The Official Site of Hanley Ramirez

Mon, Mar 29th 2010, 10:42

Marlins owner commemorates Hanley Ramirez’s batting title

The Florida Marlins Get your Marlins Tickets now! didn’t win the World Series last season, but owner Jeffrey Loria put the same jeweler who designed the 2003 championship rings to work. The assignment: Create an eye-popping, spine-curving memento for Hanley Ramirez.

Saturday, Loria appeared with the token to commemorate Ramirez winning the National League batting title. Before the Cardinals’ 3-2 win at Roger Dean Stadium, Loria gave his shortstop a massive diamond-encrusted pendant with last year’s batting average (.342). Attached to a lengthy chain, the white gold pendant hangs down to the base of Ramirez’s sternum.

The inscription on the back, below the Marlins’ logo, reads, “Congratulations! Jeffrey Loria.”

“Special effort, special accomplishment,” said Loria, adding that the first 5,000 fans at the April 9 home opener will get a replica pendant.

“I just feel inspired from time to time to do things players deserve. Hanley did something magnificent last year. I thought about it at the end of the year and wanted to do something different. I know he gets his trophies and all the accolades that come with it. We don’t wear jewelry on the field, but I know Hanley likes it off the field.

“He came to me last week and said, ‘Are you doing something for me?’ I said, ‘Yeah, what’s your shirt size?’ Of course, I put it in a box the size of a shirt. He was very surprised. I like doing nice things for good people, and we have a lot of good people around here,” said Loria.

Ramirez’s reaction: “Oh my God.”

Including the teal-colored diamond representing the decimal in the .342, the piece contains 394 diamonds, equating to between eight and 10 carats. Loria said the design process began three and a half months ago.

The batting title and pendant doesn’t happen if Ramirez doesn’t make a couple of adjustments last season. Moving from first to third in the batting order, Ramirez came up in more run producing situations and exhibited the proper aggressiveness.

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