Will Hanley's new theatrics rile opponents?

     Have you noticed the new swing and glide routine Hanley Ramirez has integrated into his swing? If you watched tonight's game, you saw the performance three times -- once for every one of his three hits -- and might have thought to yourself, 'Some pitcher is going to drill him if he doesn't stop.'

     That's been my thought anyway.

     Here's the deal: Ramirez has made a few adjustments to his swing, one of which -- on the advice of new hitting coach Eduardo Perez -- is to make sure he follows through. Well, Ramirez is definitely following through. Every time he delivers a hit -- be it a home run or a bouncer up the middle -- he now raises his bat as he completes his follow-through and keeps it raised as he heads down the line to first. When he's about halfway to the bag, he flips the bat aside and continues on his merry way.

    "I'm not trying to show up anybody," Ramirez said after tonight's three-act performance. "I don't want to offend anybody.

     Ramirez said he’s merely adding extra emphasis to the end of his swing to ensure that he’s adhering to Perez's advice. He even has a name for it: “Hanley Through It.” (If anybody has a better suggestion, which shouldn't be too difficult, let's hear it.) I've been told that some of his teammates are starting to tease him about it.

    “That’s one thing he told me, ‘You got to finish up,’” Ramirez said of Perez's instructions to him. “When you finish up, that means you’re through the ball. Stay through the whole time.”

   Ramirez said first baseman Ryan Howard commented on it to him during the Phillies series earlier in the week.

   “Ryan Howard told me the other day, ‘That’s good, because you’re not shortening your swing,’” Ramirez said.

   Whatever impression it might create, the swing is working wonders for Ramirez, who is hitting .400 since moving into the cleanup spot.

   But at what potential risk?

   Let's hear it. Like it or hate it? What do you think?

Comments

[bob]

Well, if Ryan Howard likes it, it's fine with me!

['witz]

We can call it the Hanley Hack. If he hits the ball a lot harder, change it to the Hanley Hammer or Haymaker.

[Glags]

He looks retarded!!! Mind you he's getting advice from a guy whose ritual was to turn his back to the pitcher as he approached the batters box so that the pitcher could know who was coming up to bat. Which would make sense except he sucked.

[Glags]

On the other Jack said as long as he keeps hitting it doesn't matter.

[Hanleys A Jag-Off]

One punk getting advice from another punk...

[Steveo]

he not only does that but when he gets to 3rd after a homer he flaps his right hand under his chin and also does that chop behind his helmet. Typical showboating stuff. Jack should talk to him about all that unnecessary B.S.

[spitballer]

As long as he keeps hitting....he'll change it once the next slump comes around.

[Samsons Boyfriend]

Memo to Gaby: Up by 1 run,bottom of 5th. You doubled of this kid last time up. Petey gets hit,Omar gets a hit,2 on,0 out,chance for big inning to break game open and you BUNT????? Its one thing to try this in 1st inning against Phillies, but you try again against a 20yr old Astros pitcher and give up an out and dont even move the runners up? Give Bunting a REST for a while....Like,til next season...

[Samsons Boyfriend]

As far as Hanley striking a Pose like he's gonna be on the cover of Vogue, and his childish antics when on Base...Some players need to do these antics as its part of their make-up..Having his worst year of his career,and starting to come out of it, keeping his childish deameanor happy to produce at the plate,so be it..Dont like it,being Old School,but will tolerate it,if thats what it takes for Hanley the Clown to Hit...Jack will agree that a happy Hanley is a hitting Hanley.

[Samsons Boyfriend]

Also...the pitchers today dont have the Balls to send Hanley an Up and In message,a la Gibson and Drysdale, and the Umpires would stick their nose in it at first Whiff,so Hanley can 'strike the pose' at the plate,knowing he wont be pitched inside or brushed back..

[Samsons Boyfriend]

When Hanley does that wave or chop behind his head he is giving the crowd the 'Hanley Headjob'.

[Clark]

SB,

McKeon said he ordered Gaby Sanchez to bunt in that situation.

Clark

[Samsons Boyfriend]

Was Watching at home and Rich and Tommy stated that Gaby HAD to bunt on his own..Jack may be covering for Gaby,find it hard to believe Jack had the Bunt Sign on...if he did,Still dont agree with it..

[Stan M]

If "the crotch's" antics reflect on him, so be it. If they reflect on the team, it's time for a trek to the manager's office. Hanley is my least favorite Marlin (after Buck) but this sure looks like a different team when he's hitting!

[Clark]

Believe it, SB. Jack volunteered the information before ever being asked about it. Here's what he said:

"I had Sanchez bunting today. That was me, not him, because I want to win. And I'll take a run every inning if I can and when I get the opportunity. I'm not going to sit back and wait for the 3-run homer. I'm going to go for one at a time if we can do it. I'll take the home run, after I get the lead."

[Samsons Boyfriend]

O.K Clark...what's your opinion of bunting in that situation against that pitcher..Jack also knew the question was coming,probably just wanted to nip it in the Bud..one way or the other ,still didnt like the move,in that situation, whoever's idea it was...Thought Petey did a decent job hitting lead-off..Dont think he's K'd since he's been back..Like to see him hitting in 2 hole against rightys at least..Omar's slow with a bad OBP..

[Stan M]

The successful bunt is the only play in baseball where the offensive and defensive sides both applaud its completion. I have no statistical proof of this, but it seems to me that the success rate of a bunt by an average major league hitter is lower than the success rate for a stolen base. Personally, I hate the bunt except in very special circumstances; and those are very rare. Bill James proved with statistics that there is a better chance of scoring a run with a runner on first base and no outs, over a runner on second base with one out...to be fair, the stats were close. The bunt is a play that reflects on over 100 years of baseball history...badly! The dead ball era ended 90 years ago and so should have its tactics.

[Samsons Boyfriend]

Correction...Petey has K'd 1 time in 24 AB's since his return..

[Samsons Boyfriend]

Just Dont like giving Outs away when youre 24th in MLB and 13th in the NL in Runs Scored...

[Samsons Boyfriend]

Are Marlins baserunners avoiding contact with the catcher because of the Posey incident...instead of sliding right at Home Plate,Stanton took the route around Catcher last nite and made a half-ass slide to touch the plate with his hand...worth watching in future attempts to score...

[Samsons Boyfriend]

Kudos to ex Marlin Kevin Gregg for pitching inside to Big Fat Papi..Umpire over-reacted as usual..too bad Gregg didnt land his right on Big Fat Papi's Mouth..typical Baseball Fight.

[Jayel]

I hope Hanley continues to hit and we find a way to move him. He's a showboat who will never live up to all the hype and potential people have attached to him. It would be great to get some talent for him.

Samson, i disagree about the Gregg-Papi thing in this sense....pitchers can throw inside, but to go in several times in a row after HRs is lame. Do it during the whole game, establish the inside, no problem. To act like you are a tough guy after a guy hits a HR is lame.

[laurelbowie]

I think we all get tired of seeing these overpriced butt wipes posturing and dancing and celebrating for doing the very job they're being paid to do. Most of us go to work every day for 40-50 years, contributing a lot more to the good of mankind than these guys ever will, and never once high-five each other or do a victory dance after installing a transmission or removing an inflamed appendix or pulling a little kid from a fire. An NFL defensive end gets paid to sack the quarterback and if he actually does that once every three games, he jumps around like he just hit the lottery. Thank you, Mark Gastineau. A guy like Ham-ley is paid to hit and he doesn't need to go into a victory strut every time he does that.
There is another way to play the game. As Mike Maddux said of his brother Greg after Greg recorded his 300th victory: "Three hundred wins — and no fist pumps."

[Samsons Boyfriend]

@Jayel..Situation was 1 out runner on third..Gregg was pitching inside to keep Big Papi from extending his arms to get a cheap sac fly RBI or a hit..Gregg could have pitched around him to set up DP,or hit him if he wanted to,to put him on first,but chose to go inside and Big Papi took offense..Had nothing to do with Papi's 1st inning HR...Majority of pitchers today dont have the Balls to pitch like Gregg did to Papi...Lost Art..Papi charged the mound,after Gregg yelled at him to run out the Fly to CF..Gregg not intimitated by Papi or the Red Sox..Papi charged the mound like an irate woman...

[Samsons Boyfriend]

@lb..unfortunatly ,that is todays Culture..Look at Me, aint I great..Theres no Old Schoolers left in the NFL or MLB to police these Brats and rectify their on field behavior..Back in my day ,if you pulled any Showboat stunts on the field,the veterans on the team would jump in your sheet and you wouldnt dare pull that Crap again...Not Today.

[laurelbowie]

So Clark, what's the deal with Boni's baby? Heard he is back leading off tonight but nothing on the kid. We're interested and wishing him well.

[spitballer]

what date is Cogs coming off the DL??? where has he been spending his DL time?

[Roger S]

Nice little run the Marlins have been on this latter end of the week. It's amazing what a little pitching and hitting can do. Of course, this is the Astros. I'll take it though.

[BigVic]

I dont give a damn if he shakes his ass @ 1st or does the mambo as long as he hits and we stay out of the loser circle. If it pisses off a pitcher we know our guys can throw down.

[Glags]

According to Olney the Yankees asked about Choate. They cannot trade him.

[Erocku]

The winning streak is nice but Volstad is on the bump tomorrow so...... Yea it was nice while it lasted!!

[John J McGraw]

Whoop-D-Doo...Marlins beat up on Houston,the Worst Team in the Hemisphere...Marlins fans in frenzy, ordering Loria Iced Teas and Samson Shots, thinking their team really doesnt SUCK...Wait for the post All-Star Hang-Over..and the Crawl back to Reality

[Glags]

John not sure why you're here but you're not welcome. No one here is bragging about beating the worst team in baseball. If you follow this blog you'll know that most of us here know what we have. Great observational skills guy.

[Villa26]

@John .|.

['witz]

Is it true that Evan Longoria is changing his name to Kalashnikov and his number to 47? I asked on the St. Pete Times website and didn't get an answer.