Alexei Ramírez

Infobox MLB player
name = Alexei Ramírez


width = 200
caption =
team = Chicago White Sox
number = 10
position = Second base
birthdate = birth date and age|1981|9|22
birthplace = Pinar del Río, Cuba
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = March 31
debutyear = 2008
debutteam = Chicago White Sox
statyear = 2008 regular season
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.290
stat2label=On base percentage
stat2value=.317
stat3label=Slugging percentage
stat3value=.475
stat4label=Home runs
stat4value=21
stat5label=Runs batted in
stat5value=77
stat6label=Stolen bases
stat6value=13
teams =
*Chicago White Sox (by|2008-present)

Alexei Fernando Ramírez (born September 22, 1981 in Pinar del Río, Cuba) is a Major League Baseball second baseman and center fielder for the Chicago White Sox. His nickname is "the Cuban Missile" due to his combination of speed and power.

Baseball career

In seven yearsFact|date=October 2008 of baseball in the Cuban National Series, Ramírez spent most of his time playing shortstop and outfield for Pinar del Rio. He had a batting average of .335 in Cuba, and led the league in 2007 with 20 home runs while posting a .338 average.Fact|date=October 2008 Ramírez played center field for Cuba at the 2006 World Baseball Classic, collecting 6 hits in 16 at-bats and impressing US scouts in the process. He hits and throws right-handed.

In September 2007, Ramírez left Cuba to apply for citizenship in the Dominican Republic, and also apply to Major League Baseball to enter free agency, according to his agent, Jaime Torres. He auditioned for many baseball teams before coming to an agreement on a four year contract with the Chicago White Sox on December 21, 2007.

Alexei Ramírez hit his first Major League home run on May 16, 2008 versus the San Francisco Giants off of Billy Sadler.

Grand Slam Record

He hit his first career grand-slam on July 22, 2008 against the Texas Rangers.

On September 20, 2008, Ramirez hit his third grand slam of the season off of pitcher Brian Bannister of the Kansas City Royals in a 9-4 White Sox win. Tying an American League rookie record set by Shane Spencer of the New York Yankees in 1998. It was the Chicago White Sox's eleventh grand slam this season, tying the club record set in 2006. [cite web
title =Ramirez's grand slam lifts White Sox over Royals
publisher =Associated Press
date =2008-09-20
url =http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hUZ3yWYJ9wkhVUaOzJkvPBcJk3bgD93AAF5O0
accessdate =2008-09-20 ]

On September 29, 2008, Ramirez hit his fourth grand slam of the season, setting a major-league single-season record for a rookie off of Detroit Tigers pitcher Gary Glover In an 8-2 Sox victory to qualify the Sox for a one-game playoff against the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central title. This also broke the team record for most grand slams in a single season. [cite web
title =Grand Slam Records
publisher =Baseball Almanac
date =2008-09-29
url =http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_grsl.shtml
accessdate =2008-09-29 ]

Records held

* Most grand slams by a rookie in a single season. (4), 2008

References

External links