?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
I'm out, tiny fine baby?

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Oh okay?

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Is he the best player ever?

Speaker 3 (01:22):
I saw a two wait, I saw a two way player. Yes,
but now it's a hitter. I think Barry Ball is
the best I ever seen.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Okay, well then I want to ask you this the
best right handed hit her you ever saw?

Speaker 3 (01:36):
For my prepason, I like Blothee.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Really over pol over yourself.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
I like pool Hoosball. I used to love Blithie because
I don't know how he did it. He's over was
ready for anything, you know, like I gotta play the cons,
you know, to hit bo Blotheie. What was something special?

Speaker 2 (01:57):
By the way, so I'll say this when I when
I was playing and I was catching his right handed hitters,
there was only one because I was in the American
League and we didn't do it as Manny. It was
Manny because you were the one guy. I was like
a crab. Manny's almost stuff. How the hell we're gonna
get him out? From the time he was time. Yeah,
but that's because I was talking to you, so you
would say crazy stuff I would say, and you weren't

(02:19):
expecting it. That was the difference. But there was the
one guy you. I was like, oh crap, here comes Manny.
How it because I knew in my mind you were
trying to set me up. And I know you set
guys up. You would take bad swings and you'd be like, oh,
you'd walk around, Oh I can't hit that pitch. Oh

(02:39):
my right center. Man, you were the best. I tell
people all the time. You were the best I ever
saw a setting dudes up and I fell for him
many a time. So for me, the best right handed
hitter I played against numerous times, I didn't get pools
as much was you, Manny Ramirez.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
Thank you, sir, Thank you sir.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
And by the way, I just tried to hit like
a little bit because there's one thing that you and
I tell people this the way you load it up.
So you were like I can't really see it, but
you were like this with your hands and you load
it up right. You were It was almost like you're
going on your toes. You were like whoa. And I
tried to tell people like that's the way you should
do it, but everyone's like, no, you gotta load and
get Like I'm like, no, watch many Ramirez. He was

(03:18):
like almost like it was like almost going on your
toes and then you just whack.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
He's like Mike Trout, he make it simple.

Speaker 4 (03:28):
Can you teach that?

Speaker 3 (03:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (03:30):
Can you teach that? Why aren't you a hitting coach
because I talked to different guys, young guys with with
the Dodgers when you were when you were coming up
del and young Laroche. Who else did they have there,
Russell Martin, like all those guys, they said you were
you were probably the best hitting coach that they had
on the team. Can you teach that?

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Maybe I could teach it.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
I could teach it. I can teach it. I just
need I just need the opportunity. Hey, coman do it?
Come on, do it yo, way.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
Manny, how close have you been to getting a position
like that? Have you had conversations with teams and what
have they told you back?

Speaker 3 (04:12):
To be honest, like, I spoke to Boston last year
and we were talking a little bit, and I know
they hired a guy from driveline and we were talking,
but then we never got back, you know, like about
getting serious about it, and so they never get back

(04:33):
to me. So I never, you know, went back to
them and see if it's really an opportunity to me
teach these kids how to hit, because sometimes, you know,
you see all these kids with all these talent, with
all the talent, and they seem kind of lost.

Speaker 4 (04:52):
One One guy in the National League hit over three hundred,
Trey Turner. Can you teach hitters to hit the pitching
that's out there today? Ninety five to one hundred big sweepers.
Can Can it be taught to hit over three hundred again?
Or is that only for the guys like Luisa Arrives

(05:13):
who just you know, just try to put the ball
in play?

Speaker 3 (05:17):
Not really, not really, Remember, peaching is peaching those who
matter one hundred eighty five ninety five. If you got
the techniques, you're gonna hit. I got the best example,
David o'tiz. He's last year. He better than when he
was young. He didn't change his mechanic. So White Chang's

(05:38):
something that he's not broken. Yeah, it's a good call, yep.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
Exactly how many players many? How many players do you, you know,
speak to it and work with? I remember I saw you.
I think it was when you were doing some things
with the cub It's been a minute now, But how
many guys are you helping and mentoring? I know that's
important to you.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Actually, I was soaking to Hobby when he was with
the Cops, Brian Shroubert when they were there, and uh,
even Reso. But those guys. They know how to hit.
You don't gotta teach those guys anything. Just the mental
of the game and the approach. True.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
When if you can hit, you can hit, you can hit,
right a Jay, I agree? What about your son? Can
your son hit?

Speaker 3 (06:28):
My son could hit, and especially I got one in
Juco right now that he could hit. He got bombed.
He could hit bombs what what what Juco is? Yet
he's here in Nova?

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Oh? Okay?

Speaker 3 (06:41):
Nice?

Speaker 2 (06:41):
And is he a prospect?

Speaker 3 (06:44):
He's getting there? He could hit, he throw ninety four
and he could run. Well this run he's good too.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
Okay, all right, Well who's better than I'm gonna ask you?
Because D'Angelo Ortis or your son.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
They're like different players, like like like you know, Lucas,
he's too young. He's young. He just get out of
high school. I think DeAngelo, you know, he went to college.
So it's the there, like both different players.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
You know, how do they get away from the shadow
that that is their father? Like how does your son
get out of your shadow? Not that it's a bad thing,
but it's one of his quotes, like he wants to
be himself.

Speaker 3 (07:28):
Like I always tell my son, listen, you don't got
to do it my way, but you could learn the
way that I did it. Joe's try to figure out
what kind of hitter you are, and then you could
develop as a power hitter. Because that's what happened to me,
To Aless Rodriguez, to David Ortiz, we became a hitter

(07:49):
and when we start getting older, then we understood the
song and start hitting home drums. Not like this kids
these day, that they trying to become a power hitter
when they're know the song and they don't know what
kind of heater they are.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
Okay, Well, then I want to know this. What did
you teach David when he came over to Boston, Because
I played with him in Minnesota. I played with them
up and he you know, he was okay, But all
of a sudden he went to Boston and he became
obviously like a god to the Fenway people.

Speaker 3 (08:20):
So we used to go to the cage every morning.
Let me tell you, Davey work hard. You know a
lot of people think a lot of people sold Davy's body.
But then when he went to Boston, he really worked
his butt off. He used to work out in the
morning every day, and then we went to the cage,
and we used to teach him how to stay in

(08:41):
his back leg.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
How much did you talk to Raffi during this whole
the whole thing. One of your quotes was, it's like
telling Aaron Judge to go play catcher next year in
spring training? How much did you see Raffi working not
only as a player, but as a teammate too.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
To be to be honest, I really didn't know what
was going on in Boston, but what I saw that
Raffie said that they didn't they they didn't when to
talk to him in the Winner, Listen, if you're gonna
spend three hundred and forty million in a guy, at

(09:21):
least that guy, you gotta tell him, Hey, we're gonna
give you this money, but if we need you three
three years down the road, can you help us in
first base of the age. That would be easy. Instead
of telling a guy, hey, you lose your glove and everything,
you're not gonna play. You're not gonna play the field anymore.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
That would be like me asking you to go catch man.
That would have been freaking comical. I would have loved.

Speaker 3 (09:47):
Get crazy.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
That would have been awesome. How much fun and how
scared would you have been if you would have had
to catch because I would have laughed my ass off
seeing you back there.

Speaker 3 (09:56):
No, boy, let me tell you. When I signed with Boston,
Remember I used to play right field with the Indians.
So as soon as I got to Boston, they told me, hey,
we want you to move to left field. Well, the
first thing that I did, I went and check out
right field is right field, And as soon as I

(10:19):
saw the right field was so big, then I said,
let me move to left field because it's gonna be
easier for me. No, for real, play right field Boston.
You gotta be truck and field right That thing is
big back there.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
Hey. Plus, there's no bathroom in right field, so you
couldn't go no bathroom. Yeah, you know, you couldn't go
to the bathroom. The people would see you, so you
have to You had to be in left field by
the door so you could just go in there.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
It was a good decision. It was a good choice.

Speaker 1 (10:55):
Jonathan Papavon's on our show a lot, and he wants
to know how often you use the bathroom out there?
How often was that a spot for you?

Speaker 3 (11:03):
Man? First, I shout out to Papapa and I love him.
He's a great competible man. We love him to be honest.
I don't even use the bathroom out there, like the
kids that they change the number. They always got getaway
for me. So that's why I always go inside. I
don't even go in there to be.

Speaker 4 (11:21):
What's your favorite what's your what's your favorite story from
Boston from your time in Boston that you can obviously
tell on here.

Speaker 3 (11:30):
My favorite story. We're playing against Toronto, so I strike
out with basis loaded. So I'm coming to the dog out.
I'm going to see and nobody's talking to me. They
think I'm really mad. So as soon as I sit
down on the dog out, I'm talking to David and
I'm telling David, I'm thinking about putting some wheels in

(11:53):
my new car.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
Huh m hm. That's it.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
That was sae like, like I strike cow, we based
this lorded, and I'm thinking about something else. And then
then and then in the last minute, I hit a
home run to win the game.

Speaker 2 (12:12):
Well you did that a lot, by the way, the
one against the Angels where he stood there for like
seven minutes like this was unbelievable. We get the one
against the Angels.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
Killed I thought the game was over.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
The game was over, the Angels were on the flight man,
he was still standing there like this, and the balls
you know, the ball was already on eBay before you
got finished. So my favorite moment.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
Go ahead, no, go ahead, no, But let me tell
you that guy used to get me out all the time,
so he was due. I was supposed to get him
in that time.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
You got a lot of people, by the way, my
favorite many moment. And Johnny Damon is a great friend
of mine. We grew up together.

Speaker 3 (12:52):
But you're not mind huh the quarter of marnin liftfield.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yeah yeah, why yeah, why the hell? Like Johnny David,
I know he can't throw, he never could throw. He
throws like he throws like this, right, But why were you?
Did you decide that I'm gonna dive and catch his
throw because I.

Speaker 3 (13:10):
Gotta help him. Hey, I gotta help him. He cannot throw.
I gotta help him. I decide to go out there
and do a treple coat of man to help Johnny.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
Cut off, triple cut off, triple cut off. You can
you do me a favorite? Can you move your dreads?
Because I think your low is your logo. You you
stand in nice see there it is right there, right see.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
That's my logo right there, baby go in money dot com.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
But so I want to know this. When you go
home or when you go see your kids, do you
just say I'm back, Like when every time you see
him you just walk in and go, I'm.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
Back, I'm back.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
Give me a hold.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
Hey, uh manny, I've got one. So we were talking
about catchers. How about two thousand and four when yacht
he's like, hey man, he's stealing signs, and Terry fran
Cone is coming out and he's like, I don't even
think he knows our sign, so leave him alone.

Speaker 3 (14:12):
I don't even know Me and David we didn't even
know any signs. How are we gonna be how can
we gonna be giving signs?

Speaker 1 (14:22):
Sorry, we just hit you're sign?

Speaker 3 (14:25):
Hit?

Speaker 2 (14:26):
What? What's what's cheto gonna give him? A? David hit
a run like you guys are gonna hit run.

Speaker 1 (14:33):
It's a classic line. That's a great line in a
heated moment, like he doesn't even know the sign.

Speaker 3 (14:39):
I don't even know those signs. Me and David we
only got one sign. We look at the dog and
Tito go.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
Like this, hey no, because you guys were that good?

Speaker 3 (14:49):
All right?

Speaker 2 (14:50):
I want to know you were Indian, Cleveland Guardian, Indian
whatever they call him now, but you were an Indian.
How the hell did y'all not win when you were
in Cleveland? I mean, look at the teams y'all had.
It was unbelievable.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
That what I mean?

Speaker 2 (15:04):
Yeah, told me playing third base, right, I mean told
me you. The whole team was unbelieve Rovert Almar, the
whole thing. I'm like, how in the world did this
team never win a World Series?

Speaker 3 (15:15):
Well? Remember, we didn't have any peaching. We scared, we
scored ten rounds and you know in the and we
lose the game like fifteen to ten, So we didn't
we didn't have any peaching.

Speaker 2 (15:27):
True.

Speaker 1 (15:28):
Yeah, they had some high scoring games the game.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
Seven one and against the Florida Miami that one the
morn Yeah, that was a great series with Jose Mason,
they had bringing Naggy and Tony.

Speaker 3 (15:42):
So, guys, so who do you guys have the tops
of San Diego?

Speaker 1 (15:48):
Me?

Speaker 2 (15:48):
You know who I'm roomed for. I ain't room for
the Cubs, So you know I want Diego. That's what
after that?

Speaker 1 (15:56):
And the Dodgers have to get past the Phillies first
many and the Phillies looked pretty strong. I mean they've
done this for a few years where they've looked really
solid during the regular season. Last year was a big
disappointment for them against the Mets in the playoffs. But
the Phillies have some pretty solid pitching and a lot
of veterans just like you mentioned, who don't need to
be taught how to hit, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trey Turner,

(16:16):
et cetera. Just are they going to show up in
a five gamer to beat the Dodgers? I think that's
gonna be a great series, right.

Speaker 3 (16:23):
That series is gonna be great. But remember the Dodgers.
They got so many pitching, they got so many weapon
They could hit, they could run, they could do everything.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
Were a bullpen.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
Now who wins.

Speaker 4 (16:39):
LA in what five games?

Speaker 3 (16:45):
Full games?

Speaker 4 (16:48):
Okay? So if it's the pitching, If it's the pitching,
who's the Dodgers' best pitcher?

Speaker 2 (16:55):
Right now?

Speaker 4 (16:55):
If you're the manager of that team, who do you
start game one of any serious if you can pick anything, Tani?
Why because they're they're facing they're throwing Blake Snell Game one.
So do they think it's an easy walk in the
park for the to beat the Reds.

Speaker 3 (17:16):
I think they're gonna throw it now because hey, you
said it, it's gonna be a walk in the park
and now is nasty. And remember Sincinnati, they youned they
pretty good. Well, I don't think they could touch La.
I don't think so.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
And Cincinnati doesn't hit lefties either. That's the reason why
he's started king one. That's why I was all right, man,
before I let you go, I have two questions for you.
One they're both funny to me. One you might not
think it's funny, but one you're gonna think it's funny.
When I saw the video of you, I think it
was in Australia and the guy had the Red Sox
hat on and you went up to him and said, hey,
you're Red Sox fan and he had no idea that

(17:51):
was you. That was freaking awesome. Okay, so I don't
know who told you to do that, but that was awesome.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
It came out out of nothing. That was awesome. You know,
we're just playing the round in the street, you know,
we wanted to make some contents and we went on
to make people laugh. It was great.

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Okay, and then the second one. I have to ask
you this because I always I haven't seen you, and
I always wanted to know this. I played with you
for about six seven weeks, and then it was twenty ten.
I never saw I never saw you take a shower
because every time I came off the field, you were
already dressed. How the hell I'm always dressed that fast?

Speaker 3 (18:27):
He's you never know, He's never I was. I was
in the training room all the time getting treatment. That's
why you never saw me, because.

Speaker 2 (18:36):
I would like, literally, we would you would having it
bad in the bottom of the top of the ninth
and whatever would happen, and we would get shake hands,
win and whatever, and.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
I no, you gotta you gotta go through, your baby,
you gotta go through.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
But he never he was already dressed. And I'm like
you you.

Speaker 3 (18:55):
Never told me, Nah, you never you never saw me.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
I'm fast, baby, Seriously, I was like, man, he does
a car wash shower.

Speaker 1 (19:06):
Well, you're not the only one going to the training room,
so if you go first, then you get your treatment
first before everyone else, right that say, baby, mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (19:15):
Plus, there was a shower in the training room in Chicago.
There was one shower you remember, you remember, Yeah, But
he was always there, no matter what happened. He was
always there right shaking your hands. But he was already dressed.
I'm like, let's have a bitch. I'll make it dressed
so fast.

Speaker 3 (19:30):
Remember I came from the Laby on Andrew, so I'm
always got to go to the training room and stuff
like that.

Speaker 2 (19:35):
That's true, that's true.

Speaker 1 (19:37):
You got first in line for treatment, otherwise you're gonna
be leaving an hour later, right. I mean I think
they're a little better now where they've got more, but
I mean you could wait in line, right if there's
three four guys that need treatment. Well, I mean you
you are the wrong.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
He's the wrong because I never went back there.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
But but I always I always wanted to tell you this.
Thank you man. The wad you treat me in Chicago.
It was awesome and you and Kneko, you guys was awesome.

Speaker 2 (20:05):
Well, I appreciate that, man. I love I love playing
with you. I tell people you were awesome, and I'll
never do anything to talk about it. I'll never forget
that one trip we had to Kansas City where we
got you laid for like three hours. That was one
of the most fun times I ever had with all
you guys on that plane. It was one of my
most fun times. So thank you for the memory problem.
Thank you for having me, guys.

Speaker 3 (20:25):
Thank you, thank you man, You're the man.

Speaker 2 (20:28):
Thanks so much for joining us.

Speaker 1 (20:29):
Great to see you and good luck to La.

Speaker 3 (20:32):
Thank you, guys.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club

The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.