Elizardo Ramirez.

[Playadlc]

Seriously, how good is this guy?

I gotta admit, I thought his first couple of starts were a fluke, and reality would set in very shortly. But it hasn't, yet.

Is this guy a fixture in our rotation?

Do the Reds need to start thinking long-term with this guy?

[guttle11]

Seriously, how good is this guy?

Is this guy a fixture in our rotation?

Do the Reds need to start thinking long-term with this guy?

1. Pretty good

2. Yes

3. Yes. He seems like the type of pitcher who will help you but not really blow away the competition, thus not making his salary baloon.

[Jr's Boy]

How bout The Lizard!

[reds44]

:clap:

Awesome job again by Elizardo today!!!

[redsupport]

great pick up from the phillies, it makes up for Tony Gonzalez for Jim Owens

[Jpup]

Cory Lidle. :p:

[savafan]

Elizardo Ramirez.

Is that a proper sentence? Which is the subject and which is the verb?

[redsupport]

if it were french, the ez ending would be a correct conjugation for the verb form of etre, like vous-aaez, so perhaps Elizardo is the subject and ramir is the verb, and ramirez if the conjugation, but regardless it is a perspicacious query, one that probably only Murray Cook could answer

[red-in-la]

great pick up from the phillies, it makes up for Tony Gonzalez for Jim Owens

Yeah, Tony is a GREAT tight end. :eek:

[ed the red]

He reminds me of Pedro at he same age. Not saying he will end up like Pedro, but skinny, Dominican pitcher that has pretty good control and is not afraid to pitch inside. Just think of our rotation in the coming years:

Harang(need to lock up long term)
Arroyo(see above)
Ramierez(see above)
Bailey(still too early for long term)

we need relief pitching

[boognish]

Ramon Ortiz was another skinny Dominican pitcher... :help:

Seriously though, I personally am VERY impressed with Ramirez. After his initial start last season against the Phils, it looked like his stuff wasn't that good (though his results that game were aside of a couple solo shots) and he struck me as another Reds pitching callup...bad stuff and no margin for error. However, the dozen or so starts he has strung together this year make it look as though he could be an admirable bottom of the rotation pitcher for years to come.

The guy is only 23...maybe he'll continue to improve!

[TeamBoone]

3. Yes. He seems like the type of pitcher who will help you but not really blow away the competition, thus not making his salary baloon.

That's not to say he won't blow the competition away in the future. He's young and has no where to go but up! He's only going to get better and better.

[Razor Shines]

He reminds me of Pedro at he same age. Not saying he will end up like Pedro, but skinny, Dominican pitcher that has pretty good control and is not afraid to pitch inside.

we need relief pitching

That's the only thing that reminds me of Pedro, unless you're talking about the Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite. Pedro Martinez threw in the high 90s and had and has ridiculous stuff. Don't get me wrong Elizardo can be a very good pitcher but he's very different from Pedro IMHO.

[DannyB]

I though he meant Pedro Borbon:laugh:

[saboforthird]

Yeah, Tony is a GREAT tight end. :eek:

Hmmm...

[Reds1]

Very nice pitcher. Works all sides, fearless, and his fastball is better then people think. People say Arroyo and Brandon Philips are the MVPs, but without EZ right now you'd be adding SP to the suck cateragory with RP. Just an amazing unexpected surprise. YOu think about it we got what we wanted. An Ace with Harang, Milton to surprise and a youngster to step up. The only problem here is Claussen isn't holding his end of the bargin, but besides that things are good. At least we are talking 5 spot.

[knuckler]

So given all the "Another example of how stupid Dan O'Brien is..." is anybody going to give him some rare credit?

[Cedric]

So given all the "Another example of how stupid Dan O'Brien is..." is anybody going to give him some rare credit?

Ok. Ed Wade might actually be dumber than Dan.

That good?

[dougdirt]

Danny boy also pulled in Javon Moran in that trade. Moran is hitting .336 for the Reds between A, A+ and AA since the trade....

[RicFlair]

Does anybody else think that today's solid outing by Ramirez could mean trouble for Valentin? The language berrier didn't seem to be a problem today for Ross. I figure with LaRue's salary, Valentin would be more enticing for trades.

[Redhook]

Does anybody else think that today's solid outing by Ramirez could mean trouble for Valentin? The language berrier didn't seem to be a problem today for Ross. I figure with LaRue's salary, Valentin would be more enticing for trades.

We need to put an end to all this madness. Trade all 3 catchers. Platoon Freel and Hatteberg behind the plate. That'll get the job done. :evil:

[KronoRed]

Ok. Ed Wade might actually be dumber than Dan.

That good?
Ed Wade wanted Rick White

[savafan]

Ed Wade wanted Rick White

That settles it, Cedric was right.

[TeamBoone]

06/25/2006

Griffey, Dunn fuel Reds win over Tribe
Ramirez, backed by four-run fourth, helps Cincy claim series
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- Elizardo Ramirez speaks and understands little English, but his pitching performances for the Reds have certainly not been lost in translation.
The quiet Dominican right-hander says little but has impressed many by the way he has pitched despite getting little run support. A solid 6 1/3-inning day was finally rewarded with a victory in the Reds' 4-2 win over the Indians at Jacobs Field.

"It was nice to finally get a crooked number for him," Reds manager Jerry Narron said.

Ramirez allowed two earned runs and six hits with one walk and three strikeouts for his first win since May 23. The win, and a Cardinals loss that moved the Reds within two games of the National League Central lead, was a good finish to a 4-3 road trip, which included taking two of three against Cleveland for the first time since 1997.

All of Ramirez's run support came in the fourth inning when Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn each collected two-run homers off rookie Jeremy Sowers that gave Cincinnati a 4-0 lead. They were the only runs Sowers (0-1) gave up in his five-inning big-league debut.

Griffey's homer was the first by a Reds hitter since Griffey hit one in the first game of the road trip.

"There had been pressing going on from everyone trying to get back on track," said Griffey, whose homer was the 549th of his career to pass Mike Schmidt for 11th on the all-time list.

Other than three singles allowed, two with two outs in the third, Ramirez encountered very little resistance through his first five scoreless innings. He retired 16 of his first 19 batters.

"It looked like he was cruising," Narron said. "I hate to say that because it's not that easy. He pitched really well for the first five."

Difficulty finally came in the Cleveland sixth with three straight one-out hits. Ronnie Belliard hit a double to the warning track in center field, then Jhonny Peralta hit a single before Travis Hafner's lined RBI single to left field scored Belliard.

Ramirez was lifted with one out in the seventh after Kelly Shoppach's infield hit off second baseman Brandon Phillips' glove. Reliever Chris Hammond gave up a two-out walk but got out of the seventh and went on to work a scoreless eighth. Todd Coffey closed it out with a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Plenty of hype existed before Sowers' debut, especially since he was originally a first-round choice of the Reds in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft. The lefty opted to attend Vanderbilt University instead, before the Indians took him in the first round of the 2004 lottery.

Meanwhile, Ramirez has been pitching professionally since 2000 and made his big-league debut in 2004. He struggled last season with the Reds and was not a top candidate to make the pitching staff out of Spring Training this season. No one knew what to expect when he joined the rotation in late April.

It was hard to believe Ramirez and Sowers, both 23, are the same age. Ramirez is just less than five months older.

"I think a lot of people might lose track of how young [Ramirez] is because of how much poise he shows out on the mound, and just the work ethic he has and the professionalism he shows," Narron said. "He does not act like a young kid."

During Ramirez's five-game winless streak, he pitched at least six innings each time and once worked eight shutout innings without getting a decision because he left during a scoreless tie.

Overall, Ramirez's record is 3-6, but he has a respectable 3.61 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts.

"It could easily be 6-3," Narron said.

Ramirez never complained about his hard luck, in English or Spanish. A reporter asked Griffey if Ramirez looked comfortable in the Majors.

"We don't know. He doesn't say [anything]," Griffey said. "He walks around with headphones on. We tease him that he's President of some country and that he's got money with his face on it. He walks like a President walks, all straight up and down. He tucks his shirt into his shorts. He just looks proper all the time.

"He's definitely fun to watch. He goes out there and gives you a chance to win, and that's important."
http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20060625&content_id=1522640&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=cin

[reds44]

"We don't know. He doesn't say [anything]," Griffey said. "He walks around with headphones on. We tease him that he's President of some country and that he's got money with his face on it. He walks like a President walks, all straight up and down. He tucks his shirt into his shorts. He just looks proper all the time.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[oregonred]

Ed Wade wanted Rick White

:laugh: He's the Reds best friend...

So far EZ has been a nice surpise. So for Jose Guillen (waiver wire rental), WMP and a half season of Corey Lidle, the Reds appear to have put together a very interesting young starting staff and rotation nucleus upon which to build.

[Ibleedblue]

"We don't know. He doesn't say [anything]," Griffey said. "He walks around with headphones on. We tease him that he's President of some country and that he's got money with his face on it. He walks like a President walks, all straight up and down. He tucks his shirt into his shorts. He just looks proper all the time. If that doesn't instantly end up on a souvenir table somewhere, then someone is asleep at the wheel.

[WVRedsFan]

We need to put an end to all this madness. Trade all 3 catchers. Platoon Freel and Hatteberg behind the plate. That'll get the job done. :evil:

You forgot about Deno. He is all to all.

[WVRedsFan]

"I think a lot of people might lose track of how young [Ramirez] is because of how much poise he shows out on the mound, and just the work ethic he has and the professionalism he shows," Narron said. "He does not act like a young kid."

Ah, he's going to be our #1 starter. He's a kid who isn't a kid, or a kid who has veteran qualities. Like Rich and Hammond. Points with the skipper are always good. :evil:

[oregonred]

If Lizard had enough innings to qualify (about 9 more), the Reds would actually have 3 of the NL's top 15 ERA leaders? Talk about front page news from a team with a rotation that's been the absolute laughing stock of baseball so far this millenium.

Just 23 years old and putting up some good numbers for a couple months (younger than guys like Ryan Wagner for example). Interesting...

[vic715]

great pick up from the phillies, it makes up for Tony Gonzalez for Jim Owens
Actually it was Cookie Rojas we gave up for Owens. Still a bad trade.

[redsupport]

octavio could play, I forgot what Jim Owens could do, good point though

[Krusty]

Kudos to Mario Soto for working with Ramirez in spring training and showing him how to throw the circle changeup. It has made him a bonafide major league pitcher.

[vaticanplum]

"We don't know. He doesn't say [anything]," Griffey said. "He walks around with headphones on. We tease him that he's President of some country and that he's got money with his face on it. He walks like a President walks, all straight up and down. He tucks his shirt into his shorts. He just looks proper all the time."

Well, Elizardo Ramirez is my new favorite baseball player.

[Red in Atl]

Kudos to Mario Soto for working with Ramirez in spring training and showing him how to throw the circle changeup. It has made him a bonafide major league pitcher.
I was wondering when someone would bring that up...thanks Krusty...why aren't we calling him the next Soto...