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Manny Ramirez To Play In Dominican

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP/CBS) -- Former World Series MVP Manny Ramirez, who retired in April after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, hopes to play for a winter league team in his Caribbean homeland.

Winston Llenas, president of the Cibao Eagles, a winter league team in the northern Dominican Republic for whom Ramirez played in 1993-94, told The AP during a phone interview that Ramirez is expected to start training with his former team next week.

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Llenas said the 39-year-old Ramirez told team officials he wants to "play before the Dominican fans and to perhaps motivate other Major League stars to also play in the country."

Ramirez spent 7 1/2 seasons with the Red Sox, winning two World Series championships during his time in Boston. He finished his career with a .312 batting average and 555 home runs over 18-plus seasons.

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He was named the MVP of the 2004 World Series while with Boston.

(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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