The Official Site of Hanley Ramirez

Sun, May 4th 2008, 14:26

Hanley moved to 3rd spot in line up

You can call it a 10-game trial run. Then again, it may end up being the look the Marlins go with for the rest of the way.

Hanley Ramirez, arguably the top leadoff hitter in the game, has officially been slotted in the No. 3 spot. Many within the game feel that the 24-year-old sensation is a natural third-spot hitter. Now the switch is coming in the Marlins’ 29th game.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez had kicked around the idea for a while, but now that left fielder Josh Willingham — the primary cleanup batter — is on the disabled list with a stiff back, Ramirez is helping fill the power void.

Willingham is on the DL retroactive to April 28, which means he is eligible to be reinstated as early as May 13, when the Marlins are at Cincinnati. That would be exactly 10 games the team would play without Willingham’s services.

“It’s a good time to do that,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t like tinkering, but we’ll try it for about 10 games, and see if it is permanent or not permanent.”

One of the most dominant offensive players in the league, Ramirez is batting .322, and even from the leadoff spot, he has paced the team in home runs (eight) and RBIs (19).

He also has nine stolen bases.

“I’m just going to stay the same,” Ramirez said. “I don’t think it is going to change my game. It doesn’t matter. I just want to win as a team, it doesn’t matter where I’m hitting.”

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