The Official Site of Hanley Ramirez

Mon, Oct 5th 2009, 12:19

Hanley claims Marlins' first batting title

Dick Groat no longer is the answer to the trivia question.

Now when people ask who is the most recent National League shortstop to win the batting title, Hanley Ramirez’s name will pop up.

Ramirez became the first Marlin to capture the batting title. The 25-year-old Dominican Republic native finished the season at .342, with the next closest challenger being Pablo Sandoval of the Giants (.330).

Ramirez is the first shortstop to win the NL crown since Groat of the Pirates in 1960. To show how rare it is for shortstops to capture the title, consider Arky Vaughan and Honus Wagner are the only others in NL history.

“It’s a lot of work and a lot of dedication,” said Ramirez, who didn’t play in Sunday’s 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Phillies in the season final- because he was nursing a bruised right knee. “At the same time, our coaching staff, they’ve been with me since Day 1. I feel like I have improved a lot. I’m motivated to improve. I’ve got to keep on working hard.”

Ramirez also established the Marlins’ record for highest batting average, topping the .339 by Miguel Cabrera in 2006. Cabrera that season finished second to Freddy Sanchez, then of the Pirates.

“That’s a great accomplishment, the batting title,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He was hitting .350, .360 the whole year. It’s a good feather in his cap. To me, he’s got a lot left for him to keep improving. What goes away is the defense. This guy went from 22 errors to 10.”

In his fourth season with Florida, Ramirez has firmly established himself as one of the game’s elite players. His overall numbers were staggering. He had 197 hits in 151 games, and finished with 42 doubles, one triple, 24 home runs and 106 RBIs. He also scored 101 runs and stole 27 bases.

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