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Hanley Ramirez called team meeting Saturday
Throughout his career, Hanley Ramirez hasn't been the type of player to open his mouth and address his teammates.
But with the Marlins stumbling to their 15th loss in their last 17 games on Saturday, the three-time All-Star decided it was time to do something he had never done before. He called a team meeting.
“I don’t like to talk too much. I joke a little bit but I don’t like to speak. But sometimes there’s a time when you have too many things in your heart and you just want to say it,” Ramirez told the Palm Beach Post and Marlins.com Sunday morning.
“We wanted everybody to speak up and say what they think, what we’re doing wrong. We just wanted to hear everybody’s opinions.
The message?
“The past is in the past. We have to start today. It has been tough. You cannot just keep adding loses and losses every day. Clean your mind and let’s start from today,” Ramirez said.
“Everybody is struggling — 25 guys. What do you expect when everybody is struggling? We’ve just got to battle. It’s 25 guys, not just one guy.
“Every day in the big leagues can be a struggle. It’s what we’re going through right now. Some teams will get out of it quick. Some will take a little bit longer. It has been too long for us because the talent we have here [it should] not to be that much longer to be struggling right now."
Manager Ozzie Guillen held a meeting with players last week. Owner Jeffrey Loria met with the team in Boston before Thursday’s game. But all the talking is pointless, ace Josh Johnson said, unless the team starts to perform.
"It's all up to the guys in the room. We're the ones doing it," Johnson said. "Find a way to win a game. Find a way to win a couple games in a row and go from there. Once you start winning again, you like that taste. You want to get that.
"We know we can [win]. We proved it in May. Just don't go out there and put any pressure on yourself, relax and put in all the work you need beforehand. Just let it happen and let it speak for itself."
Guillen said after Saturday's loss it's hard to have on field leaders when everybody is struggling.
Ramirez, who hit .342 and won the batting title in 2009, is hitting .258 with 11 homers and 38 RBI this season. But this month he's hitting just .213 with three homers and five RBI.
"It’s easy to lead the team when you’re hitting .390 and 100 home runs and pitching shutouts every day. Right now we don’t have anybody. It’s easy to lead the team when you’re a great player, but when you’re down on your knees begging for help, it’s hard to be a leader," Guillen said. "I don’t need leaders. I need good players. I need them to go out and perform the way they should."
ARENCIBIA ENJOYS RETURN HOME
Former Miami Westminster Christian star and Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia said Sunday he's enjoyed his first trip back home as a major leaguer.
"It's kind of crazy hearing people call my name and I look up and it's somebody I played with in high school or someone I knew when I was a little kid playing at Flagami Khoury League. It's cool," said Arencibia, who was taken 21st overall by the Blue Jays in the 2007 Draft (nine picks after the Marlins took third baseman Matt Dominguez).
"My sister has six kids and they've all been here [for the three games]."
Arencibia, who homered twice on Opening Day 2011 as Toronto's new catcher, said he remains close to former teammate and Marlins catcher John Buck, who spent the 2010 season in Toronto and tutored Arencibia when he was first called up.
"He wasn't only an All-Star, he was a first class human being," Arencibia said of Buck. "He was great to me, taught me the ropes and I tell him all the time I'm very grateful. The way he went about his business, prepared for games, talked about setting up hitters, attacking the game plan and stuff -- there is something to be said for that."
Throughout his career, Hanley Ramirez hasn't been the type of player to open his mouth and address his teammates.
But with the Marlins stumbling to their 15th loss in their last 17 games on Saturday, the three-time All-Star decided it was time to do something he had never done before. He called a team meeting.
“I don’t like to talk too much. I joke a little bit but I don’t like to speak. But sometimes there’s a time when you have too many things in your heart and you just want to say it,” Ramirez told the Palm Beach Post and Marlins.com Sunday morning.
“We wanted everybody to speak up and say what they think, what we’re doing wrong. We just wanted to hear everybody’s opinions.
The message?
“The past is in the past. We have to start today. It has been tough. You cannot just keep adding loses and losses every day. Clean your mind and let’s start from today,” Ramirez said.
“Everybody is struggling — 25 guys. What do you expect when everybody is struggling? We’ve just got to battle. It’s 25 guys, not just one guy.
“Every day in the big leagues can be a struggle. It’s what we’re going through right now. Some teams will get out of it quick. Some will take a little bit longer. It has been too long for us because the talent we have here [it should] not to be that much longer to be struggling right now."
Manager Ozzie Guillen held a meeting with players last week. Owner Jeffrey Loria met with the team in Boston before Thursday’s game. But all the talking is pointless, ace Josh Johnson said, unless the team starts to perform.
"It's all up to the guys in the room. We're the ones doing it," Johnson said. "Find a way to win a game. Find a way to win a couple games in a row and go from there. Once you start winning again, you like that taste. You want to get that.
"We know we can [win]. We proved it in May. Just don't go out there and put any pressure on yourself, relax and put in all the work you need beforehand. Just let it happen and let it speak for itself."
Guillen said after Saturday's loss it's hard to have on field leaders when everybody is struggling.
Ramirez, who hit .342 and won the batting title in 2009, is hitting .258 with 11 homers and 38 RBI this season. But this month he's hitting just .213 with three homers and five RBI.
"It’s easy to lead the team when you’re hitting .390 and 100 home runs and pitching shutouts every day. Right now we don’t have anybody. It’s easy to lead the team when you’re a great player, but when you’re down on your knees begging for help, it’s hard to be a leader," Guillen said. "I don’t need leaders. I need good players. I need them to go out and perform the way they should."
ARENCIBIA ENJOYS RETURN HOME
Former Miami Westminster Christian star and Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia said Sunday he's enjoyed his first trip back home as a major leaguer.
"It's kind of crazy hearing people call my name and I look up and it's somebody I played with in high school or someone I knew when I was a little kid playing at Flagami Khoury League. It's cool," said Arencibia, who was taken 21st overall by the Blue Jays in the 2007 Draft (nine picks after the Marlins took third baseman Matt Dominguez).
"My sister has six kids and they've all been here [for the three games]."
Arencibia, who homered twice on Opening Day 2011 as Toronto's new catcher, said he remains close to former teammate and Marlins catcher John Buck, who spent the 2010 season in Toronto and tutored Arencibia when he was first called up.
"He wasn't only an All-Star, he was a first class human being," Arencibia said of Buck. "He was great to me, taught me the ropes and I tell him all the time I'm very grateful. The way he went about his business, prepared for games, talked about setting up hitters, attacking the game plan and stuff -- there is something to be said for that."
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