Alexei Fernando Ramírez Rodriguez (born September 22, 1981) is a

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

n former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

. He has played for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

and

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

in MLB and

Pinar del Rio Pinar may refer to: * Pınar, Turkish feminine given name * Píñar, municipality located in the province of Granada, Spain * Pinar del Río, a city of Cuba * Pinar del Río Province, a province of Cuba * Pinar, Albania, village in Tirana County ...

of the

Cuban National Series The Cuban National Series (, SNB) is the primary domestic professional baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system. ...

. His nickname, given to him by former White Sox manager

Ozzie Guillén Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for 16 seasons, primarily with the Chicago White Sox, from 1985 to 2000. During tha ...

, is "The Cuban Missile" due to his tall, slim physique and combination of speed, power, and strong throwing arm. Ramírez batted and threw right-handed.

Early career

In seven years of baseball in the

, Ramírez spent most of his time playing

and

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball and ...

for

. He had a batting average of .332 in Cuba, and led the league in 2007 with 20 home runs while posting a .335 average. Ramírez played

center field A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the Baseball positions, baseball and softball fielding position between Left fielder, left field and Right fielder, right field. In the numberi ...

for Cuba at the

2006 World Baseball Classic The 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was the inaugural tournament between national baseball teams that included players from Major League Baseball. It was held from March 3 to 20 in stadiums that are in and around Tokyo, Japan; San Juan, Puerto ...

, collecting six hits in 16 at-bats and impressing

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

scouts in the process.

Professional career

Chicago White Sox

In September 2007, Ramírez left Cuba to apply for citizenship in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

, and also apply to Major League Baseball to enter free agency, according to his agent, Jaime Torres. He auditioned for many baseball teams before coming to an agreement on a four-year, $8 million contract with the

on December 21, 2007.

2008 season

Ramírez made his MLB debut on March 31, 2008 against the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

, finishing the game 0-for-4 as the starting center fielder. He recorded his first major league hit on April 2, a single off Indians reliever

Jorge Julio Jorge Dandys Julio Tapia (born March 3, 1979) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball relief pitcher. He previously played for the Baltimore Orioles from 2001 to 2005, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006, and the Florida Marlins ...

. Ramírez hit his first major league home run on May 16, off

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

reliever

Billy Sadler William Henry Sadler IV (born September 21, 1981) is a former right-handed relief pitcher. He is a 2000 graduate of Pensacola (Florida) Catholic High School and was named Florida Class 3A Player of the Year his senior year He attended Pensacola ...

. Ramírez hit his first career

grand slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

on July 22, 2008. On September 19, Ramírez hit his third grand slam of the season off of pitcher

Brian Bannister Brian Patrick Bannister (born February 28, 1981) is an American director of pitching for the San Francisco Giants. He is a former professional baseball starting pitcher who played for the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals of Major League Bas ...

of the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

, tying an American League rookie record set by

Shane Spencer Michael Shane Spencer (born February 20, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. In Major League Baseball, he played a total of 538 games for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets, compiling 438 hi ...

of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

in 1998. It was the White Sox's eleventh grand slam of the season, equaling the previous club record from 2006. On September 29, Ramírez hit his fourth grand slam of the season, setting a major-league single-season record for a rookie, off of

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

pitcher

Gary Glover John Gary Glover (born December 3, 1976) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He had a career major league ERA of 5.03 over eight seasons, including time spent with the Anaheim Angels, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee B ...

in an 8–2 Sox victory to qualify the Sox for a one-game tiebreaker against the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

for the AL Central title. This also broke the team record for most grand slams in a single season. Alexei Ramirez, Adam Jones, Scott Barry

During his first season in the Majors, Ramírez excelled both offensively and in the field, despite primarily playing second base instead of his customary shortstop position. Over 136 games, he posted a .290 batting average, hitting 21 homers and recording 77 RBI. He finished in second place in the voting for

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

Rookie of the Year honors, losing to

Evan Longoria Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008 through 2017, and the S ...

of the

. Ramírez led the major leagues in grand slam home runs in 2008, with four, and also swung at 59% of all pitches he saw for the season, also the most in the majors.

2009 season

Ramírez appeared in 148 games in his second MLB season. He posted a .277 batting average, 15 home runs, 68 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. He fielded a

ground ball In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

for the final out of

Mark Buehrle Mark Alan Buehrle (; born March 23, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox, playing twelve seasons for the team and winning the World S ...

's July 23, 2009

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

2010 season

Ramírez saw action in 156 games with Chicago. His batting average climbed to .282 and he tallied 18 homers and 70 RBI. He also won the American League

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters cons ...

for the shortstop position.

2011 season

On January 31, 2011, Ramírez signed a four-year, $32.5 million contract with the White Sox that included a club option for a fifth year. In 158 games, Ramírez posted a .269 batting average, 15 home runs, and 70 RBI.

2012 season

Ramírez again appeared in 158 games, as his batting average dipped slightly to .265. His home run total decreased to nine, but he still had 73 RBI. He also set a new career high with 20 steals.

2013 season

Alexei Ramírez May 2015 Minute Maid head shot

For a third consecutive season, Ramírez saw action in exactly 158 games. His batting average of .284 was the highest since his rookie season. His power numbers fell further as he hit only six homers and recorded 48 RBI. He also stole 30 bases, surpassing his previous career best from the year before.

2014 season

On May 5, 2014, Ramírez recorded his 1,000th career hit off of

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

' pitcher

Justin Grimm Justin Scott Grimm (born August 16, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers ...

in the 12th inning of the Crosstown Classic. Ramírez was announced to his first All-Star game at the 2014 MLB All-Star Game along with teammates

Chris Sale Christopher Allen Sale (born March 30, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, with whom he made his major league debut on ...

and fellow countryman José Abreu. He replaced

Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...

in the field in what was previously announced to be the Yankee star's final MLB season.

2015 season

On November 4, 2015, the White Sox declined Ramírez's $10 million option for the 2016 season, making him a free agent.

San Diego Padres

On January 22, 2016, Ramírez signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the

, with a $4 million mutual option for 2017. He broke up

Steven Matz Steven Jakob Matz (born May 29, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. Matz was born and raised on Long ...

's no-hit bid with a RBI single in a game against the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

on August 14, 2016. Ramírez appeared in 128 games with the Padres, mainly at shortstop. He batted .240, with five home runs and 41 RBI. He was released by the Padres on September 4.

Tampa Bay Rays

On September 8, 2016, Ramírez signed a major league deal with the Rays. He appeared in 17 games with Tampa Bay, tallying a .246 average, one home run, and 7 RBI. On November 3, Ramírez became a free agent.

Diablos Rojos del México

On February 8, 2018, Ramírez signed with the

Diablos Rojos del México The Diablos Rojos del Mexico (English: Mexico Red Devils) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was founded in 1940 by Salvador Lutteroth and Ernesto Carmona. The Diablos Rojos play their hom ...

of the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. He was released by the team on August 16, 2018. In May 2020, Ramírez announced he was still seeking professional baseball opportunities. He later confirmed his retirement the next year.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ramirez, Alexei 1981 births Living people American League All-Stars Baseball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Baseball players at the 2007 Pan American Games Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Cuba Chicago White Sox players Competitors at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games Defecting Cuban baseball players Diablos Rojos del México players Leones del Escogido players Cuban expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball players from Cuba Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball shortstops Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Mexican League baseball shortstops Olympic baseball players of Cuba Olympic gold medalists for Cuba Olympic medalists in baseball Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba Pan American Games medalists in baseball People from Pinar del Río San Diego Padres players Silver Slugger Award winners Tampa Bay Rays players Vegueros de Pinar del Rio players 2006 World Baseball Classic players Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in baseball Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico

Early career

Professional career

Chicago White Sox

2008 season

2009 season

2010 season

2011 season

2012 season

2013 season

2014 season

2015 season

San Diego Padres

Tampa Bay Rays

Diablos Rojos del México

See also

References

External links