Just like the saying “there’s no crying in baseball” the same can be said for what Hanley Ramirez was benched for this past Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Going after a blooper in shallow left that could have been caught, he preceded to kick the ball into the side wall in left field at Sun Life Stadium (thank you Jimmy Buffet).  With that soccer like kick, the Diamondbacks scored two runs in the third inning that would eventually help them beat Florida 5-1.

After the top of the third, manager Fredi Gonzalez went over to Hanley.  They were seen talking to which Fredi was none too pleased and it resulted in Hanley sitting the rest of the game.  One would imagine that a player of Hanley’s caliber would be pretty upset about being benched, but would understand where the manager was coming from and wouldn’t take this any further.  Wrong answer.

“It’s his team.  He can do whatever he bleeping wants.  There’s nothing I can do about it.  That’s OK.  He doesn’t understand that.  He never played in the big leagues.” – Hanley Ramirez

With that manager Fredi Gonzalez shot back with this great come back.

“He’s right, but I know how to play the game.  I played six years in the minor leagues and I know what it takes to play this game and I know the effort it takes to play this game.” – Fredi Gonzalez

Now Hanley should realize that he’s in a lose-lose situation.  Public persona sees that you dogged that play.  Especially the way you were going after the ball after kicking it to left field.  However, to put in proper perspective.  In the previous inning, Hanley did foul a ball of his left shin.  To which one would understand why he couldn’t run down the blooper in the air.

“I wasn’t trying to give up.  That was the hardest I could go after the ball.” – Hanley Ramirez

But, why were you still in the game then?  I can understand you not diving for it like it’s Game 7 of the World Series, but when the ball hits the ground you don’t react to it by kicking it.  If you see anything other than a baseball, by all means kick it.  Mr. Ramirez still doesn’t get it though.  A cry by the media and fans for an apology resulted in this last gem.

“We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls.  They don’t apologize.” – Hanley Ramirez

Not only have you alienated your manager.  Now your teammates have been thrown under the bus.  It’s not the first time he’s gotten into hot water with his teammates.  Last September Hanley and All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla got into a verbal confrontation when Hanley had left a game early due to a hamstring injury.  Now this could be connected to that.  Hanley not wanting to be seen as soft and deciding to play through injuries.  It also seems to me that Uggla is willing to give Hanley another chance.

“I think Skip needed to do what he needed to do, which was take Hanley out of the game at that time.  Does that mean we love Hanley any less?  No, we have all made mistakes.  We’ve all done things like, ‘Oh, maybe I shouldn’t have done that.’ But you move on, you move forward you get past it.”

Now hopefully this dies down quickly for this young, but very talented team.  Hanley is in the second year of a six year 70 million dollar deal.  He has to live up to it and the expectations of being a 30-30 hitter and gold glove defender at short.  The Marlins shutout the Diamondbacks today 8-0 without Ramirez in the lineup.  That’s a good start with Florida only 4 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place.  Hanley doesn’t have to apologize publicly, but he still needs to in private to his team.  Whether he likes it or not, he is considered a team leader and it must show if he is to be successful in this game.