Apr 15, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox infielder Alexei Ramirez hits a single against the Boston Red Sox at U.S Cellular Field. The Chicago White Sox won 2-1. Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox infielder Alexei Ramirez knows he’s a free-swinger, but he’s driving a lot of baseballs around the ballpark through the first two weeks of the season.
Despite a career .250 batting average in the month of April, Ramirez came into a series-opening 2-1 victory against the Boston Red Sox at U.S. Cellular Field leading the American League in batting average (.420), hits (21), on-base percentage (.463), slugging percentage (.680) and average with runners in scoring position (.583).
He also went 1-for-3 and extended his season-opening hitting streak to 14 games, scoring the game-winning run in the ninth on an error after drilling a walk-off home run this past Sunday to beat the Cleveland Indians.
“This has just developed,” Ramirez said through an interpreter. “I think if one prepares himself and gets himself ready and plays with passion, you’re going to have good things happen. This has been a great start for me, but I can’t say there’s one thing or the other. I’m just thankful that I’m being blessed that I started off this way.”
His hot streak at the plate is helping the White Sox put up some impressive offensive numbers. Chicago came into Tuesday’s game leading the major leagues in runs per game (6.15) and the AL in average (.284) and on-base plus slugging (.816). Ramirez had also driven in 12 runs before the game, which was already a career-high for the month of April, when temperatures are routinely in the high 30s and 40s.
The Cuban-born Ramirez said he’s learned how to deal with the cold weather, which could be part of the reason he’s doing so well at the plate this quickly.
“I have friends and teammates who’ve always told me dealing with the cold is psychological and I completely agree with them,” Ramirez said. “I’ve just been dressing warm and not really thinking about it is the only way I approach it.”
Whatever he’s doing, White Sox manager Robin Ventura is enjoying the results. Along with steady play at shortstop, Ramirez is giving his lineup some welcome production from the bottom third of the order.
“There’s some of it you can’t explain, because he swings at a lot of pitches,” Ventura said. “But he feels good, he’s seeing the ball well … you’d like it to be a little bit more in the zone, but he’s a very aggressive hitter. What he does do, is he puts it on the barrel. He’s been hitting it the other way, pulling it, so there’s really not a pattern yet of where, exactly, he’s hitting it. He’s putting it on the barrel and doing a good job of it.”
