Chicago Cubs: The Heroes of Wrigley Series presents Aramis Ramirez

From raw potential to superstar fruition, Ramirez helps led the Cubs into the postseason and proves a valuable asset for the future.

With the Chicago Cubs having a magical 2003 season, which saw them deadlocked with the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals for NL Central supremacy and legitimate contender hopes, Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry pulled off one of the greatest deals, and steals, in baseball history.

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The Cubs managed to acquire the 25-year-old Ramirez, along with speedy veteran and Chicagoland native, Kenny Lofton, in exchange for aging infielder Jose Hernandez, minor league outfielder Matt Bruback and a player-to-be-named-later, which would eventually be infielder Bobby Hill.

Ramirez flourished with his new club, becoming a valuable member of a team that captured the Central Division title and fought their way to the National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins.  Ramirez drove in 10 runs throughout the ’03 postseason, adding four home runs.

His most dramatic moment for the young third baseman came in Game 4 of the NLCS on the road in Florida.  He drove in six runs and belted two towering home runs, one of which a grand-slam off Dontrelle Willis, as the Cubs took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Ultimately, the magical 2003 Cub season ended in heartbreak as the team fell just short of reaching their first World Series in 58 years.  But the Cubs and the rest of the league took notice of Ramirez as he proved to be a valuable asset for the future of the franchise.

Ramirez really blossomed in 2004, his first full season with the Cubs.  With a .313 average, he belted 36 home runs and drove in 103 RBIs, proving to be a legitimate clean-up hitter in the league.  He finished 10th in the National League MVP voting.

He earned his first career All-Star appearance in 2005 and, in just 123 games, hit 31 home runs, knocked in 92 RBIs and had a .302 batting average.  He continued his triumphs in 2006, enjoying his best power performance of his career, crushing 38 home runs and driving in 119 RBIs.

After the season, Ramirez became a free-agent, potentially the biggest one on the market.  Many fans feared the worse, expecting Ramirez to cash-out on a lucrative deal elsewhere.  However, Ramirez remained loyal to the team, determined to win in Chicago, telling his agent he wanted to remain on the North Side.  He took less money, electing to stay a Cub, becoming a darling and a fan-favorite from there on forth.

A team player to the end, Ramirez soldiers on as his work ethic proves that he always tried to improve his game and silence the critics.

For the next few seasons, Ramirez was outed as a defensive liability, consistently ranking among the lowest in the league in range factor.  He began to make a point to work on his defense in an effort to better protect the hot corner.

Despite his inconsistencies on the defensive side of the ball, he more than made up for it with his bat, developing a reputation as one of the better contact hitters in the game.  During his first six full seasons with the Cubs, Ramirez never hit lower than .289.

He added a .310 batting average in 2007, helping the Cubs to their first playoff berth since that promising ’03 season.  He continued to work on his defense as well, improving his range factor for the third consecutive year.

The following season, in 2008, he led the team to their first back-to-back playoff appearances in 100 years, also earning his second career All-Star honors.  Arguably, the highlight of the season happened on June 20 in the Crosstown Classic against rivals, the Chicago White Sox.  Already with a home run earlier in the game, Ramirez hit another mammoth shot, this time a walk-off solo blast, to win the game for the Cubs, 4-3.  Never forgiving to the crosstown White Sox, he homered in the next two remaining games in the series at Wrigley Field.

After the Cubs were swept in the NLDS in ’07 and ’08, by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers respectively, Ramirez played in only 82 games in 2009 after suffering a dislocated left shoulder in May, diving for a screaming line drive off the bat of Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun.  While the Cubs were in no place to contend that season, Ramirez was determined to play.  Possibly rushing back too soon from his shoulder injury, he soldiered through the pain, having a monster season in just those 82 games, hitting .317 and driving in 65 runs.

After a slow start to his 2010 campaign, Ramirez continued to get bit by the injury bug, this time missing long stretches due to a hand injury.  In classic A-Ram fashion, he continued to play but his injury drastically affected his swing as he hit only .241, his worst since joining the Cubs.  Despite his low average, he managed to still contribute to Chicago’s offense, hitting 25 home runs and driving in 83 runs.

Following his less than stellar 2010 season, Ramirez considered opting out of his contract.  However, he ultimately chose to remain with the Cubs ahead of the 2011 season.  He played in 149 games that season, his most in the past three seasons, hitting .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs.  For his efforts, Ramirez was awarded the Silver Slugger Award as the National League’s best offensive third baseman.

As Theo Epstein joined the organization following the conclusion of the 2011 season, it was apparent he wanted to rebuild the Cubs from scratch.  Noting the direction the team would have to take the next few years, both parties amicably decided what was best and Ramirez opted out of his contract and the 34-year-old signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, ending his 8 1/2 year tenure with the Chicago Cubs.

Chicago Cubs: Aramis Ramirez shows that Pittsburgh’s greatest mistake was Chicago’s great steal.

Ramirez enjoyed great success in his first season in Milwaukee.  He led the league with 50 doubles, adding an additional 27 home runs and 105 RBIs, once again cruising to a cool .300 batting average.  Perhaps most enigmatic of all that season, the aging Ramirez had the best defensive season of his career, finishing in the top five for the National League Gold Glove honors.

By the time the 2013 season rolled around, it became quite clear that 16 years in the Majors rapidly began to take a toll on his body and was constantly side-tracked by various injuries, limiting him to only 92 games, hitting .283 with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs.

His injuries followed him and carried over into the 2014 season but still managed to be named a starter for the National League All-Star team before missing the majority of the second half.  Playing in only 131 games, he remained consistent with his bat, hitting .285 with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs.

Knowing the end was nigh, Ramirez announced during Spring Training he would be retiring after the season, making 2015 his last year.  While not the offensive threat he once was in his prime, his veteran presence was still warranted in a clubhouse.  After 81 games with the Brewers, Milwaukee traded Ramirez to the Pirates before the July trade deadline, fittingly ending his journey where it all began.

Ramirez ended his career with 386 home runs, 1,417 RBIs, and an accumulative batting average of .283.  Most of that damage was done as a member of the Chicago Cubs, where Ramirez enjoyed the peak seasons of his career.  He ranks among the top in many of the franchise’s all-time offensive categories, including 6th in home runs (239) and 12th in RBI (806).

Ramirez was a key part of the Cubs for nearly nine seasons.  He loved the city, remained loyal, fought through the pain and injury to play for us, and showed us time after time, what an exciting, clutch player he was during his tenure in Chicago.  He remains a fan-favorite to this day with fans still donning his No. 16 jersey at Wrigley Field, even after eight years since he last wore a Cub uniform.