Good morning ladies and gentlemen ,

this morning we pay homage to one of our own who just this year gained admittance to a very prestigious and discerning club . A club where Admittance is not granted , but earned . In the history of professional baseball there have been only 24 members who meet the criteria for membership In this club.

This morning I would like to pay homage to our own Manny Ramirez, a member of the five hundred club. And one of the best rbi men in this generation, Ramirez entered the 500 club on the 31^st of May this year by connecting off Baltimore’s Chad Bradford . To lead the Red sox to a 6-3 victory over the birds , Manny hit the first pitch he was offered to the bleacher seats in right center , and in true Manny fashion he stood and watched the ball exit the park, then took off around the bases in a slow trot savoring his moment in the sun .He did this with a broad smile on his face ,

The 500 home run club as previously stated has only 24 members , but as exclusive as this club is , Manny is a member of an even more elite and prestigious fraternity, as he became only the seventh player in baseball history to have 500 home runs, 1500 rbis, 1000 walks, 475 doubles, and a 300 batting average , joining only Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, and Frank Thomas . This was one hell of an achievement for Boston, as one of our own joined the ranks of the immortals..

Manny please, just keep being Manny ,