Isn't it someone's job to make Hanley Ramirez stop talking?
Does Hanley Ramirez(notes) not have an agent? Advisers? Friends? Concerned neighbors? Might he listen to Billy the Marlin's special brand of folksy wisdom?
It seems like there should be someone in Hanley's life who can convince him — at least for a few days — to shut up. He's making this loafing situation much, much worse than it needs to be.
By now you've all seen the highlight of Ramirez pursuing a booted ball into left field at a tectonic pace (and if you haven't seen the clip, here it is). You've no doubt also seen manager Fredi Gonzalez's reaction to the play; he confronted Ramirez in the dugout, then sent him to the clubhouse. Typical manager stuff. It was not an overreaction. As a Ramirez owner, I fully acknowledge the need to remove him from Monday's game.
But I'd also like to see him back on the field in the not-too-distant future, and Ramirez isn't making things easy for the man who fills out Florida's lineup card.
Prior to Tuesday's game, Ramirez told reporters that he was angry, that he'd lost respect for Gonzalez, and that he ran as hard as he possibly could on Monday — and, OK, even if he didn't run with max-effort, it was just fine because "We have a lot of people dogging it after ground balls."
Not surprisingly, Gonzalez is now insisting on an apology. This from MLB.com's Joe Frisaro:
"I think he needs to talk to his teammates a little bit," Gonzalez said. "Whatever feelings he has with me or doesn't have with me, it's fine and dandy. We don't have to get along, but I think he has to get along with the other 24 guys on this team. When that happens, we'll run him back in there. When he sets his ego aside, this could be good."
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The manager said he didn't know when Ramirez would return to the lineup.
"I think he needs to take care of the situation," Gonzalez said. "When he handles that, the right way, we'll be fine."
You know, if anyone could have just handled Hanley the right way on Monday night, this situation would not have escalated. What's the point in paying people to represent you if they don't intervene when you're about to say something insane?
Honestly, I don't care about Marlins team chemistry. And at this particular time, I don't care if Hanley grows as a result of this experience. (He can grow up next season, on someone else's fantasy roster). And I certainly don't care what Wes Helms thinks. I just need Ramirez to be a contributing member of my fantasy portfolio. Here's hoping that Hanley's people — assuming he has people — will engage in a little belated damage control.
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Photo via US Presswire
