Batting average .189 Role Baseball player Name Orlando Ramirez | Runs batted in 16 Home runs 0 | |
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Orlando Ramírez Leal (born December 18, 1951 in Cartagena, Colombia) also known as El Ñato (Snub Nose) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the California Angels between 1974 and 1979. He was the first recognized Colombian-born player in major league history, following Luis Castro, who played 42 games for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1902 season.
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In his 143-game major league career, Ramírez batted .189 with 16 RBI, 24 runs, five doubles, one triple and 16 stolen bases.
Colombian Significance
Ramírez was inducted in the Colombian Baseball Hall of Fame in September 2009. He was the first Colombian to play in the Major Leagues. The Colombian Professional Baseball League decided to give The Most Valuable Player award of Colombia in his name since the winter of 2005-06.
Early Colombian Career
Ramírez began his career with the Willard club from Barranquilla, Colombia in 1966 which was recognized as the top level of Colombian baseball. At the age of 17, Ramírez made the Colombian national team and debuted in his first game in the Amateur World Series held in Santo Domingo. He was the third hitter and played third base on the Colombian national team. In the 1970 and 1971 Amateur World Series, Ramírez played shortstop and led all players in stolen bases. He led the Colombian national team to a silver medal in the 1971 Amateur World Series.
Career in the United States
Ramírez first played Double A for Shreveport in the Texas League. He excelled and was transferred to Idaho Falls in the Pioneer Rookie League. From Idaho Falls, he was sent to the minors in 1973, playing for the Quad Cities where he soon played Double-A again in 1974. A short time after playing Double A, Ramírez was sent to the majors to play for the California Angels.