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In his latest baseball incarnation, Manny Ramirez has found religion.

The Oakland A's hope he has rediscovered his swing as well.

The idiosyncratic slugger with 555 career home runs, a long history of quirky behavior and a second drug-related suspension hanging over him became the focal point of the A's camp the moment he arrived at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Thursday morning.

Ramirez displayed a potent swing after some early rustiness in the batting cage, blasting several balls over the fence, and a peaceful mien as he spoke about his religious conversion.

"I'm here because the King (God) called for me,'' Ramirez said in Spanish before addressing a sizeable contingent of news reporters in English. "Remember that man doesn't grant opportunities; they're granted by the Lord.

"There were many days when my wife and I got up at 5 in the morning and prayed on our knees to the Lord to open the doors. That's why I'm here. This is not because of Manny or $500,000 (his salary on a non-guaranteed contract). It's because the Lord put it in their hearts. This is not a coincidence. This is a God-incidence.''

Ramirez, who turns 40 on May 30 - the day he can return from a 50-game suspension - abruptly retired five games into last season rather than serve a 100-game suspension for a second violation of baseball's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He was suspended for 50 games in 2009 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In September, Ramirez was arrested on charges of domestic violence after an incident in which he allegedly slapped his wife, Juliana. She and their two boys, Manny Jr., 9, and Lucas, 6, accompanied Ramirez during his first day back at work in a show of support.

Ramirez said his friend Auri Capellan had talked to him about embracing God during his time with the Dodgers, but it wasn't until last fall that he came around.

"I saw myself in an abyss, about to lose my family. I had already lost my job,'' Ramirez said. "So I looked at myself in the mirror and said, 'This is the time to make a change in my life, to be a good person, help others and serve God.'''