Gary Sheffield understands what Hanley Ramirez is going through, and he’s not worried about the Boston Red Sox left fielder at all.
The former New York Yankee spent most of his career in the outfield, but that came after six seasons on the left side of the infield, where Ramirez used to play. And when it was clear to Sheffield that he wouldn’t become an elite defensive outfielder, he put all of his energy into punishing baseballs from the plate.
“A lot of guys like making a great catch,” Sheffield told the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber on Tuesday. “I liked making highlights with my bat. If I threw somebody out at the plate, it didn’t give me the same feeling as hitting a home run.”
Since Ramirez came to Boston this past offseason, his transition to left field has been a rough one with plenty of defensive mistakes. It was almost excusable when he hit 10 home runs in April, but since his offense has cooled down, frustration only has mounted. And Sheffield believes Ramirez can fix that if he thinks with his bat and sticks to the basics on the field.
“That’s basically how I looked at it,” Sheffield told Lauber. “Everybody understood I was a (natural) shortstop. I made the plays that were hit to me. … I always played the game conservative in the outfield. That’s what people said. But I was playing smart. I hit my cutoff man. I didn’t overthrow guys. I didn’t make the mental mistakes. That’s what Hanley’s got to figure out.”
Red Sox fans understandably are freaking out given Ramirez’s four-year, $88 million deal, but Sheffield believes the 31-year-old will be A-OK once he adjusts to the new league, Fenway Park’s difficult left field and a lot of pressure.
“I know him a little bit. He’s going to be a great player over time,” Sheffield said. “When you move positions, it affects your hitting a little bit because you focus on defense a little more than you normally do. I think once he plays in all the stadiums and gets comfortable, you’ll start seeing the real Hanley Ramirez.”
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@120Sports
