Ramirez waiting for his time to shine

Wilkin Ramirez prides himself on being able to handle any position. He currently finds himself in a pretty good one. Like everyone in the Braves clubhouse, he hears about how the team can use a right-handed bat with power, preferably someone who can play the outfield. At a chiseled 6-2, 190 pounds, the 25-year-old from Bani in the Dominican Republic has everything it takes to fill that position; he's a right-handed-hitting, five-tool player with the versatility to play all three outfield positions. Now it's a matter of staying patient and continuing to work hard while waiting for his opportunity to play more to arrive. "It's hard, but I'm here," said Ramirez, who has been in Atlanta since being recalled up from Triple-A Gwinnett on June 22, when Jason Heyward went on the disable list. "Any opportunity that I get from Manager Fredi Gonzalez, I'll be ready for and I'll be positive and do what I can do." Thus far, he's held his own. In limited exposure, he's hitting .316 (4-for-11, two of the hits doubles) in 16 games, with a .409 on-base percentage. Ramirez recently got back-to-back starts against the Washington Nationals and showed he help bolster an attack that is hitting a Major League-low .210 against left-handed pitching and has only three regulars hitting at least .250 against them (Martin Prado, at .292, Brian McCann at .291, Chipper Jones at .281 and Alex Gonzalez at .253). Ramirez, who is hitting .308 in nine games (13 at-bats) vs. southpaws, had hits in both starts. He got an infield single against John Lannan, who only allowed five hits, then, the next day, doubled to start a five-run, fifth-inning outburst that turned a 6-2 Braves deficit into a 7-6 lead (Heyward ran for him after the double, scoring the run then finishing the game in right). Acquired by the Braves for future considerations at last year's trade deadline, Ramirez is happy to be in the bigs and making the most of his opportunities to contribute, something he didn't really get while in the Detroit system, where he saw the Majors in 2009, hitting.364 in 15 games, primarily in September. He spent the beginning of that season and half of the next at Triple-A Toledo, where he was under the watch of then-Mud Hens manager and current Braves Hitting Coach Larry Parrish. That first-hand look has made Parrish optimistic about Ramirez unlocking all that potential. "He's a scouts' dream because he has so many tools," said Parrish. "He's a big kid, he runs a 4.1 down the first base line. He's built like a middle linebacker. You watch him take BP and he hits it out of the ball park to straightaway center field. So he's got all the physical tools. You're just waiting for him to put it all together. You hope that he will because if it clicks for him he has a chance to be a very good player." Ramirez is looking to speed up the process of making things click by taking in advice of the veteran leaders in the Braves clubhouse. "Juiio Lugo, he's from the Dominican and he played in Gwinnett a little bit with me," he said. "He's played like 20 years in the big leagues already, so he's given me a lot of advice. We talk a lot. "Eric Hinske, too," he added. "I talk to Hinske all the time because sometimes I'm pinch-hitting so Hinske's been doing that a lot for a lot of years. He's taught me a lot." Ramirez is proving a quick study in showing what he's learned and displaying a Major League attitude about playing time and what he needs to do to get more of it. "He's a kid that listens. He wants to learn. He wants to get better," said Lugo. "By being around and being a hard-working guy, I know what needs to be done to stay around in the big leagues. He's willing to listen to good advice that I can give him." Lugo has concentrated on the mental part of Ramirez's game. "Mentally is the toughest part of this game," he said. "He has all the ability. He has to be able to wait his turn to play and be able to not only wait, but be ready when they call him to play. When he gets the opportunity he has to show up and know that he's ready and show everybody that he's ready." Consider Gonzalez among those who are convinced. "He can play all three positions in the outfield, he has some power, he can run, he can throw and he's on our Major League roster," said the Braves' skipper. "We're giving him an opportunity. We saw back-to-back left-handers against Washington and we gave him an opportunity to get him some at-bats and put him in a situation where he can be successful and give him a chance. Facing left-handed pitching could be that." With the recent foot injury sidelining Jason Heyward, Ramirez has become increasingly valuable as an option in right. He's already proven that he's an option anywhere. However, anywhere could turn out to be elsewhere. It's ironic that as the Braves shop for a veteran right-handed power bat that can come off the bench as well as play the outfield they may need to package Ramirez, a youthful right-handed power bat that can come off the bench and play the outfield. That's a scenario Ramirez doesn't think about. "I like it here," he said. "This is a good town, A lot of good crowds, good fans, a lot of Latino people that make me feel like I'm back home in the Dominican. I'm excited. I'm happy to play for this team. "I just want to be in the lineup. I don't care where," he added. "I just go out there and try to do the best I can. Be positive and play the way that I know how to play, play hard and good things are going to happen."