Hanley Ramírez facts for kids

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Hanley Ramírez

Ramírez with the Boston Red Sox in 2015

Shortstop

Born: December 23, 1983 (age 41)
Samaná, Dominican Republic

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

debut

September 20, 2005, for the Boston Red Sox

Last appearance

April 17, 2019, for the Cleveland Indians

MLB statistics

Batting average

.289

Home runs

271

Runs batted in

917

Teams

Boston Red Sox (2005)
Florida / Miami Marlins (2006–2012)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2012–2014)
Boston Red Sox (2015–2018)
Cleveland Indians (2019)

Career highlights and awards

3× All-Star (2008–2010)
NL Rookie of the Year (2006)
2× Silver Slugger Award (2008, 2009)
NL batting champion (2009)

Medals

Men's baseball

Representing DOM
World Baseball Classic
Gold	2013 San Francisco	Team

Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983) is a Dominican-American baseball player. He used to play shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox, Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Indians.

Ramírez was a three-time MLB All-Star. He also won the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year Award. While he mostly played shortstop, he also played first base, third base, and left field. He was known as a great hitter. Later in his career, he moved to first base, where he played very well.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Ramírez was born in Samaná, Dominican Republic. His parents are Toribio and Isabela Ramírez. His father worked as an auto mechanic.

From a young age, Hanley loved baseball. He was also a good basketball player. He went to Adventista High School in Samaná. MLB scouts noticed his talent. A scout for the Boston Red Sox, Levy Ochoa, signed him to the team in 2000.

Starting His Professional Career

Playing in the Minor Leagues

Ramírez signed with the Boston Red Sox in July 2000. He was 16 years old. He played in the Dominican Summer League in 2001. In 2002, he played for the GCL Red Sox. He hit very well and was chosen as an All-Star.

In 2003, Ramírez played for the Class A Augusta GreenJackets. He continued to play well. In 2004, he played for several teams. These included the Sarasota Red Sox and the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. Before the 2005 season, Baseball America called him one of the top prospects in baseball.

First Time with the Boston Red Sox (2005)

Ramírez made his first appearance in MLB on September 20, 2005. He played against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He only played in two games that season.

Time with the Florida / Miami Marlins (2006–2012)

After the 2005 season, the Red Sox traded Ramírez to the Florida Marlins. He became the Marlins' starting shortstop.

Becoming Rookie of the Year (2006)

On April 3, he got his first MLB hit. On April 18, he hit his first MLB home run. He even hit a second home run in the same game!

Ramírez was amazing in his rookie year. He led all rookies with 185 hits, 119 runs, and 51 stolen bases. He also hit seven leadoff home runs. He was the first player in the NL to have at least 110 runs and 50 stolen bases as a rookie. He won the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Continuing to Shine (2007)

Ramírez kept playing great in his second year. He was hitting .331 with 14 home runs and 27 steals by the All-Star break. Even with these great numbers, he was not chosen for the All-Star team.

His manager, Fredi González, thought Ramírez could hit for power. He tried batting him higher in the lineup. In July, Ramírez hurt his shoulder while swinging. He finished the season with a .332 batting average, 29 home runs, and 51 steals. He had surgery on his shoulder after the season.

All-Star and Big Contract (2008)

In 2008, Ramírez became one of the main players for the Marlins. He was chosen as the starting shortstop for the National League All-Star team. This was his first All-Star selection.

He also signed a big contract with the Marlins. It was for six years and $70 million. Ramírez was named the NL Player of the Month in June. He ended the season with 33 home runs and 35 stolen bases. He became a member of the 30–30 club. This means he hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in one season.

Batting Champion (2009)

Ramírez playing for the Florida Marlins in 2009

Before the 2009 season, Ramírez played for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In April, he hit his first career grand slam. In July, he was again the NL starting shortstop for the All-Star Game.

In September, he hit his 100th career home run. With a batting average of .342, Ramírez won his first batting title. He also won the Silver Slugger Award.

More All-Star Games (2010)

In May 2010, Ramírez had a disagreement with his manager. He was benched for one game. But he came back strong.

Ramírez was voted as an All-Star starter for the third year in a row. He also took part in the State Farm Home Run Derby. He finished second to Boston's David Ortiz. In August, he hit his 25th career leadoff home run. He also got his first career walk-off hit. He ended the season with a .300 batting average, 21 home runs, and 32 steals. He hurt his elbow and missed the end of the season.

Injuries and Position Change (2011–2012)

The 2011 season was tough for Ramírez. He played below his usual level. He hurt his shoulder again in August and missed the rest of the season. He needed surgery in the off-season.

In 2012, the Marlins got another shortstop, José Reyes. This meant Ramírez had to change positions to third base. On July 25, 2012, Ramírez was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2012–2014)

Joining the Dodgers (2012)

Ramírez hit a triple in his very first at-bat with the Dodgers. He hit his first home run for the Dodgers on July 27. In 64 games with the Dodgers, he hit .271 with 10 home runs. He had three walk-off hits in 2012, which was the most in MLB.

Playoffs and Injuries (2013)

Ramírez with the Los Angeles Dodgers in April 2013.

Ramírez played for the Dominican team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He hurt his hand in the championship game. He needed surgery and missed the start of the season.

He came back in April, but then hurt his hamstring in May. He rejoined the Dodgers in June. His return helped the Dodgers play much better. They went from last place to winning their division. Ramírez hit .345 with 20 home runs in only 86 games. He reached the playoffs for the first time.

In the playoffs, he played great in the first round. But in the next series, he was hit by a pitch. This broke two of his ribs. He had to leave the series, and the Dodgers lost.

Last Year with Dodgers (2014)

Ramírez with the Dodgers

In 2014, Ramírez dealt with several injuries. He finished the season hitting .283 with 13 home runs. On August 2, he hit his first career walk-off home run. After the season, he became a free agent.

Returning to the Boston Red Sox (2015–2018)

On November 25, 2014, Ramírez signed a big contract to return to the Boston Red Sox. The team planned for him to play left field, a new position for him.

New Position in Left Field (2015)

Ramírez talking with umpire Will Little.

On Opening Day 2015, Ramírez played left field for the first time. He hit two home runs and had 5 RBI. In April, he hit his 10th home run of the season. This made him one of only two Red Sox players to hit 10 home runs in April.

However, in May, he crashed into the left field wall. He hurt his shoulder. He finished the 2015 season with a .249 batting average and 19 home runs. His defense in left field was not very good. So, the Red Sox decided he would change positions again. For 2016, he would become their starting first baseman.

Success at First Base (2016)

Ramírez worked hard to learn first base. His move to first base was praised by the team. He looked much more comfortable in the infield.

On July 20, 2016, Ramírez hit three home runs in one game. On August 12, he hit two more three-run home runs. This was his 20th game with multiple home runs.

On September 15, Ramírez hit a walk-off three-run home run. This helped the Red Sox win a thrilling game. The Red Sox then went on an eleven-game winning streak. They won their division title. On October 2, Ramírez hit his 30th home run of the season. He finished the season with a .286 batting average and a career-high 111 RBI.

Designated Hitter Role (2017)

After David Ortiz retired, Ramírez became the designated hitter for the Red Sox. He had a lower batting average of .242. He hit 23 home runs and had 62 RBI. In the playoffs, Ramírez batted very well, hitting .571. But the Red Sox lost to the Houston Astros.

Leaving the Red Sox (2018)

In 2018, Ramírez started April well, but struggled in May. On May 25, the Red Sox decided to let him go. He was officially released on May 30. In his second time with the Red Sox (2015–18), he hit .260 with 78 home runs.

Playing for the Cleveland Indians (2019)

On February 26, 2019, Ramírez signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians. He played in 16 games for Cleveland. He hit .184 with two home runs. The Indians decided to release him on April 20. He then chose to become a free agent.

Personal Life

Ramírez is married to Sanoe (Elisabeth). They have three children. He enjoys reggae music and DJing. He also likes listening to merengue and bachata music.

He is good friends with his former teammate, David Ortiz. In April 2019, Ramírez became a naturalized United States citizen.