Before he was a Boston Red Sox legend, Manny Ramirez was a New York Yankees fan.

Talking to The Bronx Zoo YouTube channel at a signing earlier this week, the 2004 World Series MVP opened up about his old feelings for his childhood team.

“I’m always a Yankee fan,” Ramirez said when asked if he was a fan of New York.

Ramirez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. But as a teenager, he moved with his family to New York City, where he rose to baseball stardom at George Washington High School.

Those early days clearly left an impact on Ramirez, who wanted to stay in New York when he reached the pros. Although, he admits things still worked out pretty well.

“I went to school in New York. That was one of my dreams, to play with the Yankees,” he said. “Didn’t happen, but I got two World Series.”

Ramirez did plenty to make New York fans miserable over the years, including the legendary comeback in the 2004 ALCS. Still, the former outfielder speaks highly of fans in the Bronx.

“The Yankees fans are the best,” Ramirez said. “They demand a lot, like Boston fans, because they want to win and we win to win also.”

Then came the big question: If the Yankees had come after Ramirez and his contract before the 2004 season (when Boston put him on waivers) would he had played for the Yankees?

“Of course,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez was one of the greatest hitters of his generation. The 12-time All-Star played 19 MLB seasons and finished his career with a .312 batting average and 555 home runs.

Ramirez is well-remembered for his eight-year run in Boston where he was a centerpiece of the offense while remaining one of the game’s most colorful characters. Although, Ramirez’s career was not without its issues. His links to PED usage are a key reason why he has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

These days, Ramirez says he wishes he finished his career in Boston. However, he notes that his mistakes have brought him to a good place today.

“I wish. I wish,” Ramirez said in 2022. “But everything worked for good. Everything in my life is working so good. Sometimes, when I’m back home now and I see those mistakes that I did here, all those suspensions and all that kind of stuff, I regret it a little bit, but back on my couch and in my house, I say, ‘If these things really didn’t happen to me, I wouldn’t really value my family, my kids, my wife, because everything was so good.’”

Ramirez broke into the majors in Cleveland, playing eight seasons there before heading to Boston as a free agent. His roller-coaster run with the Red Sox ended when he was dealt to the Dodgers in 2008. Ramirez finished his career with brief stints for the White Sox and Rays.

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