Hector Ramirez saw minors for decade, then made majors
Tossed from this May 1999 Louisville game for arguing balls and strikes, Hector Ramirez took out his frustrations on the dugout water fountain, The Louisville Courier-Journal wrote.
Ramirez offered to pay for any damages, but team general manage Dale Owens declined, The Courier-Journal wrote.
"This isn't the first time something like this has happened," Owens told The Courier-Journal. "Every now and then a player might lose it and do something like that, but as long as they're trying, we don't mind paying for a player taking out their frustrations."
By that point, Ramirez had been trying in the minors for a decade, without seeing the majors. Later that year, though, he made it. He ultimately saw time in two big league campaigns, both with the Brewers.
Ramirez' career began in 1989, signed by the Mets as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic.
Ramirez started with the Mets in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He played his first two seasons there before moving to rookie Kingsport in 1991. He went 8-2 in 14 outings, 13 starts there in 1991, with a 2.65 ERA.
He made single-A Columbia in 1992, then first made AA Binghamton in 1995. He went 4-12 at Binghamton over 20 starts, with a 4.60 ERA.
At Binghamton, Ramirez threw a one-hitter in late May, then went on a streak of 11 winless outings into August, The Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin wrote.
"I'm trying to do the best I can," Ramirez told The Press and Sun-Bulletin then after his latest unsuccessful outing. "I threw my fastball, slider and change-up tonight good, but I'm having bad luck with hitters."
Ramirez made AAA Norfolk briefly in 1996, three outings, one start. He then moved to the Orioles system and AAA Rochester for 1997, then the Marlins and AAA Charlotte for 1998.
For 1999, he arrived with the Brewers. He saw 58 relief outings at AAA Louisville. Then, in late August, he made his major league debut. He saw 15 appearances down the stretch, going 1-2, with a 3.43 ERA.
Ramirez returned for six more relief outings with the Brewers in 2000. He gave up 10 earned in nine innings.
Ramirez is later credited with seven starts at independent San Angelo in 2002, then 10 outings in Taiwan in 2006 and two outings in the Dominican Winter League in 2006-07.
- Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin, Aug. 14, 1995: Reading strikes early in win over Mets
- Louisville Courier-Journal, May 16, 1999: Fountain fixed
Made the Majors:1,470-31.8%-X
Never Made Majors:3,159-68.2%