Lookit, I’m not going to try to tell you that Rafael Ramírez was a good ballplayer. He wasn’t.
But, much like that ’82 Braves team, while displaying some huge, obvious flaws, the Dominican shortstop could do a couple things well, things that could help you win… like, 89 games.
How’s that? Well, the ’82 club could mash—in fact, they led the league in runs (739) & homers (146). But, the pitching? Um, let’s call it a mixed bag. Beyond Phil Niekro (who went a fairly fortunate 17-4, while sporting a 3.