Miami - Hanley Ramirez is on a mission.
The Florida Marlins superstar knows his performance in 2010 did not live up to expectations. Ramirez hit .300 with 21 home runs and 76 RBI. That's not terrible, by any means, but it fell far short of what his capabilities. Ramirez is determined to return to his 2009 form, when he won the National League batting title with a .342 average and finished second in the MVP voting.
"I just want to be what I used to be," Ramirez said. "I've been working a lot and doing whatever it takes to take me where I want to be. It's a lot of work, but I want to have a better year than last year."
Ramirez got off to a slow start in 2010, hitting just .279 with two homers and seven RBI in the first month of the season. He never got comfortable until August, and by September pain in his arms made it impossible for him to compete to the best of his abilities. Now the 27-year-old is focused on getting better prepared for the start of the season and strong enough to last a full season.
"I know I was struggling," Ramirez said. "I think I didn't really get ready early enough in spring training. I think when I went into the season I wasn't ready. That's why I started a little bit earlier this year to do all the work I need to be ready to go April 1."
While his early offensive struggle last season was a concern, the 2010 Hanley Ramirez had some other issues that might have been even more alarming.
His effort was questioned at various times, and his aloof attitude frustrated his teammates throughout the season. That inconsistent effort and attitude turned into a national story on May 17.
Most baseball fans remember the shortstop practically walking to retrieve a ball he kicked into left field after failing to catch it in the air during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Two Arizona runners rounded the bases and scored while a seemingly uninterested Ramirez took his time running down the baseball. Ramirez was removed from the game and sent home by manager Fredi Gonzalez. The next day, he took several verbal shots at his manager in the press and suddenly the whole world viewed Ramirez as an immature, spoiled malcontent.
Rumors started to swirl that at only 26 years old, Ramirez had lost the fire needed to be a truly elite player. Although he was one of the top talents in the game, some of the fan base called for him to be traded because he was doing more harm than good for the ball club.
The truth is Ramirez is not as bad as the incident with Gonzalez made him seem. He can be difficult to deal with, at times, but he is not a terrible person. Sometimes his stardom can get to his head, but there are times that he can be genuinely caring and humble.
One such instance came on Tuesday as he was the first player to take batting practice at the Marlins' new ballpark. Ramirez was honored to be one of the six players chosen to participate in the special event.
"That makes you feel good," Ramirez said. "For me, it was an honor to be the first player to hit in the new stadium. I want to thank the Marlins for that opportunity. It was unbelievable, and I'm never going to forget it."
Some might think that was just Ramirez playing to the media, but his actions spoke louder than his quote. Ramirez was visibly happy to be there. He flashed a bright, white smile throughout the day and was happy to interact with the hundreds of construction workers who mobbed the players for autographs after they finished hitting.
The three-time All-Star knows that talking about change is not enough. He knows the fans have not forgotten about his poor performance last season. He knows they remember his spat with Gonzalez, now the manager of the Braves. He knows they remember his issue with Dan Uggla in 2009. He knows they remember everything, and that includes how he can be one of the best baseball players of this generation.
Ramirez is focused on proving he is the player the organization knows he can be. He wants to return to being the player Marlins fans once supported unconditionally. He wants to prove his doubters wrong.
For the first time in his career, Ramirez is working with a personal trainer. He is in excellent shape. He has lost 10 to 15 pounds since last season and expects to lose at least another five before Opening Day.
"I'm not 240 anymore. I'm in shape," Ramirez said. "I'm stronger than I am fatter. I feel good. I'm 225 or 230. This is the lightest I've been since Jan. 1, when I started working out. Last season, I played at around 235 but I'll be at 220 by the start of the season."
Ramirez has several reasons for his weight loss. From a desire to be more aggressive, to building more stamina, to putting less strain on his body, the Dominican star believes his hard work will pay major dividends in 2011.
"I want to be aggressive in my game," Ramirez said. "I want to steal some bases and have more range at shortstop. It will help me feel good throughout the year. I have been working on the little muscles in my body, too, the tendons and things like that. I'm feeling better now because I've got my own personal trainer and he knows what we're doing."
The hard work this offseason had been planned for a long time. Ramirez was unhappy with how he had performed in 2010 and had expressed his disappointment in himself to Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez.
"He knows that on this team he is the main guy," Rodriguez said late last season. "The whole offense revolves around him, and he is very aware of that. He expressed to me very good things about next year for himself as far as the way he's going to prepare. I think we're going to see a very different Hanley Ramirez next year."
Ramirez certainly feels the expectations that many have placed on him after his first five outstanding years in the big leagues. In fact, Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest believes some might take for granted just how special Ramirez is and how he can help a team even when he is not at the top of his game.
"I think that he has high expectations and he feels the expectations for him as an elite player to live up to .330-plus, or whatever it is, every day," Beinfest said.
"I think he is going to be an elite player for a long time, whether that means he's going to be somewhere between .300 and .342, that's how we judge him, I don't know. I think sometimes we lose some appreciation for it, the impact of the player in total, the way he can run, the way he can command a game. At times he can just take over because of his talent."
The superstar shortstop appears to be fully focused on dominating the National League and on silencing doubts that his new attitude and work ethic are only temporary. If his determination and hard work continue, it's safe to assume that Ramirez's talents will flourish and the fans will support him again.
