Ramirez becomes a U.S. citizen

BOSTON –Manny Ramirez had a good reason to miss his first game of the season with the Boston Red Sox. He went to Miami to become a U.S. citizen.

With the support of team management, Ramirez left Boston after Sunday’s 8-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

He was expected back for tonight’s second game of a three-game series against Cleveland.

“He was going to get a day off (Saturday), but something neat came up,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

“It turns out he’s down in Miami to become a United States citizen. It’s been a long process, and today is the day.”

Not even a player of Ramirez’s accomplishments – an A.L. batting championship in 2002 and a $20 million salary – could schedule it for a Red Sox off-day.

“It’s the timing,” Francona said. “If he didn’t do it today, we’re not talking about (a delay of) weeks or months. It’s like, maybe, a year.”

General manager Theo Epstein said, “It’s an excused absence.”

Ramirez “has our full support on this,” Francona said. “He went about it the right way.”

Ramirez, who turns 32 on May 30, was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States at age 13.