Pedro Ramos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pedro Ramos |
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Ramos, circa 1964–66
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: April 28, 1935 Pinar del Río, Cuba |
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| debut | |||
| April 11, 1955, for the Washington Senators | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 25, 1970, for the Washington Senators | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 117–160 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.08 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,305 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Pedro ("Pete") Ramos Guerra (born April 28, 1935) is a former professional baseball pitcher from Cuba. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 years, from 1955 to 1967, and again in 1969 and 1970. He played for several teams, including the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and the expansion Washington Senators. Pedro Ramos was chosen to be an All-Star in 1959. He was known for pitching many innings, even though his teams often struggled.
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Early Life
Pedro Ramos was born on April 28, 1935, in Pinar del Río, Cuba. As a teenager, he worked on his father’s tobacco farm. He also played baseball as an amateur in Cuba. When he was 17, a famous scout named Joe Cambria signed him to play for the Washington Senators.
Baseball Career
Minor League Journey
In 1953, at just 18 years old, Ramos started his professional career. He pitched for the Class-D Morristown Red Sox. He played in 33 games that year. He had a record of 7 wins and 6 losses. After only one more year in the minor leagues, he joined the Washington Senators in 1955.
Major League Adventures
Pedro Ramos began his major league career with the Washington Senators in 1955. He did not know English at first, but he learned it by watching cowboy movies. He played for the Senators until 1960. In 1961, the team moved and became the Minnesota Twins. Ramos moved with them.
From 1955 to 1959, the Senators were not a very strong team. They often finished in last place. In 1961, Ramos started the very first game for the new Minnesota Twins. He pitched a shutout game, meaning the other team scored no runs. The Twins beat the New York Yankees and their star pitcher, Whitey Ford.
In 1955, Ramos was only 20 years old. He pitched in 45 games, starting nine of them. He finished that season with 5 wins and 11 losses. He only had one winning season with the Senators and Twins during his first six years. From 1958 to 1961, he led the American League in losses. This was mainly because he was a starting pitcher for teams that didn't win much.
Moving to Cleveland and New York
In 1962, the Twins traded Ramos to the Cleveland Indians. He had a 10-12 record in his first year with Cleveland. In 1963, he had a winning record of 9 wins and 8 losses. This was his first winning record since 1956.
In September 1964, Cleveland traded Ramos to the New York Yankees. The Yankees wanted him to help their relief pitching. Ramos, who was usually a starter, became a big help for the Yankees. He saved eight games and won one game. He helped the Yankees win their division. However, he could not play in the World Series because he was traded late in the season. His teammates still shared some of their World Series earnings with him.
Pitching Style and Batting
Pedro Ramos was known for giving up one of the longest home runs ever. On May 30, 1956, Mickey Mantle of the Yankees hit a ball off Ramos that nearly left Yankee Stadium. It hit the top deck in right field. Both Ramos and Mantle were considered very fast runners. They even had a race once, which Mantle won.
As a hitter, Ramos sometimes hit home runs himself. He hit 15 home runs during his career. He also had 56 runs batted in (RBI). He was a good fielder, with a .977 fielding percentage. This was better than most pitchers.
Ramos also had a notable career pitching in the Cuban Winter League.
Life After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Pedro Ramos worked as a coach. He coached teams in Central and South America. He also started his own business making cigars.
See Also
- List of Major League Baseball all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers
Images for kids
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Pedro Ramos pitching for the Washington Senators in 1960.
