José Ramírez: Recovered and shows his culinary art during the pandemic
April 21, 2020 -
His hand and wrist are strengthened again, ready for when this pandemic ends. José Ramírez will once again be the player who between 2017 and 2018 achieved such brilliance that he was third in the race for the Most Valuable player in the American League.
His big rebound last year was squandered after hurting his right wrist after being hit with a foul ball on August 25 against Glenn Sparman of Kansas City, and at the time he finished the year, which for at least the past two months had him batting .327 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs.
"I am recovered again, my hands are strong and I am like in my best times," Ramirez told the LISTIN. Ramirez had surgery five days after the injury. He has recovered fully.
"After the surgery, I spent all the break, working to return to my form and thank God I'm back," added the 5'9 and 26-year-old player, one of the players signed by veteran scout Ramón Peña.
After healing, he then underwent his usual training regimen with his coach, William Lugo, with whom he has worked with since his days when he was one of more players in the complex that Enrique Soto managed in Baní.
"Lugo is one who knows me best and knows what I should work on and focus on," said Ramírez, who rebounded after an unrecognizable first half when the injury occurred, in which he barely hit .218 with seven homers and 35 rbi in 317 at bats.
Ramirez is currently at Goodyear, the training ground for the Cleveland Indians, where he is currently working while staying at home during the pandemic.
The third baseman attends two or three times a week at the park near the home, where he performs his agility skills, strengthening the hands, working on his arm strength and other types of workouts.
On other occasions he attends the batting cages working on his hitting skills.
He also helps his wife with the care of her little Isabella, just nine months old.
It is not difficult for Ramírez to adapt to the kitchen and contribute his culinary skills with his wife Rosely, since he brings this art with him from his time in Class A when it was his turn to assume those functions with the group of newbies with whom he shared an apartment in those early days with the Indians.
"I was not far behind in the kitchen, I can prepare any kind of dishes to the best of tastes," says Ramírez, who works hard to cook a Moor of pigeon peas with a burning tail and salcocho, two of his favorites.
"Modesty aside I can say that I have a unique skills in the kitchen. I had to learn to cook from my early years when I signed with the Indians and I can say that this helped me a lot," says the player.
In the Minors, Ramírez was the cook for the group with whom he lived, but the others paid much more money in rent for the apartment.
Francisco Lindor, who has been a team leader since these early years, always appeared in that group. Manuel Carmona, another native of Baní was also there.
Despite the fact that in 2016, Ramírez with his .312 (565-176) average 11 homers, 76 RBIs, with 46 doubles and 22 stolen bases, hints that he is an important player in the majors, but has not received an invitation to join the World Baseball Classic team.
Ramirez hopes that for next year's contest this invitation will arrive. "With pleasure, I will be present at the event, of course, if I am injury free," Ramírez told the LISTIN.
Ramirez was already informed that Juan Núñez Nepomuceno and Amauris Nina, president and operations manager of the Baseball Federation would visit him. But this was not possible because just one day before the visit, due to the corona virus, the visit was cancelled.
"Luis Castillo (pitcher from Cincinnati) already told me that they would be visiting our complex," said Ramírez.
Like most players, Ramírez has gone to the aid of his native Villa Majega and other nearby towns such as Santa Rosa and La Javilla, where he has contributed delivery of nearly a thousand food rations.
"I want everyone to remain calm in their homes, because this virus is serious and this is the best way to combat it," added the player in his final message to the Dominican population.
Only Latino with 5 extra-bases in a game
On September 3, 2017, Ramírez became the 13th player in history to connect 5 extra bases in a game, on that date he also became the only Hispanic to do so.
Dominican doubles player leader.
In the 2017 season, he hit 56 doubles and became the Dominican with the most doubles in one season, leaving behind the record of 54 that had been held by Alex Rodríguez since 2004.
Equaled Doubles mark for a switch hitter.
His 56 doubles in 2017 equaled Brian Roberts as switch hitting batters in connecting for the most amount of doules. Roberts hit his 56 in 2009 with the Baltimore Orioles.
