Manny Ramirez is 44, in Japan, and still hitting dingers

The last time we saw Manny Ramirez play in the majors was 2011, which seems impossible. He was just here, looking for the restroom, I swear! The last time he played in affiliated ball was 2014, when he was a weird player-coach hybrid for the Iowa Cubs, where he taught everyone in the organization exactly what they needed to know to win championships in the future.

I missed him. But Ramirez is playing for the Kochi Fighting Dogs, an independent-league team in Japan, and while this video isn’t perfect, it’s still sweet nostalgia nectar.

That’s the fightin’ dog we remember. He’s not the only player Red Sox fans know on the roster, either.

That’s former farmhand Lars Anderson, and he’s next to all-caps YUTO, for good measure.

We don’t know exactly where the ball landed, but we do know it left the ballpark. Welcome back to baseball, Manny. We missed you.

(Hat-tip to Over the Monster)