Aramis Ramirez

Aramis Nin Ramirez is a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic and plays as a third baseman. As a 16-year old free agent, the Pittsburgh Pirates brought him on board in 1994 and at the age of 19, he made his MLB debut to become the youngest player of all time. In his first three seasons at the top level, Ramirez struggled quite a bit but there were large glimpses of the potential that he had as he split his game time between AAA-Nashville and the Pirates. In 2001, he finally arrived at the Major League scene with 34 home runs and 112 RBIs that just accentuated his .300 batting average, and he stayed with the Pirates for the entire season. However, among third baseman all over the Major League, he had the lowest fielding average at .945 and made 25 errors to add to his lowest zone rating of .745.

Ramirez fell lower in 2002 as his batting average dropped to .234 and he hit just 18 home runs. He earned a suspension in April for throwing his helmet at pitcher Ben Sheets and then charging the mound. In 2003, the Pirates decided to trade him out to the Cubs and there was a small change in fortune for the player as he ended the season on a high note. Ramirez played 26 games for the Cubs and hit 3 home runs along with 7 RBIs to help his team reach the playoffs and then win the first round against the Atlanta Braves. His fielding average was still the lowest in the league at .929.

Despite a hamstring injury, Ramirez had a great 2004 season and was considered as one of the key members who would have been influential in taking the Cubs to the playoffs, which they failed to do. Ramirez hit 3 home runs in two games to become only the 14th player in MLB history to do so. His first came against the Cincinnati Reds while the second against the Philadelphia Phillies although through the season, his range factor remained poor at 2.26, the lowest for all third basemen.

Ramirez was picked for the All-Star game in the 2005 season but ended up on the injury list after straining his Quadriceps. However, his season was still strong with 31 home runs and 92 RBIs. He raised these figures to 38 hone runs and 119 RBI in 2006, on the way to picking up his 1000th hit. His 2.41 range factor was still the lowest for all third basemen in the MLB, for the third year in a row.

At the end of the 2006 season, he was supposed to be one of the biggest free agents to be available on the market however the Cubs offered him a 5 year deal worth $73 million to change his mind. His 101 RBIs helped the Cubs win the 2007 League Central Division title and he also finished second on homeruns within the team with 26 to his name along with a .310 batting average. Ramirez finally improved his game defensively through the season and was instrumental in a number of crucial wins for the Cubs.

Ramirez was also a part of the 2008 All-Star game although as a reserve. He hit a Grand Slam home run against the Phillies in the bottom of the 8th inning, the 8th Grand Slam of his career. He was awarded with the Hank Aaron award for being the most outstanding offensive performer in the National League.