Ramirez pleads innocent to hitting wife

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Manny Ramirez pleaded not guilty in Florida Friday to a charge that he hit his wife.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported the retired Major League Baseball player had his attorney enter a written plea to the domestic battery count rather than appear in person in a Broward County court.

Ramirez, 39, was arrested Sept.12 after allegedly hitting his wife Juliana on the left side of her face with an open hand, causing her head to hit their bed's headboard. A police report said she told the arresting officer the couple got caught up in "a dispute that escalated" and she refused medical attention.

Ramirez said his wife's head hit the headboard when he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

Ramirez retired in April after a brief time with Tampa Bay rather than go through a 100-game suspension for violating MLB's drug policy a second time.

During his 19-season career, Ramirez hit .312 with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBI for the Rays, Cleveland, Boston, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. He was a 12-time all-star, the MVP of the 2004 World Series, one of two World Series he won while with Boston -- the other coming in 2007.