Aramis Ramirez, Infield, Retired
Date of Birth: 6/25/1978
Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Aramis Ramirez was first signed at the age of 16 by the Pirates in 1994. He made his first appearance in the major leagues in 1998, but he spent his first three seasons split between the minor leagues and the Pirates, playing in 72 games with them in 1998, 18 games in 1999, and 73 games in 2000.
In 2001, Ramirez' first full season in the major leagues, he had a strong season with a batting average of .300, 181 hits, 40 doubles, 34 home runs, and 112 RBIs. However, he struggled in 2002, batting just .234. Although he started strong the following season, the Pirates traded him in July, 2003 to the Chicago Cubs.
Ramirez stayed with the Cubs through 2011, playing well for them during his nine seasons with them. In 2008, he won the National League Hank Aaron award and three years later, his last season with the Cubs, he won a Silver Slugger award.
Ramirez became a free agent after the 2011 season and in December, he signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2012, he proved his worth to the team by leading the National League in doubles with 50. In 2013, he played in just 92 games, with 86 hits, 18 doubles, and a .283 batting average. He finished the 2014 season with 141 hits, 23 doubles, 15 home runs, 66 RBIs, and a .285 batting average.
Ramirez returned to the Pirates in a trade on July 23, 2015. He finished the season with 117 hits, 31 doubles, 17 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a .246 batting average in 81 games with the Brewers and 56 games with the Pirates. As a third baseman, he made 202 assists, 20 double plays, 62 putouts, and 10 errors in 122 games.
On November 5, 2015, Ramirez announced his retirement from major league baseball.
Statistics for Ramirez in 18 seasons (1998-2015) in the major leagues include:
- 7 seasons with a batting average of .300 or better, with highs of .317 in 2009 and .318 in 2004
- 8 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 181 in 2001
- 10 seasons with 30 or more doubles, with a high of 50 in 2012
- 10 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 38 in 2006
- 7 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 119 in 2006
Career batting statistics for Ramirez through 2015 include:
- 2,194 games played
- 2,303 hits
- 495 doubles
- 386 home runs
- 1,417 RBIs
- 1,238 strikeouts to 633 walks
- .283 batting average
Career fielding statistics for Ramirez at third base through 2015 include:
- 2,112 games played
- 3,627 assists
- 287 double plays
- 1,197 putouts
- 244 errors
- .952 fielding percentage
Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Aramis Ramirez
ESPN Sports - Aramis Ramirez