Second thoughts

Cubs bring in Manny, to be Manny, in Iowa

Manny Ramirez is back in professional baseball after three years away from the game.

Ramirez was given a lifeline by Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs.

Don't expect to see Ramirez, who hit 555 home runs in a 19-year career, wearing the blue-and-white pinstripes at Wrigley Field in the future.

When announcing the signing Saturday Epstein said that Ramirez, 41, will be assigned to the Class AAA Iowa Cubs in Des Moines, in a player/coach role.

"We do think at this stage of his life he's a nice fit as a mentor for some of the young, talented hitters we have in the organization," said Epstein, who was General Manager of the Boston Red Sox for some of Ramirez's years there.

Epstein said Ramirez "is not and will not" be placed on the Cubs' major-league roster, and his presence in Iowa will not take at bats away from prospects.

Ramirez, who twice tested positive for banned substances, said he's looking forward to a role in which he's teaching more than doing.

"I'm at the stage of my life and career where I really want to give something back to the game that I love," he said in a statement. "I know I am nearing the end of my playing days, but I have a lot of knowledge to pass on to the next generation -- both what to do and what not to do."

Thanks, son

Houston Astros prospect Conrad Gregor hit his first home run for Class A Quad Cities in Iowa on Saturday afternoon.

Who caught the home run was more unlikely than who hit it, though.

Gregor's home run that went over the right-field wall was caught by a fan, who, according to the Quad City Times, pumped his arms in the air and waved the ball above his head after catching it.

"That was my dad," said Gregor, who was a first-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt last season. "He may have to watch every game from out there. It's a little unbelievable, but I'm glad my parents were here to see it and when I got back to the dugout, I heard he made a pretty good catch."

Keep the check

Tackle offensive tackle Garrett Scott was cut by the Seattle Seahawks on Friday, just two weeks after he was selected in the sixth round out of Marshall.

It was later revealed that, during a physical, Scott was found to have had a rare heart condition that will keep him from playing.

So, the Seahawks cut Scott, but let him take a nice parting gift. According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, that the Seahawks signed Scott after he failed his physical so that they could place him on injured reserve and allow him to keep his signing bonus of at least $100,000 and a hefty portion of his first-year salary. The rookie minimum is $425,000.

"We think highly of Garrett as a person and as a football player," Seahawks General Manager John Schneider said. "The team is committed to supporting Garrett in the months to come and will continue to help him determine his next steps."

Sports quiz

Q. How many times did Manny Ramirez lead the American League in home runs?

A. Once, when he hit 43 home runs in 2004 for the Boston Red Sox.

Sports on 05/26/2014

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