Alex Ramírez

Alex Ramírez
Ramirez celebrating his 2000 career hits in 2013
Yokohama DeNA BayStars – No. 80
Outfielder /Manager
Born: 3 October 1974 Caracas, Venezuela
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: 19 September, 1998, for the Cleveland Indians
NPB: March 30, 2001, for the Yakult Swallows
Last appearance
MLB: September, 27, 2000, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
NPB: October, 8, 2013, for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars
MLB statistics (through 2000)
Batting average	.259
Hits	86
Home runs	12
Runs batted in	48
NPB statistics (through 2013)
Batting average	.301
Hits	2017
Home runs	379
Runs batted in	1272
Teams
As a player: Cleveland Indians (1998–2000) Pittsburgh Pirates (2000) Yakult Swallows/Tokyo Yakult Swallows (2001–2007) (NPB) Yomiuri Giants (2008–2011) (NPB) Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2012–2013) (NPB) Gunma Diamond Pegasus (2014) (Baseball Challenge League) As manager: Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2016)– (NPB)
Career highlights and awards
NPB 2× Central League MVP (2008-2009) 8× NPB All-Star (2002–2003,2007–2012) 2× Japan Series champion (2001, 2009) 4× Best Nine Award (2003,2007–2009) Leader of Batting average in Central League (2009) 3× Leader of RBI in Central League (2003, 2007, 2008) Leader of Home run in Central League (2003) 2× Japan Series champion (2001, 2009)

Alexander Ramón Ramírez (born 15 August 1974) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder who had a long career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is the first foreign-born player to record 2,000 hits while playing in NPB. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians (1998–2000) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2000). He batted and threw right-handed.

In October 2015 he was named as the BayStars manager for the 2016 season.^[1]

Professional baseball career

American minor leagues

He was named the Indians' 1998 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "Lou Boudreau Award").^[2][3]

Major League Baseball

In three MLB seasons, Ramírez batted .259 with 12 home runs, 48 RBI, 38 runs, 17 doubles, three triples, and three stolen bases in 135 games.

Nippon Professional Baseball career

Ramirez with the Yomiuri Giants in 2009

After the 2000 season, Ramírez signed with the Yakult Swallows (2001–2007) and was their cleanup hitter. He did hold the Central League (Japan) record for most base hits in a single season (204) set in 2007, but Hanshin Tigers outfielder Matt Murton would surpass this with 214 hits in 2010. Due to contract issues (Ramírez wanted a multi-year contract, but the Swallows offered a one-year contract), he decided to sign with the Yomiuri Giants before the 2008 season.

In 2008, Ramírez led the Central League with 125 RBI while hitting .319 (6th in the league) with 45 home runs (2nd). He also hit two home runs in Game 2 of the Japan Series, including one in the bottom of the ninth to win Game 2.

At the end of the 2008 season, Ramírez won the Central League MVP Award to become the third Venezuelan player to be honored with the title in Japanese Baseball, joining Roberto Petagine (Central League, 2001) and Alex Cabrera (Pacific League, 2002).^[4]

After playing eight seasons in NPB, he obtained FA Right in 2008, and he is also not bound to the restriction of the number of non-Japanese players on each team. Which only very few non-Japanese player have such right. In 2009, he became the second player to obtain overseas FA right allowing him to play overseas (though due to his previous stint in the Major Leagues, he was already exempt from the posting system between the NPB and the MLB) and the fastest foreign player to accumulate 1500 hits in NPB.

On July 5, 2012, Ramirez recorded his 2,000 career hit (with 1,914 in Japan and 86 in MLB), which was commonly recognized as reaching the qualification for a possible invitation to Meikyukai, a private club which recognizes Japan's elite players and no Western players by then was invited.^[5] Though, he was ineligible invited as the Meikyukai stated records before a player started his NPB career could not be counted (meaning his 86 MLB hits don't count). On April 6, 2013, Ramirez hit a home run to record his 2,000 career hit in NPB, and became the 42nd player and the first foreign player to accomplish the feat, and joined Meikyukai.^[6]

Baseball Challenge League

Ramírez spent the 2014 season as a player-coach with the Gunma Diamond Pegasus of Japan's Baseball Challenge League. In 45 games, he hit .305 with 7 home runs and 38 RBI.^[7] He retired after the 2014 season and signed on as the Diamond Pegasus' Senior Director.^[8]

Coaching

In the middle of the 2015 Ramírez joined the Orix Buffaloes as an advisor, mentoring younger players.^[9] In October 2015 he was named as the BayStars manager for the 2016 season, replacing Kiyoshi Nakahata who resigned at the end of the 2015 season due to the team's poor performance.^[1]

Career statistics

Ramirez in 2012.

Nippon Professional Baseball
Year	Age	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	TB	RBI	SB	AVG
2001	27	Yakult	138	510	60	143	23	0	29	253	88	1	.280
2002	28	Yakult	139	539	65	159	25	0	24	256	92	0	.295
2003	29	Yakult	140	567	105	189	34	3	40	349	124	4	.333
2004	30	Yakult	129	525	79	160	30	2	31	287	110	2	.305
2005	31	Yakult	146	596	70	168	19	1	32	285	104	5	.282
2006	32	Yakult	146	603	79	161	28	2	26	271	112	0	.267
2007	33	Yakult	144	594	80	204	41	3	29	338	122	0	.343
2008	34	Yomiuri	144	548	84	175	28	0	45	338	125	1	.319
2009	35	Yomiuri	144	577	66	186	35	0	31	314	103	4	.322
2010	36	Yomiuri	144	566	93	172	28	0	49	347	129	1	.304
2011	37	Yomiuri	137	477	39	133	12	1	23	216	73	2	.279
2012	38	DeNa	137	476	40	143	25	0	19	225	76	0	.300
2013	39	DeNa	56	130	6	24	0	0	2	30	14	0	.185

Statistics current as of 21 November 2014

Ramirez in 2012.

Business career

In February 2013, Alex Ramirez started, with his wife and his son, a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, called Ramichan Cafe, serving the cuisine of Puerto Rico, where his wife grew up.^[10]

Personal life

Ramirez is a Christian. Ramirez has spoken about his faith saying, "I believe (continuing to play baseball) is my desire, but it's not my life. God has already blessed me with this career, and whatever God has planned for me, I will be happy to follow that, whether or not I play baseball again. It's not what I want; it's what God wants for me."^[11]

References

1. "BayStars name Ramirez as new manager". 19 October 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
2. "Minor League Player of the Year by Team". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
3. "Cabrera, Laffey Receive '07 Honors". Scout.com. 28 November 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
4. "Alexander Ramírez elegido el Jugador Más Valioso". El Nacional. Associated Press. 22 November 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
5. Lefton, Brad (July 7, 2012). "Where No Westerner in Japan Has Gone". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
6. Coskrey, Jason (April 9, 2013). "Ramirez possibly top foreign-born player ever in NPB". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013.
7. Hongo, Jun. "Longtime Baseball Star Alex Ramirez Retires From the Diamond," Wall Street Journal blog (Oct. 15, 2014).
8. Gen. "Alex Ramirez named Gunma Diamond Pegasus Senior Director," Yakyubaka.com (Oct. 29, 2014).
9. "Ramirez happy to be back in NPB". 28 June 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
10. Lider en Deportes. "Álex Ramírez inauguró restaurante en Japón". Retrieved 30 April 2013.
11. "Life's Crossroads".

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Retrosheet

• Nippon Professional Baseball career statistics from Japanesebaseball.com
• Venezuelan Professional Baseball League statistics
• Alex Ramirez Web Site
• Yokohama star Ramírez keeps family close to his heart
• Alex Ramirez "Ramichan Cafe"