With Manny Ramirez attempting to return to the MLB at 41 years old, Onion Sports provides a guide to athletic competitors with the most amazing career comebacks.
Hank Aaron: After hitting into a double play in his first Major League at-bat, Aaron managed to turn his career around and hit 755 home runs in the subsequent 12,363 at-bats
Tiger Woods: Led all athletes in career comebacks in the past five years, averaging 4.6 comebacks per year
Lance Armstrong: Faced with a dim cancer prognosis, Armstrong managed to persevere and win a remarkable zero Tour de France titles
Josh Hamilton: For years, one of baseball’s most fearsome power hitters languished in an endless cycle of drugs and despair. But today, Josh Hamilton is clean and sober, and he’s proven that you don’t need a Louisville Slugger to hit addiction out of the park.
Michael Jordan: After spending a year playing minor league baseball, Jordan returned to the NBA in spectacular fashion, making his number 45 Bulls jersey the most recognizable in the sports world
Roger Federer: The 22-year-old remarkably won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, having not played tennis since the age of 14
Muhammad Ali: Nearly four years into his suspension from boxing due to his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, the legendary boxer was reinstated and given the opportunity to get his ass kicked by Joe Frazier
Monica Seles: After being stabbed during a match by a deranged fan, Seles went on to survive 15 more on-court stabbings when she returned to tennis two years later
Tommy John: The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher faced a devastating injury that would have forced his premature retirement had doctors not successfully performed a revolutionary surgery in which the elbow ligament is replaced by the forearm tendons of as many as 20 infant children
Mario Lemieux: Made his highly anticipated return to the NHL after a three-year absence to fulfill his desire to play five more seasons without winning the Stanley Cup
Roger Clemens: Experienced an inspiring late-career renaissance after his body suddenly and inexplicably grew to five times its original size
