The Official Site of Hanley Ramirez

Wed, Jul 15th 2009, 11:59

Fellow All-Stars admire Hanley's ability

While growing up in the Dominican Republic, Hanley Ramirez chose Miguel Tejada as one of his childhood idols.

While Tejada is heading toward the twilight of his career, Ramirez is solidifying the belief of fans and numerous Major League scouts who have labeled him as one of the game’s most exciting players.

But as they prepared to serve as the National League’s only shortstops for Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Busch Stadium, Ramirez and Tejada found themselves standing side by side at their lockers and sharing equal admiration for each other’s talents.

“The way he plays the game kind of reminds me of when I was a kid,” Tejada said. “He’s a good kid, and he’s definitely one of the best.”

Provided the opportunity to draw some of the attention he isn’t afforded while playing for the Marlins, Ramirez went hitless in three at-bats while serving as the leadoff hitter for the NL, which saw the American League prolong its All-Star Game dominance with a 4-3 victory.

“This is baseball,” Ramirez said. “It’s disappointing whenever you don’t win. That’s why we play — to win.”

Josh Johnson, the Marlins’ other All-Star selection whose appearance during Sunday’s 8-1 win vs. the D-backs limited him to emergency duty during Tuesday night’s game, was looking forward to the opportunity to see Ramirez do something special while playing under the bright lights of this setting.

“He deserves to get this stage,” Johnson said. “He’s one of the best players, and I’ve gotten to watch him day in and day out. He just has to keep doing what he’s doing. He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, that’s for sure.”

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