Last Sunday in the corner of the visiting clubhouse at Coors Field, Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez surveyed the screen in front of him and smiled.
He must have been watching the ticker, proclaiming his victory as the fans’ choice to start the All-Star Game, right? Or perhaps his iPod shuffle was streaming through his home runs?
Not even close. He stared at teammate Luis Gonzalez’s laptop, giggling as Matt Kemp starred in a baseball spoof: “Hardball Made Easy.” Kemp was instructed to plow over a young catcher. The boy bolted as the “Bison” barreled down the line. Later, the perturbed coach slaps water out of his hand, which left Ramirez in stitches.
So perhaps we need a new definition for greatness: the six-tool player. Power, average, speed, defense, arm and sense of humor.
In polling more than 30 executives and players over the past few weeks, the respect for Ramirez was ridiculous. Asked whom they’d like to start a team around today, Ramirez was a unanimous choice.
“There’s nothing he can’t do on the field. Nothing,” said fellow all-star Dan Uggla. “He’s been fun to watch.”
Ramirez is Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra, circa 1999. He’s starting to sniff Alex Rodriguez numbers. Ramirez has 23 home runs and 22 stolen bases. Given his growth chart, a 50-50 season isn’t out of the question.
In case you’re having a hard time placing the name with the face, Ramirez was the guy who led off the Rockies’ 18-17 victory on July 4 with a home run on the first pitch.
“If you had asked me the question five years ago, I would have said Jeter or A-Rod. But in today’s game, the guy who sticks out is Hanley,” said analyst and former big-leaguer Harold Reynolds. “He’s got a good work ethic. He’s continuing to get better and you can’t dismiss the fact that he’s a Latin player during a time when it’s becoming more important to be bilingual.”
Had Ramirez stayed in Boston — he was traded to the Marlins as part of the Josh Beckett deal — his face would be splattered across billboards. In Florida, he’s an underappreciated artist — Marlon Brando working in dinner theatre.
Yet, Ramirez is the future of the sport.
Maybe you have no interest in the All-Star Game. But watch the first at-bat. Ramirez should lead off. When he goes to Cooperstown, you can say you saw him before he became a household name.
Get a whiff of this.
Ryan Howard has spent his career making history, but never has he been associated with such a dubious statistic. Barring a last-minute addition, Howard is threatening to become the first player to lead his league in home runs (27) and RBIs (83) and not make the all-star team since Cincinnati Reds outfielder Hank Sauer in 1948. Elias Sports Bureau dug up that gem.
Howard has only himself to blame as he’s sadly become a boom-or-bust slugger. He is batting .234 with 125 strikeouts, leaving him on pace to shatter his single-season record of 199 set a year ago. Howard has done his best work with men on base, hitting .333, which explains his crazy RBI total.
Footnotes.
There is simmering buzz that San Francisco shortstop Omar Vizquel might walk away from the game during the all-star break. Vizquel is a proud man, who is embarrassed at how he’s hit since returning from knee surgery May 10. He has batted .153 in 44 games. The Giants don’t want him to go. Vizquel is still a gem defensively, providing immense help for a maturing pitching staff. Robbie Alomar, a Hall of Famer in my mind, retired abruptly when he could no longer play at the level to which he was accustomed. . . . Nostalgia will have a piece of its heart missing during the All-Star Game. Bob Sheppard will not be the voice of Yankee Stadium, his 97-year-old body no longer cooperating. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter has used a recording of Sheppard to introduce him this season. . . . The Rockies have gone through long stretches where they are bad, but at least they aren’t this boring. The Padres have scored fewer than three runs 38 times this season. That’s baseball’s equivalent of C-SPAN. . . . Best wishes to Padres catcher Michael Barrett, who had a titanium plate inserted in his face after fouling a Ubaldo Jimenez fastball off his nose. . . . Good for Cherry Creek alum Brad Lidge. Once he decided he and his family were comfortable in Philadelphia, he had no problem signing off on a $37 million extension. He could have easily made an additional $15 million in free agency. . . . While all signs point toward Milwaukee’s Ben Sheets starting the All-Star Game, Arizona’s Dan Haren would provide a twist. He started for the AL last season. . . . The Marlins continue to monitor outfielder Willy Taveras and Scott Podsednik and catcher Yorvit Torrealba. But it’s unlikely they will be buyers at the deadline. . . . The Cardinals have interest in Brian Fuentes, but not Matt Herges. Don’t rule out the Phillies on Fuentes. Manager Charlie Manuel has long coveted the left-hander. . . . Jerry Dipoto, a key member of the Diamondbacks’ front office, has been mentioned as a candidate for the Mariners’ GM job. Dipoto has made a smooth transition from player to broadcaster to talent evaluator.
