The Official Site of Hanley Ramirez

Mon, Jun 9th 2008, 13:54

Hanley getting back on track

At this point, the Marlins will take anything positive that comes from Hanley Ramirez.

Since signing the most lucrative contract in franchise history, the star shortstop has struggled mightily at the plate. But now, Ramirez finally seems to be getting back to being the player who is regarded as one of the National League’s best young talents.

Heading into the second of a four-game series against the Reds, Ramirez is hitting .364 in his past three games (4-for-11), with three home runs, four RBIs and four runs scored. On top of that, he’s carrying a four-game hitting streak.

Those stats may not be eye-popping, but considering how far the 24-year-old shortstop fell during a 14-game stretch, it’s a big step in the right direction.

After signing a six-year, $70 million deal on May 17, Ramirez got only 12 hits in his next 56 at-bats — a .214 batting average — while striking out 25 times and leaving 23 runners on base.

“People go through slumps,” Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Everyone goes through them, and now he’s getting hot.

“That’s just how baseball is.”

On Wednesday against the Braves, Ramirez helped cure two slumps — his and the Marlins’. The Fish were playing the ninth game of a brutal 10-game road trip against the National League East-rival Mets, Phillies and Braves. Coming into the game, Florida had lost six of seven while giving up its division lead, and Ramirez had gone 7-for-34 (.206) on the trip. But with the Marlins down by two in the ninth, catcher Mike Rabelo tied the game with a two-run homer and Ramirez followed with his second homer of the game to give Florida a 6-4 win.

“That’s what happens when you get into a slump,” Ramirez said after that game. “I’m not going to call it a slump. But when you’re struggling a little bit at the plate, you’ve got to be patient and try to get out of it, one way or the other.”

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