Alex Ramírez

Alexander Ramón Ramírez Quiñónez (born 3 October 1974), nicknamed Ramichan (ラミちゃん), is a Venezuelan-born former professional baseball outfielder who had a long career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is the only foreign player to record 2,000 hits in NPB. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, and the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.

Before playing in Japan, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians (1998–2000) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2000).

He managed the Yokohama BayStars from 2016 to 2020.

Ramírez signed with the Cleveland Indians as an international free agent in July 1991. In 1995, he was a replacement player during the ongoing strike for Cleveland, playing in one spring training game. He was named the team's 1998 Minor League Player of the Year, getting the Lou Boudreau Award.

Ramírez made his MLB debut with Cleveland in 1998. On 28 July 2000, the Indians traded Ramírez and Enrique Wilson to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Wil Cordero. Across three MLB seasons, Ramírez batted .259 with 12 home runs, 48 runs batted in (RBI), 38 runs scored, 17 doubles, three triples, and three stolen bases in 135 games.

After the 2000 season, Ramírez signed with the Yakult Swallows (2001–2007) and was their cleanup hitter. During his final season with the Swallows he set the Central League record for most base hits in a single season with 204. (This record did not stand long, as Hanshin Tigers outfielder Matt Murton surpassed Ramírez's tally en route to finishing the 2010 season with 214 hits.)

The 2007 season was Ramírez's last with the Swallows, who did offer him the multi-year contract he sought. Instead, the outfielder signed with the Yomiuri Giants for the 2008 season. Ramírez quickly flourished with his new team. In 2008, he led the Central League with 125 RBI while hitting .319 (sixth in the league) with 45 home runs (second). He also hit two home runs in Game 2 of the Japan Series, including one in the bottom of the ninth to win Game 2. At the end of the 2008 season, Ramírez won the Central League MVP Award. He was the third Venezuelan player to be so honored in Japanese baseball, joining Roberto Petagine (Central League, 2001) and Alex Cabrera (Pacific League, 2002).

After playing eight seasons in NPB, Ramirez obtained FA Right in 2008 and was no longer counted as a foreign player for roster purposes. As of 2017^[update], only four foreign players in NPB history had accrued enough service time to achieve the classification.^{[citation needed]}