Manny Ramirez, the Major League Baseball slugger who left the game after facing a long-term suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, is hoping to make another comeback attempt as he nears the age of 42.
In an exclusive interview with Fox Sports, Ramirez said he learned from his past mistakes and is ready to move on and once again attempt to play major league ball, feeling that through his lessons learned he can help younger ball players overcome the challenges they face as professional athletes.
"When you make a mistake in life, no matter what you do, you're going to pay the price," Ramirez told Fox Sports.
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"That's what happened to all of the players that did it. I'm not going to judge people. Everybody is human. Everybody makes mistakes," Ramirez continued. "You're going to feel guilty about what you did. But you did it. You move on. And you learn from it."
When asked by Fox Sport how he would help steer particularly younger players away from the lure of using performance-enhancing drugs, Ramirez said he would draw from his own experiences.
"I use myself as an example to my son who is in college, playing baseball: 'Look what daddy went through because daddy didn't do things right.' When you do things right, you don't have to look back. You always look forward," Ramirez said.
"Sometimes, we get caught up in the moment. We start hanging out with the wrong people. But you know, everything in life happens for a reason, so you can appreciate what you are," the slugger added. "Now I appreciate it more and I'm so hungry to get back, just to get that feeling that I used to have before. I appreciate my family more, my kids, everything that God gave me."
Ramirez twice tested positive for using performance-enhancing drugs, the first time was in 2009 while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he was found to have the female fertility drug human chorionic gonadotropin in his system, and then again two years later when he tested positive for an artificial testosterone while playing for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The veteran homerun-hitter was given a 50-game suspension for his initial performance-enhancing drug violation and was reportedly facing a 100-game suspension for the second violation when he opted instead to retire from the game.
Ramirez' retirement was short-lived however, with the player twice attempting unsuccessful comebacks in 2012 and 2013 with the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers respectively.
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