Hanley Ramírez
| Hanley Ramírez | |
|---|---|
 Ramírez, with the Marlins in June 2007 | |
| Florida Marlins – No. 2 | |
| Shortstop | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| debut | |
| September 20, 2005, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Career statistics (through May 9, 2008) | |
| Batting average | .314 |
| Home runs | 54 |
| Runs batted in | 161 |
| Stolen bases | 115 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983, in Samana, Dominican Republic) is a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins. Ramirez was named 2006 NL Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. [1]. According to one scout, Ramirez may be the second best all-around player in the game behind Alex Rodriguez. [2] Ramirez is nicknamed "the Han-Ram", a portmanteau of his first and last names.
Early career
Ramirez was a prospect in the Red Sox organization from 2002 to 2005. He spent most of the 2004 and 2005 seasons with their Double-A affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs. In 2004 he hit .310, with 25 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases in 132 games. After joining the Boston Red Sox during Spring Training in 2005, Ramirez played for Double-A Portland for the majority of the season. 2005 saw a reduction in batting average from Ramírez, but overall he still had excellent offensive production and was called up to the major leagues in September 2005. His first major league at bat was a strikeout on September 20, 2005, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Ramírez was considered one of the top-rated prospects in the Red Sox organization before being traded to the Marlins on November 21, 2005, for Starting Pitcher Josh Beckett, Relief pitcher Guillermo Mota, and Third baseman Mike Lowell. That deal also sent starting pitchers Aníbal Sánchez, Jesús Delgado, and Harvey García to the Marlins.
2006 season: Rookie of the Year
During Spring Training in 2006, Ramirez was impressive enough to earn the starting shortstop job for the Marlins over another candidate, shortstop Robert Andino. Ramirez led all MLB rookies with a .292 BA, 185 hits, 119 runs, 11 triples and 51 SBs. He became the first Marlin ever to post double digits in triples (11) and stolen bases (51). [citation needed] He also hit 7 leadoff home runs, the most in team history for a season and career.
Ramirez's 46 doubles in the 2006 season is the all-time NL record for a shortstop age 22 or younger[3]. He is the first NL rookie to post 110-plus runs and 50-plus stolen bases. He also became the fifth big-league player since 1900 to hit 45-plus doubles and have 50-plus stolen bases, joining Craig Biggio and Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Lou Brock. He has been compared to Alfonso Soriano with his blend of power and speed.
2007 season: Continued Success
Ramirez picked up where he left off during his sophomore season. The ever improving young star, who referred to Ryan Howard when asked about the sophomore jinx in baseball, was hitting .331 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs to go along with 27 steals at the 2007 All Star break. Despite his great numbers, he was left off the All-Star roster, to the surprise of many writers.
Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez experimented with Ramirez a bit in the number three slot in the lineup, batting him ahead of star Miguel Cabrera when injuries hit the Marlins position players. Gonzalez believes Ramirez can be a middle-of-the-lineup player despite his speed, because of his potiential to hit 30+ home runs.
In a game versus the Cincinnati Reds on July 22, 2007 Hanley over-extended his shoulder when he tried to hit a pitch on the lower outside corner off right hander Bronson Arroyo. He was helped off the field and was determined to have suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder. Ramirez has had a history of problems with the shoulder. In the 2006 season, he missed 5 games for a similar problem after swinging at a pitch. In December of '06 he fell awkwardly on the shoulder while playing Winter League ball in the Dominican Republic.
In 154 games Ramirez batted .332 with 29 home runs, 81 RBI, 125 runs and 51 steals. He fell one home run shy of becoming only the third player in baseball history to hit 30 or more home runs and steal 50 or more bases in the same season. Ramirez led the National League in VORP. He also finished in the top 10 in the voting for the NL MVP.
After the end of the season, Ramirez underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his injured left shoulder.[4]
2008 season: Richer Ramirez
Entering the 2008 season, Ramirez was now looked at as the face of the franchise after the Marlins traded All-Stars Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Ramirez has contributed well in the Marlins fast start with him looking at playing his first All-Star game, possibly even starting.
In addition, Ramirez agreed to a six-year, $70 million extension, by far making it the richest contract in Marlin history and furthermore making him the face of the franchise through the new stadium in 2011. [5]
See also
External links
- Hanley's official website, www.hanleyramirez.com
- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
- SoxProspects.com Bio
- Red Sox Nation Interview
- Hanley Ramirez: Profile on the Fish@Bat Florida Marlins Wiki
| Preceded by | National League Rookie of the Year 2006 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball NL Rookie of the Year 2006 |
Succeeded by Ryan Braun
|