posted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 12:52 AM
by
Jim
The Cuban connection
Baseball America rated Alexei Ramirez the No. 5 rookie in all of baseball for 2008, behind Geovany Soto, Evan Longoria, Joey Votto and Jair Jurrjens.
As part of the rookie review package in the current issue, Phil Rogers wrote a feature on Ramirez. Most of it's a recap of how we saw his season play out, but it emphasizes the relationship between Ramirez and Jose Contreras, who helped recruit Chelexei and assisted in his adjustment to American life.
A couple of passages:
Because Ramirez had moved between shortstop and
center field in Cuba, some teams weren't sure about his fielding
skills. But Jose Contreras assured Williams that Ramirez could make the
jump to the big leagues.
A member of the White Sox since 2004, he contacted Ramirez to express
his team's interest. Williams was able to sign Ramirez to a four-year
contract for $4.75 million, in part because Contreras sold him on
Chicago as a place to launch his North American career.
And...
Ramirez seemingly earned his spot on the Opening Day roster by playing
well late in spring training, but Williams says he never had any
intention of sending him to the minors.
"There was no way I was going to send this guy to Charlotte, North
Carolina, where he would be on his own," Williams said. "For players
from other cultures, it's important to provide help. I knew he would
have that with Contreras. It would be an easier life here than anywhere
else."
Based on performance alone, Ramirez should've been sent to Triple-A after
the suspended game against Baltimore April 28. He'd pissed off Ozzie Guillen by swinging at the first pitch after Daniel Cabrera threw five straight out of the strike zone, which didn't seem acceptable considering
he was only 4-for-33 at the time and hadn't distinguished himself defensively outside of a terrific spinning throw from the right-center gap
April 15.
Thankfully, Contreras stayed healthy and pitched well enough to stick around, because eventually the Sox reaped the dividends from both their presences.
There don't appear to be any MLB-ready Cubans up for free agency -- the most I've seen so far is
a blurb on a couple interesting teenagers that are still years away -- but keep this in mind whenever the option arises. Contreras' contract expires at the end of the season, but depending on how rehabs from his busted Achilles, this might influence the Sox and how hard they try to keep him around afterward.
For more perspective on Ramirez,
consult your local South Side Sox.
***********************
Arizona Fall League roundup:- Peoria 12, Surprise 6
- Holy crap, did Jordan Danks ever put his stamp on the AFL -- 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Plus a walk. Plus a stolen base. Plus an outfield assist that resulted in a double play.
- Gordon Beckham went 1-for-3 with an RBI, walk, strikeout and two runs scored.
- Cole Armstrong hit a solo homer and walked in six plate appearances.
- Derek Rodriguez struck out the side in a perfect inning.
- And starting for Surprise was no slouch -- Brian Matusz, who was selected four picks ahead of Beckham in the 2008 draft.