Hanley Ramirez Exacts Revenge On Joe Kelly For 2013 Hit By Pitch
BOSTON (CBS) -- In his regular-season and postseason career, Hanley Ramirez has been hit by a pitch 54 times. Add in his minor league career, and Ramirez has been hit by a pitch 75 times since 2002.
But there's one inside fastball which stands out in Ramirez's mind more than others. It came on Oct. 11, 2013, in Game 1 of the NLCS. Ramirez stepped into the batter's box against Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly. With one on and one out, Kelly delivered a 95 mph fastball directly into the middle of Ramirez's body.
Ramirez was helpless, left to take the pitch directly off the rib cage. He played the full 13 innings that night, but he missed Game 2 due to bruised ribs and he went 2-for-13 with four strikeouts and no extra-base hits in the rest of the series. It was later discovered that Ramirez's rib was actually broken.
But time, as they say, heals all wounds. And, well, if time doesn't get it done, then a headlock oughtta do the trick.
Ramirez, now teammates with Joe Kelly in Red Sox camp, playfully exacted some revenge on the pitcher this week in Fort Myers.
It's all in good fun, but given how swolen Ramirez's forearms are looking these days, Kelly still had to be a little bit frightened.
