Aramis Ramirez

From Sports Library

**Aramis Ramírez**
Born: June 25 1978 (1978-06-25) (age 30)
Chicago Cubs — No. 16
Third base
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
May 26, 1998 for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Selected MLB statistics (through 2007)
Batting Average	.280
Home Runs	208
Runs Batted In	705
Teams
Pittsburgh Pirates (1998-2003) Chicago Cubs (2003-present)

Aramis Nin Ramírez (born June 25, 1978 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a third baseman in Major League Baseball who has played for the Chicago Cubs since 2003 and on November 12, 2006 signed a five year deal with the Cubs with an option for 2011. Previously, Ramírez played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1998-2003).

Ramírez was signed as a 16 year old free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1994. He made his major league debut with the Pirates in 1998 at the age of 20. Ramírez struggled in his first three seasons while showing great potential.

In 2001, Ramírez exploded for 34 home runs and 112 RBI to go along with a .300 average. Injuries and a terrible batting slump in 2002 ,along with Pittsburgh's need to trim payroll made him expendable, and in the 2003 midseason, the Pirates traded Ramírez along with outfielder Kenny Lofton to the Chicago Cubs.

Ramírez finished the 2003 season strong in Chicago, and led his team into the playoffs, where the Cubs defeated the favored Atlanta Braves, before being beaten by the eventual World Series champion Florida Marlins in a tightly contested seven-game National League Championship Series.

Ramírez played extremely well during the 2004 season, and despite nursing a sore hamstring, led the Cubs in hitting and RBI for most of the season. Long derided for poor defense, his play at third base has been well above average.Template:Fact Cubs former manager Dusty Baker considered Ramírez one of the key ingredients in the Cubs' failed drive for the playoffs. That was strong praise on a team that includes stars the likes of Derrek Lee, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Greg Maddux, and Carlos Zambrano.

On September 16, 2004, Ramirez became the 14th player in Major League history to have two games with three home runs in a season when he hit three homers against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. His other three-home run game came against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 30 at Wrigley Field.

In 2005, he was named to his first all-star game, where he started after National League 3rd basemen vote winner Scott Rolen pulled out of the game due to injury concerns. Ramirez finished the 2005 season on the disabled list, yet, still completed the season with thirty-one home runs and 92 RBIs.

In 2006, he hit 38 home runs while driving in 119 runs. After the season, he was listed as being potentially the biggest free agent in the market with the obvious exception of Alfonso Soriano. In addition to the Cubs, the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Los Angeles Dodgers appeared most interested in his services. However, Ramirez elected to stay with the Cubs, agreeing to a reported 5 year, $73,000,000 contract on November 12, 2006. Ramirez will likely surpass Ron Cey as the third baseman with the most games played for the Cubs in the post-Santo era in the first year of this new contract.

Some Cubs fans refer to Ramirez as "A-Ram."