Hanley Ramirez Endearing Himself With Red Sox Fans By Simply Being The Anti-Sandoval
By Johnny Carey, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Flashback to September 2015:
The Red Sox are wasting away in last place as the remainder of yet another lost season trudges by at a snail's pace. It's all the more disappointing because it wasn't supposed to be this way. In April, the Sox were pegged by many to rekindle their 2013 magic and again go from worst-to-first. Management gave fans every indication that they were going for it - most notably, by signing big-name free agents Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez to combined $183 million (!) contracts.
As we all remember, that didn't go as planned.
Sandoval hit .245 with 10 HR and 47 RBI. Ramirez finished .249 with 19 HR and 53 RBI. By the end of the 2015 campaign, each had not only failed to bring the Red Sox back to relevance, but had also cemented their status as the two most vilified players on the team. If the fans had it their way, neither Ramirez nor Sandoval would have been back in a Red Sox uniform in 2016.
Now jump to yesterday--The 2016 Home Opener:
As the red carpet rolled out to acknowledge the home team for the first time, Sandoval trotted out as a member of the bench. To put it lightly, the Fenway faithful didn't show him much love.
Ramirez, on the other hand, was received as if 2015 never happened. The same man who looked as if he had forgotten how to catch a baseball last season was feverishly cheered throughout the afternoon.
So while the man of the hour was rightfully David Ortiz, it became hard to focus on anything other than the unlikely love-fest between Ramirez and Red Sox fans.
Highlights of Ramirez's 2016 Fenway debut included some pretty solid defense plays at first base. After making a nice scoop, Ramirez took advantage of a chance to further his rekindled romance with fans by tipping his cap to the crowd.
In the off-season, Ramirez playfully asked reporters, "What if I win a Gold Glove?" in response to a question about whether or not he'd like to DH down the line.
While Ramirez's defensive performance yesterday afternoon definitely isn't going to change the answer to that question, it was clear that the home crowd appreciated his effort.
He even got an ovation for picking up some trash.
To shower a highly paid player coming off of a disappointing season with overwhelming positivity isn't exactly in character for Boston sports fans. Nonetheless, it was great to see.
As proof that attitude and effort always matter, an off-season of hard work has earned Ramirez a reprieve. Red Sox fans have rewarded Ramirez, essentially, for being the anti-Sandoval.
Adjustments clearly needed to be made in order to ensure that this year wouldn't be a repeat of 2015, so Ramirez gladly moved to first base in order to prove that he could still contribute.
Sandoval, however, famously proclaimed to the media that he had nothing to prove in 2016. He was down to 17 percent body fat, and he simply didn't care what you thought.
Ramirez did everything in the complete opposite fashion. He took the challenge of changing positions head-on and remained positive throughout spring training. He's changed his swing around, and has proven far more aggressive on the base paths.
Most importantly, he's hitting - everything's great when you're hitting.
Six games is obviously far too small of a sample size to make any real judgement, but as of Tuesday, Hanley Ramirez has at least worked his way back into temporary favor with Red Sox fans.
"It is what it is," Ramirez told Boston.com. "You're here to win. You are going to hear some negative stuff, positive stuff. You always have to stay the same and keep working."
Everything is looking up at the moment for Ramirez, and you've got to give it to him - he's done and said all the right things over the past few months.
Even his helmet flying off after every swing is becoming endearing.
Johnny Carey is a senior at Boston College. You can find him on Twitter @JohnnyHeights.
