Wilson Ramos had already been on the move for more than two weeks. The winter work he had done near his home in Florida during last offseason was now taking place in Viera, home of the Washington Nationals’ spring training complex. He and his doppelganger brother — such a facial and frame match that more than one reporter has mistakenly asked to interview him — were working well before others. Pitchers and catchers were required to arrive by Feb. 18. He was there Feb. 1.
Ramos entered his eighth season with a large chunk of his future on the line. At the end of it, he knew free agency loomed. Instead of tiptoeing into the pressure of the season, he charged forward with early work and even Lasik surgery in March. Ramos felt two things were clear: his minor league numbers and power in the big leagues showed he could hit from a position where offense is limited. He also knew he was viewed as an injury risk. Ramos wanted to reaffirm one idea and squash the other.
His efforts before the all-star break have done well to push his goals. Ramos is a first-time all-star who leads major league catchers in average (. 330), on-base percentage (. 382), and OPS (. 918). Only St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina has appeared in more games than Ramos among National League catchers. His numbers also hold up against other positions. He’s third in the National League in batting average and 11th in OPS.
When his name is announced during Tuesday night’s introductions in San Diego, Ramos’ quiet demeanor backed by broad-shouldered hard work will receive confirmation of his value. He thought this could be possible.
“I always stayed very positive and worked a lot with my offense like I did in the minors,” Ramos said through interpreter Octavio Martinez. “I’ve always stayed optimistic I could put up a year like I am having this year. Given everything that has happened, I was able to remain working hard toward that and fortunately things worked out for me and I was able to put up the numbers I’ve been putting up this year.”
Journey to Washington
The “everything that has happened” category contains parts of typical major league journeys and a menacing irregularity.
Ramos signed with the Minnesota Twins in 2004 out of Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela. He was 17 years old. Selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Twins in the 2001 draft was catcher Joe Mauer. He made his Twins debut the same year Ramos signed. So, as Ramos moved through the minor leagues, he knew there was an entrenched impediment at his position in the major leagues. In March 2010, the Twins signed Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million contract. Ramos and career minor leaguer Joe Testa were traded to the Nationals that July for reliever Matt Capps.
“At the moment, I felt a little sad that I was leaving an organization that I have been with,” Ramos said. “But at the same time I was happy to have any opportunity here in the big leagues with the Nationals given that I was aware of the fact in Minnesota, with the new contract Mauer had been given, the doors were kind of closing in on me and the opportunities were going to be limited. The fact that I was going to a new organization, I was definitely very happy about that.”
A year later, Ramos had the scare of his life. He was kidnapped at gunpoint in Venezuela, confined for two days, then rescued when commandos raided a mountain hideout where Ramos was being held. He was freed after a shootout. Ramos was the first known Major League Baseball player to be abducted in such fashion. The incident became international news. Along his left forearm is an “11-11-11” tattoo representing the day he was freed.
“I’ve surpassed that time in my life,” Ramos said. “I thank God for that. Obviously, there’s moments where I still reflect on it a little bit, mainly asking myself why things happened the way they happened. But the fact that I’ve spent so much time here working on what I have to do in terms of getting ready to stay on the field and off the field spending time with my family, it gives me very little time to think about what has happened. Every now and then but for the most part, it’s been out of my mind and I just focus on what I have to do.”
His captors went to prison. Ramos moved on to shaking his reputation for injuries. He’s on track to set a new career high in plate appearances for the fourth consecutive season. To close the pre-all-star break schedule, Ramos caught four consecutive games despite being struck in the left side with a broken bat on Friday, then a foul ball later the same day, adding to numerous dings from the season. The bat hit Ramos so hard he checked his side for blood. Two days later, the area of impact was still strawberry red.
The Nationals provided Ramos’ all-star candidacy a late push with help from the marketing department. Headbands that said “Vote Buffalo” were distributed to fans at Nationals Park. Ramos saw them beforehand. The publicity made him smile, but also remain reticent to talk about his chances of making the all-star team. Other people talk a lot, he thought. So, he was better off just continuing to work. Besides, last season he led the National League in caught stealing and fielding percentage and tied for the fewest passed balls and best defensive WAR, yet didn’t win the Gold Glove. He wasn’t going to self-inflate his all-star hopes.
Nationals’ ’field general’
The thing that I’m getting across to him is that he is my field general,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. “He is my right-hand man on the field. I depend on him as much as anybody to get the signs — pitchouts, throw overs, to call a game, to throw people out, to block balls in the dirt. That is a big, big responsibility.”
That remains the priority for Ramos. The Nationals enter the break with the best team ERA in the National League. It’s debatable how much of that can be attributed to a catcher. But, it’s also clear he deserves some of the credit.
Though, his fielding numbers have dipped. Ramos is fifth in the NL in caught stealing percentage and his defensive WAR is seventh among catchers with at least 60 starts. But, overall, his value has soared. Ramos’ 1.7 WAR is already more than double last season’s.
This year of joy was interrupted in late April when Ramos’ grandfather and the man who taught him baseball, Jesus Campos, died. He took a brief hiatus from the team to grieve, then assured his family that a quality season was to come. He went back to work five days after being placed on the bereavement list.
After the trade, the injuries, the kidnapping scare, Ramos was able to smile about everything Monday in San Diego when he mingled with other all-stars. His father pulled away the placard with his son’s name on it after Ramos spoke to reporters. This is what the winter work, the early spring training work, the sticking it out had brought. Two days in the sun not be forgotten.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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