The morning after being benched, Hanley Ramirez helped fan the flames by venting back at manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Ramirez told reporters on Tuesday that he was trying to play through pain, and he wasn’t loafing after a ball in left field.
Then, the All-Star shortstop noted that Gonzalez never played in the big leagues.
“It’s ok. He doesn’t understand that. He never played in the big leagues,” Ramirez said. “That’s fine. That’s the example that he set. It started with me. Let’s see how far it goes.”
Ramirez and Gonzalez spoke briefly in the clubhouse on Tuesday morning, and the shortstop was not in the lineup against Arizona.
Gonzalez said Ramirez will play again after he settles the situation, and speaks to the team. The Marlins are at St. Louis on Wednesday and Thursday. Perhaps after the dust settles in a few days, the shortstop will be in the lineup on Friday, when the Marlins begin their Interleague play at the Chicago White Sox.
“When he handles that the right way, we’ll be fine,” Gonzalez said. “It’s one of those things where it could be good.”
Ramirez was benched after the second inning in Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Diamondbacks.
In the first inning, he fouled a ball off, just above his left ankle on the shin. In the second inning, Ramirez jogged casually after a ball he accidentally booted into the left field corner. The incident occurred on Tony Abreu’s bloop single, that was kicked away by Ramirez. Two runners scored and Abreu ended up on third.
Ramirez said he was in a lot of pain, but he wanted to keep playing.
“We expect an effort from 25 guys on this team, when that doesn’t happen, we’ve got to do something,” Gonzalez said on Monday.
On Tuesday, Ramirez was asked if he lost respect for his manager.
“A little bit. That’s fine,” Ramirez said. “We’ve got 24 more guys. Hopefully they can do the same thing I do. They wear the Marlins uniform.”
Gonzalez noted: “Whatever feels he has with me or does not have with me are fine and dandy. We don’t have to get along, but I think he has to get along with the 24 other guys on this team.”
— Joe Frisaro
