From Ed Price:
NEW YORK -- One day last winter, while Edwar Ramirez was working out at a field in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, David Ortiz came up to him.
"Pedro wants to talk to you," Ortiz said.
As in Pedro Martinez.
"I've seen you pitch," Martinez said, as Ramirez recalled yesterday. "and you've got an incredible changeup. You don't know what you have."
It was the changeup that enabled Ramirez, a right-hander, to climb from an independent league team in Edinburg, Texas, to the majors in less than a year. But Martinez's advice to Ramirez: Use your fastball more.
As a result of more and better-located fastballs, Ramirez has yet to allow a run this year -- including eight appearances in Triple A and eight in the majors.
In his prime Pedro Martinez was the greatest pitcher I've ever seen, and to get pitching advice, and praise from him about one of your pitches can only be a good thing. And its really seemed to help give Ramirez the confidence he needs to trust his stuff, and get the most out of his changeup.
1 Comments:
Ever since that game him and Joba debuted and Edwar struck out all three of those guys with that disgusting change I've been dying to see him excel.
He's doing rather well for himself, last on the staff yet to give up a run, words of encouragement from the greatest offspeed pitcher ever, a budding mentor relationship with the greatest closer and clutch performer of all time?
Let's keep it goin kid...
Now if only we could get these bats goin.....
Post a Comment