2009 Chicago White Sox: Shortstop

Last year, shortstop was occupied by Orlando Cabrera. This year, Alexei Ramirez will be making the switch from second base, and take over the helm at shortstop.

Baseball fans all got to hear about the Cuban Missile this year. The lack of national coverage that the White Sox get seemed to make him overlooked throughout the season, with Evan Longoria in the same rookie class, and fellow teammate Carlos Quentin taking a lot of the spotlight. And honestly, the Rookie of the Year award could have easily gone to him (not to take anything away from Longoria, he deserved it).

Ramirez started in center field last year, and had early season struggles. He lost the starting job later in April, after hitting zero home runs, and hitting for an average below .200. After second baseman Juan Uribe struggled taking over, the Cuban Missile took over, and as the weather heated up, so did he. He hit .295 in May, allowing him to take the job permanently, and kept improving from there! He was a key reason the White Sox made the playoffs, hitting 4 grand slams! One of those was the go-ahead home run vs. Detroit that allowed a play-in game against Minnesota.

At first glance, this slim player doesn’t look like he can even hit the ball out of the infield. Yet, he still hit 21 home runs in 2008.Despite his early season struggles, he finished the year with an average of .290. But what is scary about this player is that he can dominate in all aspects of the game. He is a great fielder, can hit for contact and power, can steal bases, and is comfortable in pressure. What more can you ask for? And the White Sox have him for 3 more seasons. Now, Ramirez has more experience in the majors and should have a great season. Shortstop is his natural position, and now he knows the teammates and should be more comfortable. Look for a great season from Alexei this year!

The Cuban Missile

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