CHICAGO – Alexei Ramirez wasn't even guaranteed a spot on the White Sox's opening day roster.
Now, he and Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria are leading candidates for AL Rookie of the Year and are at the top of a strong group of newcomers.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said, “there's a new era of baseball players coming out,” and “those two guys are going to be the key.”
A natural shortstop, Ramirez played a bit in center field and ultimately settled in as Chicago's regular second baseman. Solid in the field, the 27-year-old from Cuba a major contributor at the plate with a .290 average, 21 homers and 77 RBIs and came up with the biggest hit of the year – a tiebreaking grand slam against Detroit on Monday that forced a play-in game against Minnesota.
Ramirez reminds Longoria of another wiry Chicago All-Star, the Cubs' Alfonso Soriano.
“He's got that stringy pop, he runs, he's got that good arm and he can play a lot of positions,” Longoria said. “I think that's what's made him most valuable for this team.”
Longoria's been pretty valuable, too.
Despite missing 30 games with a broken right wrist, he led major league rookies with 27 homers and a .531 slugging percentage while batting .272 and driving in 85 runs. He was chosen for the All-Star team and participated in the Home Run Derby.
“I remember a couple of years, whoever was a little bit good was Rookie of the Year,” Guillen said. “Now, the competition is harder. It's come back to be better, and I think that's awesome for baseball.”
TORRE'S HORSE A WINNER: Dodgers manager Joe Torre was in a good mood before Game 3 of his team's NL division series against the Chicago Cubs, and it had nothing to do with baseball.
Vineyard Haven, a 2-year-old colt trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel and partially owned by Torre, was an impressive winner of the $400,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, contested five hours before Saturday night's game.
“It was pretty cool,” Torre said with a smile. “Hopefully it's a good sign.”
The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead over the Cubs into Game 3.
Ridden by Edgar Prado, Vineyard Haven won the one-mile Champagne by 5¾ lengths, and paid $10.40, $6.20 and $3.90.
Torre, who watched the race in his Dodger Stadium office, said he spoke with Frankel afterward. The two share ownership in six horses. Torre said they picked up Vineyard Haven in early July.
“He was excited,” Torre said. “Today was a big one. You get free nominations to the Triple Crown today.”
Torre admitted to being nervous.
“Of course, it's a competition,” he said.
More nervous than when he's managing?
“Yes, you have no control,” Torre replied. “I guess excited is a better word.”
Torre said he isn't particularly good company at playoff time.
“You don't want to be around me. I'm not in a very talkative mood,” he said. “I was happy for the distraction of the race.”
Torre said he bet on Vineyard Haven, but declined to say how much.
HAPPY HOMECOMING: A Chicago native, Tampa Bay outfielder Cliff Floyd said “sometimes you have to pinch yourself” with all the good fortune he has experienced this season. A year ago, he was on a Cubs team that got swept out of the playoffs. Now, he's trying to knock off the White Sox, his favorite team growing up.
“We're in the playoffs, I have an opportunity to come back home and see all my people in the playoffs, up 2-0,” he said. “It can get better and hopefully it does get better. It's been a great ride for me.”
Floyd, who is playing for his sixth team after signing a one-year deal with Tampa Bay last winter, has been a calming influence on his younger, inexperienced teammates. The 35-year-old is making his fourth postseason appearance, including a championship in 1997 with the Marlins.
“I've just been through it all. I've been through a lot and I know what they're going through,” Floyd said. “I just try to allow them to relax and understand that once you get into the flow of the game you're going to be good. They've adjusted real well. This team has literally grown up over night. That doesn't happen too often.”
Evan Longoria credited Floyd, veterans Eric Hinske and Troy Percival, and senior baseball adviser Don Zimmer for providing guidance down the stretch.
“I just lean on the guys who have been here,” Longoria said. “Players like Hinske and Cliff, who have been down there down the stretch, and Percival, who has been through a playoff run. They have a lot of quality advice for us.”
HE'S OUTTA HERE: Philadelphia Phillies general manager Pat Gillick is sticking to his promise.
Gillick said last fall that he planned to leave the Phillies on Oct. 31 of this year, when his current three-year contract expires. That is still the plan, Gillick said Saturday.
“I haven't been home a lot in the last 10 years,” said Gillick, whose wife stayed in the Seattle area after the Phillies hired him in 2005. “It gets kind of old being on the road for 10 years.”
Gillick won two World Series titles as GM in Toronto and has nine division championships and 11 playoff appearances with four teams – the Blue Jays, Baltimore, Seattle and Philadelphia. The Phillies are making back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since 1980-81, and are on the verge of earning a spot in the NL championship series for the first time since 1993. Philadelphia took a two-game lead in the best-of-five series against the Milwaukee Brewers into Saturday night's game.
Gillick said he doesn't have any plans yet for when he retires. There's no long list of things he's always wanted to do besides spend more time with his family. But Gillick will be in Seattle, which is still in the market for a general manager after firing Bill Bavasi in June.
“I don't think so,” the 71-year-old said when asked if he could see himself running another team. “Philadelphia was a great place to work, good ownership, great people. I couldn't think of a better place to work.”
Besides, Gillick said, he's too busy with his current job to think about anything in the future.
“My contract runs out on the 31st, and the last game of the World Series is on the 30th. So hopefully we'll be there,” he said. “I'm not really thinking about (retirement) right now. I'm thinking about this game today.”
NOT SO GREAT INDOORS: Given their struggles at domed stadiums, the White Sox were glad to be home.
The White Sox went a combined 4-12 at Tampa Bay and Minneapolis while dropping all four games at Toronto, which has a retractable roof, during the regular season.
“The teams that play indoors, they build the ballclub to do that,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I think that's the only reason I see. Minnesota, we had a lot of problems playing there. They have their own way to play. They got their own style, and that's the only way I can look at it.”
No team won more games at home than the Rays, who were 57-24 at Tropicana Field. The White Sox were pretty good at U.S. Cellular Field, going 54-28.
GRANT-ED, HE HAD POTENTIAL: White Sox C A.J. Pierzynski saw potential in Rays reliever Grant Balfour when they were with the Twins. Now, the right-hander is realizing it.
Sidelined by arm and shoulder injuries in 2005 and '06, the Australian was 6-2 with a 1.54 ERA this year. He has allowed two hits over 1 1-3 innings over two appearances in this series.
“He's a guy that always threw hard, just had a little control problem,” Pierzynski said. “I always thought he had a chance to be pretty good. He had arm problems, got hurt, they let him go. He got healthy and found it. Good for him. You always want to see guys you played with succeed.”
CHANGEUP: Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Mike Cameron's new daughter has a new name.
Cameron and his wife initially called their daughter, born early Friday, Lily Christina. But Cameron said Saturday they decided to change her name, and are now calling her Lilo. The Camerons have another girl, T'aja, and two boys, Dazmon and Mekhi.
Lilo was due in early November, but JaBreka Cameron called her husband about 4 a.m. Friday to say she'd had an emergency C-section. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio arranged for Cameron to fly home to Atlanta, and the outfielder spent Friday with his wife and family before returning to Milwaukee for Game 3 of the NL division series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Mother and baby are doing fine, Cameron said.
Cameron, a three-time Gold Glove winner, signed with Milwaukee last winter and hit .243 with 25 homers and 70 RBIs in 120 games. In the first two games of the NLDS, he's 0-for-7 with three strikeouts.
